下载辰思小说免费APP
"Itseemstome，"repliedTheodose，"thatbarristersatthePalaisarelikeTurksatConstantinople，whereafriendofmineaffirmedyoucouldseeagoodmany。ItisYOUwhomitisrathersurprisingtoseehere。"
"Notatall，"saidThuillier，carelessly。"I’vecomeaboutthatcursedpamphlet。Isthereeveranyendtoyourlegalbothers？Iwassummonedherethismorning，butIdon’tregretit，asitgivesmethehappychanceofmeetingyou。"
"I，too，"saidlaPeyrade，tyinguphisbundle。"Iamverygladtoseeyou，butImustleaveyounow；Ihaveanappointment，andIsupposeyouwanttodoyourbusinessatonce。"
"Ihavedoneit，"saidThuillier。
"DidyouspeaktoOlivierVinet，thatmortalenemyofyours？hesitsinthatcourt，"askedlaPeyrade。
"No，"saidThuillier，naminganotherofficial。
"Well，that’squeer！"saidthebarrister；"thatfellowmusthavethegiftofubiquity；hehasbeenallthemorninginthefifthcourt—room，andhasjustthisminutegivenajudgmentonacaseIpleaded。"
Thuilliercolored，andgotoutofhishobbleasbesthecould。"Oh，hangit！"hesaid；"thosemeningownsareallalike，Idon’tknowonefromanother。"
LaPeyradeshruggedhisshouldersandsaidaloud，butasiftohimself："Alwaysthesame；crafty，crooked，neverstraightforward。"
"Whomareyoutalkingabout？"askedThuillier，rathernonplussed。
"Why，ofyou，mydearfellow，whotakemeforanimbecile，asifIandthewholeworlddidn’tknowthatyourpamphletbusinesscametoanendtwoweeksago。Why，then，summonyoutocourt？"
"Well，Iwassentfor，"saidThuillier，withembarrassment；"somethingaboutregistryfees，——itisallGreektome，Ican’tcomprehendtheirscrawls。"
"Andtheychose，"saidlaPeyrade，"preciselytheverydaywhentheMoniteur，announcingthedissolutionoftheChamber，madeyouthinkaboutbeingacandidateforthe12tharrondissement。"
"Whynot？"askedThuillier，"whathasmycandidacytodowiththefeesIowetothecourt？"
"I’lltellyou，"saidlaPeyrade，dryly。"Thecourtisathingessentiallyamiableandcomplaisant。’Tiens！’itsaidtoitself，’here’sthisgoodMonsieurThuilliergoingtobeacandidatefortheChamber；howhamperedhe’llbebyhisattitudetohisex—friendMonsieurdelaPeyrade，withwhomhewishesnowhehadn’tquarrelled。
I’llsummonhimforfeeshedoesn’towe；thatwillbringhimtothePalaiswherelaPeyradecomesdaily；andinthatwayhecanmeethimbychance，andsoavoidtakingastepwhichwouldhurthisself—love。"
"Well，thereyouaremistaken！"criedThuillier，breakingtheice。"I
usedsolittlecraft，asyoucallit，thatI’vejustcomefromyourhouse，there！andyourportresstoldmewheretofindyou。"
"Welldone！"saidlaPeyrade，"Ilikethisfrankness；Icangetonwithmenwhoplayabove—board。Well，whatdoyouwantofme？Haveyoucometotalkaboutyourelection？Ihavealreadybeguntoworkforit。"
"No，really？"saidThuillier，"how？"
"Here，"repliedlaPeyrade，feelingunderhisgownforhispocketandbringingoutapaper，"here’swhatIscribbledjustnowinthecourt—
roomwhilethelawyerontheothersiderambledonlikeanexpert。"
"Whatisitabout？"askedThuillier。
"Readandyou’llsee。"
Thepaperreadasfollows：——
Estimateforanewspaper，smallsize，atthirtyfrancsayear。
Calculatingtheeditionsat5，000thecostsare：——
Paper，5reamsat12francs……1，860francs。
Composition……2，400"
Printing……450"
Oneadministrator……250"
Oneclerk……100"
Oneeditor（alsocashier）……200"
Onedespatcher……100"
Folders……120"
Oneofficeboy……80"
Officeexpenses……150"
Rent……100"
Licenseandpostage……7，500"
Reportingandstenographicnews……1，800"
—————————
Totalmonthly，15，110"
"yearly，181，320"
"Doyouwanttosetupapaper？"askedThuillier，indread。
"I？"askedlaPeyrade，"Iwantnothingatall；youaretheonetobeaskedifyouwanttobeadeputy。"
"UndoubtedlyIdo；because，whenyouurgedmetobecomeamunicipalcouncillor，youputtheideaintomyhead。Butreflect，mydearTheodose，onehundredandeightyonethousandthreehundredandtwentyfrancstoputout！HaveIafortunelargeenoughtomeetsuchademand？"
"Yes，"saidlaPeyrade，"youcouldverywellsupportthatexpense，forconsideringtheendyouwanttoobtainthereisnothingexorbitantinit。InEnglandtheymakemuchgreatersacrificestogetaseatinParliament；butinanycase，Ibegyoutoobservethatthecostsareveryhighonthatestimate，andsomecouldbecutoffaltogether。Forinstance，youwouldnotwantanadministrator。You，yourself，anoldaccountant，andI，anoldjournalist，canverywellmanagetheaffairbetweenus。Alsorent，weneedn’tcountthat；youhaveyouroldapartmentintherueSaint—Dominiquewhichisnotyetleased；thatwillmakeafinenewspaperoffice。"
"Allthatcostsofftwothousandfourhundredfrancsayear，"saidThuillier。
"Well，that’ssomething；butyourerrorconsistsincalculatingontheyearlycost。Whendotheelectionstakeplace？"
"Intwomonths，"saidThuillier。
"Verygood；twomonthswillcostyouthirtythousandfrancs，evensupposingthepaperhadnosubscribers。"
"True，"saidThuillier，"theexpenseiscertainlylessthanIthoughtatfirst。Butdoesanewspaperreallyseemtoyouessential？"
"Soessentialthatwithoutthatpowerinourhands，Iwon’thaveanythingtodowiththeelection。Youdon’tseemtosee，mypoorfellow，thatingoingtoliveintheotherquarteryouhavelost，electorallyspeaking，animmenseamountofground。Youarenolongerthemanoftheplace，andyourelectioncouldbebalkedbythecryofwhattheEnglishcall’absenteeism。’Thismakesyourgameveryhardtoplay。"
"Iadmitthat，"saidThuillier；"buttherearesomanythingswantedbesidesmoney，——anameforonething，amanager，editorialstaff，andsoforth。"
"Aname，wehaveonemadetohand；editors，theyareyouandIandafewyoungfellowswhogrowoneverybushinParis。Asforthemanager，Ihaveamaninview。"
"Whatnameisit？"askedThuillier。
"L’EchodelaBievre。"
"Butthereisalreadyapaperofthatname。"
"Precisely，andthat’swhyIgivemyapprovaltotheaffair。DoyouthinkIshouldbefoolenoughtoadviseyoutostartanentirelynewpaper？’EchodelaBievre！’thattitleisatreasuretoamanwhowantssupportforhiscandidacyinthe12tharrondissement。Saythewordonly，andIputthattreasureintoyourhands。"
"How？"askedThuillier，withcuriosity。
"Parbleu！bybuyingit；itcanbehadforasong。"
"Therenow，yousee，"saidThuillierinadiscouragedtone；"younevercountedinthecostofpurchase。"
"Howyoudwellonnothings！"saidlaPeyrade，hunchinghisshoulders；
"wehaveotherandmoreimportantdifficultiestosolve。"
"Otherdifficulties？"echoedThuillier。
"Parbleu！"exclaimedlaPeyrade；"doyousupposethatafterallthathastakenplacebetweenusIshouldboldlyharnessmyselftoyourelectionwithoutknowingexactlywhatbenefitIamtogetforit？"
"But，"saidThuillier，ratherastonished，"Ithoughtthatfriendshipwasagoodexchangeforsuchservices。"
"Yes；butwhentheexchangeconsistsinonesidegivingallandtheothersidenothing，friendshipgetstiredofthatsortofsharing，andasksforsomethingalittlebetterbalanced。"
"But，mydearTheodose，whathaveItoofferyouthatyouhavenotalreadyrejected？"
"Irejectedit，becauseitwasofferedwithoutheartiness，andseasonedwithMademoiselleBrigitte’svinegar；everyself—respectingmanwouldhaveactedasIdid。Giveandkeepdon’tpass，astheoldlegalsayingis；butthatispreciselywhatyoup
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