two poets-第3节

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〃　'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；　ink…tables；　balls；　benches；　et　cetera；　sixteen　hundred　francs！'　Why；　father；〃　cried　David；　letting　the　sheet　fall；　〃these　presses　of　yours　are　old　sabots　not　worth　a　hundred　crowns；　they　are　only　fit　for　firewood。〃

〃Sabots？〃　cried　old　Sechard；　〃SABOTS？　There；　take　the　inventory　and　let　us　go　downstairs。　You　will　soon　see　whether　your　paltry　iron…work　contrivances　will　work　like　these　solid　old　tools；　tried　and　trusty。　You　will　not　have　the　heart　after　that　to　slander　honest　old　presses　that　go　like　mail　coaches；　and　are　good　to　last　you　your　lifetime　without　needing　repairs　of　any　sort。　Sabots！　Yes；　sabots　that　are　like　to　hold　salt　enough　to　cook　your　eggs　withsabots　that　your　father　has　plodded　on　with　these　twenty　years；　they　have　helped　him　to　make　you　what　you　are。〃

The　father；　without　coming　to　grief　on　the　way；　lurched　down　the　worn；　knotty　staircase　that　shook　under　his　tread。　In　the　passage　he　opened　the　door　of　the　workshop；　flew　to　the　nearest　press　（artfully　oiled　and　cleaned　for　the　occasion）　and　pointed　out　the　strong　oaken　cheeks；　polished　up　by　the　apprentice。

〃Isn't　it　a　love　of　a　press？〃

A　wedding　announcement　lay　in　the　press。　The　old　〃bear〃　folded　down　the　frisket　upon　the　tympan；　and　the　tympan　upon　the　form；　ran　in　the　carriage；　worked　the　lever；　drew　out　the　carriage；　and　lifted　the　frisket　and　tympan；　all　with　as　much　agility　as　the　youngest　of　the　tribe。　The　press；　handled　in　this　sort；　creaked　aloud　in　such　fine　style　that　you　might　have　thought　some　bird　had　dashed　itself　against　the　window　pane　and　flown　away　again。

〃Where　is　the　English　press　that　could　go　at　that　pace？〃　the　parent　asked　of　his　astonished　son。

Old　Sechard　hurried　to　the　second；　and　then　to　the　third　in　order；　repeating　the　manoeuvre　with　equal　dexterity。　The　third　presenting　to　his　wine…troubled　eye　a　patch　overlooked　by　the　apprentice；　with　a　notable　oath　he　rubbed　it　with　the　skirt　of　his　overcoat；　much　as　a　horse…dealer　polishes　the　coat　of　an　animal　that　he　is　trying　to　sell。

〃With　those　three　presses；　David；　you　can　make　your　nine　thousand　francs　a　year　without　a　foreman。　As　your　future　partner；　I　am　opposed　to　your　replacing　these　presses　by　your　cursed　cast…iron　machinery；　that　wears　out　the　type。　You　in　Paris　have　been　making　such　a　to…do　over　that　damned　Englishman's　inventiona　foreigner；　an　enemy　of　France　who　wants　to　help　the　ironfounders　to　a　fortune。　Oh！　you　wanted　Stanhopes；　did　you？　Thanks　for　your　Stanhopes；　that　cost　two　thousand　five　hundred　francs　apiece；　about　twice　as　much　as　my　three　jewels　put　together；　and　maul　your　type　to　pieces；　because　there　is　no　give　in　them。　I　haven't　book…learning　like　you；　but　you　keep　this　well　in　mind；　the　life　of　the　Stanhope　is　the　death　of　the　type。　Those　three　presses　will　serve　your　turn　well　enough；　the　printing　will　be　properly　done；　and　folk　here　in　Angouleme　won't　ask　any　more　of　you。　You　may　print　with　presses　made　of　wood　or　iron　or　gold　or　silver；　THEY　will　never　pay　you　a　farthing　more。〃

〃　'Item；'　〃　pursued　David；　〃　'five　thousand　pounds　weight　of　type　from　M。　Vaflard's　foundry'　〃　Didot's　apprentice　could　not　help　smiling　at　the　name。

〃Laugh　away！　After　twelve　years　of　wear；　that　type　is　as　good　as　new。　That　is　what　I　call　a　typefounder！　M。　Vaflard　is　an　honest　man；　who　uses　hard　metal；　and；　to　my　way　of　thinking；　the　best　typefounder　is　the　one　you　go　to　most　seldom。〃

〃　'Taken　at　ten　thousand　francs；'　〃　continued　David。　〃Ten　thousand　francs；　father！　Why；　that　is　two　francs　a　pound；　and　the　Messrs。　Didot　only　ask　thirty…six　sous　for　their　Cicero！　These　nail…heads　of　yours　will　only　fetch　the　price　of　old　metalfivepence　a　pound。〃

〃You　call　M。　Gille's　italics；　running…hand　and　round…hand；　'nail…　heads；'　do　you？　M。　Gille；　that　used　to　be　printer　to　the　Emperor！　And　type　that　costs　six　francs　a　pound！　masterpieces　of　engraving；　bought　only　five　years　ago。　Some　of　them　are　as　bright　yet　as　when　they　came　from　the　foundry。　Look　here！〃

Old　Sechard　pounced　upon　some　packets　of　unused　sorts；　and　held　them　out　for　David　to　see。

〃I　am　not　book…learned；　I　don't　know　how　to　read　or　write；　but；　all　the　same；　I　know　enough　to　see　that　M。　Gille's　sloping　letters　are　the　fathers　of　your　Messrs。　Didot's　English　running…hand。　Here　is　the　round…hand；〃　he　went　on；　taking　up　an　unused　pica　type。

David　saw　that　there　was　no　way　of　coming　to　terms　with　his　father。　It　was　a　case　of　Yes　or　Noof　taking　or　leaving　it。　The　very　ropes　across　the　ceiling　had　gone　down　into　the　old　〃bear's〃　inventory；　and　not　the　smallest　item　was　omitted；　jobbing　chases；　wetting…boards；　paste…pots；　rinsing…trough；　and　lye…brushes　had　all　been　put　down　and　valued　separately　with　miserly　exactitude。　The　total　amounted　to　thirty　thousand　francs；　including　the　license　and　the　goodwill。　David　asked　himself　whether　or　not　this　thing　was　feasible。

Old　Sechard　grew　uneasy　over　his　son's　silence；　he　would　rather　have　had　stormy　argument　than　a　wordless　acceptance　of　the　situation。　Chaffering　in　these　sorts　of　bargains　means　that　a　man　can　look　after　his　interests。　〃A　man　who　is　ready　to　pay　you　anything　you　ask　will　pay　nothing；〃　old　Sechard　was　saying　to　himself。　While　he　tried　to　follow　his　son's　train　of　thought；　he　went　through　the　list　of　odds　and　ends　of　plant　needed　by　a　country　business；　drawing　David　now　to　a　hot…press；　now　to　a　cutting…press；　bragging　of　its　usefulness　and　sound　condition。

〃Old　tools　are　always　the　best　tools；〃　said　he。　〃In　our　line　of　business　they　ought　to　fetch　more　than　the　new；　like　goldbeaters'　tools。〃

Hideous　vignettes；　representing　Hymen　and　Cupids；　skeletons　raising　the　lids　of　their　tombs　to　describe　a　V　or　an　M；　and　huge　borders　of　masks　for　theatrical　posters　became　in　turn　objects　of　tremendous　value　through　old　Jerome…Nicolas'　vinous　eloquence。　Old　custom；　he　told　his　son；　was　so　deeply　rooted　in　the　district　that　he　（David）　would　only　waste　his　pains　if　he　gave　them　the　finest　things　in　life。　He　himself　had　tried　to　sell　them　a　better　class　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　no