漂亮朋友 第三章 英5

孙祎卓

To while away the time until three o’clock, he lunched at Duval’s, and then lounged along the boulevard. When the clock chimed the hour of his appointment, he climbed the stairs leading to the office of “La Vie Francaise.”

Duroy asked: “Is M. Walter in?”

“M. Walter is engaged,” was the reply. “Will you please take a seat?”

Duroy waited twenty minutes, then he turned to the clerk and said: “M. Walter had an appointment with me at three o’clock. At any rate, see if my friend M. Forestier is here.”

He was conducted along a corridor and ushered into a large room in which four men were writing at a table. Forestier was standing before the fireplace, smoking a cigarette. After listening to Duroy’s story he said:

“Come with me; I will take you to M. Walter, or else you might remain here until seven o’clock.”

They entered the manager’s room. Norbert de Varenne was writing an article, seated in an easychair; Jacques Rival, stretched upon a divan, was smoking a cigar. The room had the peculiar odor familiar to all journalists. When they approached M. Walter, Forestier said: “Here is my friend Duroy.”

The manager looked keenly at the young man and asked:

“Have you brought my article?”

Duroy drew the sheets of manuscript from his pocket.

“Here they are, Monsieur.”

The manager seemed delighted and said with a smile: “Very good. You are a man of your word. Need I look over it, Forestier?”

But Forestier hastened to reply: “It is not necessary, M. Walter; I helped him in order to initiate him into the profession. It is very good.” Then bending toward him, he whispered: “You know you promised to engage Duroy to replace Marambot. Will you allow me to retain him on the same terms?”

“Certainly.”

Taking his friend’s arm, the journalist drew him away, while M. Walter returned to the game of ecarte he had been engaged in when they entered. Forestier and Duroy returned to the room in which Georges had found his friend. The latter said to his new reporter:

“You must come here every day at three o’clock, and I will tell you what places to go to. First of all, I shall give you a letter of introduction to the chief of the police, who will in turn introduce you to one of his employees. You can arrange with him for all important news, official and semiofficial. For details you can apply to Saint-Potin, who is posted; you will see him to-morrow. Above all, you must learn to make your way everywhere in spite of closed doors. You will receive two hundred francs a months, two sous a line for original matter, and two sous a line for articles you are ordered to write on different subjects.”

“What shall I do to-day?” asked Duroy.

“I have no work for you to-day; you can go if you wish to.”

“And our — our article?”

“Oh, do not worry about it; I will correct the proofs. Do the rest to-morrow and come here at three o’clock as you did to-day.”

And after shaking hands, Duroy descended the staircase with a light heart.