two poets-第26节

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　Cardon　the　banker；　owner　of　the　pulping　troughs　of　Bruges　and　Langlee　（where　Leorier　de　l'Isle　endeavored　in　1776　to　solve　the　very　problem　that　occupied　your　father）；　Cardon　brought　an　action　against　one　Proust　for　an　error　in　weights　of　two　millions　in　a　total　of　ten　million　pounds'　weight　of　rags；　worth　about　four　million　francs！　The　manufacturer　washes　the　rags　and　reduces　them　to　a　thin　pulp；　which　is　strained；　exactly　as　a　cook　strains　sauce　through　a　tamis；　through　an　iron　frame　with　a　fine　wire　bottom　where　the　mark　which　give　its　name　to　the　size　of　the　paper　is　woven。　The　size　of　this　mould；　as　it　is　called；　regulates　the　size　of　the　sheet。

〃When　I　was　with　the　Messieurs　Didot；〃　David　continued；　〃they　were　very　much　interested　in　this　question；　and　they　are　still　interested；　for　the　improvement　which　your　father　endeavored　to　make　is　a　great　commercial　requirement；　and　one　of　the　crying　needs　of　the　time。　And　for　this　reason：　although　linen　lasts　so　much　longer　than　cotton；　that　it　is　in　reality　cheaper　in　the　end；　the　poor　would　rather　make　the　smaller　outlay　in　the　first　instance；　and；　by　virtue　of　the　law　of　Vae　victis！　pay　enormously　more　before　they　have　done。　The　middle　classes　do　the　same。　So　there　is　a　scarcity　of　linen。　In　England；　where　four…　fifths　of　the　population　use　cotton　to　the　exclusion　of　linen；　they　make　nothing　but　cotton　paper。　The　cotton　paper　is　very　soft　and　easily　creased　to　begin　with；　and　it　has　a　further　defect：　it　is　so　soluble　that　if　you　seep　a　book　made　of　cotton　paper　in　water　for　fifteen　minutes；　it　turns　to　a　pulp；　while　an　old　book　left　in　water　for　a　couple　of　hours　is　not　spoilt。　You　could　dry　the　old　book；　and　the　pages；　though　yellow　and　faded；　would　still　be　legible；　the　work　would　not　be　destroyed。

〃There　is　a　time　coming　when　legislation　will　equalize　our　fortunes；　and　we　shall　all　be　poor　together；　we　shall　want　our　linen　and　our　books　to　be　cheap；　just　as　people　are　beginning　to　prefer　small　pictures　because　they　have　not　wall　space　enough　for　large　ones。　Well；　the　shirts　and　the　books　will　not　last；　that　is　all；　it　is　the　same　on　all　sides；　solidity　is　drying　out。　So　this　problem　is　one　of　the　first　importance　for　literature；　science；　and　politics。

〃One　day；　in　my　office；　there　was　a　hot　discussion　going　on　about　the　material　that　the　Chinese　use　for　making　paper。　Their　paper　is　far　better　than　ours；　because　the　raw　material　is　better；　and　a　good　deal　was　said　about　this　thin；　light　Chinese　paper；　for　if　it　is　light　and　thin；　the　texture　is　close；　there　are　no　transparent　spots　in　it。　In　Paris　there　are　learned　men　among　the　printers'　readers；　Fourier　and　Pierre　Leroux　are　Lachevardiere's　readers　at　this　moment；　and　the　Comte　de　Saint…Simon；　who　happened　to　be　correcting　proofs　for　us；　came　in　in　the　middle　of　the　discussion。　He　told　us　at　once　that；　according　to　Kempfer　and　du　Halde；　the　Broussonetia　furnishes　the　substance　of　the　Chinese　paper；　it　is　a　vegetable　substance　（like　linen　or　cotton　for　that　matter）。　Another　reader　maintained　that　Chinese　paper　was　principally　made　of　an　animal　substance；　to　wit；　the　silk　that　is　abundant　there。　They　made　a　bet　about　it　in　my　presence。　The　Messieurs　Didot　are　printers　to　the　Institute；　so　naturally　they　referred　the　question　to　that　learned　body。　M。　Marcel；　who　used　to　be　superintendent　of　the　Royal　Printing　Establishment；　was　umpire；　and　he　sent　the　two　readers　to　M。　l'Abbe　Grozier；　Librarian　at　the　Arsenal。　By　the　Abbe's　decision　they　both　lost　their　wages。　The　paper　was　not　made　of　silk　nor　yet　from　the　Broussonetia；　the　pulp　proved　to　be　the　triturated　fibre　of　some　kind　of　bamboo。　The　Abbe　Grozier　had　a　Chinese　book；　an　iconographical　and　technological　work；　with　a　great　many　pictures　in　it；　illustrating　all　the　different　processes　of　paper…making；　and　he　showed　us　a　picture　of　the　workshop　with　the　bamboo　stalks　lying　in　a　heap　in　the　corner；　it　was　extremely　well　drawn。

〃Lucien　told　me　that　your　father；　with　the　intuition　of　a　man　of　talent；　had　a　glimmering　of　a　notion　of　some　way　of　replacing　linen　rags　with　an　exceedingly　common　vegetable　product；　not　previously　manufactured；　but　taken　direct　from　the　soil；　as　the　Chinese　use　vegetable　fibre　at　first　hand。　I　have　classified　the　guesses　made　by　those　who　came　before　me；　and　have　begun　to　study　the　question。　The　bamboo　is　a　kind　of　reed；　naturally　I　began　to　think　of　the　reeds　that　grow　here　in　France。

〃Labor　is　very　cheap　in　China；　where　a　workman　earns　three　halfpence　a　day；　and　this　cheapness　of　labor　enables　the　Chinese　to　manipulate　each　sheet　of　paper　separately。　They　take　it　out　of　the　mould；　and　press　it　between　heated　tablets　of　white　porcelain；　that　is　the　secret　of　the　surface　and　consistence；　the　lightness　and　satin　smoothness　of　the　best　paper　in　the　world。　Well；　here　in　Europe　the　work　must　be　done　by　machinery；　machinery　must　take　the　place　of　cheap　Chinese　labor。　If　we　could　but　succeed　in　making　a　cheap　paper　of　as　good　a　quality；　the　weight　and　thickness　of　printed　books　would　be　reduced　by　more　than　one…half。　A　set　of　Voltaire；　printed　on　our　woven　paper　and　bound；　weighs　about　two　hundred　and　fifty　pounds；　it　would　only　weigh　fifty　if　we　used　Chinese　paper。　That　surely　would　be　a　triumph；　for　the　housing　of　many　books　has　come　to　be　a　difficulty；　everything　has　grown　smaller　of　late；　this　is　not　an　age　of　giants；　men　have　shrunk；　everything　about　them　shrinks；　and　house…room　into　the　bargain。　Great　mansions　and　great　suites　of　rooms　will　be　abolished　sooner　or　later　in　Paris；　for　no　one　will　afford　to　live　in　the　great　houses　built　by　our　forefathers。　What　a　disgrace　for　our　age　if　none　of　its　books　should　last！　Dutch　paperthat　is；　paper　made　from　flaxwill　be　quite　unobtainable　in　ten　years'　time。　Well；　your　brother　told　me　of　this　idea　of　your　father's；　this　plan　for　using　vegetable　fibre　in　paper…　making；　so　you　see　that　if　I　succeed；　you　have　a　right　to〃

Lucien　came　up　at　that　moment　and　interrupted　David's　generous　assertion。

〃I　do　not　know　whether　you　have　found　the　evening　pleasant；〃　said　he；　〃it　has　been　a　cruel　time　for　me。〃

〃Poor　Lucien！　what　can　have　happened？〃　cried　Eve；　as　she　saw　her　brother's　excited　face。

The　poet　told　the　history　of　his　agony；　pouring　out　a　flood　of　clamorous　thoughts　into　those　friendly　hearts；　Eve　and　David　listening　in　pained　silence　to　a　torrent　of　woes　that　exhibited　such　greatness　and　such　pettiness。

〃M。　de　Bargeton　is　an　old　dotard。　The　indigestion　will　carry　him　off　before　long；　no　doubt；〃　Lucien　said；　as　he　made　an　end；　〃and　then　I　will　look　down　on　these　proud　people；　I　will　marry　Mme。　de　Bargeton。　I　read　to…night　in　her　eyes　a　love　as　great　as　mine　for　her。　Yes；　she　felt　all　that　I　felt；　she　comforted　me；　she　is　as　great　and　noble　as　she　is　gracious　and　beautiful。　She　will　never　give　me　up。〃

〃It　is　time　that　life　was　made　smooth　for　him；　is　it　not？〃　murmured　David；　and　for　answer　Eve　pressed　his　arm　without　speaking。　David　guessed　her　thoughts；　and　began　at　once　to　tell　Lucien　about　his　own　plans。

If　Lucien　was　full　of　his　troubles；　the　lovers　were　quite　as　full　of　themselves。　So　absorbed　were　they；　so　eager　that　Lucien　should　approve　their　happiness；　that　neither　Eve　nor　David　so　much　as　noticed　his　start　of　surprise　at　the　news。　Mme。　de　Bargeton's　lover　had　been　dreaming　of　a　great　match　for　his　sister；　he　would　reach　a　high　position　first；　and　then　secure　himself　by　an　alliance　with　some　family　of　influence；　and　here　was　one　more　obstacle　in　his　way　to　success！　His　hopes　were　dashed　to　the　ground。　〃If　Mme。　de　Bargeton　consents　to　be　Mme。　de　Rubempre；　she　would　never　care　to　have　David　Sechard　for　a　brother…in…law！〃

This　stated　clearly　and　precisely　was　the　thought　that　tortured　Lucien's　inmost　mind。　〃Louise　is　right！〃　he　thought　bitterly。　〃A　man　with　a　career　before　him　is　never　understood　by　his　family。〃

If　the　marriage　had　not　been　announced　immediately　after　Lucien's　fancy　had　put　M。　de　Bargeton　to　death；　he　would　have　been　radiant　with　heartfelt　delight　at　the　news。　If　he　had　thought　soberly　over　the　probable　future　of　a　beautiful　and　penniless　girl　like　Eve　Chardon；　he　would　have　seen　that　this　marriage　was　a　piece　of　unhoped…for　good　fortune。　But　he　was　living　just　now　in　a　golden　dream；　he　had　soared　above　all　barriers　on　the　wigs　of　an　IF；　he　had　seen　a　vision　of　himself；　rising　above　society；　and　it　was　painful　to　drop　so　suddenly　down　to　hard　fact。

Eve　and　David　both　thought　that　their　brother　was　overcome　with　the　sense　of　such　generosity；　to　them；　with　their　noble　natures；　the　silent　consent　was　a　sign　of　true　friendship。　David　began　to　describe　with　kindly　and　cordial　eloquence　the　happy　fortunes　in　store　for　them　all。　Unchecked　by　protests　put　in　by　Eve；　he　furnished　his　first　floor　with　a　lover's　lavishness；　built　a　second　floor　with　boyish　good　faith　for　Lucien；　and　rooms　above　the　shed　for　Mme。　Chardonhe　meant　to　be　a　son　to　her。　In　short；　he　made　the　whole　family　so　happy　and　his　brother…in…law　so　independent；　that　Lucien　fell　under　the　spell　of　David's　voice　and　Eve's　caresses；　and　as　they　went　through　the　shadows　beside　the　still　Charente；　a　gleam　in　the　warm；　star…lit　night；　he　forgot　the　sharp　crown　of　thorns　that　had　been　pressed　upon　his　head。