Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1881-01-01

One month afterwards HOVlus ana
Macrin met again,
Well! said Hovius, what have you
discovered this time 2
! oh! OH lot of things said Macrin,
who had found nothing.
What do you call lot of thingsT
| Well, Cnsar's Commentaries, the edi
ton of Trivulcius-Ovid's Fash. All
and the editio princeps of the .drtre des
Bataites, in Alto, Mayence, 1885,
.Honore Bonet's .irbre" asked Hovius.
yes @
Hovius burst out laughing.
.Welln stammered out Macrin, dis
concerted, what is the matter with
you +"
He looked at Hovius with q stupid
air, and Hovius went on laughing,
Explain yourselfn
'Ah it is very simple said Hovius,
when he had conquered his hilarity.
you cannot have the editio prissYs of
the drbre DIES Fatalities, for the plain
reason that | have that edition myself
zorro rarior Abe. All! all !! ah +! friend
Macrin. All! ali! all
And old Hovius continued to laugh and
Macrin grew pale, then red, then pale
again, then green - 1t was a curious
spectacle.
Macrin could not speak, so great was
his emotion. Laughter prevented Ho-
wins from uttering word. And so they
remained, the pair of them, face to
face, one like the incarnation of gaiety,
the other like the gloomy statue of sad
ness. To tell the truth neither had any
good reason for his attitude.
| VII.
and yet l must have that book, said
Macrin to himself as soon US he was
alone in his apartment. Yes, at any
price that book must belong to me,
unique. splendid, and priceless. All
on what enchanted grass has that Ho-
vius been walking?'
Thepossession of the frbre des BataUles
became the fixed idea Of the bibllonla-
MAC Macrin. Hemust have the volume,
be could not live without it, or rather
| that book was his life and soul lie
went to see his adversary, Hovius, for he
| was determined to set eyes on that an
gelic uuarto. Unfortunately to see is
not to have! After having devoured
with his eyes the book of Honore Bonet,
but only through the glass doors OF the
triumphant Hovius' book case. Macrin
returned home, more discouraged and
more in love with the volume than ever.
mexpressible fortunes that the terrible
poet of the Inferno had not f0reseen. ln-
cessant desires. never satisfied Immea-
surable but powerless appetites! Con
vulsive RACES. Such was the life of poor
Jean Macrin when he knew that the
first edition of the -4rbre des Batalles was
in the hands of the internal Hovius.
THAT Honore Bonet," he said to him
self sometimes, "has composed, besides
the .1rbre, book called the Soage du
Prieur dc Salon or the .4pparition de Jehan
de Mem and that book too must have a
first edition, an editio princcps, which is
to be found; but what is it compared
with that fallen into the hands of that
idiot Hovius? No. no! After the 4rbre
aes Batai11es, there are no longer any
books! All! how shall ever get posses
sion of that precious pearl 7"
He sought and sought, but in vain, it
was an impossible problem which Meth
err patience nor genius could solve.
Would Hovius ever part with the object
which he considered to be rarer than a
white crow? 1t would be foolish to
think so. But what was to be done
There was, it is true very simple
way of getting the book. and that was
to take it by force. That thought, too,
had crossed Macrin's mind.
TX.
Matters We're at this stage when Howl
us died. Macrin had already remarked
that he had q big neck. One night an
attack of apoplexy carried off the indie
fatigable collector
When Macrin heard the news he star
ted and thought Immediately of the ar
bre des Batailles. The heavens seemed
to open to him, for certainly Hovins'
widow would have her late husbands
library sold, and then even if he had to
sacrifice part of his property he would
become the possessor of Honore Bonet's
book.
The widow Hovius did indeed have a
oo1a opl tho hnoLo ne tho lotto Hoviuc