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Sechards' printing…office； and then there are those behind you who
have influence enough to transfer the license；〃 （then in a lowered
voice）； 〃but you have no mind to end in the hulks； I suppose？〃
〃The hulks！ What's that？ What's that？〃
〃Your letter to David was a forgery。 It is in my possession。 What
would Henriette say in a court of law？ I do not want to ruin you；〃 he
added hastily； seeing how white Cerizet's face grew。
〃You want something more of me？〃 cried Cerizet。
〃Well； here it is；〃 said Petit…Claud。 〃Follow me carefully。 You will
be a master printer in Angouleme in two months' time 。 。 。 but you
will not have paid for your businessyou will not pay for it in ten
years。 You will work a long while yet for those that have lent you the
money； and you will be the cat's…paw of the Liberal party。 。 。 。 Now
_I_ shall draw up your agreement with Gannerac； and I can draw it up
in such a way that you will have the business in your own hands one of
these days。 Butif the Liberals start a paper； if you bring it out；
and if I am deputy public prosecutor； then you will come to an
understanding with the Cointets and publish articles of such a nature
that they will have the paper suppressed。 。 。 。 The Cointets will pay
you handsomely for that service。 。 。 。 I know； of course； that you
will be a hero； a victim of persecution； you will be a personage among
the Liberalsa Sergeant Mercier； a Paul…Louis Courier； a Manual on a
small scale。 I will take care that they leave you your license。 In
fact； on the day when the newspaper is suppressed； I will burn this
letter before your eyes。 。 。 。 Your fortune will not cost you much。〃
A working man has the haziest notions as to the law with regard to
forgery； and Cerizet； who beheld himself already in the dock； breathed
again。
〃In three years' time；〃 continued Petit…Claud； 〃I shall be public
prosecutor in Angouleme。 You may have need of me some day； bear that
in mind。〃
〃It's agreed；〃 said Cerizet； 〃but you don't know me。 Burn that letter
now and trust to my gratitude。〃
Petit…Claud looked Cerizet in the face。 It was a duel in which one
man's gaze is a scalpel with which he essays to probe the soul of
another； and the eyes of that other are a theatre； as it were； to
which all his virtue is summoned for display。
Petit…Claud did not utter a word。 He lighted a taper and burned the
letter。 〃He has his way to make；〃 he said to himself。
〃Here is one that will go through fire and water for you；〃 said
Cerizet。
David awaited the interview with the Cointets with a vague feeling of
uneasiness； not； however； on account of the proposed partnership； nor
for his own interestshe felt nervous as to their opinion of his
work。 He was in something the same position as a dramatic author
before his judges。 The inventor's pride in the discovery so nearly
completed left no room for any other feelings。
At seven o'clock that evening； while Mme。 du Chatelet； pleading a sick
headache； had gone to her room in her unhappiness over the rumors of
Lucien's departure； while M。 de Comte； left to himself； was
entertaining his guests at dinnerthe tall Cointet and his stout
brother； accompanied by Petit…Claud； opened negotiations with the
competitor who had delivered himself up； bound hand and foot。
A difficulty awaited them at the outset。 How was it possible to draw
up a deed of partnership unless they knew David's secret？ And if David
divulged his secret； he would be at the mercy of the Cointets。 Petit…
Claud arranged that the deed of partnership should be the first drawn
up。 Thereupon the tall Cointet asked to see some specimens of David's
work； and David brought out the last sheet that he had made；
guaranteeing the price of production。
〃Well；〃 said Petit…Claud； 〃there you have the basis of the agreement
ready made。 You can go into partnership on the strength of those
samples； inserting a clause to protect yourselves in case the
conditions of the patent are not fulfilled in the manufacturing
process。〃
〃It is one thing to make samples of paper on a small scale in your own
room with a small mould； monsieur； and another to turn out a
quantity；〃 said the tall Cointet； addressing David。 〃Quite another
thing； as you may judge from this single fact。 We manufacture colored
papers。 We buy parcels of coloring absolutely identical。 Every cake of
indigo used for 'blueing' our post…demy is taken from a batch supplied
by the same maker。 Well； we have never yet been able to obtain two
batches of precisely the same shade。 There are variations in the
material which we cannot detect。 The quantity and the quality of the
pulp modify every question at once。 Suppose that you have in a caldron
a quantity of ingredients of some kind （I don't ask to know what they
are）； you can do as you like with them； the treatment can be uniformly
applied； you can manipulate； knead； and pestle the mass at your
pleasure until you have a homogeneous substance。 But who will
guarantee that it will be the same with a batch of five hundred reams；
and that your plan will succeed in bulk？〃
David； Eve； and Petit…Claud looked at one another； their eyes said
many things。
〃Take a somewhat similar case；〃 continued the tall Cointet after a
pause。 〃You cut two or three trusses of meadow hay； and store it in a
loft before 'the heat is out of the grass；' as the peasants say； the
hay ferments； but no harm comes of it。 You follow up your experiment
by storing a couple of thousand trusses in a wooden barnand； of
course； the hay smoulders； and the barn blazes up like a lighted
match。 You are an educated man；〃 continued Cointet； 〃you can see the
application for yourself。 So far； you have only cut your two trusses
of hay； we are afraid of setting fire to our paper…mill by bringing in
a couple of thousand trusses。 In other words； we may spoil more than
one batch； make heavy losses； and find ourselves none the better for
laying out a good deal of money。〃
David was completely floored by this reasoning。 Practical wisdom spoke
in matter…of…fact language to theory； whose word is always for the
future。
〃Devil fetch me； if I'll sign such a deed of partnership！〃 the stout
Cointet cried bluntly。 〃You may throw away your money if you like；
Boniface； as for me； I shall keep mine。 Here is my offerto pay M。
Sechard's debts AND six thousand francs； and another three thousand
francs in bills at twelve and fifteen months；〃 he added。 〃That will be
quite enough risk to run。We have a balance of twelve thousand francs
against Metivier。 That will make fifteen thousand francs。That is all
that I would pay for the secret if I were going to exploit it for
myself。 So this is the great discovery that you were talking about；
Boniface！ Many thanks！ I thought you had more sense。 No； you can't
call this business。〃
〃The question for you；〃 said Petit…Claud； undismayed by the explosion；
〃resolves itself into this： 'Do you care to risk twenty thousand
francs to buy a secret that may make rich men of you？' Why； the risk
usually is in proportion to the profit； gentlemen。 You stake twenty
thousand francs on your luck。 A gambler puts down a louis at roulette
for a chance of winning thirty