two poets-第4部分

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all　be　working　for　myself；　shall　I　not？〃

〃I　am　leaving　you　a　treasure；〃　said　Sechard；　uneasy　at　his　son's　silence。

David　asked　what　the　treasure　might　be。

〃Marion！〃　said　his　father。

Marion；　a　big　country　girl；　was　an　indispensable　part　of　the　establishment。　It　was　Marion　who　damped　the　paper　and　cut　it　to　size；　Marion　did　the　cooking；　washing；　and　marketing；　Marion　unloaded　the　paper　carts；　collected　accounts；　and　cleaned　the　ink…balls；　and　if　Marion　had　but　known　how　to　read；　old　Sechard　would　have　put　her　to　set　up　type　into　the　bargain。



Old　Sechard　set　out　on　foot　for　the　country。　Delighted　as　he　was　with　his　sale　of　the　business；　he　was　not　quite　easy　in　his　mind　as　to　the　payment。　To　the　throes　of　the　vendor；　the　agony　of　uncertainty　as　to　the　completion　of　the　purchase　inevitably　succeeds。　Passion　of　every　sort　is　essentially　Jesuitical。　Here　was　a　man　who　thought　that　education　was　useless；　forcing　himself　to　believe　in　the　influence　of　education。　He　was　mortgaging　thirty　thousand　francs　upon　the　ideas　of　honor　and　conduct　which　education　should　have　developed　in　his　son；　David　had　received　a　good　training；　so　David　would　sweat　blood　and　water　to　fulfil　his　engagements；　David's　knowledge　would　discover　new　resources；　and　David　seemed　to　be　full　of　fine　feelings；　soDavid　would　pay！　Many　a　parent　does　in　this　way；　and　thinks　that　he　has　acted　a　father's　part；　old　Sechard　was　quite　of　that　opinion　by　the　time　that　he　had　reached　his　vineyard　at　Marsac；　a　hamlet　some　four　leagues　out　of　Angouleme。　The　previous　owner　had　built　a　nice　little　house　on　the　bit　of　property；　and　from　year　to　year　had　added　other　bits　of　land　to　it；　until　in　1809　the　old　〃bear〃　bought　the　whole；　and　went　thither；　exchanging　the　toil　of　the　printing　press　for　the　labor　of　the　winepress。　As　he　put　it　himself；　〃he　had　been　in　that　line　so　long　that　he　ought　to　know　something　about　it。〃

During　the　first　twelvemonth　of　rural　retirement；　Sechard　senior　showed　a　careful　countenance　among　his　vine　props；　for　he　was　always　in　his　vineyard　now；　just　as；　in　the　old　days；　he　had　lived　in　his　shop；　day　in；　day　out。　The　prospect　of　thirty　thousand　francs　was　even　more　intoxicating　than　sweet　wine；　already　in　imagination　he　fingered　the　coin。　The　less　the　claim　to　the　money；　the　more　eager　he　grew　to　pouch　it。　Not　seldom　his　anxieties　sent　him　hurrying　from　Marsac　to　Angouleme；　he　would　climb　up　the　rocky　staircases　into　the　old　city　and　walk　into　his　son's　workshop　to　see　how　business　went。　There　stood　the　presses　in　their　places；　the　one　apprentice；　in　a　paper　cap；　was　cleaning　the　ink…balls；　there　was　a　creaking　of　a　press　over　the　printing　of　some　trade　circular；　the　old　type　was　still　unchanged；　and　in　the　dens　at　the　end　of　the　room　he　saw　his　son　and　the　foreman　reading　books；　which　the　〃bear〃　took　for　proof…sheets。　Then　he　would　join　David　at　dinner　and　go　back　to　Marsac；　chewing　the　cud　of　uneasy　reflection。

Avarice；　like　love；　has　the　gift　of　second　sight；　instinctively　guessing　at　future　contingencies；　and　hugging　its　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　t