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and seated himself on one of the benches which surround the walls of
that great antechamber of Justice。 There he undid his bundle； took out
a paper； and buried himself in it with the air of a man who had not
had time to examine in his study a case he was about to plead。 It is
not necessary to say that while doing this the Provencal was watching
the manoeuvres of Thuillier out of the corner of his eye。 Thuillier；
believing that la Peyrade was really occupied in some serious
business； hesitated to approach him。
However； after sundry backings and fillings the municipal councillor
made up his mind； and sailing straight before the wind he headed for
the spot he had been reconnoitring for the last ten minutes。
〃Bless me； Theodose！〃 he cried as soon as he had got within hailing
distance。 〃Do you come to the Palais now？〃
〃It seems to me；〃 replied Theodose； 〃that barristers at the Palais are
like Turks at Constantinople； where a friend of mine affirmed you
could see a good many。 It is YOU whom it is rather surprising to see
here。〃
〃Not at all；〃 said Thuillier； carelessly。 〃I've come about that cursed
pamphlet。 Is there ever any end to your legal bothers？ I was summoned
here this morning； but I don't regret it； as it gives me the happy
chance of meeting you。〃
〃I； too；〃 said la Peyrade； tying up his bundle。 〃I am very glad to see
you； but I must leave you now； I have an appointment； and I suppose
you want to do your business at once。〃
〃I have done it；〃 said Thuillier。
〃Did you speak to Olivier Vinet； that mortal enemy of yours？ he sits
in that court；〃 asked la Peyrade。
〃No；〃 said Thuillier； naming another official。
〃Well； that's queer！〃 said the barrister； 〃that fellow must have the
gift of ubiquity； he has been all the morning in the fifth court…room；
and has just this minute given a judgment on a case I pleaded。〃
Thuillier colored； and got out of his hobble as best he could。 〃Oh；
hang it！〃 he said； 〃those men in gowns are all alike； I don't know one
from another。〃
La Peyrade shrugged his shoulders and said aloud； but as if to
himself： 〃Always the same； crafty； crooked； never straightforward。〃
〃Whom are you talking about？〃 asked Thuillier； rather nonplussed。
〃Why； of you； my dear fellow； who take me for an imbecile； as if I and
the whole world didn't know that your pamphlet business came to an end
two weeks ago。 Why； then； summon you to court？〃
〃Well； I was sent for；〃 said Thuillier； with embarrassment； 〃something
about registry fees；it is all Greek to me； I can't comprehend their
scrawls。〃
〃And they chose；〃 said la Peyrade； 〃precisely the very day when the
Moniteur； announcing the dissolution of the Chamber； made you think
about being a candidate for the 12th arrondissement。〃
〃Why not？〃 asked Thuillier； 〃what has my candidacy to do with the fees
I owe to the court？〃
〃I'll tell you；〃 said la Peyrade； dryly。 〃The court is a thing
essentially amiable and complaisant。 'Tiens！' it said to itself；
'here's this good Monsieur Thuillier going to be a candidate for the
Chamber； how hampered he'll be by his attitude to his ex…friend
Monsieur de la Peyrade； with whom he wishes now he hadn't quarrelled。
I'll summon him for fees he doesn't owe； that will bring him to the
Palais where la Peyrade comes daily； and in that way he can meet him
by chance； and so avoid taking a step which would hurt his self…love。〃
〃Well； there you are mistaken！〃 cried Thuillier； breaking the ice。 〃I
used so little craft； as you call it； that I've just come from your
house； there！ and your portress told me where to find you。〃
〃Well done！〃 said la Peyrade； 〃I like this frankness； I can get on
with men who play above…board。 Well； what do you want of me？ Have you
come to talk about your election？ I have already begun to work for
it。〃
〃No； really？〃 said Thuillier； 〃how？〃
〃Here；〃 replied la Peyrade； feeling under his gown for his pocket and
bringing out a paper； 〃here's what I scribbled just now in the court…
room while the lawyer on the other side rambled on like an expert。〃
〃What is it about？〃 asked Thuillier。
〃Read and you'll see。〃
The paper read as follows：
Estimate for a newspaper； small size； at thirty francs a year。
Calculating the editions at 5；000 the costs are：
Paper； 5 reams at 12 francs 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 1；860 francs。
Composition 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 2；400 〃
Printing 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 450 〃
One administrator 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 250 〃
One clerk 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 100 〃
One editor （also cashier） 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 200 〃
One despatcher 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 100 〃
Folders 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 120 〃
One office boy 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 80 〃
Office expenses 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 150 〃
Rent 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 100 〃
License and postage 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 7；500 〃
Reporting and stenographic news 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。 1；800 〃
…
Total monthly； 15；110 〃
〃 yearly； 181；320 〃
〃Do you want to set up a paper？〃 asked Thuillier； in dread。
〃I？〃 asked la Peyrade； 〃I want nothing at all； you are the one to be
asked if you want to be a deputy。〃
〃Undoubtedly I do； because； when you urged me to become a municipal
councillor； you put the idea into my head。 But reflect； my dear
Theodose； one hundred and eighty one thousand three hundred and twenty
francs to put out！ Have I a fortune large enough to meet such a
demand？〃
〃Yes；〃 said la Peyrade； 〃you could very well support that expense； for
considering the end you want to obtain there is nothing exorbitant in
it。 In England they make much greater sacrifices to get a seat in
Parliament； but in any case； I beg you to observe that the costs are
very high on that estimate； and some could be cut off altogether。 For
instance； you would not want an administrator。 You； yourself； an old
accountant； and I； an old journalist； can very well manage the affair
between us。 Also rent； we needn't count that； you have your old
apartment in the rue Saint…Dominique which is not yet leased； that
will make a fine newspaper office。〃
〃All that costs off two thousand four hundred francs a year；〃 said
Thuillier。
〃Well； that's something； but your error consists in calculating on the
yearly cost。 When do the elections take place？〃
〃In two months；〃 said Thuillier。
〃Very good； two months will cost you thirty thousand francs； even
supposing the paper had no subscribers。〃
〃True；〃 said Thuillier； 〃the expense is certainly less than I thought
at first。 But does a newspaper really seem to you essential？〃
〃So essential that without that power in our hands； I won't have
anything to do with the election。 You don't seem to see； my poor
fellow； that in going to live in the other quarter you have lost；
electorally speaking； an immense amount of ground。 You are no longer
the man of the place； and your election could be balked by the cry of
what the English call 'absenteeism。' This makes your game very hard to
play。〃
〃I admit that；〃 said Thuillier； 〃but there are so many things wanted
besides money；a name for one thing； a manager； editorial staff； and
so forth。〃
〃A name； we have one made to hand； editors； they are you and I and a
few young fellows who grow on every bush in Paris。 As for the manager；
I have a man in view。〃
〃What name is it？〃 asked Thuillier。
〃L'Echo de la Bievre。〃
〃But there is already a paper of that name。〃
〃Precisely； and that's why I give my approval to the affair。 Do you
think I should be fool enough to advise you to start an entirely new
paper？ 'Echo de la Bievre！' that title is a treasure to a man who
wants support for his candidacy in the 12th arrondissement。 Say the
word only； and I put that treasure into your hands。〃
〃How？〃 asked Thuillier； with curiosity。
〃Parbleu！ by buying it； it can be had for a song。〃
〃There now； you see；〃 said Thuillier in a discouraged tone； 〃you never
counted in the cost of purchase。〃
〃How you dwell on nothings！〃 said la Peyrade； hunching his shoulders；
〃we have other and more important difficulties to solve。〃
〃Other difficulties？〃 echoed Thuillier。
〃Parbleu！〃 exclaimed la Peyrade； 〃do you suppose that after all that
has taken place between us I should boldly harness myself to your
election without knowing exactly what benefit I am to get for it？〃
〃But；〃 said Thuillier； rather astonished； 〃I thought that friendship
was a good exchange for such services。〃
〃Yes； but when the exchange consists in one side giving all and the
other side nothing； friendship gets tired of that sort of sharing； and
asks for something a little better balanced。〃
〃But； my dear Theodose； what have I to offer you that you have not
already rejected？〃
〃I rejected it； because it was offered without heartiness； and
seasoned with Mademoiselle Brigitte's vinegar； every self…respecting
man would have acted as I did。 Give and keep don'