第6章
NightsetitsleadensealupontheplansmadebythesometimeattorneyofMantes,andaformidableschemesproutedup,aflourishingscheme,fertileinharvestsofgainandintrigue。LaCibotwasthehingeuponwhichthewholematterturned;andforthisreason,anyrebelliononthepartoftheinstrumentmustbeatonceputdown;suchactiononherpartwasquiteunexpected;butFraisierhadputforthallthestrengthofhisrancorousnature,andtheaudaciousportresslaytrampledunderhisfeet。
“Come,reassureyourself,mydearmadame,“heremarked,holdingouthishand。Thetouchofthecold,serpent-likeskinmadeaterribleimpressionupontheportress。Itbroughtaboutsomethinglikeaphysicalreaction,whichcheckedheremotion;Mme。Fontaine"stoad,Astaroth,seemedtohertobelessdeadlythanthispoison-sacthatworeasandywigandspokeintoneslikethecreakingofahinge。
“DonotimaginethatIamfrighteningyoutonopurpose,“Fraisiercontinued。(LaCibot"sfeelingofrepulsionhadnotescapedhim。)“TheaffairswhichmadeMme。laPresidente"sdreadfulreputationaresowellknownatthelaw-courts,thatyoucanmakeinquiriesthereifyoulike。ThegreatpersonwhowasallbutsentintoalunaticasylumwastheMarquisd"Espard。TheMarquisd"Esgrignonwassavedfromthehulks。Thehandsomeyoungmanwithwealthandagreatfuturebeforehim,whowastohavemarriedadaughterofoneofthefirstfamiliesofFrance,andhangedhimselfinacelloftheConciergerie,wasthecelebratedLuciendeRubempre;theaffairmadeagreatdealofnoiseinParisatthetime。Thatwasaquestionofawill。Hismistress,thenotoriousEsther,diedandlefthimseveralmillions,andtheyaccusedtheyoungfellowofpoisoningher。HewasnoteveninParisatthetimeofherdeath,nordidhesomuchasknowthewomanhadleftthemoneytohim!——Onecannotwellbemoreinnocentthanthat!Well,afterM。Camusotexaminedhim,hehangedhimselfinhiscell。Law,likemedicine,hasitsvictims。Inthefirstcase,onemansuffersforthemany,andinthesecond,hediesforscience,“headded,andanuglysmilestoleoverhislips。“Well,Iknowtherisksmyself,yousee;
poorandobscurelittleattorneyasIam,thelawhasbeentheruinofme。Myexperiencewasdearlybought——itisallatyourservice。“
“Thankyou,no,“saidLaCibot;“Iwillhavenothingtodowithit,uponmyword!……Ishallhavenourishedingratitude,thatisall!I
wantnothingbutmydue;Ihavethirtyyearsofhonestybehindme,sir。M。PonssaysthathewillrecommendmetohisfriendSchmucke;
wellandgood,IshallendmydaysinpeacewiththeGerman,goodman。“
Fraisierhadovershothismark。HehaddiscouragedLaCibot。Nowhewasobligedtoremovetheseunpleasantimpressions。
“Donotletusgiveup,“hesaid;“justgoawayquietlyhome。Come,now,wewillsteertheaffairtoagoodend。“
“Butwhataboutmy/rentes/,whatamItodotogetthem,and——“
“Andfeelnoremorse？”heinterruptedquickly。“Eh!itispreciselyforthatthatmenofbusinesswereinvented;unlessyoukeepwithinthelaw,yougetnothing。Youknownothingoflaw;Iknowagooddeal。
Iwillseethatyoukeepontherightsideofit,andyoucanholdyourowninallmen"ssight。Asforyourconscience,thatisyourownaffair。“
“Verywell,tellmehowtodoit,“returnedLaCibot,curiousanddelighted。
“Idonotknowhowyet。Ihavenotlookedatthestrongpointsofthecaseyet;Ihavebeenbusywiththeobstacles。Butthefirstthingtobedoneistourgehimtomakeawill;youcannotgowrongoverthat;
andfindout,firstofall,howPonsmeanstoleavehisfortune;forifyouwerehisheir——“
“No,no;hedoesnotlikeme。Ah!ifIhadbutknownthevalueofhisgimcracks,andifIhadknownwhatIknownowabouthisamours,I
shouldbeeasyinmymindthisday——“
“Keepon,infact,“brokeinFraisier。“Dyingfolkhavequeerfancies,mydearmadame;theydisappointhopesmanyatime。Lethimmakehiswill,andthenweshallsee。Andofallthings,thepropertymustbevalued。SoImustseethisRemonencqandtheJew;theywillbeveryusefultous。Putentireconfidenceinme,Iamatyourdisposal。Whenaclientisafriendtome,Iamhisfriendthroughthickandthin。
Friendorenemy,thatismycharacter。“
“Verywell,“saidLaCibot,“Iamyoursentirely;andasforfees,M。
Poulain——“
“Letussaynothingaboutthat,“saidFraisier。“ThinkhowyoucankeepPoulainatthebedside;heisoneofthemostuprightandconscientiousmenIknow;and,yousee,wewantsomeonetherewhomwecantrust。PoulainwoulddobetterthanI;Ihavelostmycharacter。“
“Youlookasifyouhad,“saidLaCibot;“but,formyownpart,I
shouldtrustyou。“
“Andyouwoulddowell。Cometoseemewheneveranythinghappens,and——there!——youareanintelligentwoman;allwillgowell。“
“Good-day,M。Fraisier。Ihopeyouwillrecoveryourhealth。Yourservant,sir。“
Fraisierwenttothedoorwithhisclient。Butthistimeitwashe,andnotLaCibot,whowasstruckwithanideaonthethreshold。
“IfyoucouldpersuadeM。Ponstocallmein,itwouldbeagreatstep。“
“Iwilltry,“saidLaCibot。
Fraisierdrewherbackintohissanctum。“Lookhere,oldlady,IknowM。Trognon,thenotaryofthequarter,verywell。IfM。Ponshasnotanotary,mentionM。Trognontohim。MakehimtakeM。Trognon——“
“Right,“returnedLaCibot。
Andasshecameoutagainsheheardtherustleofadressandthesoundofastealthy,heavyfootstep。
Outinthestreetandbyherself,Mme。Cibottosomeextentrecoveredherlibertyofmindasshewalked。Thoughtheinfluenceoftheconversationwasstilluponher,andshehadalwaysstoodindreadofscaffolds,justice,andjudges,shetookaverynaturalresolutionwhichwastobringaboutaconflictofstrategybetweenherandherformidablelegaladviser。
“WhatdoIwantwithotherfolk？”saidshetoherself。“Letusmakearoundsum,andafterwardsIwilltakeallthattheyoffermetopushtheirinterests;“andthisthought,aswillshortlybeseen,hastenedthepooroldmusician"send。
“Well,dearM。Schmucke,andhowisourdear,adoredpatient？”askedLaCibot,asshecameintotheroom。
“Ferypad;Bonshafpeenvanderingalldernight。“
“Then,whatdidhesay？”
“Chustnonsense。HevoulddotIhafallhisfortune,onkonditiondotIsellnodings——Denhecried!Boormann!Itmademever"sad。“
“Nevermind,honey,“returnedtheportress。“Ihavekeptyouwaitingforyourbreakfast;itisnineo"clockandpast;butdon"tscoldme。I
havebusinessonhand,yousee,businessofyours。Herearewewithoutanymoney,andIhavebeenouttogetsome。“
“Vere？”askedSchmucke。
“Ofmyuncle。“
“Onkel？”
“Upthespout。“
“Shpout？”
“Oh!thedearman!howsimpleheis?No,youareasaint,alove,anarchbishopofinnocence,amanthatoughttobestuffed,astheoldactorsaid。What!youhavelivedinParisfortwenty-nineyears;yousawtheRevolutionofJuly,youdid,andyouhaveneversomuchasheardtellofapawnbroker——amanthatlendsyoumoneyonyourthings?——
Ihavebeenpawningoursilverspoonsandforks,eightofthem,threadpattern。Pooh,CibotcaneathisvictualswithGermansilver;
itisquitethefashionnow,theysay。Itisnotworthwhiletosayanythingtoourangelthere;itwouldupsethimandmakehimyellowerthanbefore,andheisquitecrossenoughasitis。Letusgethimroundagainfirst,andafterwardsweshallsee。Whatmustbemust;andwemusttakethingsaswefindthem,eh？”
“Gootvoman!nopleheart！”criedpoorSchmucke,withagreattendernessinhisface。HetookLaCibot"shandandclaspedittohisbreast。Whenhelookedup,thereweretearsinhiseyes。
“There,thatwilldo,PapaSchmucke;howfunnyyouare!Thisistoobad。Iamanolddaughterofthepeople——myheartisinmyhand。I
havesomething/here/,yousee,likeyouhave,heartsofgoldthatyouare,“sheadded,slappingherchest。
“BabaSchmucke！”continuedthemusician。“No。Toknowdetepthsofsorrow,tocrymittearsofblood,tomountupinderhefn——datismeinlot!IshallnotlifafterBons——“
“Gracious!Iamsureyouwon"t,youarekillingyourself——Listen,pet！”
“Bet？”
“Verywell,mysonny——“
“Zonny？”
“Mylamb,then,ifyoulikeitbetter。“
“Itisnotmoreclear。“
“Oh,well,let/me/takecareofyouandtellyouwhattodo;forifyougoonlikethis,Ishallhavebothofyoulaiduponmyhands,yousee。Tomylittlewayofthinking,wemustdotheworkbetweenus。YoucannotgoaboutParistogivelessonsforittiresyou,andthenyouarenotfittodoanythingafterwards,andsomebodymustsitupofanightwithM。Pons,nowthatheisgettingworseandworse。Iwillrunroundto-daytoallyourpupilsandtellthemthatyouareill;isitnotso?Andthenyoucanspendthenightswithourlamb,andsleepofamorningfromfiveo"clocktill,letussay,twointheafternoon。I
myselfwilltaketheday,themosttiringpart,forthereisyourbreakfastanddinnertogetready,andthebedtomake,andthethingstochange,andthedosesofmedicinetogive。Icouldnotholdoutforanothertendaysatthisrate。WhatwouldbecomeofyouifIweretofallill?Andyouyourself,itmakesoneshuddertoseeyou;justlookatyourself,aftersittingupwithhimlastnight！”
ShedrewSchmucketotheglass,andSchmuckethoughtthattherewasagreatchange。
“So,ifyouareofmymind,I"llhaveyourbreakfastreadyinajiffy。
Thenyouwilllookafterourpoordearagaintilltwoo"clock。Letmehavealistofyourpeople,andIwillsoonarrangeit。Youwillbefreeforafortnight。YoucangotobedwhenIcomein,andsleeptillnight。“
Soprudentdidthepropositionseem,thatSchmuckethenandthereagreedtoit。
“NotawordtoM。Pons;hewouldthinkitwasalloverwithhim,youknow,ifweweretotellhiminthiswaythathisengagementatthetheatreandhislessonsareputoff。Hewouldbethinkingthatheshouldnotfindhispupilsagain,poorgentleman——stuffandnonsense!
M。PoulainsaysthatweshallsaveourBenjaminifwekeephimasquietaspossible。“
“Ach!ferygoot!Pringupderpreakfast;Ishallmakederbett,andgifyoudieattresses!——Youareright;itvouldpetoomuchforme。“
AnhourlaterLaCibot,inherSundayclothes,departedingreatstate,tothenosmallastonishmentoftheRemonencqs;shepromisedherselfthatshewouldsupportthecharacterofconfidentialservantofthepairofnutcrackers,intheboarding-schoolsandprivatefamiliesinwhichtheygavemusic-lessons。
ItisneedlesstorepeatallthegossipinwhichLaCibotindulgedonherround。Themembersofeveryfamily,thehead-mistressofeveryboarding-school,weretreatedtoavariationuponthethemeofPons"
illness。Asinglescene,whichtookplaceintheIllustriousGaudissart"sprivateroom,willgiveasufficientideaoftherest。LaCibotmetwithunheard-ofdifficulties,butshesucceededinpenetratingatlasttothepresence。KingsandcabinetministersarelessdifficultofaccessthanthemanagerofatheatreinParis;norisithardtounderstandwhysuchprodigiousbarriersareraisedbetweenthemandordinarymortals：akinghasonlytodefendhimselffromambition;themanagerofatheatrehasreasontodreadthewoundedvanityofactorsandauthors。
LaCibot,however,struckupanacquaintancewiththeportress,andtraversedalldistancesinabriefspace。Thereisasortoffreemasonryamongtheportertribe,and,indeed,amongthemembersofeveryprofession;foreachcallinghasitsshibboleth,aswellasitsinsultingepithetandthemarkwithwhichitbrandsitsfollowers。
“Ah!madame,youaretheportresshere,“beganLaCibot。“Imyselfamaportress,inasmallway,inahouseintheRuedeNormandie。M。
Pons,yourconductor,lodgeswithus。Oh,howgladIshouldbetohaveyourplace,andseetheactorsanddancersandauthorsgopast。Itisthemarshal"sbatoninourprofession,astheoldactorsaid。“
“AndhowisM。Ponsgoingon,goodman？”inquiredtheportress。
“Heisnotgoingonatall;hehasnotlefthisbedthesetwomonths。
Hewillonlyleavethehousefeetforemost,thatiscertain。“
“Hewillbemissed。“
“Yes。Ihavecomewithamessagetothemanagerfromhim。Justtrytogetmeawordwithhim,dear。“
“AladyfromM。Ponstoseeyou,sir！”Afterthisfashiondidtheyouthattachedtotheserviceofthemanager"sofficeannounceLaCibot,whomtheportressbelowhadparticularlyrecommendedtohiscare。
Gaudissarthadjustcomeinforarehearsal。Chancesoordereditthatnoonewishedtospeakwithhim;actorsandauthorswerealikelate。
Delightedtohavenewsofhisconductor,hemadeaNapoleonicgesture,andLaCibotwasadmitted。
Thesometimecommercialtraveler,nowtheheadofapopulartheatre,regardedhissleepingpartnersinthelightofalegitimatewife;theywerenotinformedofallhisdoings。Theflourishingstateofhisfinanceshadreacteduponhisperson。Grownbigandstoutandhigh-
coloredwithgoodcheerandprosperity,GaudissartmadenodisguiseofhistransformationintoaMondor。
“Weareturningintoacity-father,“heoncesaid,tryingtobethefirsttolaugh。
“YouareonlyintheTurcaretstageyet,though,“retortedBixiou,whooftenreplacedGaudissartinthecompanyoftheleadingladyoftheballet,thecelebratedHeloiseBrisetout。
TheformerIllustriousGaudissart,infact,wasexploitingthetheatresimplyandsolelyforhisownparticularbenefit,andwithbrutaldisregardofotherinterests。Hefirstinsinuatedhimselfasacollaboratorinvariousballets,plays,andvaudevilles;thenhewaitedtilltheauthorwantedmoneyandboughtuptheotherhalfofthecopyright。Theseafter-piecesandvaudevilles,alwaysaddedtosuccessfulplays,broughthiminadailyharvestofgoldcoins。Hetraffickedbyproxyintickets,allottingacertainnumbertohimself,asthemanager"sshare,tillhetookinthiswayatitheofthereceipts。AndGaudissarthadothermethodsofmakingmoneybesidestheseofficialcontributions。Hesoldboxes,hetookpresentsfromindifferentactressesburningtogouponthestagetofillsmallspeakingparts,orsimplytoappearasqueens,orpages,andthelike;
heswelledhisnominalthirdshareoftheprofitstosuchpurposethatthesleepingpartnersscarcelyreceivedone-tenthinsteadoftheremainingtwo-thirdsofthenetreceipts。Evenso,however,thetenthpaidthemadividendoffifteenpercentontheircapital。OnthestrengthofthatfifteenpercentGaudissarttalkedofhisintelligence,honesty,andzeal,andthegoodfortuneofhispartners。
WhenCountPopinot,showinganinterestintheconcern,askedMatifat,orGeneralGouraud(Matifat"sson-in-law),orCrevel,whethertheyweresatisfiedwithGaudissart,Gouraud,nowapeerofFrance,answered,“Theysayherobsus;butheissuchaclever,good-naturedfellow,thatwearequitesatisfied。“
“ThisislikeLaFontaine"sfable,“smiledtheex-cabinetminister。
Gaudissartfoundinvestmentsforhiscapitalinotherventures。HethoughtwellofSchwab,Brunner,andtheGraffs;thatfirmwaspromotingrailways,hebecameashareholderinthelines。Hisshrewdnesswascarefullyhiddenbeneaththefrankcarelessnessofamanofpleasure;heseemedtobeinterestedinnothingbutamusementsanddress,yethethoughteverythingover,andhiswideexperienceofbusinessgainedasacommercialtravelerstoodhimingoodstead。
Aself-mademan,hedidnottakehimselfseriously。Hegavesuppersandbanquetstocelebritiesinroomssumptuouslyfurnishedbythehousedecorator。Showybynature,withatastefordoingthingshandsomely,heaffectedaneasy-goingair,andseemedsomuchthelessformidablebecausehehadkepttheslangof“theroad“(tousehisownexpression),withafewgreen-roomphrasessuperadded。Now,artistsinthetheatricalprofessionarewonttoexpressthemselveswithsomevigor;Gaudissartborrowedsufficientracygreen-roomtalktoblendwithhiscommercialtraveler"slivelyjocularity,andpassedforawit。Hewasthinkingatthatmomentofsellinghislicenseand“goingintoanotherline,“ashesaid。Hethoughtofbeingchairmanofarailwaycompany,ofbecomingaresponsiblepersonandanadministrator,andfinallyofmarryingMlle。Minard,daughteroftherichestmayorinParis。HemighthopetogetintotheChamberthrough“hisline,“and,withPopinot"sinfluence,totakeofficeundertheGovernment。
“WhomhaveIthehonorofaddressing？”inquiredGaudissart,lookingmagisteriallyatLaCibot。
“IamM。Pons"confidentialservant,sir。“
“Well,andhowisthedearfellow？”
“Ill,sir——veryill。“
“Thedevilheis!Iamsorrytohearit——Imustcomeandseehim;heissuchamanasyoudon"toftenfind。“
“Ahyes!sir,heisacherub,heis。Ihavealwayswonderedhowhecametobeinatheatre。“
“Why,madame,thetheatreisahouseofcorrectionformorals,“saidGaudissart。“PoorPons!——Uponmyword,oneoughttocultivatethespeciestokeepupthestock。"Tisapatternman,andhastalenttoo。
Whenwillhebeabletotakehisorchestraagain,doyouthink?A
theatre,unfortunately,islikeastagecoach：emptyorfull,itstartsatthesametime。Hereatsixo"clockeveryevening,upgoesthecurtain;andifweareneversorryforourselves,itwon"tmakegoodmusic。Letusseenow——howishe？”
LaCibotpulledoutherpocket-handkerchiefandheldittohereyes。
“Itisaterriblethingtosay,mydearsir,“saidshe;“butIamafraidweshalllosehim,thoughweareascarefulofhimasoftheappleofoureyes。And,atthesametime,IcametosaythatyoumustnotcountonM。Schmucke,worthyman,forheisgoingtositupwithhimatnight。Onecannothelpdoingasiftherewashopestillleft,andtryingone"sbesttosnatchthedear,goodsoulfromdeath。Butthedoctorhasgivenhimup——“
“Whatisthematterwithhim？”
“Heisdyingofgrief,jaundice,andlivercomplaint,withalotoffamilyaffairstocomplicatematters。“
“Andadoctoraswell,“saidGaudissart。“HeoughttohavehadLebrun,ourdoctor;itwouldhavecosthimnothing。“
“M。Pons"doctorisaProvidenceonearth。Butwhatcanadoctordo,nomatterhowcleverheis,withsuchcomplications？”
“Iwantedthegoodpairofnutcrackersbadlyfortheaccompanimentofmynewfairypiece。“
“IsthereanythingthatIcandoforthem？”askedLaCibot,andherexpressionwouldhavedonecredittoaJocrisse。
Gaudissartburstoutlaughing。
“Iamtheirhousekeeper,sir,anddomanythingsformygentlemen——“
Shedidnotfinishherspeech,forinthemiddleofGaudissart"sroaroflaughterawoman"svoiceexclaimed,“Ifyouarelaughing,oldman,onemaycomein,“andtheleadingladyoftheballetrushedintotheroomandflungherselfupontheonlysofa。ThenewcomerwasHeloiseBrisetout,withasplendid/algerienne/,suchasscarvesusedtobecalled,abouthershoulders。
“Whoisamusingyou?Isitthislady?Whatpostdoesshewant？”askedthisnymph,givingthemanagersuchaglanceasartistgivesartist,aglancethatwouldmakeasubjectforapicture。
Heloise,ayoungwomanofexceedinglyliterarytastes,wasonintimatetermswithgreatandfamousartistsinBohemia。Elegant,accomplished,andgraceful,shewasmoreintelligentthandancersusuallyare。Assheputherquestion,shesniffedatascent-bottlefullofsomearomaticperfume。
“Onefinewomanisasgoodasanother,madame;andifIdon"tsniffthepestilenceoutofascent-bottle,nordaubbrickdustonmycheeks——“
“Thatwouldbeasinfulwaste,child,whenNatureputitonforyoutobeginwith,“saidHeloise,withasideglanceathermanager。
“Iamanhonestwoman——“
“Somuchtheworseforyou。Itisnoteveryonebyalongchalkthatcanfindsomeonetokeepthem,andkeptIam,andinslap-upstyle,madame。“
“Somuchtheworse!Whatdoyoumean?Oh,youmaytossyourheadandgoaboutinscarves,youwillneverhaveasmanydeclarationsasI
havehad,missus。Youwillnevermatchthe/BelleEcaillereoftheCadranBleu/。“
HeloiseBrisetoutroseatoncetoherfeet,stoodatattention,andmadeamilitarysalute,likeasoldierwhomeetshisgeneral。
“What？”askedGaudissart,“areyoureally/LaBelleEcaillere/ofwhommyfatherusedtotalk？”
“Inthatcasethecachuchaandthepolkawereafteryourtime;andmadamehaspassedherfiftiethyear,“remarkedHeloise,andstrikinganattitude,shedeclaimed,“"Cinna,letusbefriends。"“
“Come,Heloise,theladyisnotuptothis;letheralone。“
“MadameisperhapstheNewHeloise,“suggestedLaCibot,withslyinnocence。
“Notbad,oldlady！”criedGaudissart。
“Itisavenerablejoke,“saidthedancer,“agrizzledpun;findusanotheroldlady——ortakeacigarette。“
“Ibegyourpardon,madame,Ifeeltoounhappytoansweryou;mytwogentlemenareveryill;andtobuynourishmentforthemandtosparethemtrouble,Ihavepawnedeverythingdowntomyhusband"sclothesthatIpledgedthismorning。Hereistheticket！”
“Oh!here,theaffairisbecomingtragic,“criedthefairHeloise。
“Whatisitallabout？”
“Madamedropsdownuponuslike——“
“Likeadancer,“saidHeloise;“letmepromptyou,——missus！”
“Come,Iambusy,“saidGaudissart。“Thejokehasgonefarenough。
Heloise,thisisM。Pons"confidentialservant;shehadcometotellmethatImustnotcountuponhim;ourpoorconductorisnotexpectedtolive。Idon"tknowwhattodo。“
“Oh!poorman;why,hemusthaveabenefit。“
“Itwouldruinhim,“saidGaudissart。“Hemightfindnextdaythatheowedfivehundredfrancstocharitableinstitutions,andtheyrefusetoadmitthatthereareanysufferersinParisexcepttheirown。No,lookhere,mygoodwoman,sinceyouaregoinginfortheMontyonprize——“
Hebrokeoff,rangthebell,andtheyouthbeforementionedsuddenlyappeared。
“Tellthecashiertosendmeupathousand-francnote——Sitdown,madame。“
“Ah!poorwoman,look,sheiscrying！”exclaimedHeloise。“Howstupid!
There,there,mother,wewillgotoseehim;don"tcry——Isay,now,“
shecontinued,takingthemanagerintoacorner,“youwanttomakemetaketheleadingpartintheballetin/Ariane/,youTurk。Youaregoingtobemarried,andyouknowhowIcanmakeyoumiserable——“
“Heloise,myheartiscopper-bottomedlikeaman-of-war。“
“Ishallbringyourchildrenonthescene!Iwillborrowsomesomewhere。“
“Ihaveownedupabouttheattachment。“
“Dobenice,andgivePons"posttoGarangeot;hehastalent,poorfellow,andhehasnotapenny;andIpromisepeace。“
“ButwaittillPonsisdead,incasethegoodmanmaycomebackagain。“
“Oh,astothat,no,sir,“saidLaCibot。“Hebegantowanderinhismindlastnight,andnowheisdelirious。Itwillsoonbeover,unfortunately。“
“Atanyrate,takeGarangeotasastop-gap！”pleadedHeloise。“Hehasthewholepressonhisside——“
Justatthatmomentthecashiercameinwithanoteforathousandfrancsinhishand。
“Giveittomadamehere,“saidGaudissart。“Good-day,mygoodwoman;
takegoodcareofthedearman,andtellhimthatIamcomingtoseehimto-morrow,orsometime——assoonasIcan,inshort。“
“Adrowningman,“saidHeloise。
“Ah,sir,heartslikeyoursareonlyfoundinatheatre。MayGodblessyou！”
“TowhataccountshallIpostthisitem？”askedthecashier。
“Iwillcountersigntheorder。Postittothebonusaccount。“
BeforeLaCibotwentout,shemadeMlle。Brisetoutafinecourtesy,andheardGaudissartremarktohismistress：
“CanGarangeotdothedance-musicforthe/Mohicans/intwelvedays?
Ifhehelpsmeoutofmypredicament,heshallhavePons"place。“
LaCibothadcutofftheincomesofthetwofriends,shehadleftthemwithoutmeansofsubsistenceifPonsshouldchancetorecover,andwasbetterrewardedforallthismischiefthanforanygoodthatshehaddone。Inafewdays"timehertreacheroustrickwouldbringaboutthedesiredresult——ElieMaguswouldhavehiscovetedpictures。Butifthisfirstspoliationwastobeeffected,LaCibotmustthrowdustinFraisier"seyes,andlullthesuspicionsofthatterriblefellow-
conspiratorofherownseeking;andElieMagusandRemonencqmustbeboundovertosecrecy。
AsforRemonencq,hehadgraduallycometofeelsuchapassionasuneducatedpeoplecanconceivewhentheycometoParisfromthedepthsofthecountry,bringingwiththemallthefixedideasbredofthesolitarycountrylife;alltheignoranceofaprimitivenature,allthebruteappetitesthatbecomesomanyfixedideas。Mme。Cibot"smasculinebeauty,hervivacity,hermarket-woman"swit,hadallbeenremarkedbythemarinestore-dealer。HethoughtatfirstoftakingLaCibotfromherhusband,bigamyamongthelowerclassesinParisbeingmuchmorecommonthanisgenerallysupposed;butgreedwaslikeaslip-knotdrawnmoreandmoretightlyabouthisheart,tillreasonatlengthwasstifled。WhenRemonencqcomputedthatthecommissionpaidbyhimselfandElieMagusamountedtoaboutfortythousandfrancs,hedeterminedtohaveLaCibotforhislegitimatespouse,andhisthoughtsturnedfromamisdemeanortoacrime。Aromanticpurelyspeculativedream,persistentlyfollowedthroughatobacco-smoker"slongmusingsasheloungedinthedoorway,hadbroughthimtothepointofwishingthatthelittletailorweredead。Atastrokehebeheldhiscapitaltrebled;andthenhethoughtofLaCibot。Whatagoodsaleswomanshewouldbe!Whatahandsomefigureshewouldmakeinamagnificentshopontheboulevards!ThetwofoldcovetousnessturnedRemonencq"shead。InfancyhetookashopthatheknewofontheBoulevarddelaMadeleine,hestockeditwithPons"treasures,andthen——afterdreaminghisdreaminsheetsofgold,afterseeingmillionsinthebluespiralwreathsthatrosefromhispipe,heawoketofindhimselffacetofacewiththelittletailor。Cibotwassweepingtheyard,thedoorstep,andthepavementjustashisneighborwastakingdowntheshuttersanddisplayinghiswares;forsincePonsfellill,LaCibot"sworkhadfallentoherhusband。
TheAuvergnatbegantolookuponthelittle,swarthy,stunted,copper-
coloredtailorastheoneobstacleinhisway,andponderedhowtoberidofhim。MeanwhilethisgrowingpassionmadeLaCibotveryproud,forshehadreachedanagewhenawomanbeginstounderstandthatshemaygrowold。
Soearlyonemorning,shemeditativelywatchedRemonencqashearrangedhisoddsandendsforsale。Shewonderedhowfarhislovecouldgo。Hecameacrosstoher。
“Well,“hesaid,“arethingsgoingasyouwish？”
“Itisyouwhomakesmeuneasy,“saidLaCibot。“Ishallbetalkedabout;theneighborswillseeyoumakingsheep"seyesatme。“
SheleftthedoorwayanddivedintotheAuvergnat"sbackshop。
“Whatanotion！”saidRemonencq。
“Comehere,Ihavesomethingtosaytoyou,“saidLaCibot。“M。Pons"
heirsareabouttomakeastir;theyarecapableofgivingusalotoftrouble。Godknowswhatmightcomeofitiftheysendthelawyersheretopoketheirnosesintotheaffairlikehunting-dogs。IcannotgetM。
Schmucketosellafewpicturesunlessyoulikemewellenoughtokeepthesecret——suchasecret!——Withyourheadontheblock,youmustnotsaywherethepicturescomefrom,norwhoitwasthatsoldthem。WhenM。Ponsisoncedeadandburied,youunderstand,nobodywillknowhowmanypicturesthereoughttobe;iftherearefifty-threepicturesinsteadofsixty-seven,nobodywillbeanythewiser。Besides,ifM。
Ponssoldthemhimselfwhilehewasalive,nobodycanfindfault。“
“No,“agreedRemonencq,“itisallonetome,butM。ElieMaguswillwantreceiptsindueform。“
“Andyoushallhaveyourreceipttoo,blessyourlife!Doyousupposethat/I/shouldwritethem?——No,M。Schmuckewilldothat。ButtellyourJewthathemustkeepthesecretascloselyasyoudo,“shecontinued。
“Wewillbeasmuteasfishes。Thatisourbusiness。Imyselfcanread,butIcannotwrite,andthatiswhyIwantacapablewifethathashadeducationlikeyou。Ihavethoughtofnothingbutearningmybreadallmydays,andnowIwishIhadsomelittleRemonencqs。DoleavethatCibotofyours。“
“Why,herecomesyourJew,“saidtheportress;“wecanarrangethewholebusiness。“
ElieMaguscameeverythirddayveryearlyinthemorningtoknowwhenhecouldbuyhispictures。“Well,mydearlady,“saidhe,“howarewegettingon？”
“HasnobodybeentospeaktoyouaboutM。Ponsandhisgimcracks？”
askedLaCibot。
“Ireceivedaletterfromalawyer,“saidElieMagus,“arascalthatseemstometobetryingtoworkforhimself;Idon"tlikepeopleofthatsort,soItooknonoticeofhisletter。Threedaysafterwardshecametoseeme,andlefthiscard。ItoldmyporterthatIamneverathomewhenhecalls。“
“YouarealoveofaJew,“saidLaCibot。LittledidsheknowElieMagus"prudence。“Well,sonnies,inafewdays"timeIwillbringM。
Schmucketothepointofsellingyousevenoreightpictures,tenatmost。Butontwoconditions——Absolutesecrecyinthefirstplace。M。
Schmuckewillsendforyou,sir,isnotthatso?AndM。Remonencqsuggestedthatyoumightbeapurchaser,eh?——And,comewhatmay,I
willnotmeddleinitfornothing。Youaregivingforty-sixthousandfrancsforfourpictures,areyounot？”
“Sobeit,“groanedtheJew。
“Verygood。Thisisthesecondcondition。Youwillgiveme/forty-
three/thousandfrancs,andpaythreethousandonlytoM。Schmucke;
Remonencqwillbuyfourfortwothousandfrancs,andhandoverthesurplustome——Butatthesametime,youseemydearM。Magus,IamgoingtohelpyouandRemonencqtoasplendidbitofbusiness——onconditionthattheprofitsaresharedamongthethreeofus。Iwillintroduceyoutothatlawyer,ashe,nodoubt,willcomehere。YoushallmakeavaluationofM。Pons"thingsatthepriceswhichyoucangiveforthem,sothatM。Fraisiermayknowhowmuchthepropertyisworth。But——notuntilafteroursale,youunderstand！”
“Iunderstand,“saidtheJew,“butittakestimetolookatthethingsandvaluethem。“
“Youshallhavehalfaday。But,there,thatismyaffair。Talkitoverbetweenyourselves,myboys,andforthatmatterthebusinesswillbesettledbythedayafterto-morrow。IwillgoroundtospeaktothisFraisier;forDr。Poulaintellshimeverythingthatgoesoninthehouse,anditisagreatbothertokeepthatscarecrowquiet。“
LaCibotmetFraisierhalfwaybetweentheRuedelaPerleandtheRuedeNormandie;soimpatientwashetoknowthe“elementsofthecase“
(tousehisownexpression),thathewascomingtoseeher。
“Isay!Iwasgoingtoyou,“saidshe。
FraisiergrumbledbecauseElieMagushadrefusedtoseehim。ButLaCibotextinguishedthesparkofdistrustthatgleamedinthelawyer"seyesbyinforminghimthatElieMagushadreturnedfromajourney,andthatshewouldarrangeforaninterviewinPons"roomsandforthevaluationoftheproperty;forthedayafterto-morrowatlatest。
“Dealfranklywithme,“returnedFraisier。“ItismorethanprobablethatIshallactforM。Pons"next-of-kin。Inthatcase,Ishallbeevenbetterabletoserveyou。“
ThewordswerespokensodrilythatLaCibotquaked。Thisstarvinglimbofthelawwassuretomanoeuvreonhissideassheherselfwasdoing。Sheresolvedforthwithtohurryonthesaleofthepictures。
LaCibotwasright。ThedoctorandlawyerhadclubbedtogethertobuyanewsuitofclothesinwhichFraisiercoulddecentlypresenthimselfbeforeMme。laPresidenteCamusotdeMarville。Indeed,iftheclotheshadbeenready,theinterviewwouldhavetakenplacesooner,forthefateofthecouplehunguponitsissues。FraisierleftMme。Cibot,andwenttotryonhisnewclothes。Hefoundthemwaitingforhim,wenthome,adjustedhisnewwig,andtowardsteno"clockthatmorningsetoutinacarriagefromaliverystablefortheRuedeHanovre,hopingforanaudience。Inhiswhitetie,yellowgloves,andnewwig,redolentof/eaudePortugal/,helookedsomethinglikeapoisonousessencekeptinacut-glassbottle,seemingbutthemoredeadlybecauseeverythingaboutitisdaintilyneat,fromthestoppercoveredwithwhitekidtothelabelandthethread。Hisperemptorymanner,theeruptiononhisblotchedcountenance,thegreeneyes,andamalignantsomethingabouthim,——allthesethingsstruckthebeholderwiththesamesenseofsurpriseasstorm-cloudsinabluesky。Ifinhisprivateoffice,asheshowedhimselftoLaCibot,hewasthecommonknifethatamurderercatchesupforhiscrime,——now,atthePresidente"sdoor,hewasthedaintily-wroughtdaggerwhichawomansetsamongtheornamentsonherwhat-not。
AgreatchangehadtakenplaceintheRuedeHanovre。TheCountandCountessPopinotandtheyoungpeoplewouldnotallowthePresidentandhiswifetoleavethehousethattheyhadsettledupontheirdaughtertopayrentelsewhere。M。andMme。laPresidente,therefore,wereinstalledonthesecondfloor,nowleftatliberty,fortheelderlyladyhadmadeuphermindtoendherdaysinthecountry。
Mme。CamusottookMadeleineVivet,withhercookandherman-servant,tothesecondfloor,andwouldhavebeenasmuchpinchedformoneyasintheearlydays,ifthehousehadnotbeenrentfree,andthePresident"ssalaryincreasedtotenthousandfrancs。This/aureamediocritas/wasbutlittlesatisfactorytoMme。deMarville。Evennowshewishedformeansmoreinaccordancewithherambitions;forwhenshehandedovertheirfortunetotheirdaughter,shespoiledherhusband"sprospects。NowAmeliehadsetherheartuponseeingherhusbandintheChamberofDeputies;shewasnotoneofthosewomenwhofinditeasytogiveuptheirway;andshebynomeansdespairedofreturningherhusbandforthearrondissementinwhichMarvilleissituated。Soforthepasttwomonthsshehadteasedherfather-in-law,M。leBaronCamusot(forthenewpeerofFrancehadbeenadvancedtothatrank),anddoneherutmosttoextortanadvanceofahundredthousandfrancsoftheinheritancewhichonedaywouldbetheirs。Shewanted,shesaid,tobuyasmallestateworthabouttwothousandfrancsperannumsetlikeawedgewithintheMarvillelands。Theresheandherhusbandwouldbeneartheirchildrenandintheirownhouse,whiletheadditionwouldroundouttheMarvilleproperty。WiththatthePresidentelaidstressupontherecentsacrificeswhichsheandherhusbandhadbeencompelledtomakeinordertomarryCeciletoViscountPopinot,andaskedtheoldmanhowhecouldbarhiseldestson"swaytothehighesthonorsofthemagistracy,whensuchhonorswereonlytobehadbythosewhomadethemselvesastrongpositioninparliament。Herhusbandwouldknowhowtotakeupsuchaposition,hewouldmakehimselffearedbythoseinoffice,andsoonandsoon。
“Theydonothingforyouunlessyoutightenahalterroundtheirneckstoloosentheirtongues,“saidshe。“Theyareungrateful。WhatdotheynotowetoCamusot!CamusotbroughttheHouseofOrleanstothethronebyenforcingtheordinancesofJuly。“
M。Camusotsenioransweredthathehadgoneoutofhisdepthinrailwayspeculations。Hequiteadmittedthatitwasnecessarytocometotherescue,butputoffthedayuntilsharesshouldrise,astheywereexpectedtodo。
Thishalf-promise,extractedsomefewdaysbeforeFraisier"svisit,hadplungedthePresidenteintodepthsofaffliction。Itwasdoubtfulwhethertheex-proprietorofMarvillewaseligibleforre-electionwithoutthelandqualification。
FraisierfoundnodifficultyinobtainingspeechofMadeleineVivet;
suchvipernaturesowntheirkinshipatonce。
“IshouldliketoseeMme。laPresidenteforafewmoments,mademoiselle,“Fraisiersaidinblandaccents;“Ihavecomeonamatterofbusinesswhichtouchesherfortune;itisaquestionofalegacy,besuretomentionthat。IhavenotthehonorofbeingknowntoMme。laPresidente,somynameisofnoconsequence。Iamnotinthehabitofleavingmychambers,butIknowtherespectthatisduetoaPresident"swife,andItookthetroubleofcomingmyselftosaveallpossibledelay。“
Thematterthusbroached,whenrepeatedandamplifiedbythewaiting-
maid,naturallybroughtafavorableanswer。ItwasadecisivemomentforthedoubleambitionhiddeninFraisier"smind。Boldasapettyprovincialattorney,sharp,rough-spoken,andcurtashewas,hefeltascaptainsfeelbeforethedecisivebattleofacampaign。Ashewentintothelittledrawing-roomwhereAmeliewaswaitingforhim,hefeltaslightperspirationbreakingoutuponhisforeheadanddownhisback。Everysudorifichithertoemployedhadfailedtoproducethisresultuponaskinwhichhorriblediseaseshadleftimpervious。“EvenifIfailtomakemyfortune,“saidhetohimself,“Ishallrecover。
PoulainsaidthatifIcouldonlyperspireIshouldrecover。“
ThePresidentecameforwardinhermorninggown。
“Madame——“saidFraisier,stoppingshorttobowwiththehumilitybywhichofficialsrecognizethesuperiorrankofthepersonwhomtheyaddress。
“Takeaseat,monsieur,“saidthePresidente。Shesawataglancethatthiswasamanoflaw。
“Mme。laPresidente,ifItakethelibertyofcallingyourattentiontoamatterwhichconcernsM。lePresident,itisbecauseIamsurethatM。deMarville,occupying,ashedoes,ahighposition,wouldleavematterstotaketheirnaturalcourse,andsolosesevenoreighthundredthousandfrancs,asumwhichladies(who,inmyopinion,haveafarbetterunderstandingofprivatebusinessthanthebestofmagistrates)——asumwhichladies,Irepeat,wouldbynomeansdespise——“
“Youspokeofalegacy,“interruptedthelady,dazzledbythewealth,andanxioustohidehersurprise。AmeliedeMarville,likeanimpatientnovel-reader,wantedtheendofthestory。
“Yes,madame,alegacythatyouareliketolose;yes,tolosealtogether;butIcan,thatis,I/could/,recoveritforyou,if——“
“Speakout,monsieur。“Mme。deMarvillespokefrigidly,scanningFraisierasshespokewithasagaciouseye。
“Madame,youreminentcapacityisknowntome;IwasonceatMantes。
M。Leboeuf,PresidentoftheTribunal,isacquaintedwithM。deMarville,andcananswerinquiriesaboutme——“
ThePresidente"sshrugwassoruthlesslysignificant,thatFraisierwascompelledtomakeshortworkofhisparentheticdiscourse。
“SodistinguishedawomanwillatonceunderstandwhyIspeakofmyselfinthefirstplace。Itistheshortestwaytotheproperty。“
Tothisacuteobservationtheladyrepliedbyagesture。Fraisiertookthesignforapermissiontocontinue。
“Iwasanattorney,madame,atMantes。MyconnectionwasallthefortunethatIwaslikelytohave。ItookoverM。Levroux"spractice。
Youknewhim,nodoubt？”
ThePresidenteinclinedherhead。
“Withborrowedcapitalandsometenthousandfrancsofmyown,IwenttoMantes。IhadbeenwithDesroches,oneofthecleverestattorneysinParis,Ihadbeenhishead-clerkforsixyears。IwassounluckyastomakeanenemyoftheattorneyforthecrownatMantes,Monsieur——“
“OlivierVinet。“
“SonoftheAttorney-General,yes,madame。Hewaspayinghiscourttoalittleperson——“
“Whom？”
“Mme。Vatinelle。“
“Oh!Mme。Vatinelle。Shewasveryprettyandvery——er——whenIwasthere——“
“Shewasnotunkindtome：/indeiroe/,“Fraisiercontinued。“Iwasindustrious;Iwantedtorepaymyfriendsandtomarry;Iwantedwork;
Iwentinsearchofit;andbeforelongIhadmoreonmyhandsthananybodyelse。Bah!IhadeverysoulinMantesagainstme——attorneys,notaries,andeventhebailiffs。Theytriedtofastenaquarrelonme。
Inourruthlessprofession,asyouknow,madame,ifyouwishtoruinaman,itissoondone。Iwasconcernedforbothpartiesinacase,andtheyfounditout。Itwasatrifleirregular;butitissometimesdoneinParis,attorneysincertaincaseshandtherhubarbandtakethesenna。TheydothingsdifferentlyatMantes。IhaddoneM。Bouyonnetthislittleservicebefore;but,eggedonbyhiscolleaguesandtheattorneyforthecrown,hebetrayedme——Iamkeepingbacknothing,yousee——Therewasagreathueandcryaboutit。Iwasascoundrel;
theymademeoutblackerthanMarat;forcedmetosellout;ruinedme。
AndIaminParisnow。Ihavetriedtogettogetherapractice;butmyhealthissobad,thatIhaveonlytwoquiethoursoutofthetwenty-
four。
“AtthismomentIhavebutoneambition,andaverysmallone。Someday,“hecontinued,“youwillbethewifeoftheKeeperoftheSeals,oroftheHomeSecretary,itmaybe;butI,poorandsicklyasIam,desirenothingbutapostinwhichIcanliveinpeacefortherestofmylife,aplacewithoutanyopeninginwhichtovegetate。IshouldliketobeajusticeofthepeaceinParis。ItwouldbeameretrifleforyouandM。lePresidenttogaintheappointmentforme;forthepresentKeeperoftheSealsmustbeanxioustokeepongoodtermswithyou……
“Andthatisnotall,madame,“addedFraisier。SeeingthatMme。deMarvillewasabouttospeak,hecuthershortwithagesture。“Ihaveafriend,thedoctorinattendanceontheoldmanwhooughttoleavehispropertytoM。lePresident。(Wearecomingtothepoint,yousee。)Thedoctor"sco-operationisindispensable,andthedoctorispreciselyinmyposition：hehasabilities,heisunlucky。Ilearnedthroughhimhowfaryourinterestswereimperiled;forevenasI
speak,allmaybeover,andthewilldisinheritingM。lePresidentmayhavebeenmade。Thisdoctorwishestobehead-surgeonofahospitalorofaGovernmentschool。HemusthaveapositioninParisequaltomine……PardonmeifIhaveenlargedonamattersodelicate;butwemusthavenomisunderstandingsinthisbusiness。Thedoctoris,besides,muchrespectedandlearned;hesavedthelifeoftheComtessePopinot"sgreat-uncle,M。Pillerault。
“Now,ifyouaresogoodastopromisethesetwoposts——theappointmentofjusticeofthepeaceandthesinecureformyfriend——I
willundertaketobringyoutheproperty,/almost/intact——Almostintact,Isay,fortheco-operationofthelegateeandseveralotherpersonsisabsolutelyindispensable,andsomeobligationswillbeincurred。YouwillnotredeemyourpromisesuntilIhavefulfilledmine。“
ThePresidentehadfoldedherarms,andforthelastminuteortwosatlikeapersoncompelledtolistentoasermon。Nowsheunfoldedherarms,andlookedatFraisierasshesaid,“Monsieur,allthatyousayconcerningyourinterestshasthemeritofclearness;butmyowninterestsinthematterarebynomeanssoclear——“
“Awordortwowillexplaineverything,madame。M。lePresidentisM。
Pons"firstcousinonceremoved,andhissoleheir。M。Ponsisveryill;heisabouttomakehiswill,ifitisnotalreadymade,infavorofaGerman,afriendofhisnamedSchmucke;andhehasmorethansevenhundredthousandfrancstoleave。Ihopetohaveanaccuratevaluationmadeintwoorthreedays——“
“Ifthisisso,“saidthePresidente,“Imadeagreatmistakeinquarrelingwithhimandthrowingtheblame——“shethoughtaloud,amazedbythepossibilityofsuchasum。
“No,madame。Iftherehadbeennorupture,hewouldbeasblitheasalarkatthismoment,andmightoutliveyouandM。lePresidentandme……ThewaysofProvidencearemysterious,letusnotseektofathomthem,“headdedtopalliatetosomeextentthehideousidea。“Itcannotbehelped。Wemenofbusinesslookatthepracticalaspectsofthings。Nowyouseeclearly,madame,thatM。deMarvilleinhispublicpositionwoulddonothing,andcoulddonothing,asthingsare。Hehasbrokenoffallrelationswithhiscousin。YouseenothingnowofPons;
youhaveforbiddenhimthehouse;youhadexcellentreasons,nodoubt,fordoingasyoudid,buttheoldmanisill,andheisleavinghispropertytotheonlyfriendlefttohim。APresidentoftheCourtofAppealinPariscouldsaynothingundersuchcircumstancesifthewillwasmadeoutindueform。Butbetweenourselves,madame,whenonehasarighttoexpectsevenoreighthundredthousandfrancs——oramillion,itmaybe(howshouldIknow?)——itisveryunpleasanttohaveitslipthroughone"sfingers,especiallyifonehappenstobetheheir-at-law……But,ontheotherhand,topreventthis,oneisobligedtostooptodirtywork;worksodifficult,soticklish,bringingyoucheekbyjowlwithsuchlowpeople,servantsandsubordinates;andintosuchclosecontactwiththemtoo,thatnobarrister,noattorneyinPariscouldtakeupsuchacase。
“Whatyouwantisabrieflessbarristerlikeme,“saidhe,“amanwhoshouldhaverealandsolidability,whohaslearnedtobedevoted,andyet,beinginaprecariousposition,isbroughttemporarilytoalevelwithsuchpeople。InmyarrondissementIundertakebusinessforsmalltradespeopleandworkingfolk。Yes,madame,youseethestraitstowhichIhavebeenbroughtbytheenmityofanattorneyforthecrown,nowadeputy-publicprosecutorinParis,whocouldnotforgivememysuperiority——Iknowyou,madame,Iknowthatyourinfluencemeansasolidcertainty;andinsuchaservicerenderedtoyou,IsawtheendofmytroublesandsuccessformyfriendDr。Poulain。“
TheladysatpensiveduringamomentofunspeakabletortureforFraisier。Vinet,anoratoroftheCentre,attorney-general(/procureur-general/)forthepastsixteenyears,nominatedhalf-a-
scoreoftimesforthechancellorship,thefather,moreover,oftheattorneyforthecrownatManteswhohadbeenappointedtoapostinPariswithinthelastyear——VinetwasanenemyandarivalforthemalignantPresidente。Thehaughtyattorney-generaldidnothidehiscontemptforPresidentCamusot。ThisfactFraisierdidnotknow,andcouldnotknow。
“Haveyounothingonyourconsciencebutthefactthatyouwereconcernedforbothparties？”askedshe,lookingsteadilyatFraisier。
“Mme。laPresidentecanseeM。Leboeuf;M。Leboeufwasfavorabletome。“
“DoyoufeelsurethatM。LeboeufwillgiveM。deMarvilleandM。leComtePopinotagoodaccountofyou？”
“Iwillanswerforit,especiallynowthatM。OlivierVinethasleftMantes;forbetweenourselves,goodM。Leboeufwasafraidofthatcrabbedlittleofficial。Ifyouwillpermitme,MadameLaPresidente,IwillgotoMantesandseeM。Leboeuf。Notimewillbelost,forI
cannotbecertainoftheprecisevalueofthepropertyfortwoorthreedays。Idonotwishthatyoushouldknowalltheinsandoutsofthisaffair;yououghtnottoknowthem,Mme。laPresidente,butisnottherewardthatIexpectformycompletedevotionapledgeofmysuccess？”
“Verywell。IfM。Leboeufwillspeakinyourfavor,andifthepropertyisworthasmuchasyouthink(Idoubtitmyself),youshallhavebothappointments,/if/yousucceed,mindyou——“
“Iwillanswerforit,madame。Only,youmustbesogoodastohaveyournotaryandyourattorneyherewhenIshallneedthem;youmustgivemeapowerofattorneytoactforM。lePresident,andtellthosegentlementofollowmyinstructions,andtodonothingontheirownresponsibility。“
“Theresponsibilityrestswithyou,“thePresidenteansweredsolemnly,“soyououghttohavefullpowers——ButisM。Ponsveryill？”sheasked,smiling。
“Uponmyword,madame,hemightpullthrough,especiallywithsoconscientiousadoctorasPoulaininattendance;forthisfriendofmine,madame,issimplyanunconsciousspydirectedbymeinyourinterests。Lefttohimself,hewouldsavetheoldman"slife;butthereissomeoneelsebythesickbed,aportress,whowouldpushhimintothegraveforthirtythousandfrancs。Notthatshewouldkillhimoutright;shewillnotgivehimarsenic,sheisnotsomerciful;shewilldoworse,shewillkillhimbyinches;shewillworryhimtodeathdaybyday。Ifthepooroldmanwerekeptquietandleftinpeace;ifheweretakenintothecountryandcaredforandmademuchofbyfriends,hewouldgetwellagain;butheisharassedbyasortofMme。Evrard。Whenthewomanwasyoungshewasoneofthirty/BellesEcailleres/,famousinParis,sheisarough,greedy,gossipingwoman;
shetormentshimtomakeawillandtoleavehersomethinghandsome,andtheendofitwillbeindurationoftheliver,calculiarepossiblyformingatthismoment,andhehasnotenoughstrengthtobearanoperation。Thedoctor,noblesoul,isinahorriblepredicament。Hereallyoughttosendthewomanaway——“
“Why,then,thisvixenisamonster！”criedtheladyinthinflute-
liketones。
FraisiersmiledinwardlyatthelikenessbetweenhimselfandtheterriblePresidente;heknewallaboutthosesuavemodulationsofanaturallysharpvoice。Hethoughtofanotherpresident,theheroofananecdoterelatedbyLouisXI。,stampedbythatmonarch"sfinalpraise。
BlessedwithawifeafterthepatternofSocrates"spouse,andungiftedwiththesage"sphilosophy,hemingledsaltwiththecorninthemangersandforbadthegroomstogivewatertothehorses。AshiswiferodealongtheSeinetowardstheircountry-house,theanimalsboltedintotheriverwiththelady,andthemagistratereturnedthankstoProvidenceforriddinghimofhiswife“insonaturalamanner。“AtthispresentmomentMme。deMarvillethankedHeavenforplacingatPons"bedsideawomansolikelytogethim“decently“outoftheway。
Aloudshesaid,“Iwouldnottakeamillionatthepriceofasinglescruple——YourfriendoughttospeaktoM。Ponsandhavethewomansentaway。“
“Inthefirstplace,madame,Messrs。SchmuckeandPonsthinkthewomananangel;theywouldsendmyfriendaway。Andsecondly,thedoctorliesunderanobligationtothishorridoyster-woman;shecalledhimintoattendM。Pillerault。Whenhetellshertobeasgentleaspossiblewiththepatient,hesimplyshowsthecreaturehowtomakemattersworse。“
“Whatdoesyourfriendthinkof/my/cousin"scondition？”
Thisman"sclear,business-likewayofputtingthefactsofthecasefrightenedMme。deMarville;shefeltthathiskeengazereadthethoughtsofaheartasgreedyasLaCibot"sown。
“Insixweeksthepropertywillchangehands。“
ThePresidentedroppedhereyes。
“Poorman！”shesighed,vainlystrivingafteradolorousexpression。
“Haveyouanymessage,madame,forM。Leboeuf?IamtakingthetraintoMantes。“
“Yes。Waitamoment,andIwillwritetoaskhimtodinewithusto-morrow。Iwanttoseehim,sothathemayactinconcerttorepairtheinjusticetowhichyouhavefallenavictim。“