"Anybody might take him for a perfumer's assistant,"burst out Michel Chrestien,looking at Lucien's head,and sniffing comically."You were seen driving about in a very smart turnout with a pair of thoroughbreds,and a mistress for a prince,Coralie herself.""Well,and is there any harm in it?"
"You would not say that if you thought that there was no harm in it,"said Bianchon.
"I could have wished Lucien a Beatrice,"said d'Arthez,"a noble woman,who would have been a help to him in life----""But,Daniel,"asked Lucien,"love is love wherever you find it,is it not?""Ah!"said the republican member,"on that one point I am an aristocrat.I could not bring myself to love a woman who must rub shoulders with all sorts of people in the green-room;whom an actor kisses on stage;she must lower herself before the public,smile on every one,lift her skirts as she dances,and dress like a man,that all the world may see what none should see save I alone.Or if I loved such a woman,she should leave the stage,and my love should cleanse her from the stain of it.""And if she would not leave the stage?"
"I should die of mortification,jealousy,and all sorts of pain.You cannot pluck love out of your heart as you draw a tooth."Lucien's face grew dark and thoughtful.
"When they find out that I am tolerating Camusot,how they will despise me,"he thought.
"Look here,"said the fierce republican,with humorous fierceness,"you can be a great writer,but a little play-actor you shall never be,"and he took up his hat and went out.
"He is hard,is Michel Chrestien,"commented Lucien.
"Hard and salutary,like the dentist's pincers,"said Bianchon.
"Michel foresees your future;perhaps in the street,at this moment,he is thinking of you with tears in his eyes."D'Arthez was kind,and talked comfortingly,and tried to cheer Lucien.
The poet spent an hour with his friends,then he went,but his conscience treated him hardly,crying to him,"You will be a journalist--a journalist!"as the witch cried to Macbeth that he should be king hereafter!
Out in the street,he looked up at d'Arthez's windows,and saw a faint light shining in them,and his heart sank.A dim foreboding told him that he had bidden his friends good-bye for the last time.
As he turned out of the Place de la Sorbonne into the Rue de Cluny,he saw a carriage at the door of his lodging.Coralie had driven all the way from the Boulevard du Temple for the sake of a moment with her lover and a "good-night."Lucien found her sobbing in his garret.She would be as wretchedly poor as her poet,she wept,as she arranged his shirts and gloves and handkerchiefs in the crazy chest of drawers.Her distress was so real and so great,that Lucien,but even now chidden for his connection with an actress,saw Coralie as a saint ready to assume the hair-shirt of poverty.The adorable girl's excuse for her visit was an announcement that the firm of Camusot,Coralie,and Lucien meant to invite Matifat,Florine,and Lousteau (the second trio)to supper;had Lucien any invitations to issue to people who might be useful to him?Lucien said that he would take counsel of Lousteau.
A few moments were spent together,and Coralie hurried away.She spared Lucien the knowledge that Camusot was waiting for her below.
Next morning,at eight o'clock,Lucien went to Etienne Lousteau's room,found it empty,and hurried away to Florine.Lousteau and Florine,settled into possession of their new quarters like a married couple,received their friend in the pretty bedroom,and all three breakfasted sumptuously together.
"Why,I should advise you,my boy,to come with me to see Felicien Vernou,"said Lousteau,when they sat at table,and Lucien had mentioned Coralie's projected supper;"ask him to be of the party,and keep well with him,if you can keep well with such a rascal.Felicien Vernou does a feuilleton for a political paper;he might perhaps introduce you,and you could blossom out into leaders in it at your ease.It is a Liberal paper,like ours;you will be a Liberal,that is the popular party;and besides,if you mean to go over to the Ministerialists,you would do better for yourself if they had reason to be afraid of you.Then there is Hector Merlin and his Mme.du Val-Noble;you meet great people at their house--dukes and dandies and millionaires;didn't they ask you and Coralie to dine with them?""Yes,"replied Lucien;"you are going too,and so is Florine."Lucien and Etienne were now on familiar terms after Friday's debauch and the dinner at the Rocher de Cancale.
"Very well,Merlin is on the paper;we shall come across him pretty often;he is the chap to follow close on Finot's heels.You would do well to pay him attention;ask him and Mme.du Val-Noble to supper.He may be useful to you before long;for rancorous people are always in need of others,and he may do you a good turn if he can reckon on your pen.""Your beginning has made enough sensation to smooth your way,"said Florine;"take advantage of it at once,or you will soon be forgotten.""The bargain,the great business,is concluded,"Lousteau continued.
"That Finot,without a spark of talent in him,is to be editor of Dauriat's weekly paper,with a salary of six hundred francs per month,and owner of a sixth share,for which he has not paid one penny.And I,my dear fellow,am now editor of our little paper.Everything went off as I expected;Florine managed superbly,she could give points to Tallyrand himself.""We have a hold on men through their pleasures,"said Florine,"while a diplomatist only works on their self-love.A diplomatist sees a man made up for the occasion;we know him in his moments of folly,so our power is greater.""And when the thing was settled,Matifat made the first and last joke of his whole druggist's career,"put in Lousteau."He said,'This affair is quite in my line;I am supplying drugs to the public.'""I suspect that Florine put him up to it,"cried Lucien.
"And by these means,my little dear,your foot is in the stirrup,"continued Lousteau.
