two poets-第6节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



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　men　were　going　out　to　dinner。　David　waited　until　the　apprentice　had　shut　the　street　door　with　the　bell　fastened　to　it；　then　he　drew　Lucien　out　into　the　yard　as　if　the　smell　of　paper；　ink；　and　presses　and　old　woodwork　had　grown　intolerable　to　him；　and　together　they　sat　down　under　the　vines；　keeping　the　office　and　the　door　in　view。　The　sunbeams；　playing　among　the　trellised　vine…shoots；　hovered　over　the　two　poets；　making；　as　it　were；　an　aureole　about　their　heads；　bringing　the　contrast　between　their　faces　and　their　characters　into　a　vigorous　relief　that　would　have　tempted　the　brush　of　some　great　painter。

David's　physique　was　of　the　kind　that　Nature　gives　to　the　fighter；　the　man　born　to　struggle　in　obscurity；　or　with　the　eyes　of　all　men　turned　upon　him。　The　strong　shoulders；　rising　above　the　broad　chest；　were　in　keeping　with　the　full　development　of　his　whole　frame。　With　his　thick　crop　of　black　hair；　his　fleshy；　high…colored；　swarthy　face；　supported　by　a　thick　neck；　he　looked　at　first　sight　like　one　of　Boileau's　canons：　but　on　a　second　glance　there　was　that　in　the　lines　about　the　thick　lips；　in　the　dimple　of　the　chin；　in　the　turn　of　the　square　nostrils；　with　the　broad　irregular　line　of　central　cleavage；　and；　above　all；　in　the　eyes；　with　the　steady　light　of　an　all…absorbing　love　that　burned　in　them；　which　revealed　the　real　character　of　the　manthe　wisdom　of　the　thinker；　the　strenuous　melancholy　of　a　spirit　that　discerns　the　horizon　on　either　side；　and　sees　clearly　to　the　end　of　winding　ways；　turning　the　clear　light　of　analysis　upon　the　joys　of　fruition；　known　as　yet　in　idea　alone；　and　quick　to　turn　from　them　in　disgust。　You　might　look　for　the　flash　of　genius　from　such　a　face；　you　could　not　miss　the　ashes　of　the　volcano；　hopes　extinguished　beneath　a　profound　sense　of　the　social　annihilation　to　which　lowly　birth　and　lack　of　fortune　condemns　so　many　a　loftier　mind。　And　by　the　side　of　the　poor　printer；　who　loathed　a　handicraft　so　closely　allied　to　intellectual　work；　close　to　this　Silenus；　joyless；　self…sustained；　drinking　deep　draughts　from　the　cup　of　knowledge　and　of　poetry　that　he　might　forget　the　cares　of　his　narrow　lot　in　the　intoxication　of　soul　and　brain；　stood　Lucien；　graceful　as　some　sculptured　Indian　Bacchus。

For　in　Lucien's　face　there　was　the　distinction　of　line　which　stamps　the　beauty　of　the　antique；　the　Greek　profile；　with　the　velvet　whiteness　of　women's　faces；　and　eyes　full　of　love；　eyes　so　blue　that　they　looked　dark　against　a　pearly　setting；　and　dewy　and　fresh　as　those　of　a　child。　Those　beautiful　eyes　looked　out　from　under　their　long　chestnut　lashes；　beneath　eyebrows　that　might　have　been　traced　by　a　Chinese　pencil。　The　silken　down　on　his　cheeks；　like　his　bright　curling　hair；　shone　golden　in　the　sunlight。　A　divine　graciousness　transfused　the　white　temples　that　caught　that　golden　gleam；　a　matchless　nobleness　had　set　its　seal　in　the　short　chin　raised；　but　not　abruptly。　The　smile　that　hovered　about　the　coral　lips；　yet　redder　as　they　seemed　by　force　of　contrast　with　the　even　teeth；　was　the　smile　of　some　sorrowing　angel。　Lucien's　hands　denoted　race；　they　were　shapely　hands；　hands　that　men　obey　at　a　sign；　and　women　love　to　kiss。　Lucien　was　slender　and　of　middle　height。　From　a　glance　at　his　feet；　he　might　have　been　taken　for　a　girl　in　disguise；　and　this　so　much　the　more　easily　from　the　feminine　contour　of　the　hips；　a　characteristic　of　keen…witted；　not　to　say；　astute；　men。　This　is　a　trait　which　seldom　misleads；　and　in　Lucien　it　was　a　true　indication　of　character；　for　when　he　analyzed　the　society　of　to…day；　his　restless　mind　was　apt　to　take　its　stand　on　the　lower　ground　of　those　diplomatists　who　hold　that　success　justifies　the　use　of　any　means　however　base。　It　is　one　of　the　misfortunes　attendant　upon　great　intellects　that　perforce　they　comprehend　all　things；　both　good　and　evil。

The　two　young　men　judged　society　by　the　more　lofty　standard　because　their　social　position　was　at　the　lowest　end　of　the　scale；　for　unrecognized　power　is　apt　to