Lost Illusions by Herbert Hunt

Author:Herbert Hunt
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780141936024
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Published: 2008-11-14T00:00:00+00:00

21. A variety of journalist

THE next morning at eight o’clock Lucien called on Etienne, found he was out and hurried over to Florine’s rooms. The journalist and the actress received their friend in the dainty bedroom in which they were conjugally installed, and all three had a splendid lunch.

‘Well, my boy,’ said Lousteau when they were at table and when Lucien had mentioned the supper to be given by Coralie. ‘I advise you to come with me to see Félicien Vernou, to invite him and to strike up a friendship with him in so far as one can do so with such a character. Félicien will perhaps get you into the political journal for which he concocts a daily feuilleton and in which you may be able to spread yourself in serious articles for the top columns. This news-sheet, like ours, belongs to the Liberal party: you’ll be a Liberal, that’s the popular party. Moreover, if you thought of going over to the ministerial side you’d join it to greater advantage for having shown them you’re a man to be reckoned with. – Haven’t you and Coralie been invited to dinner with Hector Merlin and his Madame du Val-Noble, whose salon is visited by a number of great lords, young dandies and millionaires?’

‘Yes,’ replied Lucien. ‘You’ll be there too with Florine.’ We may note that Lucien and Lousteau, during their carousals at the Friday supper and the Sunday dinner, had arrived at the stage of ‘thouing’ each other.

‘Well, we shall meet Merlin at the editorial office: he’s a chap who’ll follow close behind Finot. You’ll do well to cultivate him and get him and his mistress to join you at the supper. He’ll perhaps be useful to you before long, for men who are haters need everybody, and he’ll be serviceable to you if he has your pen to call upon.’

‘Your first article caused enough sensation for you not to meet with any obstacle,’ Florine said to Lucien. ‘Lose no time in taking advantage of it, or else you’ll soon be forgotten.’

‘As for the deal,’ continued Lousteau, ‘the great deal has come off! This Finot, a man of no talent, is director and editor of Dauriat’s weekly, the owner of a sixth part of it which is costing him nothing, and he draws a salary of six hundred francs a month. As from this morning, my dear, I’m editor of the little paper. Everything happened as I presumed it would the other evening: Florine was splendid – she could give points to Prince Talleyrand.’

‘Oh well,’ said Florine, ‘we get hold of men through their pleasures, whereas diplomats only work on their self-conceit. The diplomats see men giving themselves airs and we see them making fools of themselves: so we get the best results.’

‘As he clinched the deal,’ said Lousteau, ‘Matifat perpetrated the only witticism he’ll ever utter in his career as a vendor of quackeries: “This affair,” he said, “remains in my line of business!”’

‘I suspect Florine of having prompted him,’ Lucien exclaimed.

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