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"You see," he said, "I am really very moderate." "Evidently," said Christophe. "I ought to thank you. You might have turned my septette into a cafe-concert song." He stopped in horror and held his head in his hands. "I have sold my soul," he said over and over again. "You may be sure," said Hecht sarcastically, "that I shall not abuse it."
If the books are good for anything, they must be considerably improved, by having seen so much of the world; but, as I believe they are English books, perhaps they may, like English travelers, have seen nobody, but the several bankers to whom they were consigned: be that as it will, I think you had best deliver them to Monsieur Hecht, the Prussian Minister at Hamburg, to forward to her Royal Highness, with a respectful compliment from you, which you will, no doubt, turn in the best manner, and 'selon le bon ton de la parfaitement bonne compagnie'.
He found the precious book once more in the bookseller's box, and read it right through: he stayed reading it for nearly two hours and missed his appointment with Hecht: and he wasted the whole day waiting to see him. At last he managed to get his new commission and the money for the old. At once he rushed back to buy the book, although he had read it.
"People write a great deal in Germany," said Hecht, with scornful politeness. It made him all the more suspicious of the newcomer to think that he had written so many works, and that he, Daniel Hecht, had not heard of them. "Well," he said, "I might perhaps find work for you as you are recommended by my friend Hamilton.
In Paris, full of men and women who could have understood them, in the house peopled with unknown friends, they were as solitary as in a desert of Asia. They were very poor. Their resources were almost nil. Christophe had only the copying and transcriptions of music given him by Hecht. In his depressed condition when he had longed for silence his work as a lecturer became intolerable to him.
He gave him fifty pages of music to transpose for mandoline and guitar by the next day. After which, being satisfied that he had made him truckle down, he found him less distasteful work, but always so ungraciously that it was impossible to be grateful to him for it: Christophe had to be ground down by necessity before he would ever go to Hecht again.
When Kohn had finished, Hecht, who up to then had seemed to be unaware of Christophe's existence, turned towards him disdainfully, and, without looking at him, said: "Krafft ... Christophe Krafft.... Never heard the name." To Christophe it was as though he had been struck, full in the chest. The blood rushed to his cheeks. He replied angrily: "You'll hear it later on."
"I will do it," said Christophe, "even if I have to sell myself." He accepted without discussion the conditions which Hecht submitted to him a fortnight later.
"While you are waiting for lessons, would you care to do some work for a music publisher?" Christophe accepted eagerly. "I've got the very thing," said Kohn. "I know one of the partners in a big firm of music publishers Daniel Hecht. I'll introduce you. You'll see what there is to do. I don't know anything about it, you know. But Hecht is a real musician. You'll get on with him all right."
I would advise you to live with that same Monsieur Hecht in all the confidence, familiarity, and connection, which prudence will allow. I mean it with regard to the King of Prussia himself, by whom I could wish you to be known and esteemed as much as possible. It may be of use to you some day or other.
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