Page:The life and writings of Alexandre Dumas (1802-1870) (IA lifewritingsofal00spurrich).pdf/127

 his kindly treatment of the young and aspiring, brought a group of clever young writers about him. But the paper was never managed on business principles, Dumas himself being the chief sinner in this respect; all was goodwill, confusion, gaiety and improvidence. The "staff" were innumerable; and the noise of the many journalists crowded into the little rooms of the "Maison D'Or" was alarming. Audebrand tells us that the neighbour on one side would cry to his valet, "They must be strangling some one next door!" and the neighbour on the other side would overhear the remark, and laughingly reply, "There must be a woman in labour in the house!"

In the same volume are some amusing stories of the great man's ménage—how he had a triple defence in the shape of three servants, who struggled to keep duns and beggars from their master's presence. A certain German, however, called one day, sat down on the step and would not leave; and Dumas was eventually aroused by the perpetual assaults on the door. It ended as it always did; the man was "starving" and would throw himself into the Seine if M. Dumas did not take pity on him. The great man pushed fifty francs into the beggar's hands and found himself with only two francs with which to buy eggs for the omelette for his dinner!