two poets-第2节

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thirst。　His　wife；　during　her　lifetime；　managed　to　control　within　reasonable　bounds　the　passion　for　the　juice　of　the　grape；　a　taste　so　natural　to　the　bear　that　M。　de　Chateaubriand　remarked　it　among　the　ursine　tribes　of　the　New　World。　But　philosophers　inform　us　that　old　age　is　apt　to　revert　to　the　habits　of　youth；　and　Sechard　senior　is　a　case　in　pointthe　older　he　grew；　the　better　he　loved　to　drink。　The　master…passion　had　given　a　stamp　of　originality　to　an　ursine　physiognomy；　his　nose　had　developed　till　it　reached　the　proportions　of　a　double　great…canon　A；　his　veined　cheeks　looked　like　vine…leaves；　covered；　as　they　were；　with　bloated　patches　of　purple；　madder　red；　and　often　mottled　hues；　till　altogether；　the　countenance　suggested　a　huge　truffle　clasped　about　by　autumn　vine　tendrils。　The　little　gray　eyes；　peering　out　from　beneath　thick　eyebrows　like　bushes　covered　with　snow；　were　agleam　with　the　cunning　of　avarice　that　had　extinguished　everything　else　in　the　man；　down　to　the　very　instinct　of　fatherhood。　Those　eyes　never　lost　their　cunning　even　when　disguised　in　drink。　Sechard　put　you　in　mind　of　one　of　La　Fontaine's　Franciscan　friars；　with　the　fringe　of　grizzled　hair　still　curling　about　his　bald　pate。　He　was　short　and　corpulent；　like　one　of　the　old…fashioned　lamps　for　illumination；　that　burn　a　vast　deal　of　oil　to　a　very　small　piece　of　wick；　for　excess　of　any　sort　confirms　the　habit　of　body；　and　drunkenness；　like　much　study；　makes　the　fat　man　stouter；　and　the　lean　man　leaner　still。

For　thirty　years　Jerome…Nicolas…Sechard　had　worn　the　famous　municipal　three…cornered　hat；　which　you　may　still　see　here　and　there　on　the　head　of　the　towncrier　in　out…of…the…way　places。　His　breeches　and　waistcoat　were　of　greenish　velveteen；　and　he　wore　an　old…fashioned　brown　greatcoat；　gray　cotton　stockings；　and　shoes　with　silver　buckles　to　them。　This　costume；　in　which　the　workman　shone　through　the　burgess；　was　so　thoroughly　in　keeping　with　the　man's　character；　defects；　and　way　of　life；　that　he　might　have　come　ready　dressed　into　the　world。　You　could　no　more　imagine　him　apart　from　his　clothes　than　you　could　think　of　a　bulb　without　its　husk。　If　the　old　printer　had　not　long　since　given　the　measure　of　his　blind　greed；　the　very　nature　of　the　man　came　out　in　the　manner　of　his　abdication。

Knowing；　as　he　did；　that　his　son　must　have　learned　his　business　pretty　thoroughly　in　the　great　school　of　the　Didots；　he　had　yet　been　ruminating　for　a　long　while　over　the　bargain　that　he　meant　to　drive　with　David。　All　that　the　father　made；　the　son；　of　course；　was　bound　to　lose；　but　in　business　this　worthy　knew　nothing　of　father　or　son。　If；　in　the　first　instance；　he　had　looked　on　David　as　his　only　child；　later　he　came　to　regard　him　as　the　natural　purchaser　of　the　business；　whose　interests　were　therefore　his　own。　Sechard　meant　to　sell　dear；　David；　of　course；　to　buy　cheap；　his　son；　therefore；　was　an　antagonist；　and　it　was　his　duty　to　get　the　better　of　him。　The　transformation　of　sentiment　into　self…seeking；　ordinarily　slow；　tortuous；　and　veiled　by　hypocrisy　in　better　educated　people；　was　swift　and　direct　in　the　old　〃bear；〃　who　demonstrated　the　superiority　of　shrewd　tipple…ography　over　book…　learned　typography。

David　came　home；　and　the　old　man　received　him　with　all　the　cordiality　which　cunning　folk　can　assume　with　an　eye　to　business。　He　was　as　full　of　thought　for　him　as　any　lover　for　his　mistress；　giving　him　his　arm；　telling　him　where　to　put　his　foot　down　so　as　to　avoid　the　mud；　warming　the　bed　for　him；　lighting　a　fire　in　his　room；　making　his　supper　ready。　The　next　day；　after　he　had　done　his　best　to　fluster　his　son's　wits　over　a　sumptuous　dinner；　Jerome…Nicolas　Sechard；　after　copious　potations；　began　with　a　〃Now　for　business；〃　a　remark　so　singularly　misplaced　between　two　hiccoughs；　that　David　begged　his　parent　to　postpone　serious　matters　until　the　morrow。　But　the　old　〃bear〃　was　by　no　means　inclined　to　put　off　the　long…expected　battle；　he　was　too　well　prepared　to　turn　his　tipsiness　to　good　account。　He　had　dragged　the　chain　these　fifty　years；　he　would　not　wear　it　another　hour；　to…morrow　his　son　should　be　the　〃gaffer。〃

Perhaps　a　word　or　two　about　the　business　premises　may　be　said　here。　The　printing…house　had　been　established　since　the　reign　of　Louis　XIV。　in　the　angle　made　by　the　Rue　de　Beaulieu　and　the　Place　du　Murier；　it　had　been　devoted　to　its　present　purposes　for　a　long　time　past。　The　ground　floor　consisted　of　a　single　huge　room　lighted　on　the　side　next　the　street　by　an　old…fashioned　casement；　and　by　a　large　sash　window　that　gave　upon　the　yard　at　the　back。　A　passage　at　the　side　led　to　the　private　office；　but　in　the　provinces　the　processes　of　typography　excite　such　a　lively　interest；　that　customers　usually　preferred　to　enter　by　way　of　the　glass　door　in　the　street　front；　though　they　at　once　descended　three　steps；　for　the　floor　of　the　workshop　lay　below　the　level　of　the　street。　The　gaping　newcomer　always　failed　to　note　the　perils　of　the　passage　through　the　shop；　and　while　staring　at　the　sheets　of　paper　strung　in　groves　across　the　ceiling；　ran　against　the　rows　of　cases；　or　knocked　his　hat　against　the　tie…bars　that　secured　the　presses　in　position。　Or　the　customer's　eyes　would　follow　the　agile　movements　of　a　compositor；　picking　out　type　from　the　hundred　and　fifty…two　compartments　of　his　case；　reading　his　copy；　verifying　the　words　in　the　composing…stick；　and　leading　the　lines；　till　a　ream　of　damp　paper　weighted　with　heavy　slabs；　and　set　down　in　the　middle　of　the　gangway；　tripped　up　the　bemused　spectator；　or　he　caught　his　hip　against　the　angle　of　a　bench；　to　the　huge　delight　of　boys；　〃bears；〃　and　〃monkeys。〃　No　wight　had　ever　been　known　to　reach　the　further　end　without　accident。　A　couple　of　glass…windowed　cages　had　been　built　out　into　the　yard　at　the　back；　the　foreman　sat　in　state　in　the　one；　the　master　printer　in　the　other。　Out　in　the　yard　the　walls　were　agreeably　decorated　by　trellised　vines；　a　tempting　bit　of　color；　considering　the　owner's　reputation。　On　the　one　side　of　the　space　stood　the　kitchen；　on　the　other　the　woodshed；　and　in　a　ramshackle　penthouse　against　the　hall　at　the　back；　the　paper　was　trimmed　and　damped　down。　Here；　too；　the　forms；　or；　in　ordinary　language；　the　masses　of　set…up　type；　were　washed。　Inky　streams　issuing　thence　blended　with　the　ooze　from　the　kitchen　sink；　and　found　their　way　into　the　kennel　in　the　street　outside；　till　peasants　coming　into　the　town　of　a　market　day　believed　that　the　Devil　was　taking　a　wash　inside　the　establishment。

As　to　the　house　above　the　printing　office；　it　consisted　of　three　rooms　on　the　first　floor　and　a　couple　of　attics　in　the　roof。　The　first　room　did　duty　as　dining…room　and　lobby；　it　was　exactly　the　same　length　as　the　passage　below；　less　the　space　taken　up　by　the　old…fashioned　wooden　staircase；　and　was　lighted　by　a　narrow　casement　on　the　street　and　a　bull's…eye　window　looking　into　the　yard。　The　chief　characteristic　of　the　apartment　was　a　cynic　simplicity；　due　to　money…making　greed。　The　bare　walls　were　covered　with　plain　whitewash；　the　dirty　brick　floor　had　never　been　scoured；　the　furniture　consisted　of　three　rickety　chairs；　a　round　table；　and　a　sideboard　stationed　between　the　two　doors　of　a　bedroom　and　a　sitting…room。　Windows　and　doors　alike　were　dingy　with　accumulated　grime。　Reams　of　blank　paper　or　printed　matter　usually　encumbered　the　floor；　and　more　frequently　than　not　the　remains　of　Sechard's　dinner；　empty　bottles　and　plates；　were　lying　about　on　the　packages。

The　bedroom　was　lighted　on　the　side　of　the　yard　by　a　window　with　leaded　panes；　and　hung　with　the　old…world　tapestry　that　decorated　house　fronts　in　provincial　towns　on　Corpus　Christi　Day。　For　furniture　it　boasted　a　vast　four…post　bedstead　with　canopy；　valances　and　quilt　of　crimson　serge；　a　couple　of　worm…eaten　armchairs；　two　tapestry…　covered　chairs　in　walnut　wood；　an　aged　bureau；　and　a　timepiece　on　the　mantel…shelf。　The　Seigneur　Rouzeau；　Jerome…Nicolas'　master　and　predecessor；　had　furnished　the　homely　old…world　room；　it　was　just　as　he　had　left　it。

The　sitting…room　had　been　partly　modernized　by　the　late　Mme。　Sechard；　the　walls　were　adorned　with　a　wainscot；　fearful　to　behold；　painted　the　color　of　powder　blue。　The　panels　were　decorated　with　wall…paper　Oriental　scenes　in　sepia　tintand　for　all　furniture；　half…a…dozen　chairs　with　lyre…shaped　backs　and　blue　leather　cushions　were　ranged　round　the　room。　The　two　clumsy　arched　windows　that　gave　upon　the　Place　du　Murier　were　curtainless；　there　was　neither　clock　nor　candle　sconce　nor　mirror　above　the　mantel…shelf；　for　Mme。　Sechard　had　died　before　she　carried　out　her　scheme　of　decoration；　and　the　〃bear；〃　unable　to　conceive　the　use　of　improvements　that　brought　in　no　return　in　money；　had　left　it　at　this　point。

Hither；　pede　titubante；　Jerome…Nicolas　Sechard　brought　his　son；　and　pointed　to　a　sheet　of　paper　lying　on　the　tablea　valuation　of　plant　drawn　up　by　the　foreman　under　his　direction。

〃Read　that；　my　boy；〃　said　Jerome…Nicolas；　rolling　a　drunken　eye　from　the　paper　to　his　son；　and　back　to　the　paper。　〃You　will　see　what　a　jewel　of　a　printing…house　I　am　giving　you。〃

〃　'Three　wooden　presses；　held　in　position　by　iron　tie…bars；　cast…iron　plates'　〃

〃An　improvement　of　my　own；〃　put　in　Sechard　senior。

〃　'Together　with　all　the　implements；　i