CHAPTER X

A BUDDING POET

It is the first of May, and the lilacs in the Luxembourg Gardens are in blossom.  It has just struck four o’clock.  The bright sun and the pure sky have rendered more odious than ever the captivity of the office to Amedee, and he departs before the end of the sitting for a stroll in the Medicis garden around the pond, where, for the amusement of the children in that quarter, a little breeze from the northeast is pushing on a miniature flotilla.  Suddenly he hears himself called by a voice which bursts out like a brass band at a country fair.

“Good-day, Violette.”

It is Jocquelet, the future comedian, with his turned-up nose, which cuts the air like the prow of a first-class ironclad, superb, triumphant, dressed like a Brazilian, shaved to the quick, the dearest hope of Regnier’s class at the Conservatoire-Jocquelet, who has made an enormous success in an act from the “Precieuses,” at the last quarter’s examination—­he says so himself, without any useless modesty—­Jocquelet, who will certainly have the first comedy prize at the next examination, and will make his debut with out delay at the Comedie Francaise!  All this he announces in one breath, like a speech learned by heart, with his terrible voice, like a quack selling shaving-paste from a gilded carriage.  In two minutes that favorite word of theatrical people had been repeated thirty times, punctuating the phrases:  “I!  I!  I!  I!”

Amedee is only half pleased at the meeting.  Jocquelet was always a little too noisy to please him.  After all, he was an old comrade, and out of politeness the poet congratulated him upon his success.

Jocquelet questioned him.  What was Amedee doing?  What had become of him?  Where was his literary work?  All this was asked with such cordiality and warmth of manner that one would have thought that Jocquelet was interested in Amedee, and had a strong friendship for him.  Nothing of the, sort.  Jocquelet was interested in only one person in this world, and that person was named Jocquelet.  One is either an actor or he is not.  This personage was always one wherever he was—­in an omnibus, while putting on his suspenders, even with the one he loved.  When he said to a newcomer, “How do you do?” he put so much feeling into this very original question, that the one questioned asked himself whether he really had not just recovered from a long and dangerous illness.  Now, at this time Jocquelet found himself in the presence of an unknown and poor young poet.  What role ought such an eminent person as himself to play in such circumstances?  To show affection for the young man, calm his timidity, and patronize him without too much haughtiness; that was the position to take, and Jocquelet acted it.

Amedee was an artless dupe, and, touched by the interest shown him, he frankly replied: 

“Well, my dear friend, I have worked hard this winter.  I am not dissatisfied.  I think that I have made some progress; but if you knew how hard and difficult it is!”