The Salt Smugglers Read Online Free PDF Page A

illustrated with German engravings!
    No, it would be most difficult for me to return to the Arsenal.
    Besides, there are still several rare book dealers to visit: there’s France, then Merlin, then Techener ...
    M. France said to me: « I know the book well ; it must have crossed my hands at least ten times ... With luck,
you’re sure to find it on the quais: that’s where I picked it up myself for ten sous. »
    The idea of combing the bookstalls on the quais for days on end in search of an item officially classified as rare ... I decided it made more sense to try Merlin’s bookshop. « The Bucquoi? I was informed by his successor, of course I’m familiar with it, I even have a copy of it on hand ... »
    My joy may easily be imagined. The book dealer brought me a volume whose format was the appropriate duodecimo; except that it was far too fat (949 pages). Upon opening the book, I discovered it bore the title, In Praise of the Count de Bucquoy . Around the portrait facing the title page, there was the Latin inscription: COMES. A. BVCQVOY.
    My illusions were soon dashed. It was a history of the Bohemian uprising, with a portrait of a Bucquoy whose armor and beard clearly dated from the Louis XIII period. He was probably an ancestor of the poor abbé. — Still, it was a book worth owning: family features often reproduce themselves over time. Here is a Bucquoy born in the Artois who goes off to Bohemia to fight; — imagination and energy are written all over his face, as is a certain tendency toward whimsy. The abbé de Bucquoy no doubt followed after him as dreamers follow after men of action.
    As I was on my way to Techener’s to try my luck one last time, I stopped in front of a bird-seller’s shop. A woman of a certain age, decked out in a hat and dressed with a threadbare elegance indicative of better days, was trying to sell her canary and its cage to the shop-owner.
    He replied that he was already having a hard time just trying to feed the birds he had on hand. The woman pleaded with him. He told her that her canary was worthless. — The old lady heaved a sigh and trudged off.
    I had spent all my money on the Bohemian exploits of the count of Bucquoy; otherwise I would have said to the bird-seller: « Call that woman back and tell her that you will buy her canary after all ... »
    The fact that I was unable to do this filled me with remorse, — but when it comes to the Bucquoys, I am obviously pursued by the Fates.
    M. Techener said to me: « I no longer have the book you’re looking for, but I know a copy of it is soon going to be auctioned off in a lot of items from the library of a book collector.
    â€” What is his name? ...
    â€” He prefers to be known as X; his name will not be listed in the auction catalogue.
    â€” But if I wanted to buy the book now? ...
    â€” Books that have already been catalogued and sorted out into lots are never sold in advance. The auction will take place on November 11th. »
    November 11th!
    Yesterday I received a note from M. R***, the librarian to whom I had been introduced at the Bibliothèque Nationale. He had not forgotten about me and was writing to inform me of the same auction. Except that according to him, the auction had been moved back to November 20th.
    What to do between now and then? — Who knows, the way things are going, the price of the book may well go sky-high ...

OBLIGATORY DIGRESSION JOURNEY TO VERSAILLES THE TALKING SEAL. — VISIT TO THE OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
    I’m afraid I’m really imposing on my audience’s patience with all my futile peregrinations in search of the abbé de Bucquoy. Still, readers of newspaper serials should no longer expect their attention to be grabbed as it once was by romantic adventures; back then, we were at full liberty to paint love scenes as we saw fit.
    I have learned that at this very moment a newspaper is under investigation