éGER-MASSIEU, successor to Léger senior, the binder³, whose establishment was in the rue⁴ de l'Abbaye, opposite the old H?tel of the Abbés of Saint Germain-des-Près, in the hotbed of ancient schools and learned societies, employed an excellent but by no means numerous staff of workmen, and served with leisurely⁵ deliberation a clientèle who had learned to practise the virtue⁶ of patience. Six weeks had elapsed since he had received the parcel of books that had been despatched by Monsieur Sariette, but still Léger-Massieu had not yet put the work in hand. It was not until fifty-three days had come and gone, that, after calling over the books against the list that had been drawn⁷ up by Monsieur Sariette, the binder gave them out to his workmen. The little Lucretius with the Prior de Vend?me's arms not being mentioned on the list, it was assumed that it had been sent by another customer.[235]

 

And as it did not figure on any list of goods received it remained shut up in a cupboard, from which Léger-Massieu's son, the youthful Ernest, one day surreptitiously abstracted it, and slipped it into his pocket. Ernest was in love with a neighbouring seamstress whose name was Rose. Rose was fond of the country, and liked to hear the birds singing in the woods, and in order to procure⁸ the wherewithal to take her to Chatou one Sunday and give her a dinner, Ernest parted with the Lucretius for ten francs to old Moranger, a second-hand⁹

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