two poets-第4章

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lass　of　almanac　than　the　Double　Liegeois　on　grocers'　paper；　and　what　came　of　it？the　original　Double　Liegeois　sold　better　than　the　most　sumptuous　calendars。　David　would　soon　see　the　importance　of　these　old…fashioned　things　when　he　found　he　could　get　more　for　them　than　for　the　most　costly　new…fangled　articles。

〃Aha！　my　boy；　Paris　is　Paris；　and　the　provinces　are　the　provinces。　If　a　man　came　in　from　L'Houmeau　with　an　order　for　wedding　cards；　and　you　were　to　print　them　without　a　Cupid　and　garlands；　he　would　not　believe　that　he　was　properly　married；　you　would　have　them　all　back　again　if　you　sent　them　out　with　a　plain　M　on　them　after　the　style　of　your　Messrs。　Didot。　They　may　be　fine　printers；　but　their　inventions　won't　take　in　the　provinces　for　another　hundred　years。　So　there　you　are。〃

A　generous　man　is　a　bad　bargain…driver。　David's　nature　was　of　the　sensitive　and　affectionate　type　that　shrinks　from　a　dispute；　and　gives　way　at　once　if　an　opponent　touches　his　feelings。　His　loftiness　of　feeling；　and　the　fact　that　the　old　toper　had　himself　well　in　hand；　put　him　still　further　at　a　disadvantage　in　a　dispute　about　money　matters　with　his　own　father；　especially　as　he　credited　that　father　with　the　best　intentions；　and　took　his　covetous　greed　for　a　printer's　attachment　to　his　old　familiar　tools。　Still；　as　Jerome…Nicolas　Sechard　had　taken　the　whole　place　over　from　Rouzeau's　widow　for　ten　thousand　francs；　paid　in　assignats；　it　stood　to　reason　that　thirty　thousand　francs　in　coin　at　the　present　day　was　an　exorbitant　demand。

〃Father；　you　are　cutting　my　throat！〃　exclaimed　David。

〃_I_；〃　cried　the　old　toper；　raising　his　hand　to　the　lines　of　cord　across　the　ceiling；　〃I　who　gave　you　life？　Why；　David；　what　do　you　suppose　the　license　is　worth？　Do　you　know　that　the　sheet　of　advertisements　alone；　at　fivepence　a　line；　brought　in　five　hundred　francs　last　month？　You　turn　up　the　books；　lad；　and　see　what　we　make　by　placards　and　the　registers　at　the　Prefecture；　and　the　work　for　the　mayor's　office；　and　the　bishop　too。　You　are　a　do…nothing　that　has　no　mind　to　get　on。　You　are　haggling　over　the　horse　that　will　carry　you　to　some　pretty　bit　of　property　like　Marsac。〃

Attached　to　the　valuation　of　plant　there　was　a　deed　of　partnership　between　Sechard　senior　and　his　son。　The　good　father　was　to　let　his　house　and　premises　to　the　new　firm　for　twelve　hundred　francs　per　annum；　reserving　one　of　the　two　rooms　in　the　roof　for　himself。　So　long　as　David's　purchase…money　was　not　paid　in　full；　the　profits　were　to　be　divided　equally；　as　soon　as　he　paid　off　his　father；　he　was　to　be　made　sole　proprietor　of　the　business。

David　made　a　mental　calculation　of　the　value　of　the　license；　the　goodwill；　and　the　stock　of　paper；　leaving　the　plant　out　of　account。　It　was　just　possible；　he　thought；　to　clear　off　the　debt。　He　accepted　the　conditions。　Old　Sechard；　accustomed　to　peasants'　haggling；　knowing　nothing　of　the　wider　business　views　of　Paris；　was　amazed　at　such　a　prompt　conclusion。

〃Can　he　have　been　putting　money　by？〃　he　asked　himself。　〃Or　is　he　scheming　out；　at　this　moment；　some　way　of　not　paying　me？〃

With　this　notion　in　his　head；　he　tried　to　find　out　whether　David　had　any　money　with　him；　he　wanted　to　be　paid　something　on　account。　The　old　man's　inquisitiveness　roused　his　son's　distrust；　David　remained　close　buttoned　up　to　the　chin。

Next　day；　old　Sechard　made　the　apprentice　move　all　his　own　household　stuff　up　into　the　attic　until　such　time　as　an　empty　market　cart　could　take　it　out　on　the　return　journey　into　the　country；　and　David　entered　into　possession　of　three　bare；　unfurnished　rooms　on　the　day　that　saw　him　installed　in　the　printing…house；　without　one　sou　wherewith　to　pay　his　men's　wages。　When　he　asked　his　father；　as　a　partner；　to　contribute　his　share　towards　the　working　expenses；　the　old　man　pretended　not　to　understand。　He　had　found　the　printing…house；　he　said；　and　he　was　not　bound　to　find　the　money　too。　He　had　paid　his　share。　Pressed　close　by　his　son's　reasoning；　he　answered　that　when　he　himself　had　paid　Rouzeau's　widow　he　had　not　had　a　penny　left。　If　he；　a　poor；　ignorant　working　man；　had　made　his　way；　Didot's　apprentice　should　do　still　better。　Besides；　had　not　David　been　earning　money；　thanks　to　an　education　paid　for　by　the　sweat　of　his　old　father's　brow？　Now　surely　was　the　time　when　the　education　would　come　in　useful。

〃What　have　you　done　with　your　'polls？'　〃　he　asked；　returning　to　the　charge。　He　meant　to　have　light　on　a　problem　which　his　son　left　unresolved　the　day　before。

〃Why；　had　I　not　to　live？〃　David　asked　indignantly；　〃and　books　to　buy　besides？〃

〃Oh！　you　bought　books；　did　you？　You　will　make　a　poor　man　of　business。　A　man　that　buys　books　is　hardly　fit　to　print　them；〃　retorted　the　〃bear。〃

Then　David　endured　the　most　painful　of　humiliationsthe　sense　of　shame　for　a　parent；　there　was　nothing　for　it　but　to　be　passive　while　his　father　poured　out　a　flood　of　reasonssordid；　whining；　contemptible；　money…getting　reasonsin　which　the　niggardly　old　man　wrapped　his　refusal。　David　crushed　down　his　pain　into　the　depths　of　his　soul；　he　saw　that　he　was　alone；　saw　that　he　had　no　one　to　look　to　but　himself；　saw；　too；　that　his　father　was　trying　to　make　money　out　of　him；　and　in　a　spirit　of　philosophical　curiosity；　he　tried　to　find　out　how　far　the　old　man　would　go。　He　called　old　Sechard's　attention　to　the　fact　that　he　had　never　as　yet　made　any　inquiry　as　to　his　mother's　fortune；　if　that　fortune　would　not　buy　the　printing…house；　it　might　go　some　ways　towards　paying　the　working　expenses。

〃Your　mother's　fortune？〃　echoed　old　Sechard；　〃why；　it　was　her　beauty　and　intelligence！〃

David　understood　his　father　thoroughly　after　that　answer；　he　understood　that　only　after　an　interminable；　expensive；　and　disgraceful　lawsuit　could　he　obtain　any　account　of　the　money　which　by　rights　was　his。　The　noble　heart　accepted　the　heavy　burden　laid　upon　it；　seeing　clearly　beforehand　how　difficult　it　would　be　to　free　himself　from　the　engagements　into　which　he　had　entered　with　his　father。

〃I　will　work；〃　he　said　to　himself。　〃After　all；　if　I　have　a　rough　time　of　it；　so　had　the　old　man；　besides；　I　shall　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　pro