two poets-第5部分

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ected　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　whatever　of　a　printer's　reader；　but　he　saved　Lucien　from　despair。　The　ties　of　a　school　friendship　thus　renewed　were　soon　drawn　closer　than　ever　by　the　similarity　of　their　lot　in　life　and　the　dissimilarity　of　their　characters。　Both　felt　high　swelling　hopes　of　manifold　success；　both　consciously　possessed　the　high　order　of　intelligence　which　sets　a　man　on　a　level　with　lofty　heights；　consigned　though　they　were　socially　to　the　lowest　level。　Fate's　injustice　was　a　strong　bond　between　them。　And　then；　by　different　ways；　following　each　his　own　bent　of　mind；　they　had　attained　to　poesy。　Lucien；　destined　for　the　highest　speculative　fields　of　natural　science；　was　aiming　with　hot　enthusiasm　at　fame　through　literature；　while　David；　with　that　meditative　temperament　which　inclines　to　poetry；　was　drawn　by　his　tastes　towards　natural　science。

The　exchange　of　roles　was　the　beginning　of　an　intellectual　comradeship。　Before　long；　Lucien　told　David　of　his　own　father's　farsighted　views　of　the　application　of　science　to　manufacture；　while　David　pointed　out　the　new　ways　in　literature　that　Lucien　must　follow　if　he　meant　to　succeed。　Not　many　days　had　passed　before　the　young　men's　friendship　became　a　passion　such　as　is　only　known　in　early　manhood。　Then　it　was　that　David　caught　a　glimpse　of　Eve's　fair　face；　and　loved；　as　grave　and　meditative　natures　can　love。　The　et　nunc　et　semper　et　in　secula　seculorum　of　the　Liturgy　is　the　device　taken　by　many　a　sublime　unknown　poet；　whose　works　consist　in　magnificent　epics　conceived　and　lost　between　heart　and　heart。　With　a　lover's　insight；　David　read　the　secret　hopes　set　by　the　mother　and　sister　on　Lucien's　poet's　brow；　and　knowing　their　blind　devotion；　it　was　very　sweet　to　him　to　draw　nearer　to　his　love　by　sharing　her　hopes　and　her　self…　sacrifice。　And　in　this　way　Lucien　came　to　be　David's　chosen　brother。　As　there　are　ultras　who　would　fain　be　more　Royalist　than　the　King；　so　David　outdid　the　mother　and　sister　in　his　belief　in　Lucien's　genius；　he　spoiled　Lucien　as　a　mother　spoils　her　child。

Once；　under　pressure　of　the　lack　of　money　which　tied　their　hands；　the　two　were　ruminating　after　the　manner　of　young　men　over　ways　of　promptly　realizing　a　large　fortune；　and；　after　fruitless　shakings　of　all　the　trees　already　stripped　by　previous　comers；　Lucien　bethought　himself　of　two　of　his　father's　ideas。　M。　Chardon　had　talked　of　a　method　of　refining　sugar　by　a　chemical　process；　which　would　reduce　the　cost　of　production　by　one…half；　and　he　had　another　plan　for　employing　an　American　vegetable　fibre　for　making　paper；　something　after　the　Chinese　fashion；　and　effecting　an　enormous　saving　in　the　cost　of　raw　material。　David；　knowing　the　importance　of　a　question　raised　already　by　the　Didots；　caught　at　this　latter　notion；　saw　a　fortune　in　it；　and　looked　upon　Lucien　as　the　benefactor　whom　he　could　never　repay。

Any　one　may　guess　how　the　ruling　thoughts　and　inner　life　of　this　pair　of　friends　unfitted　them　for　carrying　on　the　business　of　a　printing　house。　So　far　from　making　fifteen　to　twenty　thousand　francs；　like　Cointet　Brothers；　printers　and　publishers　to　the　diocese；　and　proprietors　of　the　Charente　Chronicle　（now　the　only　newspaper　in　the　department）Sechard　&　Son　made　a　bare　three　hundred　francs　per　month；　out　of　which　the　foreman's　salary　must　be　paid；　as　well　as　Marion's　wages　and　the　rent　and　taxes；　so　that　David　himself　was　scarcely　making　twelve　hundred　francs　per　annum。　Active　and　industrious　men　of　business　would　have　bought　new　type　and　new　machinery；　and　made　an　effort　to　secure　orders　for　cheap　printing　from　the　Paris　book　trade；　but　master　and　foreman；　deep　in　absorbing　intellectual　interests；　were　quite　content　with　such　orders　as　came　to　them　from　their　remaining　customers。

In　the　long　length　the　Cointets　had　come　to　understand　David's　character　and　habits。　They　did　not　slander　him　now；　on　the　contrary；　wise　policy　required　that　they　should　allow　the　business　to　flicker　on；　it　was　to　their　interest　indeed　to　maintain　it　in　a　small　way；　lest　it　should　fall　into　the　hands　of　some　more　formidable　competitor；　they　made　a　practice　of　sending　prospectuses　and　circularsjob…　printing；　as　it　is　calledto　the　Sechard's　establishment。　So　it　came　about　that；　all　unwittingly；　David　owed　his　existence；　commercially　speaking；　to　the　cunning　schemes　of　his　competitors。　The　Cointets；　well　pleased　with　his　〃craze；〃　as　they　called　it；　behaved　to　all　appearance　both　fairly　and　handsomely；　but；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　they　were　adopting　the　tactics　of　the　mail…coach　owners　who　set　up　a　sham　opposition　coach　to　keep　bona　fide　rivals　out　of　the　field。



Inside　and　outside；　the　condition　of　the　Sechard　printing　establishment　bore　testimony　to　the　sordid　avarice　of　the　old　〃bear；〃　who　never　spent　a　penny　on　repairs。　The　old　house　had　stood　in　sun　and　rain；　and　borne　the　brunt　of　the　weather；　till　it　looked　like　some　venerable　tree　trunk　set　down　at　the　entrance　of　the　alley；　so　riven　it　was　with　seams　and　cracks　of　all　sorts　and　sizes。　The　house　front；　built　of　brick　and　stone；　with　no　pretensions　to　symmetry；　seemed　to　be　bending　beneath　the　weight　of　a　worm…eaten　roof　covered　with　the　curved　pantiles　in　common　use　in　the　South　of　France。　The　decrepit　casements　were　fitted　with　the　heavy；　unwieldy　shutters　necessary　in　that　climate；　and　held　in　place　by　massive　iron　cross　bars。　It　would　have　puzzled　you　to　find　a　more　dilapidated　house　in　Angouleme；　nothing　but　sheer　tenacity　of　mortar　kept　it　together。　Try　to　picture　the　workshop；　lighted　at　either　end；　and　dark　in　the　middle；　the　walls　covered　with　handbills　and　begrimed　by　friction　of　all　the　workmen　who　had　rubbed　past　them　for　thirty　years；　the　cobweb　of　cordage　across　the　ceiling；　the　stacks　of　paper；　the　old…fashioned　presses；　the　pile　of　slabs　for　weighting　the　damp　sheets；　the　rows　of　cases；　and　the　two　dens　in　the　far　corners　where　the　master　printer　and　foreman　satand　you　will　have　some　idea　of　the　life　led　by　the　two　friends。

One　day　early　in　May；　1821；　David　and　Lucien　were　standing　together　by　the　window　that　looked　into　the　yard。　It　was　nearly　two　o'clock；　and　the　four　or　five