It was a dark autumn night. The old banker was walking up and down his study and remembering how,fifteen years before,he had given a party one autumn evening. There had been many clever men there,and there had been interesting conversations. Among other things they had talked of capital punishment. The majority of the guests,among whom were many journalists and intellectual men,disapproved of the death penalty. They considered that form of punishment out the date,immoral and unsuitable for Christian States. In the opinion of some of them the death penalty ought to be replaced everywhere by imprisonment for life.
" I don't agree with you,"said their host the banker. "I have not tried either the death penalty or imprisonment for life,but if one may judge a priori,the death penalty is more moral and more humane than imprisonment for life. Capital punishment kills a man at once,but lifelong imprisonment kills him slowly. Which executioner is the more humane,he who kills you in a few minutes or he who drags the life out of you in the course of many years?"
"Both are equally immoral,"observed one of the guests,"for they both have the same object-to take away life. The State is not God. It has not thr right to take away what it cannot restore when it wants to."
Among the guests was a young lawyer,a young man of five-and-twenty. When he was asked his opinion,he said:
"The death sentence and the life sentence are equally immoral,but if I had to choose between the depth penalty and imprisonment for life,I would certainly choose the second. To live anyhow is better than not at all. "
A lively discussion arose. The banker,who was young and more nervous in those days,was suddenly carried away by excitement;he struck the table with his first and shouted at the young man:
"It's not true!I'll bet you two millions you
Wouldn't stay In solitary confinement for
five years."If you mean that in earnest,"said the young man,"I'll take the bet,but I would stay not five but fifteen years."
" Fifteen? Done!"cried the banker. "Gentleman I stake two millions!"
"Agreed!You stake your millions and I stake mu freedom!"said their young man And thus wild millions beyond his reckoning,was delighted at the bet. At supper he made fun of the young man,and said:
"Think better of it,young man,while there is still time. To me two millions are a trifle,but you are losing three or four of the best years of your life. I say there or four,because you won't stay longer. Don't forget either,you unhappy man,that voluntary confinement is a great deal harder to bear than compulsory. The thought that you have the right to step out in liberty at any moment will poison your whole existence in prison. I am sorry for you."
And now the banker,walking to and fro,remembered all this,and asked himself:
"What was the object of that bet?What is the good of that man's losing fifteen years of his life and my throwing away Two millions?Can it prove that the death penalty is better or worse than imprisonment for life?No,no. It was all nonsensical and meaningless. On my part it was the caprice of a pampered man,and on his part simple greed for money..."
Part 2 is coming soon...