two poets-第28章

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ake　courage　to　tell　you　the　rest。〃

〃Indeed；〃　she　said；　〃you　make　me　quite　ashamed；　but　confidence　for　confidence；　I　will　tell　you　this；　that　I　have　never　thought　of　any　one　but　you　in　my　life。　I　looked　upon　you　as　one　of　those　men　to　whom　a　woman　might　be　proud　to　belong；　and　I　did　not　dare　to　hope　so　great　a　thing　for　myself；　a　penniless　working　girl　with　no　prospects。〃

〃That　is　enough；　that　is　enough；〃　he　answered；　sitting　down　on　the　bar　by　the　weir；　for　they　had　gone　to　and　fro　like　mad　creatures　over　the　same　length　of　pathway。

〃What　is　the　matter？〃　she　asked；　her　voice　expressing　for　the　first　time　a　woman's　sweet　anxiety　for　one　who　belongs　to　her。

〃Nothing　but　good；〃　he　answered。　〃It　is　the　sight　of　a　whole　lifetime　of　happiness　that　dazzles　me；　as　it　were；　it　is　overwhelming。　Why　am　I　happier　than　you？〃　he　asked；　with　a　touch　of　sadness。　〃For　I　know　that　I　am　happier。〃

Eve　looked　at　David　with　mischievous；　doubtful　eyes　that　asked　an　explanation。

〃Dear　Eve；　I　am　taking　more　than　I　give。　So　I　shall　always　love　you　more　than　you　love　me；　because　I　have　more　reason　to　love。　You　are　an　angel；　I　am　a　man。〃

〃I　am　not　so　learned；〃　Eve　said；　smiling。　〃I　love　you〃

〃As　much　as　you　love　Lucien？〃　he　broke　in。

〃Enough　to　be　your　wife；　enough　to　devote　myself　to　you；　to　try　not　to　add　anything　to　your　burdens；　for　we　shall　have　some　struggles；　it　will　not　be　quite　easy　at　first。〃

〃Dear　Eve；　have　you　known　that　I　loved　you　since　the　first　day　I　saw　you？〃

〃Where　is　the　woman　who　does　not　feel　that　she　is　loved？〃

〃Now　let　me　get　rid　of　your　scruples　as　to　my　imaginary　riches。　I　am　a　poor　man；　dear。　Yes；　it　pleased　my　father　to　ruin　me；　he　made　a　speculation　of　me；　as　a　good　many　so…called　benefactors　do。　If　I　make　a　fortune；　it　will　be　entirely　through　you。　That　is　not　a　lover's　speech；　but　sober；　serious　earnest。　I　ought　to　tell　you　about　my　faults；　for　they　are　exceedingly　bad　ones　in　a　man　who　has　his　way　to　make。　My　character　and　habits　and　favorite　occupations　all　unfit　me　for　business　and　money…getting；　and　yet　we　can　only　make　money　by　some　kind　of　industry；　if　I　have　some　faculty　for　the　discovery　of　gold…　mines；　I　am　singularly　ill…adapted　for　getting　the　gold　out　of　them。　But　you　who；　for　your　brother's　sake；　went　into　the　smallest　details；　with　a　talent　for　thrift；　and　the　patient　watchfulness　of　the　born　man　of　business；　you　will　reap　the　harvest　that　I　shall　sow。　The　present　state　of　things；　for　I　have　been　like　one　of　the　family　for　a　long　time；　weighs　so　heavily　upon　me；　that　I　have　spent　days　and　nights　in　search　of　some　way　of　making　a　fortune。　I　know　something　of　chemistry；　and　a　knowledge　of　commercial　requirements　has　put　me　on　the　scent　of　a　discovery　that　is　likely　to　pay。　I　can　say　nothing　as　yet　about　it；　there　will　be　a　long　while　to　wait；　perhaps　for　some　years　we　may　have　a　hard　time　of　it；　but　I　shall　find　out　how　to　make　a　commercial　article　at　last。　Others　are　busy　making　the　same　researches；　and　if　I　am　first　in　the　field；　we　shall　have　a　large　fortune。　I　have　said　nothing　to　Lucien；　his　enthusiastic　nature　would　spoil　everything；　he　would　convert　my　hopes　into　realities；　and　begin　to　live　like　a　lord；　and　perhaps　get　into　debt。　So　keep　my　secret　for　me。　Your　sweet　and　dear　companionship　will　be　consolation　in　itself　during　the　long　time　of　experiment；　and　the　desire　to　gain　wealth　for　you　and　Lucien　will　give　me　persistence　and　tenacity〃

〃I　had　guessed　this　too；〃　Eve　said；　interrupting　him；　〃I　knew　that　you　were　one　of　those　inventors；　like　my　poor　father；　who　must　have　a　woman　to　take　care　of　them。〃

〃Then　you　love　me！　Ah！　say　so　without　fear　to　me；　who　saw　a　symbol　of　my　love　for　you　in　your　name。　Eve　was　the　one　woman　in　the　world；　if　it　was　true　in　the　outward　world　for　Adam；　it　is　true　again　in　the　inner　world　of　my　heart　for　me。　My　God！　do　you　love　me？〃

〃Yes；〃　said　she；　lengthening　out　the　word　as　if　to　make　it　cover　the　extent　of　feeling　expressed　by　a　single　syllable。

〃Well；　let　us　sit　here；〃　he　said；　and　taking　Eve's　hand；　he　went　to　a　great　baulk　of　timber　lying　below　the　wheels　of　a　paper…mill。　〃Let　me　breathe　the　evening　air；　and　hear　the　frogs　croak；　and　watch　the　moonlight　quivering　upon　the　river；　let　me　take　all　this　world　about　us　into　my　soul；　for　it　seems　to　me　that　my　happiness　is　written　large　over　it　all；　I　am　seeing　it　for　the　first　time　in　all　its　splendor；　lighted　up　by　love；　grown　fair　through　you。　Eve；　dearest；　this　is　the　first　moment　of　pure　and　unmixed　joy　that　fate　has　given　to　me！　I　do　not　think　that　Lucien　can　be　as　happy　as　I　am。〃

David　felt　Eve's　hand；　damp　and　quivering　in　his　own；　and　a　tear　fell　upon　it。

〃May　I　not　know　the　secret？〃　she　pleaded　coaxingly。

〃You　have　a　right　to　know　it；　for　your　father　was　interested　in　the　matter；　and　to…day　it　is　a　pressing　question；　and　for　this　reason。　Since　the　downfall　of　the　Empire；　calico　has　come　more　and　more　into　use；　because　it　is　so　much　cheaper　than　linen。　At　the　present　moment；　paper　is　made　of　a　mixture　of　hemp　and　linen　rags；　but　the　raw　material　is　dear；　and　the　expense　naturally　retards　the　great　advance　which　the　French　press　is　bound　to　make。　Now　you　cannot　increase　the　output　of　linen　rags；　a　given　population　gives　a　pretty　constant　result；　and　it　only　increases　with　the　birth…rate。　To　make　any　perceptible　difference　in　the　population　for　this　purpose；　it　would　take　a　quarter　of　a　century　and　a　great　revolution　in　habits　of　life；　trade；　and　agriculture。　And　if　the　supply　of　linen　rags　is　not　enough　to　meet　one…half　nor　one…third　of　the　demand；　some　cheaper　material　than　linen　rags　must　be　found　for　cheap　paper。　This　deduction　is　based　on　facts　that　came　under　my　knowledge　here。　The　Angouleme　paper…　makers；　the　last　to　use　pure　linen　rags；　say　that　the　proportion　of　cotton　in　the　pulp　has　increased　to　a　frightful　extent　of　late　years。〃

In　answer　to　a　question　from　Eve；　who　did　not　know　what　〃pulp〃　meant；　David　gave　an　account　of　paper…making；　which　will　not　be　out　of　place　in　a　volume　which　owes　its　existence　in　book　form　to　the　paper　industry　no　less　than　to　the　printing…press；　but　the　long　digression；　doubtless；　had　best　be　condensed　at　first。

Paper；　an　invention　not　less　marvelous　than　the　other　dependent　invention　of　printing；　was　known　in　ancient　times　in　China。　Thence　by　the　unrecognized　channels　of　commerce　the　art　reached　Asia　Minor；　where　paper　was　made　of　cotton　reduced　to　pulp　and　boiled。　Parchment　had　become　so　extremely　dear　that　a　cheap　substitute　was　discovered　in　an　imitation　of　the　cotton　paper　known　in　the　East　as　Charta　bombycina。　The　imitation；　made　from　rags；　was　first　made　at　Basel；　in　1170；　by　a　colony　of　Greek　refugees；　according　to　some　authorities；　or　at　Padua；　in　1301；　by　an　Italian　named　Pax；　according　to　others。　In　these　ways　the　manufacture　of　paper　was　perfected　slowly　and　in　obscurity；　but　this　much　is　certain；　that　so　early　as　the　reign　of　Charles　VI。；　paper　pulp　for　playing…cards　was　made　in　Paris。

When　those　immortals；　Faust；　Coster；　and　Gutenberg；　invented　the　Book；　craftsmen　as　obscure　as　many　a　great　artist　of　those　times　appropriated　paper　to　the　uses　of　typography。　In　the　fifteenth　century；　that　naive　and　vigorous　age；　names　were　given　to　the　various　formats　as　well　as　to　the　different　sizes　of　type；　names　that　bear　the　impress　of　the　naivete　of　the　times；　and　the　various　sheets　came　to　be　known　by　the　different　watermarks　on　their　centres；　the　grapes；　the　figure　of　our　Saviour；　the　crown；　the　shield；　or　the　flower…pot；　just　as　at　a　later　day；　the　eagle　of　Napoleon's　time　gave　the　name　to　the　〃double…eagle〃　size。　And　in　the　same　way　the　types　were　called　Cicero；　Saint…Augustine；　and　Canon　type；　because　they　were　first　used　to　print　the　treatises　of　Cicero　and　theological　and　liturgical　works。　Italics　are　so　called　because　they　were　invented　in　Italy　by　Aldus　of　Venice。

Before　the　invention　of　machine…made　paper；　which　can　be　woven　in　any　length；　the　largest　sized　sheets　were　the　grand　jesus　and　the　double　columbier　（this　last　being　scarcely　used　now　except　for　atlases　or　engravings）；　and　the　size　of　paper　for　printers'　use　was　determined　by　the　dimensions　of　the　impression…stone。　When　David　explained　these　things　to