M. Beloiseau reached across his workbench and hung up his hammer and
tongs. The varied notes of two or three remote steam-whistles told him
that the hour, of the day after the holiday, was five.
He glanced behind him, through his shop to the street door, where some
one paused awaiting his welcome. He thought of Chester but it was
Landry, with an old broad book under his elbow.
"Ah, come in, Ovide."
As he laid aside his apron he handed the visitor the piece of metal he
had been making beautiful, and waved him to the drawing whose lines it
was taking.
"But those whistles," the bookman said, "they stop the handworkman too."
"Yes. In the days of my father, the days of handwork, they meant only
steamboat', coming, going; but now swarm' of men and women, boys, and
girl', coming, going, living by machinery the machine-made life."
"'Sieur Beloiseau," Landry good-naturedly, said, "you're too just to
condemn a gift of the good God for the misuse men make of it."
Scipion glared and smiled at the same time: "Then let that gift of the
good God be not so hideouzly misuse'."
But Ovide amiably persisted: "Without machinery--plenty of it--I should
not have this book for you, nor I, nor you, ever have been born."
Chester, entering, found Beloiseau looking eagerly into the volume.
"All the same, Landry," the newcomer said, "you're no more a machine
product than Mr. Beloiseau himself."
The bookman smiled his thanks while he followed the craftsman's
scrutiny of the pages. "'Tis what you want?" he asked, and Chester saw
that it was full of designs of ironwork, French and Spanish.
Scipion beamed: "Ah, you've foun' me that at the lazt, and just when
I'm wanting it furiouzly."
"Mr. Beloiseau," said Chester, "has a beautiful commission from the new
Pan-American Steamship Company."
"Thanks to Mr. Chezter," said Beloiseau, "who got me the job. Hence
for this book spot cash." He turned aside to a locked closet and
drawer.
"You had a pleasant holiday yesterday," said Landry to Chester.
"Who told you?"
"Mesdemoiselles, the two sisters Chapdelaine. I chanced to meet them
just now at the house of the archbishop, on the steps, they coming out,
I going in. I had a book also for him."
"Why! What's taking them to the archbishop?" Chester put away a
frown: "Did they reflect the pleasure of the holiday?"
"Mr. Chester, no." There was an exchange of gazes, but Scipion
returned, counting and tendering the price of the book.
"Well, good evening," Landry said, willing to linger; but "good
evening," said both the others.
Chester turned: "Beloiseau, I want to talk with you. Go, give yourself
a dip, brush some of that hair, and we'll dine alone in some place away
from things."
"A dip, hah! Always I scrub me any'ow till I come to the skin. Also
I'll put a clean shirt. You can wait? I'll leave you this book."
Chester waited. When presently, with Scipion still picturesque though
clean-shirted, they left the shop together, he gave the book a word of
praise that set its owner off on the history of his craft. "But
hammered into a matrix"--he drew his watch and halted: "Spanish Fort,
juzt too late; half-hour till negs train; I'll show you an example, my
father's work." They turned back.
Thus they lost a second train, and dined in the same snug nook as on
the day before with Aline and the rest. At twilight they took seats in
Jackson Square on a cast-iron bench "hardly worthy of the place," as
Chester suggested.
And Scipion flashed back: "Or, my dear sir, of any worthy place! But
you was asking me----"
"About those four boys over in France, one of them yours."
"Biccause sinze all day yesterday----?"
"That's it. I can't help thinking that mademoiselle is somehow the
cause of their going."
"Ah, of three she is, but of my son, no. My son he was already there
when that war commence', and the cause of that was a very simple and
or-_din_-ary in him, but not in the story of my father. I would like
to tell you ab-out that biccause tha'z also ab-out that house where we
was juz' seeing all that open-work on those balconie', and biccause so
interested, you, in old building', you are bound to hear ab-out that
some day and probably hear it wrong."
"Let's have it now; she told me yesterday to ask you for it."