On Particular Friendships
Those who have these types of friendships usually stray from the rest of the community to converse together, and to have a heart-to-heart about their little secrets.
They freely communicate their sorrows, their temptations, their feelings and their suspicions.
They share their plans, and sometimes they even recount their past misdeeds.
They brag, they flatter, they excuse one another.
They talk shamelessly, against the rules, against good order, and against the perfection of the community.
They slander, they whisper, they complain.
They form little leagues, they make secret parties, they rendez-vous.
They try, as much as they can, to be near each other, and when it happens that they are separated, they try not to lose sight of one another; they look at each other, they make signs and communicate with gestures.
They hardly ever talk about spiritual things, and if they sometimes begin there, they usually end in discussions of trifles, nonsense and vanity.
When they are together, they do not suffer others to join them, unless they are part of their cabal; they distrust others, and immediately change their conversation when they approach.
They find it so hard to leave each other that when the time for conversation ends, they cannot leave without saying a few more words.
They have each other’s interests in mind; if one is reproached, the other is offended on his behalf or justifies him, and rather than blame his conduct, they condemn the superior or superior director.
Finally, these sorts of friendships are the cause of much rule-breaking, and of one making mistakes so as to not displease his friend.
Let us examine, by all these points, if we did not once have these particular friendships, and if we do not have them still.
