"Oh!is he on the paper?"exclaimed Giroudeau,much surprised at this friendliness."Well,sir,you came on without much difficulty.""I want to make things snug for you here,lest Etienne should bamboozle you,"continued Finot,looking knowingly at Lucien."This gentleman will be paid three francs per column all round,including theatres.""You have never taken any one on such terms before,"said Giroudeau,opening his eyes.
"And he will take the four Boulevard theatres.See that nobody sneaks his boxes,and that he gets his share of tickets.--I should advise you,nevertheless,to have them sent to your address,"he added,turning to Lucien.--"And he agrees to write besides ten miscellaneous articles of two columns each,for fifty francs per month,for one year.Does that suit you?""Yes,"said Lucien.Circumstances had forced his hand.
"Draw up the agreement,uncle,and we will sign it when we come downstairs.""Who is the gentleman?"inquired Giroudeau,rising and taking off his black silk skull-cap.
"M.Lucien de Rubempre,who wrote the article on The Alcalde.""Young man,you have a gold mine THERE,"said the old soldier,tapping Lucien on the forehead."I am not literary myself,but I read that article of yours,and I liked it.That is the kind of thing!There's gaiety for you!'That will bring us new subscribers,'says I to myself.And so it did.We sold fifty more numbers.""Is my agreement with Lousteau made out in duplicate and ready to sign?"asked Finot,speaking aside.
"Yes."
"Then ante-date this gentleman's agreement by one day,so that Lousteau will be bound by the previous contract."Finot took his new contributor's arm with a friendliness that charmed Lucien,and drew him out on the landing to say:--"Your position is made for you.I will introduce you to MY staff myself,and to-night Lousteau will go round with you to the theatres.
You can make a hundred and fifty francs per month on this little paper of ours with Lousteau as its editor,so try to keep well with him.The rogue bears a grudge against me as it is,for tying his hands so far as you are concerned;but you have ability,and I don't choose that you shall be subjected to the whims of the editor.You might let me have a couple of sheets every month for my review,and I will pay you two hundred francs.This is between ourselves,don't mention it to anybody else;I should be laid open to the spite of every one whose vanity is mortified by your good fortune.Write four articles,fill your two sheets,sign two with your own name,and two with a pseudonym,so that you may not seem to be taking the bread out of anybody else's mouth.You owe your position to Blondet and Vignon;they think that you have a future before you.So keep out of scrapes,and,above all things,be on your guard against your friends.As for me,we shall always get on well together,you and I.Help me,and Iwill help you.You have forty francs'worth of boxes and tickets to sell,and sixty francs'worth of books to convert into cash.With that and your work on the paper,you will be making four hundred and fifty francs every month.If you use your wits,you will find ways of making another two hundred francs at least among the publishers;they will pay you for reviews and prospectuses.But you are mine,are you not?Ican count upon you."
Lucien squeezed Finot's hand in transports of joy which no words can express.
"Don't let any one see that anything has passed between us,"said Finot in his ear,and he flung open a door of a room in the roof at the end of a long passage on the fifth floor.
A table covered with a green cloth was drawn up to a blazing fire,and seated in various chairs and lounges Lucien discovered Lousteau,Felicien Vernou,Hector Merlin,and two others unknown to him,all laughing or smoking.A real inkstand,full of ink this time,stood on the table among a great litter of papers;while a collection of pens,the worse for wear,but still serviceable for journalists,told the new contributor very plainly that the mighty enterprise was carried on in this apartment.
"Gentlemen,"said Finot,"the object of this gathering is the installation of our friend Lousteau in my place as editor of the newspaper which I am compelled to relinquish.But although my opinions will necessarily undergo a transformation when I accept the editorship of a review of which the politics are known to you,my CONVICTIONSremain the same,and we shall be friends as before.I am quite at your service,and you likewise will be ready to do anything for me.
Circumstances change;principles are fixed.Principles are the pivot on which the hands of the political barometer turn."There was an instant shout of laughter.
"Who put that into your mouth?"asked Lousteau.
"Blondet!"said Finot.
"Windy,showery,stormy,settled fair,"said Merlin;"we will all row in the same boat.""In short,"continued Finot,"not to muddle our wits with metaphors,any one who has an article or two for me will always find Finot.--This gentleman,"turning to Lucien,"will be one of you.--I have arranged with him,Lousteau."Every one congratulated Finot on his advance and new prospects.
"So there you are,mounted on our shoulders,"said a contributor whom Lucien did not know."You will be the Janus of Journal----""So long as he isn't the Janot,"put in Vernou.
"Are you going to allow us to make attacks on our betes noires?""Any one you like."
"Ah,yes!"said Lousteau;"but the paper must keep on its lines.M.
Chatelet is very wroth;we shall not let him off for a week yet.""What has happened?"asked Lucien.
"He came here to ask for an explanation,"said Vernou."The Imperial buck found old Giroudeau at home;and old Giroudeau told him,with all the coolness in the world,that Philippe Bridau wrote the article.
