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！
〃Goot money！ vrom Monziere Lucien！〃
〃Fifteen thousand francs！〃 cried Eve； throwing up her arms。
〃Yes； madame；〃 said the carman in the doorway； 〃fifteen thousand
francs； brought by the Bordeaux coach； and they didn't want any more
neither！ I have two men downstairs bringing up the bags。 M。 Lucien
Chardon de Rubempre is the sender。 I have brought up a little leather
bag for you； containing five hundred francs in gold； and a letter it's
likely。〃
〃MY DEAR SISTER；Here are fifteen thousand francs。 Instead of
taking my life； I have sold it。 I am no longer my own； I am only
the secretary of a Spanish diplomatist； I am his creature。 A new
and dreadful life is beginning for me。 Perhaps I should have done
better to drown myself。
〃Good…bye。 David will be released； and with the four thousand
francs he can buy a little paper…mill； no doubt； and make his
fortune。 Forget me； all of you。 This is the wish of your unhappy
brother。
〃LUCIEN。〃
〃It is decreed that my poor boy should be unlucky in everything； and
even when he does well； as he said himself；〃 said Mme。 Chardon； as she
watched the men piling up the bags。
〃We have had a narrow escape！〃 exclaimed the tall Cointet； when he was
once more in the Place du Murier。 〃An hour later the glitter of the
silver would have thrown a new light on the deed of partnership。 Our
man would have fought shy of it。 We have his promise now； and in three
months' time we shall know what to do。〃
That very evening； at seven o'clock； Cerizet bought the business； and
the money was paid over； the purchaser undertaking to pay rent for the
last quarter。 The next day Eve sent forty thousand francs to the
Receiver…General； and bought two thousand five hundred francs of
rentes in her husband's name。 Then she wrote to her father…in…law and
asked him to find a small farm； worth about ten thousand francs； for
her near Marsac。 She meant to invest her own fortune in this way。
The tall Cointet's plot was formidably simple。 From the very first he
considered that the plan of sizing the pulp in the vat was
impracticable。 The real secret of fortune lay in the composition of
the pulp； in the cheap vegetable fibre as a substitute for rags。 He
made up his mind； therefore； to lay immense stress on the secondary
problem of sizing the pulp； and to pass over the discovery of cheap
raw material； and for the following reasons：
The Angouleme paper…mills manufacture paper for stationers。 Notepaper；
foolscap； crown； and post…demy are all necessarily sized； and these
papers have been the pride of the Angouleme mills for a long while
past； stationery being the specialty of the Charente。 This fact gave
color to the Cointet's urgency upon the point of sizing in the
pulping…trough； but； as a matter of fact； they cared nothing for this
part of David's researches。 The demand for writing…paper is
exceedingly small compared with the almost unlimited demand for
unsized paper for printers。 As Boniface Cointet traveled to Paris to
take out the patent in his own name； he was projecting plans that were
like to work a revolution in his paper…mill。 Arrived in Paris； he took
up his quarters with Metivier； and gave his instructions to his agent。
Metivier was to call upon the proprietors of newspapers； and offer to
deliver paper at prices below those quoted by all other houses； he
could guarantee in each case that the paper should be a better color；
and in every way superior to the best kinds hitherto in use。
Newspapers are always supplied by contract； there would be time before
the present contracts expired to complete all the subterranean
operations with buyers； and to obtain a monopoly of the trade。 Cointet
calculated that he could rid himself of Sechard while Metivier was
taking orders from the principal Paris newspapers； which even then
consumed two hundred reams daily。 Cointet naturally offered Metivier a
large commission on the contracts； for he wished to secure a clever
representative on the spot； and to waste no time in traveling to and
fro。 And in this manner the fortunes of the firm of Metivier； one of
the largest houses in the paper trade； were founded。 The tall Cointet
went back to Angouleme to be present at Petit…Claud's wedding； with a
mind at rest as to the future。
Petit…Claud had sold his professional connection； and was only waiting
for M。 Milaud's promotion to take the public prosecutor's place； which
had been promised to him by the Comtesse du Chatelet。 The public
prosecutor's second deputy was appointed first deputy to the Court of
Limoges； the Keeper of the Seals sent a man of his own to Angouleme；
and the post of first deputy was kept vacant for a couple of months。
The interval was Petit…Claud's honeymoon。
While Boniface Cointet was in Paris； David made a first experimental
batch of unsized paper far superior to that in common use for
newspapers。 He followed it up with a second batch of magnificent
vellum paper for fine printing； and this the Cointets used for a new
edition of their diocesan prayer…book。 The material had been privately
prepared by David himself； he would have no helpers but Kolb and
Marion。
When Boniface came back the whole affair wore a different aspect； he
looked at the samples； and was fairly satisfied。
〃My good friend；〃 he said； 〃the whole trade of Angouleme is in crown
paper。 We must make the best possible crown paper at half the present
price； that is the first and foremost question for us。〃
Then David tried to size the pulp for the desired paper； and the
result was a harsh surface with grains of size distributed all over
it。 On the day when the experiment was concluded and David held the
sheets in his hand； he went away to find a spot where he could be
alone and swallow his bitter disappointment。 But Boniface Cointet went
in search of him and comforted him。 Boniface was delightfully amiable。
〃Do not lose heart；〃 he said； 〃go on！ I am a good fellow； I understand
you； I will stand by you to the end。〃
〃Really；〃 David said to his wife at dinner； 〃we are with good people；
I should not have expected that the tall Cointet would be so
generous。〃 And he repeated his conversation with his wily partner。
Three months were spent in experiments。 David slept at the mill； he
noted the effects of various preparations upon the pulp。 At one time
he attributed his non…success to an admixture of rag…pulp with his own
ingredients； and made a batch entirely composed of the new material；
at another； he endeavored to size pulp made exclusively from rags；
persevering in his experiments under the eyes of the tall Cointet；
whom he had ceased to mistrust； until he had tried every possible
combination of pulp and size。 David lived in the paper…mill for the
first six months of 1823if it can be called living； to leave food
untasted； and go in neglect of person and dress。 He wrestled so
desperately with the difficulties； that anybody but the Cointets would
have seen the sublimity of the struggle； for the brave fellow was not
thinking of his own interests。 The moment had come when he cared for
nothing but the victory。 With marvelous saga