The Milkmaid of Montfermeil Part 68

"That is called sowing that you may reap."

"You've been sowing a good long time, monsieur."

"I tell you that within a fortnight I shall have employment."

"When that day comes I'll go for a walk with Schtrack."

"Give me some money, Bertrand."

"Money, monsieur?"

"Yes, Eugene is going to dine with me to-day; he's the young man whose uncle is a banker. To-night I am going to call on the charmer whose cousin is to say a good word for me. There will be cards, no doubt, and if I have the look of being hard up and of being afraid to lose a few francs, people won't condescend to look at me."

"Ah, yes, I understand; you want money, so that you can sow."

"Yes, my friend."

After filling his purse, Auguste went to meet the friend with whom he had an appointment, and whom he was to entertain at dinner, together with several others who might possibly be useful to him. Dalville took his guests to one of the very best restaurants; he would have felt ashamed to dine at a place where they would have been as comfortable and as well served at less expense, but which was not so highly considered in fas.h.i.+onable society. During dinner they thought of nothing but laughing and joking, and Auguste was very careful not to mention his desire for employment; that would have seemed to indicate that he was in straitened circ.u.mstances, which would produce an ill effect. Not until the dessert, while they were drinking their champagne, did Eugene say to Auguste:

"Are you still wanting something to do?"

"Why, yes; I am tired to death of idleness; I am sick of a life of pleasure."

"That's a good idea; work--it will be a little change for you, and it helps to reform wayward youth. My uncle will think so. I'll speak to him about you when I see him."

Auguste dared not say that he would like to have him make a point of seeing his uncle. The young men, having had an excellent dinner, left Auguste, making all sorts of proffers of service, and renewing their a.s.surances of devotion; and he betook himself to the lovely woman who had promised to a.s.sist him and who was to have mentioned him to her cousin.

Ladies are beyond question better advocates than men; it certainly is easier for them to succeed, for they obtain with a smile what has been denied again and again to obscure merit, to shamefaced poverty. This fact does credit to our gallantry at least, if not to our justice, and it is in human nature to submit to be seduced by beauty.

Madame Valmont was greatly interested in Auguste, who accompanied her excellently on the piano, and sang nocturnes in her salon with excellent taste. She had kept her word by inviting her cousin that evening, in order to introduce Auguste to him. The cousin was a man of fas.h.i.+on, who was received in the best society; addicted to making promises freely and forgetting on the morrow what he had promised the night before; but desirous of playing the patron even when he did not patronize, and deeming himself a mortal of superior mould before whom everyone should bow.

Having listened to Auguste's rendition of a nocturne, he informed his cousin that he sang divinely and that he would be delighted to do something for him. When he said this, the cousin expected very humble acknowledgments from Auguste; but our friend was not the man to bend the knee in order to obtain favors from anyone. The man who is conscious of his own worth never stoops to humble himself before his fellowmen, and to lavish obsequious flattery on those whose merit consists solely in their rank and wealth--very slender merit indeed in the eyes of those whose deserts are genuine, but very great in the eyes of the mult.i.tude, who prostrate themselves before fine clothes, decorations and the glitter of gold pieces, and would dance under a monkey's window if the monkey would toss money to them. _Numerus stultorum est infinitus._

Auguste, who was not of the right temperament to dance for a monkey, did not lavish compliments on the cousin with the air of beseeching his patronage; and the cousin, who was accustomed to be lauded and fawned upon by the poor devils who desired his countenance, was amazed that the young gentleman who had been commended to his attention, did not fulfil his devoirs by paying homage to him. So that he began to consider that Dalville was not such a good singer after all; and to put the finis.h.i.+ng touch to his disgust, Auguste, who had bet on him when he took his seat at the ecarte table, presumed to criticise his style of play and to try to prove to him that he lost a game by his stupidity. The cousin was exasperated, and he left his cousin's house, declaring that the young man whom she had taken under her protection was incapable of filling the most trivial office in the service of the government.

"Well!" said Auguste to Madame Valmont, at the end of the evening, "when may I call upon the minister's secretary?"

"Really, I don't know what to say. My cousin did not seem very well disposed when he went away. But what a strange man you are! Instead of trying to make a favorable impression on him, you expressed an opinion contrary to his several times, you said nothing agreeable to him, and you annoyed him at the card table."

"Oh, yes, madame, I understand: I am not worthy of an office because I did not cringe and crawl, and because I presumed to demonstrate to that gentleman that he did wrong to play his second queen."

"I don't say that, my dear Auguste. However, it was a mere spasm of ill-temper; I will see my cousin again and speak to him, and I still have hopes."

"No, madame, don't take any more trouble. I am touched by your interest in me, but I would rather be unemployed than pose as the humble servant of idiocy and self-conceit."

Auguste went home, raging against the vanity, arrogance and pettiness of mankind. Bertrand, who was impatiently awaiting his return, called out as soon as he appeared:

"Well! what about that government office, monsieur?"

"My friend," said Auguste, squeezing Bertrand's hand, "we will eat black bread, we will drink water, but I will not be the lackey of men whom I despise; I will not burn incense to insolent pride and stupidity! I will not debase myself before my fellowmen!"

"No, ten thousand squadrons! You mustn't do that, lieutenant. I see the place has gone to the devil, eh?"

"I must needs do homage to a fellow who a.s.sumed the most patronizing airs; agree with everything he said, even when it lacked common sense; and even say that he played well when, by his own stupid play, he caused me to lose thirty francs that I had bet!"

"Thirty francs at one crack! That was rather a big stake, lieutenant."

"What would you have? I was determined to test my luck."

"But black bread and water make a wretched meal."

"I still have some hope. Eugene is going to speak to his uncle, and perhaps I shall have better luck in that direction."

Several weeks pa.s.sed, and Auguste finally met his friend, who said to him:

"I have spoken to my uncle; you can go to see him--I believe that he has a vacant place."

The next morning Auguste called upon the gentleman referred to. He entered the office and in due time reached the sanctum of Eugene's uncle, who was seated at his desk writing, and, without looking up, motioned to Auguste to wait.

Auguste, receiving no invitation to be seated, began by taking a chair and stretched out his legs, already looking with disfavor upon the gentleman who was not courteous enough to offer him a seat.

Five minutes pa.s.sed and still the banker wrote on. Auguste, losing patience, said at last:

"Monsieur, I came here to apply for employment; Eugene must have told you----"

"One moment--I will be at your service directly, monsieur; I am very busy."

Five minutes more pa.s.sed, and Auguste said to himself:

"The devil! I chose my time very badly. Is the man going to write like this for an hour? His business must be very important!"

But, after five minutes more, another person entered the office and went up to the gentleman who was writing.

"Good-morning, my dear fellow," he said. "Ah! you are engaged? Very well! I'll come again."

The gentleman at once laid aside his pen, rose, and detained the new arrival, saying:

"Why, is it you, my friend? Don't go, deuce take it! No one ever sees you now! I dined yesterday with someone who talked to me about you.

Well, have you sold that cargo of Martinique coffee, the price of which I predicted would fall?"

The newcomer was about to reply when Auguste, rising, walked between him and the banker, and having put on his hat, said to the latter:

"Monsieur, you have kept me waiting for half an hour, unable to give me a minute, and you have the impertinence to enter into conversation in my presence with this gentleman who has just arrived! I have only this much to say to you--that you're a knave and a rascal! If you can find time to answer that, here's my address, and I shall expect to hear from you."

With that Auguste stalked from the room, leaving the _busy_ gentleman utterly bewildered by the compliment paid to him, and unable to find a word to say in reply.

Again Bertrand was awaiting his master's return; but when Auguste appeared, the other divined the result of his quest. The young man's eyes shone with anger.