Lost Illusions: Ève and David — Chapter 5
What a change wrought in Eve those few words meant!
The love that grew deeper as she came to know her husband’s character better and better, was taking the place of love for her brother in her heart.
But to how many illusions had she not bade farewell?
And now let us trace out the whole history of the bill and the account of expenses in the business world of Paris.
The law enacts that the third holder, the technical expression for the third party into whose hands the bill passes, is at liberty to proceed for the whole amount against any one of the various endorsers who appears to him to be most likely to make prompt payment.
M.
Métivier, using this discretion, served a summons upon Lucien.
Behold the successive stages of the proceedings, all of them perfectly futile.
Métivier, with the Cointets behind him, knew that Lucien was not in a position to pay, but insolvency in fact is not insolvency in law until it has been formally proved.
Formal proof of Lucien’s inability to pay was obtained in the following manner: On the 5th of May, Métivier’s process-server gave Lucien notice of the protest and an account of the expense thereof, and summoned him to appear before the Tribunal of Commerce, or County Court, of Paris, to hear a vast number of things: this, among others, that he was liable to imprisonment as a merchant.
By the time that Lucien, hard pressed and hunted down on all sides, read this jargon, he received notice of judgment against him by default.
Coralie, his mistress, ignorant of the whole matter, imagined that Lucien had obliged his brother-in-law, and handed him all the documents together--too late.
An actress sees so much of bailiffs, duns, and writs, upon the stage, that she looks on all stamped paper as a farce.
Tears filled Lucien’s eyes; he was unhappy on Séchard’s account, he was ashamed of the forgery, he wished to pay, he desired to gain time.
Naturally he took counsel of his friends.
But by the time Lousteau, Blondet, Bixiou, and Nathan had told the poet to snap his fingers at a court only established for tradesmen, Lucien was already in the clutches of the law.
He beheld upon his door the little yellow placard which leaves its reflection on the porter’s countenance, and exercises a most astringent influence upon credit; striking terror into the heart of the smallest tradesman, and freezing the blood in the veins of a poet susceptible enough to care about the bits of wood, silken rags, dyed woolen stuffs, and multifarious gimcracks entitled furniture.
When the broker’s men came for Coralie’s furniture, the author of the _Marguerites_ fled to a friend of Bixiou’s, one Desroches, a barrister, who burst out laughing at the sight of Lucien in such a state about nothing at all.
“That is nothing, my dear fellow.
Do you want to gain time?
” “Yes, as much possible.
” “Very well, apply for stay of execution.
Go and look up Masson, he is a solicitor in the Commercial Court, and a friend of mine.
Take your documents to him.
He will make a second application for you, and give notice of objection to the jurisdiction of the court.
There is not the least difficulty; you are a journalist, your name is well known enough.
If they summons you before a civil court, come to me about it, that will be my affair; I engage to send anybody who offers to annoy the fair Coralie about his business.
” 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:-- _To Bill due the last day of April, drawn by_ Séchard, junior, _to order of_ Lucien de Rubempré, _together with expenses of fr.
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protest and return_ .
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1037 45 May 5th--Serving notice of protest and summons to appear before the Tribunal of Commerce in Paris, May 7th .
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8 75 “ 7th--Judgment by default and warrant of arrest.
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35 -- “ 10th--Notification of judgment .
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8 50 “ 12th--Warrant of execution .
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5 50 “ 14th--Inventory and appraisement previous to execution.
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16 -- “ 18th--Expenses of affixing placards.
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15 25 “ 19th--Registration .
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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.
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12 -- “ 27th--Order of the Court upon application duly repeated, and transfer of of case to the Civil Court.
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35 -- ____ ____ Carried forward.
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1177 45 fr.
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Brought forward 1177 45 May 28th--Notice of summary proceedings in the Civil Court at the instance of Métivier, represented by counsel .
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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.
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150 -- “ 6th--Notification of judgment.
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10 -- “ 15th--Warrant of execution.
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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 .
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20 -- “ “ --Judge’s order referring matter to registrar for immediate special inquiry.
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40 -- “ “ --Judgment in favor of the said Mademoiselle Coralie .
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250 -- “ 20th--Appeal by Métivier .
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17 -- “ 30th--Confirmation of judgment .
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250 -- ____ ____ Total .
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1926 45 __________ Bill matured May 31st, with expenses of fr.
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protest and return.
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1037 45 Serving notice of protest.
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