On the 28th of May, Lucien’s case came on in the civil court, and judgment was given before Desroches expected it. Lucien’s creditor was pushing on the proceedings against him. A second execution was put in, and again Coralie’s pilasters were gilded with placards. Desroches felt rather foolish; a colleague had “caught him napping,” to use his own expression. He demurred, not without reason, that the furniture belonged to Mlle. Coralie, with whom Lucien was living, and demanded an order for inquiry. Thereupon the judge referred the matter to the registrar for inquiry, the furniture was proved to belong to the actress, and judgment was entered accordingly. Métivier appealed, and judgment was confirmed on appeal on the 30th of June.
On the 7th of August, Maître Cachan received by the coach a bulky package endorsed, “Métivier versus Séchard and Lucien Chardon.”
The first document was a neat little bill, of which a copy (accuracy guaranteed) is here given for the reader’s benefit:—
fr. c. To Bill due the last day of April, drawn by Séchard, junior, to order of Lucien de Rubempré, together with expenses of protest and return 1,037 45 May 5th Serving notice of protest and summons to appear before the Tribunal of Commerce in Paris 8 75 ” 7th Judgment by default and warrant of arrest 35 — ” 10th Notification of judgment 8 50 ” 12th Warrant of execution 5 50 ” 14th Inventory and appraisement previous to execution 16 - ” 18th Expenses of affixing placards 15 25 ” 19th Registration 4 - ” 24th Verification of inventory, and application for stay of execution on the part of the said Lucien de Rubempré, objecting to the jurisdiction of the Court 12 - ” 24th Order of the Court upon application duly repeated, and transfer of case to the Civil Court 35 - May 28th Notice of summary proceedings in the Civil Court at the instance of Métivier, represented by counsel 6 50 June 2nd Judgment, after hearing both parties, condemning Lucien for expenses of protest and return; the plaintiff to bear costs of proceedings in the Commercial Court 150 - ” 6th Notification of judgment 10 - ” 15th Warrant of execution 5 50 ” 19th Inventory and appraisement preparatory to execution; interpleader summons by the Demoiselle Coralie, claiming goods and chattels taken in execution; demand for immediate special inquiry before further proceedings be taken 20 - ” ” Judge’s order referring matter to registrar for immediate special inquiry 40 - ” ” Judgment in favor of the said Mademoiselle Coralie 250 - ” 20th Appeal by Métivier 17 - ” 30th Confirmation of judgment 250 - Total 1,926 45
fr. c. Bill matured May 31st, with expenses of protest and return 1,037 45 Serving notice of protest 8 75 Total 1,046 20
fr. c. Bill matured June 30th, with expenses of protest and return 1,037 45 Serving notice of protest 8 75 Total 1,046 20
This document was accompanied by a letter from Métivier, instructing Maître Cachan, notary of Angoulême, to prosecute David Séchard with the utmost rigor of the law. Wherefore Maître Victor-Ange-Herménégilde Doublon summoned David Séchard before the Tribunal of Commerce in Angoulême for the sum-total of four thousand and eighteen francs eighty-five centimes, the amount of the three bills and expenses already incurred. On the morning of the very day when Doublon served the writ upon Eve, requiring her to pay a sum so enormous in her eyes, there came a letter like a thunderbolt from Métivier:—
To Monsieur Séchard, Junior, Printer, Angoulême.
“Sir—Your brother-in-law, M. Chardon, is so shamelessly dishonest, that he declares his furniture to be the property of an actress with whom he is living. You ought to have informed me candidly of these circumstances, and not have allowed me to go to useless expense over law proceedings. I have received no answer to my letter of the 10th of May last. You must not, therefore, take it amiss if I ask for immediate repayment of the three bills and the expenses to which I have been put.—Yours, etc.,
Eve had heard nothing during these months, and supposed, in her ignorance of commercial law, that her brother had made reparation for his sins by meeting the forged bills.
“Be quick, and go at once to Petit-Claud, dear,” she said; “tell him about it, and ask his advice.”
David hurried to his schoolfellow’s office.
“When you came to tell me of your appointment and offered me your services, I did not think that I should need them so soon,” he said.
Petit-Claud studied the fine face of this man who sat opposite him in the office chair, and scarcely listened to the details of the case, for he knew more of them already than the speaker. As soon as he saw Séchard’s anxiety, he said to himself, “The trick has succeeded.”
This kind of comedy is often played in an attorney’s office. “Why are the Cointets persecuting him?” Petit-Claud wondered within himself, for the attorney can use his wit to read his clients’ thoughts as clearly as the ideas of their opponents, and it is his business to see both sides of the judicial web.
“You want to gain time,” he said at last, when Séchard had come to an end. “How long do you want? Something like three or four months?”
“Oh! four months! that would be my salvation,” exclaimed David. Petit-Claud appeared to him as an angel.
“Very well. No one shall lay hands on any of your furniture, and no one shall arrest you for four months—But it will cost you a great deal,” said Petit-Claud.
“Eh! what does that matter to me?” cried Séchard.
“You are expecting some money to come in; but are you sure of it?” asked Petit-Claud, astonished at the way in which his client walked into the toils.
“In three months’ time I shall have plenty of money,” said the inventor, with an inventor’s hopeful confidence.
“Your father is still above ground,” suggested Petit-Claud; “he is in no hurry to leave his vines.”
“Do you think that I am counting on my father’s death?” returned David. “I am on the track of a trade secret, the secret of making a sheet of paper as strong as Dutch paper, without a thread of cotton in it, and at a cost of fifty percent less than cotton pulp.”
“There is a fortune in that!” exclaimed
