two poets-第4章

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s　presentiments。　Sechard　senior　living　at　a　distance；　far　from　the　workshop　and　the　machinery　which　possessed　such　a　fascination　for　him；　reminding　him；　as　it　did；　of　days　when　he　was　making　his　way；　could　FEEL　that　there　were　disquieting　symptoms　of　inactivity　in　his　son。　The　name　of　Cointet　Brothers　haunted　him　like　a　dread；　he　saw　Sechard　&　Son　dropping　into　the　second　place。　In　short；　the　old　man　scented　misfortune　in　the　wind。

His　presentiments　were　too　well　founded；　disaster　was　hovering　over　the　house　of　Sechard。　But　there　is　a　tutelary　deity　for　misers；　and　by　a　chain　of　unforeseen　circumstances　that　tutelary　deity　was　so　ordering　matters　that　the　purchase…money　of　his　extortionate　bargain　was　to　be　tumbled　after　all　into　the　old　toper's　pouch。

Indifferent　to　the　religious　reaction　brought　about　by　the　Restoration；　indifferent　no　less　to　the　Liberal　movement；　David　preserved　a　most　unlucky　neutrality　on　the　burning　questions　of　the　day。　In　those　times　provincial　men　of　business　were　bound　to　profess　political　opinions　of　some　sort　if　they　meant　to　secure　custom；　they　were　forced　to　choose　for　themselves　between　the　patronage　of　the　Liberals　on　the　one　hand　or　the　Royalists　on　the　other。　And　Love；　moreover；　had　come　to　David's　heart；　and　with　his　scientific　preoccupation　and　finer　nature　he　had　not　room　for　the　dogged　greed　of　which　our　successful　man　of　business　is　made；　it　choked　the　keen　money…getting　instinct　which　would　have　led　him　to　study　the　differences　between　the　Paris　trade　and　the　business　of　a　provincial　printing…house。　The　shades　of　opinion　so　sharply　defined　in　the　country　are　blurred　and　lost　in　the　great　currents　of　Parisian　business　life。　Cointet　Brothers　set　themselves　deliberately　to　assimilate　all　shades　of　monarchical　opinion。　They　let　every　one　know　that　they　fasted　of　a　Friday　and　kept　Lent；　they　haunted　the　cathedral；　they　cultivated　the　society　of　the　clergy；　and　in　consequence；　when　books　of　devotion　were　once　more　in　demand；　Cointet　Brothers　were　the　first　in　this　lucrative　field。　They　slandered　David；　accusing　him　of　Liberalism；　Atheism；　and　what　not。　How；　asked　they；　could　any　one　employ　a　man　whose　father　had　been　a　Septembrist；　a　Bonapartist；　and　a　drunkard　to　boot？　The　old　man　was　sure　to　leave　plenty　of　gold　pieces　behind　him。　They　themselves　were　poor　men　with　families　to　support；　while　David　was　a　bachelor　and　could　do　as　he　pleased；　he　would　have　plenty　one　of　these　days；　he　could　afford　to　take　things　easily；　whereas　。　。　。　and　so　forth　and　so　forth。

Such　tales　against　David；　once　put　into　circulation；　produced　their　effect。　The　monopoly　of　the　prefectorial　and　diocesan　work　passed　gradually　into　the　hands　of　Cointet　Brothers；　and　before　long　David's　keen　competitors；　emboldened　by　his　inaction；　started　a　second　local　sheet　of　advertisements　and　announcements。　The　older　establishment　was　left　at　length　with　the　job…printing　orders　from　the　town；　and　the　circulation　of　the　Charente　Chronicle　fell　off　by　one…half。　Meanwhile　the　Cointets　grew　richer；　they　had　made　handsome　profits　on　their　devotional　books；　and　now　they　offered　to　buy　Sechard's　paper；　to　have　all　the　trade　and　judicial　announcements　of　the　department　in　their　own　hands。

The　news　of　this　proposal　sent　by　David　to　his　father　brought　the　old　vinegrower　from　Marsac　into　the　Place　du　Murier　with　the　swiftness　of　the　raven　that　scents　the　corpses　on　a　battlefield。

〃Leave　me　to　manage　the　Cointets；〃　said　he　to　his　son；　〃don't　you　meddle　in　this　business。〃

The　old　man　saw　what　the　Cointets　meant；　and　they　took　alarm　at　his　clearsighted　sagacity。　His　son　was　making　a　blunder；　he　said；　and　he；　Sechard；　had　come　to　put　a　stop　to　it。

〃What　was　to　become　of　the　connection　if　David　gave　up　the　paper？　It　all　depended　upon　the　paper。　All　the　attorneys　and　solicitors　and　men　of　business　in　L'Houmeau　were　Liberals　to　a　man。　The　Cointets　had　tried　to　ruin　the　Sechards　by　accusing　them　of　Liberalism；　and　by　so　doing　gave　them　a　plank　to　cling　tothe　Sechards　should　keep　the　Liberal　business。　Sell　the　paper　indeed！　Why；　you　might　as　well　sell　the　stock…in…trade　and　the　license！〃

Old　Sechard　asked　the　Cointets　sixty　thousand　francs　for　the　printing　business；　so　as　not　to　ruin　his　son；　he　was　fond　of　his　son；　he　was　taking　his　son's　part。　The　vinegrower　brought　his　son　to　the　front　to　gain　his　point；　as　a　peasant　brings　in　his　wife。

His　son　was　unwilling　to　do　this；　that；　or　the　other；　it　varied　according　to　the　offers　which　he　wrung　one　after　another　from　the　Cointets；　until；　not　without　an　effort；　he　drew　them　on　to　give　twenty…two　thousand　francs　for　the　Charente　Chronicle。　But；　at　the　same　time；　David　must　pledge　himself　thenceforward　to　print　no　newspaper　whatsoever；　under　a　penalty　of　thirty　thousand　francs　for　damages。

That　transaction　dealt　the　deathblow　to　the　Sechard　establishment；　but　the　old　vinegrower　did　not　trouble　himself　much　on　that　head。　Murder　usually　follows　robbery。　Our　worthy　friend　intended　to　pay　himself　with　the　ready　money。　To　have　the　cash　in　his　own　hands　he　would　have　given　in　David　himself　over　and　above　the　bargain；　and　so　much　the　more　willingly　since　that　this　nuisance　of　a　son　could　claim　one…half　of　the　unexpected　windfall。　Taking　this　fact　into　consideration；　therefore；　the　generous　parent　consented　to　abandon　his　share　of　the　business　but　not　the　business　premises；　and　the　rental　was　still　maintained　at　the　famous　sum　of　twelve　hundred　francs　per　annum。

The　old　man　came　into　town　very　seldom　after　the　paper　was　sold　to　the　Cointets。　He　pleaded　his　advanced　age；　but　the　truth　was　that　he　took　little　interest　in　the　establishment　now　that　it　was　his　no　longer。　Still；　he　could　not　quite　shake　off　his　old　kindness　for　his　stock…in…　trade；　and　when　business　brought　him　into　Angouleme；　it　would　have　been　hard　to　say　which　was　the　stronger　attraction　to　the　old　house　his　wooden　presses　or　the　son　whom　（as　a　matter　of　form）　he　asked　for　rent。　The　old　foreman；　who　had　gone　over　to　the　rival　establishment；　knew　exactly　how　much　this　fatherly　generosity　was　worth；　the　old　fox　meant　to　reserve　a　right　to　interfere　in　his　son's　affairs；　and　had　taken　care　to　appear　in　the　bankruptcy　as　a　privileged　creditor　for　arrears　of　rent。

The　causes　of　David's　heedlessness　throw　a　light　on　the　character　of　that　young　man。　Only　a　few　days　after　his　establishment　in　the　paternal　printing　office；　he　came　across　an　old　school　friend　in　the　direst　poverty。　Lucien　Chardon；　a　young　fellow　of　one…and…twenty　or　thereabouts；　was　the　son　of　a　surgeon…major　who　had　retired　with　a　wound　from　the　republican　army。　Nature　had　meant　M。　Chardon　senior　for　a　chemist；　chance　opened　the　way　for　a　retail　druggist's　business　in　Angouleme。　After　many　years　of　scientific　research；　death　cut　him　off　in　the　midst　of　his　incompleted　experiments；　and　the　great　discovery　that　should　have　brought　wealth　to　the　family　was　never　made。　Chardon　had　tried　to　find　a　specific　for　the　gout。　Gout　is　a　rich　man's　malady；　the　rich　will　pay　large　sums　to　recover　health　when　they　have　lost　it；　and　for　this　reason　the　druggist　deliberately　selected　gout　as　his　problem。　Halfway　between　the　man　of　science　on　the　one　side　and　the　charlatan　on　the　other；　he　saw　that　the　scientific　method　was　the　one　road　to　assured　success；　and　had　studied　the　causes　of　the　complaint；　and　based　his　remedy　on　a　certain　general　theory　of　treatment；　with　modifications　in　practice　for　varying　temperaments。　Then；　on　a　visit　to　Paris　undertaken　to　solicit　the　approval　of　the　Academie　des　Sciences；　he　died；　and　lost　all　the　fruits　of　his　labors。

It　may　have　been　that　some　presentiment　of　the　end　had　led　the　country　druggist　to　do　all　that　in　him　lay　to　give　his　boy　and　girl　a　good　education；　the　family　had　been　living　up　to　the　income　brought　in　by　the　business；　and　now　when　they　were　left　almost　destitute；　it　was　an　aggravation　of　their　misfortune　that　they　had　been　brought　up　in　the　expectations　of　a　brilliant　future；　for　these　hopes　were　extinguished　by　their　father's　death。　The　great　Desplein；　who　attended　Chardon　in　his　last　illness；　saw　him　die　in　convulsions　of　rage。

The　secret　of　the　army　surgeon's　ambition　lay　in　his　passionate　love　for　his　wife；　the　last　survivor　of　the　family　of　Rubempre；　saved　as　by　a　miracle　from　the　guillotine　in　1793。　He　had　gained　time　by　declaring　that　she　was　pregnant；　a　lie　told　without　the　girl's　knowledge　or　consent。　Then；　when　in　a　manner　he　had　created　a　claim　to　call　her　his　wife；　he　had　married　her　in　spite　of　their　common　poverty。　The　children　of　this　marriage；　like　all　children　of　love；　inherited　the　mother's　wonderful　beauty；　that　gift　so　often　fatal　when　accompanied　by　poverty。　The　life　of　hope　and　hard　work　and　despair；　in　all　of　which　Mme。　Chardon　had　shared　with　such　keen　sympathy；　had　left　deep　traces　in　her　beautiful　face；　just　as　the　slow　decline　of　a　scanty　income　had　changed　her　ways　and　habits；　but　both　she　and　her　children　confronted　evil　days　bravely　enough。　She　sold　the　druggist's　shop　in　the　Grand'　Rue　de　L'Houmeau；　the　principal　suburb　of　Angouleme；　but　it　was　impossible　for　even　one　woman　to　exist　on　the　three　hundred　francs　of　income　brought　in　by　the　investment　of　the　purchase…money；　so　the　mother　and　daughter　accepted　the　position；　and　worked　to　earn　a　living。　The　mother　went　out　as　a　monthly　nurse；　and　for　her　gentle　manners　was　preferred　to　any　other　among　the　wealthy　houses；　where　she　lived　without　expense　to　her　children；　and　earned　some　seven　francs　a　week。　To　save　her　son　the　embarrassment　of　seeing　his　mother　reduced　to　this　humble　position；　she　assumed　the　name　of　Madame　Charlotte；　and　persons　requiring　her　services　were　requested　to　apply　to　M。　Postel；　M。　Chardon's　successor　in　the　business。　Lucien's　sister　worked　for　a　laundress；　a　decent　woman　much　respected　in　L'Houmeau；　and　earned　fifteen　daily　sous。　As　Mme。　Prieur's　forewoman　she　had　a　certain　position　in　the　workroom；　which　raised　her　slightly　above　the　class　of　working…girls。

The　two　women's　slender　earnings；　together　with　Mme。　Chardon's　three　hundred　francs　of　rentes；　amounted　to　about　eight　hundred　francs　a　year；　and　on　this　sum　three　persons　must　be　fed；　clothed；　and　lodged。　Yet；　with　all　their　frugal　thrift；　the　pittance　was　scarcely　sufficient；　nearly　the　whole　of　it　was　needed　for　Lucien。　Mme。　Chardon　and　her　daughter　Eve　believed　in　Lucien　as　Mahomet's　wife　believed　in　her　husband；　their　devotion　for　his　future　knew　no　bounds。　Their　present　landlord　was　the　successor　to　the　business；　for　M。　Postel　let　them　have　rooms　at　the　further　end　of　a　yard　at　the　back　of　the　laboratory　for　a　very　low　rent；　and　Lucien　slept　in　the　poor　garret　above。　A　father's　passion　for　natural　science　had　stimulated　the　boy；　and　at　first　induced　him　to　follow　in　the　same　path。　Lucien　was　one　of　the　most　brilliant　pupils　at　the　grammar　school　of　Angouleme；　and　when　David　Sechard　left；　his　future　friend　was　in　the　third　form。

When　chance　brought　the　school…fellows　together　again；　Lucien　was　weary　of　drinking　from　the　rude　cup　of　penury；　and　ready　for　any　of　the　rash；　decisive　steps　that　youth　takes　at　the　age　of　twenty。　David's　generous　offer　of　forty　francs　a　month　if　Lucien　would　come　to　him　and　learn　the　work　of　a　printer's　reader　came　in　time；　David　had　no　need