Thuillier had been led by Cerizet into what proved to be a most disastrous campaign. Now become the humble servant of la Peyrade, he was forced to accept his conditions, which were as follows: five hundred francs a month for la Peyrade's services in general; his editorship of the paper to be paid at the rate of fifty francs a column,--which was simply enormous, considering the small size of the sheet; a binding pledge to continue the publication of the paper for six months, under pain of the forfeiture of fifteen thousand francs;an absolute omnipotence in the duties of editor-in-chief,--that is to say, the sovereign right of inserting, controlling, and rejecting all articles without being called to explain the reasons of his actions,--such were the stipulations of a treaty in duplicate made openly, "in good faith," between the contracting parties. BUT, in virtue of another and secret agreement, Thuillier gave security for the payment of the twenty-five thousand francs for which la Peyrade was accountable to Madame Lambert, binding the said Sieur de la Peyrade, in case the payment were required before his marriage with Celeste Colleville could take place, to acknowledge the receipt of said sum advanced upon the dowry.
Matters being thus arranged and accepted by the candidate, who saw no chance of election if he lost la Peyrade, Thuillier was seized with a happy thought. He went to the Cirque-Olympique, where he remembered to have seen in the ticket-office a former employee in his office at the ministry of Finance,--a man named Fleury; to whom he proposed the post of manager. Fleury, being an old soldier, a good shot, and a skilful fencer, would certainly make himself an object of respect in a newspaper office. The working-staff of the paper being thus reconstituted, with the exception of a few co-editors or reporters to be added later, but whom la Peyrade, thanks to the facility of his pen, was able for the present to do without, the first number of the new paper was launched upon the world.
Thuillier now recommenced the explorations about Paris which we saw him make on the publication of his pamphlet. Entering all reading-rooms and cafes, he asked for the "Echo de la Bievre," and when informed, alas, very frequently, that the paper was unknown in this or that establishment, "It is incredible!" he would exclaim, "that a house which respects itself does not take such a widely known paper."On that, he departed disdainfully, not observing that in many places, where this ancient trick of commercial travellers was well understood, they were laughing behind his back.
The evening of the day when the inauguration number containing the "profession of faith" appeared, Brigitte's salon, although the day was not Sunday, was filled with visitors. Reconciled to la Peyrade, whom her brother had brought home to dinner, the old maid went so far as to tell him that, without flattery, she thought his leading article was a famous HIT. For that matter, all the guests as they arrived, reported that the public seemed enchanted with the first number of the new journal.
The public! everybody knows what that is. To every man who launches a bit of writing into the world, the public consists of five or six intimates who cannot, without offending the author, avoid knowing something more or less of his lucubrations.
"As for me!" cried Colleville, "I can truthfully declare that it is the first political article I ever read that didn't send me to sleep.""It is certain," said Phellion, "that the leading article seems to me to be stamped with vigor joined to an atticism which we may seek in vain in the columns of the other public prints.""Yes," said Dutocq, "the matter is very well presented; and besides, there's a turn of phrase, a clever diction, that doesn't belong to everybody. However, we must wait and see how it keeps on. I fancy that to-morrow the 'Echo de la Bievre' will be strongly attacked by the other papers.""Parbleu!" cried Thuillier, "that's what we are hoping for; and if the government would only do us the favor to seize us--""No, thank you," said Fleury, whom Thuillier had also brought home to dinner, "I don't want to enter upon those functions at first.""Seized!" said Dutocq, "oh, you won't be seized; but I think the ministerial journals will fire a broadside at you."The next day Thuillier was at the office as early as eight o'clock, in order to be the first to receive that formidable salvo. After looking through every morning paper he was forced to admit that there was no more mention of the "Echo de la Bievre" than if it didn't exist. When la Peyrade arrived he found his unhappy friend in a state of consternation.
"Does that surprise you?" said the Provencal, tranquilly. "I let you enjoy yesterday your hopes of a hot engagement with the press; but Iknew myself that in all probability there wouldn't be the slightest mention of us in to-day's papers. Against every paper which makes its debut with some distinction, there's always a two weeks', sometimes a two months' conspiracy of silence.""Conspiracy of silence!" echoed Thuillier, with admiration.
He did not know what it meant, but the words had a grandeur and a SOMETHING that appealed to his imagination. After la Peyrade had explained to him that by "conspiracy of silence" was meant the agreement of existing journals to make no mention of new-comers lest such notice should serve to advertise them, Thuillier's mind was hardly better satisfied than it had been by the pompous flow of the words. The bourgeois is born so; words are coins which he takes and passes without question. For a word, he will excite himself or calm down, insult or applaud. With a word, he can be brought to make a revolution and overturn a government of his own choice.
The paper, however, was only a means; the object was Thuillier's election. This was insinuated rather than stated in the first numbers.