第28章

Lucien little knew how indulgent great natures can be to the weaknesses of others.Every one of the friends had thought of the peculiar troubles besetting the poetic temperament,of the prostration which follows upon the struggle,when the soul has been overwrought by the contemplation of that nature which it is the task of art to reproduce.And strong as they were to endure their own ills,they felt keenly for Lucien's distress;they guessed that his stock of money was failing;and after all the pleasant evenings spent in friendly talk and deep meditations,after the poetry,the confidences,the bold flights over the fields of thought or into the far future of the nations,yet another trait was to prove how little Lucien had understood these new friends of his.

"Lucien,dear fellow,"said Daniel,"you did not dine at Flicoteaux's yesterday,and we know why."Lucien could not keep back the overflowing tears.

"You showed a want of confidence in us,"said Michel Chrestien;"we shall chalk that up over the chimney,and when we have scored ten we will----""We have all of us found a bit of extra work,"said Bianchon;"for my own part,I have been looking after a rich patient for Desplein;d'Arthez has written an article for the Revue Encyclopedique;Chrestien thought of going out to sing in the Champs Elysees of an evening with a pocket-handkerchief and four candles,but he found a pamphlet to write instead for a man who has a mind to go into politics,and gave his employer six hundred francs worth of Machiavelli;Leon Giraud borrowed fifty francs of his publisher,Joseph sold one or two sketches;and Fulgence's piece was given on Sunday,and there was a full house.""Here are two hundred francs,"said Daniel,"and let us say no more about it.""Why,if he is not going to hug us all as if we had done something extraordinary!"cried Chrestien.

Lucien,meanwhile,had written to the home circle.His letter was a masterpiece of sensibility and goodwill,as well as a sharp cry wrung from him by distress.The answers which he received the next day will give some idea of the delight that Lucien took in this living encyclopedia of angelic spirits,each of whom bore the stamp of the art or science which he followed:--David Sechard to Lucien.

"My DEAR LUCIEN,--Enclosed herewith is a bill at ninety days,payable to your order,for two hundred francs.You can draw on M.

Metivier,paper merchant,our Paris correspondent in the Rue Serpente.My good Lucien,we have absolutely nothing.Eve has undertaken the charge of the printing-house,and works at her task with such devotion,patience,and industry,that I bless heaven for giving me such an angel for a wife.She herself says that it is impossible to send you the least help.But I think,my friend now that you are started in so promising a way,with such great and noble hearts for your companions,that you can hardly fail to reach the greatness to which you were born,aided as you are by intelligence almost divine in Daniel d'Arthez and Michel Chrestien and Leon Giraud,and counseled by Meyraux and Bianchon and Ridal,whom we have come to know through your dear letter.So I have drawn this bill without Eve's knowledge,and I will contrive somehow to meet it when the time comes.Keep on your way,Lucien;it is rough,but it will be glorious.I can bear anything but the thought of you sinking into the sloughs of Paris,of which I saw so much.Have sufficient strength of mind to do as you are doing,and keep out of scrapes and bad company,wild young fellows and men of letters of a certain stamp,whom I learned to take at their just valuation when I lived in Paris.Be a worthy compeer of the divine spirits whom we have learned to love through you.Your life will soon meet with its reward.Farewell,dearest brother;you have sent transports of joy to my heart.I did not expect such courage of you.

"DAVID."

Eve Sechard to Lucien.

"DEAR,--your letter made all of us cry.As for the noble hearts to whom your good angel surely led you,tell them that a mother and a poor young wife will pray for them night and morning;and if the most fervent prayers can reach the Throne of God,surely they will bring blessings upon you all.Their names are engraved upon my heart.Ah!some day I shall see your friends;I will go to Paris,if I have to walk the whole way,to thank them for their friendship for you,for to me the thought has been like balm to smarting wounds.We are working like day laborers here,dear.This husband of mine,the unknown great man whom I love more and more every day,as I discover moment by moment the wealth of his nature,leaves the printing-house more and more to me.Why,Iguess.Our poverty,yours,and ours,and our mother's,is heartbreaking to him.Our adored David is a Prometheus gnawed by a vulture,a haggard,sharp-beaked regret.As for himself,noble fellow,he scarcely thinks of himself;he is hoping to make a fortune for US.He spends his whole time in experiments in paper-making;he begged me to take his place and look after the business,and gives me as much help as his preoccupation allows.

Alas!I shall be a mother soon.That should have been a crowning joy;but as things are,it saddens me.Poor mother!she has grown young again;she has found strength to go back to her tiring nursing.We should be happy if it were not for these money cares.

Old Father Sechard will not give his son a farthing.David went over to see if he could borrow a little for you,for we were in despair over your letter.'I know Lucien,'David said;'he will lose his head and do something rash.'--I gave him a good scolding.