Pierre was celebrating his silver wedding anniversary, and while all
were unrestrainedly merry over the ample liquor provided by the
host, Pierre himself remained in the corner, nursing a drink and
following one of the guests with baleful eyes.
A friend noticed this strange action, all the more strange on so
happy an occasion, and said, "At whom are you glaring, Pierre my
friend?"
"At my lawyer, may his soul rot."
"But why are you so angry with him?"
"It is a sad tale. After I had been married ten years, I decided I
had had enough and that the cleanest solution would be to kill my
wife. Painlessly, of course, for I am no monster. Being a
methodical man, I approached my lawyer--that one there--and asked
him of the possible consequences. He told me that whereas killing a
husband is, here in France, a mere misdemeanor, killing a wife is a
felony, and that even with a most skillful defense, I would have to
count on fifteen years in jail. He urged me not to do it and I let
myself be guided by his advice."
"Well, then, why are you angry?"
"Because," said Pierre, "if I had not listened to his stupid advice,
today I would have been a free man at last."