第8章
Ithasbeenthewontofsculptors,ancientandmodern,tosetatutelarygeniuswithalightedtorchuponeithersideofatomb。Thosetorchesthatlightupthepathsofdeaththrowlightfordyingeyesuponthespectacleofalife"smistakesandsins;thecarvedstonefiguresexpressgreatideas,theyaresymbolsofafactinhumanexperience。Theagonyofdeathhasitsownwisdom。Notseldomasimplegirl,scarcelymorethanachild,willgrowwisewiththeexperienceofahundredyears,willgainpropheticvision,judgeherfamily,andseeclearlythroughallpretences,atthenearapproachofDeath。
HereinliesDeath"spoetry。But,strangeandworthyofremarkitis,therearetwomannersofdeath。
Thepoetryofprophecy,thegiftofseeingclearlyintothefutureorthepast,onlybelongstothosewhosebodiesarestricken,tothosewhodiebythedestructionoftheorgansofphysicallife。Consumptivepatients,forinstance,orthosewhodieofgangrenelikeLouisXIV。,offeverlikePons,ofastomachcomplaintlikeMme。deMortsauf,orofwoundsreceivedinthefulltideoflifelikesoldiersonthebattlefield——allthesemaypossessthissupremeluciditytothefull;
theirdeathsfilluswithsurpriseandwonder。Butmany,ontheotherhand,dieof/intelligential/diseases,astheymaybecalled;ofmaladiesseatedinthebrainorinthatnervoussystemwhichactsasakindofpurveyorofthoughtfuel——andthesediewholly,bodyandspiritaredarkenedtogether。Theformerarespiritsdesertedbythebody,realizingforusourideasofthespiritsofScripture;thelatterarebodiesuntenantedbyaspirit。
Toolatethevirginnature,theepicure-Cato,therighteousmanalmostwithoutsin,wasdiscoveringthePresidente"srealcharacter——thesacofgallthatdiddutyforherheart。Heknewtheworldnowthathewasabouttoleaveit,andforthepastfewhourshehadrisengailytohispart,likeajoyousartistfindingapretextforcaricatureandlaughterineverything。Thelastlinksthatboundhimtolife,thechainsofadmiration,thestrongtiesthatbindtheartlovertoArt"smasterpieces,hadbeensnappedthatmorning。WhenPonsknewthatLaCibothadrobbedhim,hebadefarewell,likeaChristian,tothepompsandvanitiesofArt,tohiscollection,toallhisoldfriendshipswiththemakersofsomanyfairthings。OurforefatherscountedthedayofdeathasaChristianfestival,andinsomethingofthesamespiritPons"thoughtsturnedtothecomingend。InhistenderlovehetriedtoprotectSchmuckewhenheshouldbelowinthegrave。Itwasthisfather"sthoughtthatledhimtofixhischoiceupontheleadingladyoftheballet。Mlle。Brisetoutshouldhelphimtobafflesurroundingtreachery,andthosewhoinallprobabilitywouldneverforgivehisinnocentuniversallegatee。
HeloiseBrisetoutwasoneofthefewnaturesthatremaintrueinafalseposition。Shewasanopera-girloftheschoolofJosephaandJennyCadine,capableofplayinganytrickonapayingadorer;yetshewasagoodcomrade,dreadingnopoweronearth,accustomedasshewastoseetheweaksideofthestrongandtoholdherownwiththepoliceatthescarcelyidyllicBaldeMabilleandthecarnival。
“IfsheaskedformyplaceforGarangeot,shewillthinkthatsheowesmeagoodturnbysomuchthemore,“saidPonstohimself。
Thankstotheprevailingconfusionintheporter"slodge,Schmuckesucceededingettingoutofthehouse。Hereturnedwiththeutmostspeed,fearingtoleavePonstoolongalone。M。TrognonreachedthehousejustasSchmuckecamein。AlbeitCibotwasdying,hiswifecameupstairswiththenotary,broughthimintothebedroom,andwithdrew,leavingSchmuckeandPonswithM。Trognon;butsheleftthedoorajar,andwentnofurtherthanthenextroom。Providingherselfwithalittlehand-glassofcuriousworkmanship,shetookupherstationinthedoorway,sothatshecouldnotonlyhearbutseeallthatpassedatthesuprememoment。
“Sir,“saidPons,“Iaminthefullpossessionofmyfaculties,unfortunatelyforme,forIfeelthatIamabouttodie;anddoubtless,bythewillofGod,Ishallbesparednothingoftheagonyofdeath。ThisisM。Schmucke“——(thenotarybowedtoM。Schmucke)——“myonefriendonearth,“continuedPons。“Iwishtomakehimmyuniversallegatee。Now,tellmehowtowordthewill,sothatmyfriend,whoisaGermanandknowsnothingofFrenchlaw,maysucceedtomypossessionswithoutanydispute。“
“Anythingisliabletobedisputed,sir,“saidthenotary;“thatisthedrawbackofhumanjustice。Butinthematterofwills,therearewillssodraftedthattheycannotbeupset——“
“Inwhatway？”queriedPons。
“Ifawillismadeinthepresenceofanotary,andbeforewitnesseswhocanswearthatthetestatorwasinthefullpossessionofhisfaculties;andifthetestatorhasneitherwifenorchildren,norfathernormother——“
“Ihavenoneofthese;allmyaffectioniscentreduponmydearfriendSchmuckehere。“
ThetearsoverflowedSchmucke"seyes。
“Then,ifyouhavenonebutdistantrelatives,thelawleavesyoufreetodisposeofbothpersonaltyandrealestateasyouplease,solongasyoubequeaththemfornounlawfulpurpose;foryoumusthavecomeacrosscasesofwillsdisputedonaccountofthetestator"seccentricities。Awillmadeinthepresenceofanotaryisconsideredtobeauthentic;fortheperson"sidentityisestablished,thenotarycertifiesthatthetestatorwassaneatthetime,andtherecanbenopossibledisputeoverthesignature——Still,aholographwill,properlyandclearlyworded,isquiteassafe。“
“Ihavedecided,forreasonsofmyown,tomakeaholographwillatyourdictation,andtodeposititwithmyfriendhere。Isthispossible？”
“Quitepossible,“saidthenotary。“Willyouwrite?Iwillbegintodictate——“
“Schmucke,bringmemylittleBoulewriting-desk——Speaklow,sir,“headded;“wemaybeoverheard。“
“Justtellme,firstofall,whatyouintend,“demandedthenotary。
TenminuteslaterLaCibotsawthenotarylookoverthewill,whileSchmuckelightedataper(Ponswatchingherreflectionallthewhileinamirror)。Shesawtheenvelopesealed,sawPonsgiveittoSchmucke,andheardhimsaythatitmustbeputawayinasecretdrawerinhisbureau。Thenthetestatoraskedforthekey,tiedittothecornerofhishandkerchief,andslippeditunderhispillow。
Thenotaryhimself,bycourtesy,wasappointedexecutor。TohimPonsleftapictureofprice,suchathingasthelawpermitsanotarytoreceive。TrognonwentoutandcameuponMme。Cibotinthesalon。
“Well,sir,didM。Ponsrememberme？”
“Youdonotexpectanotarytobetraysecretsconfidedtohim,mydear,“returnedM。Trognon。“Icanonlytellyouthis——therewillbemanydisappointments,andsomethatareanxiousafterthemoneywillbefoiled。M。Ponshasmadeagoodandverysensiblewill,apatrioticwill,whichIhighlyapprove。“
LaCibot"scuriosity,kindledbysuchwords,reachedanunimaginablepitch。ShewentdownstairsandspentthenightatCibot"sbedside,inwardlyresolvingthatMlle。Remonencqshouldtakeherplacetowardstwoorthreeinthemorning,whenshewouldgoupandhavealookatthedocument。
Mlle。Brisetout"svisittowardshalf-pasttenthatnightseemednaturalenoughtoLaCibot;butinherterrorlesttheballet-girlshouldmentionGaudissart"sgiftofathousandfrancs,shewentupstairswithher,lavishingpolitespeechesandflatteryasifMlle。
Heloisehadbeenaqueen。
“Ah!mydear,youaremuchnicerhereonyourowngroundthanatthetheatre,“Heloiseremarked。“Iadviseyoutokeeptoyouremployment。“
Heloisewassplendidlydressed。Bixiou,herlover,hadbroughtherinhiscarriageonthewaytoaneveningpartyatMariette"s。Itsofelloutthatthefirst-floorlodger,M。Chapoulot,aretiredbraidmanufacturerfromtheRueSaint-Denis,returningfromtheAmbigu-
Comiquewithhiswifeanddaughter,wasdazzledbyavisionofsuchacostumeandsuchacharmingwomanupontheirstaircase。
“Whoisthat,Mme。Cibot？”askedMme。Chapoulot。
“Ano-better-than-she-should-be,alight-skirtsthatyoumayseehalf-
nakedanyeveningforacoupleoffrancs,“LaCibotansweredinanundertoneforMme。Chapoulot"sear。
“Victorine！”calledthebraidmanufacturer"swife,“lettheladypass,child。“
Thematron"salarmsignalwasnotlostuponHeloise。
“Yourdaughtermustbemoreinflammablethantinder,madame,ifyouareafraidthatshewillcatchfirebytouchingme,“shesaid。
M。Chapoulotwaitedonthelanding。“Sheisuncommonlyhandsomeoffthestage,“heremarked。WhereuponMme。Chapoulotpinchedhimsharplyanddrovehimindoors。
“Hereisasecond-floorlodgerthathasamindtosetupforbeingonthefourthfloor,“saidHeloiseasshecontinuedtoclimb。
“Butmademoiselleisaccustomedtogoinghigherandhigher。“
“Well,oldboy,“saidHeloise,enteringthebedroomandcatchingsightoftheoldmusician"swhite,wastedface。“Well,oldboy,sowearenotverywell?Everybodyatthetheatreisaskingafteryou;butthoughone"sheartmaybeintherightplace,everyonehashisownaffairs,youknow,andcannotfindtimetogotoseefriends。
Gaudissarttalksofcomingroundeveryday,andeverymorningthetiresomemanagementgetsholdofhim。Still,weareallofusfondofyou——“
“Mme。Cibot,“saidthepatient,“besokindastoleaveus;wewanttotalkaboutthetheatreandmypostasconductor,withthislady。
Schmucke,willyougotothedoorwithMme。Cibot？”
AtasignfromPons,SchmuckesawMme。Cibotoutatthedoor,anddrewthebolts。
“Ah,thatblackguardofaGerman!Ishespoiled,too？”LaCibotsaidtoherselfassheheardthesignificantsounds。“ThatisM。Pons"
doing;hetaughthimthosedisgustingtricks……Butyoushallpayforthis,mydears,“shethoughtasshewentdownstairs。“Pooh!ifthattight-ropedancertellshimaboutthethousandfrancs,Ishallsaythatitisafarce。
SheseatedherselfbyCibot"spillow。Cibotcomplainedofaburningsensationinthestomach。Remonencqhadcalledinandgivenhimadraughtwhilehiswifewasupstairs。
AssoonasSchmuckehaddismissedLaCibot,Ponsturnedtotheballet-
girl。
“Dearchild,Icantrustnooneelsetofindmeanotary,anhonestman,andsendhimheretomakemywillto-morrowmorningathalf-pastnineprecisely。IwanttoleaveallthatIhavetoSchmucke。Ifheispersecuted,poorGermanthatheis,Ishallreckonuponthenotary;
thenotarymustdefendhim。AndforthatreasonImusthaveawealthynotary,highlythoughtof,amanabovethetemptationstowhichpettifogginglawyersyield。Hemustsuccormypoorfriend。IcannottrustBerthier,Cardot"ssuccessor。Andyouknowsomanypeople——“
“Oh!Ihavetheverymanforyou,“Heloisebrokein;“thereisthenotarythatactsforFlorineandtheComtesseduBruel,LeopoldHannequin,avirtuousmanthatdoesnotknowwhata/lorette/is!Heisasortofchance-comefather——agoodsoulthatwillnotletyouplayducksanddrakeswithyourearnings;Icallhim/LePereauxRats/,becauseheinstilseconomicalnotionsintothemindsofallmyfriends。Inthefirstplace,mydearfellow,hehasaprivateincomeofsixtythousandfrancs;andheisanotaryoftherealoldsort,anotarywhilehewalksorsleeps;hischildrenmustbelittlenotariesandnotaresses。Heisaheavy,pedanticcreature,andthat"sthetruth;butonhisownground,heisnotthemantoflinchbeforeanypowerincreation……Nowomanevergotmoneyoutofhim;heisafossilpater-familias,hiswifeworshipshim,anddoesnotdeceivehim,althoughsheisanotary"swife——Whatmoredoyouwant?asanotaryhehasnothismatchinParis。Heisinthepatriarchalstyle;
notqueerandamusing,asCardotusedtobewithMalaga;buthewillneverdecamplikelittleWhat"s-his-namethatlivedwithAntonia。SoI
willsendroundmymanto-morrowmorningateighto"clock……Youmaysleepinpeace。AndIhope,inthefirstplace,thatyouwillgetbetter,andmakecharmingmusicforusagain;andyet,afterall,yousee,lifeisverydreary——managerschiselyou,andkingsmizzleandministersfizzleandrichfoldeconomizzle——Artistshavenothingleft/here/“(tappingherbreast)——“itisatimetodiein。Good-bye,oldboy。“
“Heloise,ofallthings,Iaskyoutokeepmycounsel。“
“Itisnotatheatreaffair,“shesaid;“itissacredforanartist。“
“Whoisyourgentleman,child？”
“M。Baudoyer,themayorofyourarrondissement,amanasstupidasthelateCrevel;CreveloncefinancedGaudissart,youknow,andafewdaysagohediedandleftmenothing,notsomuchasapotofpomatum。Thatmademesayjustnowthatthisageofoursissomethingsickening。“
“Whatdidhedieof？”
“Ofhiswife。Ifhehadstayedwithme,hewouldbelivingnow。Good-
bye,dearoldboy,Iamtalkingofgoingoff,becauseIcanseethatyouwillbewalkingabouttheboulevardsinaweekortwo,huntingupprettylittlecuriositiesagain。Youarenotill;Ineversawyoureyeslooksobright。“Andshewent,fullyconvincedthatherprotegeGarangeotwouldconducttheorchestraforgood。
Everydoorstoodajarasshewentdownstairs。Everylodger,ontip-
toe,watchedtheladyoftheballetpassonherwayout。Itwasquiteaneventinthehouse。
Fraisier,likethebulldogthatsetshisteethandneverletsgo,wasonthespot。HestoodbesideLaCibotwhenMlle。Brisetoutpassedunderthegatewayandaskedforthedoortobeopened。Knowingthatawillhadbeenmade,hehadcometoseehowthelandlay,forMaitreTrognon,notary,hadrefusedtosayasyllable——Fraisier"squestionswereasfruitlessasMme。Cibot"s。Naturallytheballet-girl"svisit/inextremis/wasnotlostuponFraisier;hevowedtohimselfthathewouldturnittogoodaccount。
“MydearMme。Cibot,“hebegan,“nowisthecriticalmomentforyou。“
“Ah,yes……mypoorCibot！”saidshe。“WhenIthinkthathewillnotlivetoenjoyanythingImayget——“
“ItisaquestionoffindingoutwhetherM。Ponshasleftyouanythingatall;whetheryournameismentionedorleftout,infact,“heinterrupted。“Irepresentthenext-of-kin,andtothemyoumustlookinanycase。Itisaholographwill,andconsequentlyveryeasytoupset——Doyouknowwhereourmanhasputit？”
“Inasecretdrawerinhisbureau,andhehasthekeyofit。Hetiedittoacornerofhishandkerchief,andputitunderhispillow。Isawitall。“
“Isthewillsealed？”
“Yes,alas！”
“Itisacriminaloffenceifyoucarryoffawillandsuppressit,butitisonlyamisdemeanortolookatit;andanyhow,whatdoesitamountto?Apeccadillo,andnobodywillseeyou。Isyourmanaheavysleeper？”
“Yes。Butwhenyoutriedtoseeallthethingsandvaluethem,heoughttohavesleptlikeatop,andyethewokeup。Still,Iwillseeaboutit。IwilltakeM。Schmucke"splaceaboutfouro"clockthismorning;andifyoucaretocome,youshallhavethewillinyourhandsfortenminutes。“
“Good。Iwillcomeupaboutfouro"clock,andIwillknockverysoftly——“
“MlleRemonencqwilltakemyplacewithCibot。Shewillknow,andopenthedoor;buttaponthewindow,soastorousenobodyinthehouse。“
“Right,“saidFraisier。“Youwillhavealight,willyounot。Acandlewilldo。“
AtmidnightpoorSchmuckesatinhiseasy-chair,watchingwithabreakingheartthatshrinkingofthefeaturesthatcomeswithdeath;
Ponslookedsowornoutwiththeday"sexertions,thatdeathseemedverynear。
PresentlyPonsspoke。“Ihavejustenoughstrength,Ithink,tolasttillto-morrownight,“hesaidphilosophically。“To-morrownightthedeathagonywillbegin;poorSchmucke!Assoonasthenotaryandyourtwofriendsaregone,goforourgoodAbbeDuplanty,thecurateofSaint-Francois。Goodman,hedoesnotknowthatIamill,andIwishtotaketheholysacramentto-morrowatnoon。“
Therewasalongpause。
“GodsowilleditthatlifehasnotbeenasIdreamed,“Ponsresumed。
“Ishouldsohavelovedwifeandchildrenandhome……Tobelovedbyaveryfewinsomecorner——thatwasmywholeambition!Lifeishardforeveryone;IhaveseenpeoplewhohadallthatIwantedsomuchandcouldnothave,andyettheywerenothappy……Thenattheendofmylife,Godputuntoldcomfortinmyway,whenHegavemesuchafriend……AndonethingIhavenottoreproachmyselfwith——thatI
havenotknownyourworthnorappreciatedyou,mygoodSchmucke……
Ihavelovedyouwithmywholeheart,withallthestrengthoflovethatisinme……Donotcry,Schmucke;Ishallsaynomoreifyoucryanditissosweettometotalkofourselvestoyou……IfI
hadlistenedtoyou,Ishouldnotbedying。Ishouldhavelefttheworldandbrokenoffmyhabits,andthenIshouldnothavebeenwoundedtodeath。Andnow,Iwanttothinkofnoonebutyouatthelast——“
“Youaremissdaken——“
“Donotcontradictme——listen,dearfriend……Youareasguilelessandsimpleasasix-year-oldchildthathasneverleftitsmother;onehonorsyouforit——itseemstomethatGodHimselfmustwatchoversuchasyou。Butmenaresowicked,thatIoughttowarnyoubeforehand……andthenyouwillloseyourgeneroustrust,yoursaint-likebeliefinothers,thebloomofapurityofsoulthatonlybelongstogeniusortoheartslikeyours……InalittlewhileyouwillseeMme。Cibot,wholeftthedoorajarandwatcheduscloselywhileM。Trognonwashere——inalittlewhileyouwillseehercomeforthewill,asshebelievesittobe……Iexpecttheworthlesscreaturewilldoherbusinessthismorningwhenshethinksyouareasleep。Now,mindwhatIsay,andcarryoutmyinstructionstotheletter……Areyoulistening？”askedthedyingman。
ButSchmuckewasovercomewithgrief,hisheartwasthrobbingpainfully,hisheadfellbackonthechair,heseemedtohavelostconsciousness。
“Yes,“heanswered,“Icanhear,butitisasifyouveredoohuntertbacesafayfromme……ItseemtomedatIamgoingtownintodergrafemityou,“saidSchmucke,crushedwithpain。
Hewentovertothebed,tookoneofPons"handsinbothhisown,andwithinhimselfputupaferventprayer。
“WhatisthatthatyouaremumblinginGerman？”
“IaskedGottdatHevouldtakeuspothtogedderstoHimself！”
Schmuckeansweredsimplywhenhehadfinishedhisprayer。
Ponsbentover——itwasagreateffort,forhewassufferingintolerablepain;buthemanagedtoreachSchmucke,andkissedhimontheforehead,pouringouthissoul,asitwere,inbenedictionuponanaturethatrecalledthelambthatliesatthefootoftheThroneofGod。
“Seehere,listen,mygoodSchmucke,youmustdoasdyingpeopletellyou——“
“Iamlisdening。“
“Thelittledoorintherecessinyourbedroomopensintothatcloset。“
“Yes,butitisblockedupmitbictures。“
“Clearthemawayatonce,withoutmakingtoomuchnoise。“
“Yes。“
“Clearapassageonbothsides,sothatyoucanpassfromyourroomintomine——Now,leavethedoorajar——WhenLaCibotcomestotakeyourplace(andsheiscapableofcominganhourearlierthanusual),youcangoawaytobedasifnothinghadhappened,andlookverytired。Trytolooksleepy。Assoonasshesettlesdownintothearmchair,gointothecloset,drawasidethemuslincurtainsovertheglassdoor,andwatchher……Doyouunderstand？”
“Ioondershtand;youbeliefdatdiepadvomanisgoingtopurndervill。“
“Idonotknowwhatshewilldo;butIamsureofthis——thatyouwillnottakeherforanangelafterwards——Andnowplayforme;improviseandmakemehappy。Itwilldivertyourthoughts;yourgloomyideaswillvanish,andformethedarkhourswillbefilledwithyourdreams……“
Schmuckesatdownatthepiano。Herehewasinhiselement;andinafewmoments,musicalinspiration,quickenedbythepainwithwhichhewasquiveringandtheconsequentirritationthatfollowedcameuponthekindlyGerman,and,afterhiswont,hewascaughtupandborneabovetheworld。Ononesublimethemeafteranotherheexecutedvariations,puttingintothemsometimesChopin"ssorrow,Chopin"sRaphael-likeperfection;sometimesthestormyDante"sgrandeurofLiszt——thetwomusicianswhomostnearlyapproachPaganini"stemperament。Whenexecutionreachesthissupremedegree,theexecutantstandsbesidethepoet,asitwere;heistothecomposerastheactoristothewriterofplays,adivinelyinspiredinterpreterofthingsdivine。Butthatnight,whenSchmuckegavePonsanearnestofdivinersymphonies,ofthatheavenlymusicforwhichSaintCecileletfallherinstruments,hewasatonceBeethovenandPaganini,creatorandinterpreter。Itwasanoutpouringofmusicinexhaustibleasthenightingale"ssong——variedandfullofdelicateundergrowthastheforestfloodedwithhertrills;sublimeastheskyoverhead。Schmuckeplayedashehadneverplayedbefore,andthesouloftheoldmusicianlisteningtohimrosetoecstasysuchasRaphaeloncepaintedinapicturewhichyoumayseeatBologna。
Aterrificringingofthedoor-bellputanendtothesevisions。Thefirst-floorlodgerssentupaservantwithamessage。WouldSchmuckepleasestoptheracketoverhead。Madame,Monsieur,andMademoiselleChapoulothadbeenwakened,andcouldnotsleepforthenoise;theycalledhisattentiontothefactthatthedaywasquitelongenoughforrehearsalsoftheatricalmusic,andaddedthatpeopleoughtnotto“strum“allnightinahouseintheMarais——Itwasthenthreeo"clockinthemorning。Athalf-pastthree,LaCibotappeared,justasPonshadpredicted。HemighthaveactuallyheardtheconferencebetweenFraisierandtheportress：“DidInotguessexactlyhowitwouldbe？”
hiseyesseemedtosayasheglancedatSchmucke,and,turningalittle,heseemedtobefastasleep。
Schmucke"sguilelesssimplicitywasanarticleofbeliefwithLaCibot(andbeitnotedthatthisfaithinsimplicityisthegreatsourceandsecretofthesuccessofallinfantinestrategy);LaCibot,therefore,couldnotsuspectSchmuckeofdeceitwhenhecametosaytoher,withafacehalfofdistress,halfofgladrelief：
“Ihafhadaderriblenight!aderribledimeofit!Ivasopligedtoplaytokeephimkviet,andthevirst-floorlodgersvaskommuptotell/me/tobekviet!……Itwasfrightful,forderlifeofmeinfriendvasatshtake。Iamsotiredmitderblayingallnight,datdismorningIamallknockedup。“
“MypoorCibotisverybad,too;onemoredaylikeyesterday,andhewillhavenostrengthleft……Onecan"thelpit;itisGod"swill。“
“Youhafaheartsohonest,asoulsopeautiful,dotgifderZipoddie,veshallliftogedder,“saidthecunningSchmucke。
Thecraftofsimple,straightforwardfolkisformidableindeed;theyareexactlylikechildren,settingtheirunsuspectedsnareswiththeperfectcraftofthesavage。
“Oh,wellgoandsleep,sonny！”returnedLaCibot。“Youreyeslooktired,theyareasbigasmyfist。Butthere!ifanythingcouldcomfortmeforlosingCibot,itwouldbethethoughtofendingmydayswithagoodmanlikeyou。Beeasy。IwillgiveMme。Chapoulotadressingdown……Tothinkofaretiredhaberdasher"swifegivingherselfsuchairs！”
Schmuckewenttohisroomandtookuphispostinthecloset。
LaCibothadleftthedoorajaronthelanding;FraisiercameinandcloseditnoiselesslyassoonasheheardSchmuckeshuthisbedroomdoor。Hehadbroughtwithhimalightedtaperandabitofveryfinewiretoopenthesealofthewill。LaCibot,meanwhile,lookingunderthepillow,foundthehandkerchiefwiththekeyofthebureauknottedtoonecorner;andthissomuchthemoreeasilybecausePonspurposelylefttheendhangingoverthebolster,andlaywithhisfacetothewall。
LaCibotwentstraighttothebureau,openeditcautiouslysoastomakeaslittlenoiseaspossible,foundthespringofthesecretdrawer,andhurriedintothesalonwiththewillinherhand。HerflightrousedPons"curiositytothehighestpitch;andasforSchmucke,hetrembledasifheweretheguiltyperson。
“Goback,“saidFraisier,whenshehandedoverthewill。“Hemaywake,andhemustfindyouthere。“
Fraisieropenedthesealwithadexteritywhichprovedthathiswasno"prenticehand,andreadthefollowingcuriousdocument,headed“MyWill,“withever-deepeningastonishment：
“OnthisfifteenthdayofApril,eighteenhundredandforty-five,I,beinginmysoundmind(asthismyWill,drawnupinconcertwithM。Trognon,willtestify),andfeelingthatImustshortlydieofthemaladyfromwhichIhavesufferedsincethebeginningofFebruarylast,amanxioustodisposeofmyproperty,andhavehereinrecordedmylastwishes：——
“Ihavealwaysbeenimpressedbytheuntowardcircumstancesthatinjuregreatpictures,andnotunfrequentlybringabouttotaldestruction。Ihavefeltsorryforthebeautifulpaintingscondemnedtotravelfromlandtoland,neverfindingsomefixedabodewhitheradmirersofgreatmasterpiecesmaytraveltoseethem。AndIhavealwaysthoughtthatthetrulydeathlessworkofagreatmasteroughttobenationalproperty;putwhereeveryoneofeverynationmayseeit,evenasthelight,God"smasterpiece,shinesforallHischildren。
“AndasIhavespentmylifeincollectingtogetherandchoosingafewpictures,someofthegreatestmasters"mostgloriouswork,andasthesepicturesareasthemasterleftthem——genuineexamples,neitherrepaintednorretouched,——ithasbeenapainfulthoughttomethatthepaintingswhichhavebeenthejoyofmylife,maybesoldbypublicauction,andgo,sometoEngland,sometoRussia,tilltheyareallscatteredabroadagainasiftheyhadneverbeengatheredtogether。FromthiswretchedfateIhavedeterminedtosaveboththemandtheframesinwhichtheyareset,allofthemtheworkofskilledcraftsmen。
“Onthesegrounds,therefore,IgiveandbequeaththepictureswhichcomposemycollectiontotheKing,forthegalleryintheLouvre,subjecttothecharge(ifthelegacyisaccepted)ofalife-annuityoftwothousandfourhundredfrancstomyfriendWilhelmSchmucke。
“IftheKing,asusufructuaryoftheLouvrecollection,shouldrefusethelegacywiththechargeuponit,thesaidpicturesshallformapartoftheestatewhichIleavetomyfriend,Schmucke,onconditionthatheshalldeliverthe/Monkey"sHead/,byGoya,tomycousin,PresidentCamusot;a/Flower-piece/,thetulips,byAbrahamMignon,toM。Trognon,notary(whomIappointasmyexecutor)：andallowMme。Cibot,whohasactedasmyhousekeeperfortenyears,thesumoftwohundredfrancsperannum。
“Finally,myfriendSchmuckeistogivethe/DescentfromtheCross/,Ruben"ssketchforhisgreatpictureatAntwerp,toadornachapelintheparishchurch,ingratefulacknowledgmentofM。
Duplanty"skindnesstome;fortohimIoweitthatIcandieasaChristianandaCatholic。“——Soranthewill。
“Thisisruin！”musedFraisier,“theruinofallmyhopes。Ha!IbegintobelieveallthatthePresidentetoldmeaboutthisoldartistandhiscunning。“
“Well？”LaCibotcamebacktosay。
“Yourgentlemanisamonster。HeisleavingeverythingtotheCrown。
Now,youcannotpleadagainsttheCrown……Thewillcannotbedisputed……Wearerobbed,ruined,spoiled,andmurdered！”
“Whathashelefttome？”
“Twohundredfrancsayear。“
“Aprettycome-down!……Why,heisafinishedscoundrel。“
“Goandsee,“saidFraisier,“andIwillputyourscoundrel"swillbackagainintheenvelope。“
WhileMme。Cibot"sbackwasturned,Fraisiernimblyslippedasheetofblankpaperintotheenvelope;thewillheputinhispocket。HenextproceededtosealtheenvelopeagainsocleverlythatheshowedthesealtoMme。Cibotwhenshereturned,andaskedherifshecouldseetheslightesttraceoftheoperation。LaCibottookuptheenvelope,feltitover,assuredherselfthatitwasnotempty,andheavedadeepsigh。ShehadentertainedhopesthatFraisierhimselfwouldhaveburnedtheunluckydocumentwhileshewasoutoftheroom。
“Well,mydearM。Fraisier,whatistobedone？”
“Oh!thatisyouraffair!Iamnotoneofthenext-of-kin,myself;butifIhadtheslightestclaimtoanyof/that/“(indicatingthecollection),“IknowverywellwhatIshoulddo。“
“ThatisjustwhatIwanttoknow,“LaCibotanswered,withsufficientsimplicity。
“Thereisafireinthegrate——“hesaid。Thenherosetogo。
“Afterall,noonewillknowaboutit,butyouandme——“beganLaCibot。
“Itcanneverbeprovedthatawillexisted,“assertedthemanoflaw。
“Andyou？”
“I?……IfM。Ponsdiesintestate,youshallhaveahundredthousandfrancs。“
“Ohyes,nodoubt,“returnedshe。“Peoplepromiseyouheapsofmoney,andwhentheycomebytheirown,andthereistalkofpayingtheyswindleyoulike——““LikeElieMagus,“shewasgoingtosay,butshestoppedherselfjustintime。
“Iamgoing,“saidFraisier;“itisnottoyourinterestthatIshouldbefoundhere;butIshallseeyouagaindownstairs。“
LaCibotshutthedoorandreturnedwiththesealedpacketinherhand。Shehadquitemadeuphermindtoburnit;butasshewenttowardsthebedroomfireplace,shefeltthegraspofahandoneacharm,andsaw——Schmuckeononehand,andPonshimselfontheother,leaningagainstthepartitionwalloneithersideofthedoor。
LaCibotcriedout,andfellfacedownwardsinafit;realorfeigned,nooneeverknewthetruth。ThissightproducedsuchanimpressiononPonsthatadeadlyfaintnesscameuponhim,andSchmuckeleftthewomanonthefloortohelpPonsbacktobed。Thefriendstrembledineverylimb;theyhadsetthemselvesahardtask,itwasdone,butithadbeentoomuchfortheirstrength。WhenPonslayinbedagain,andSchmuckehadregainedstrengthtosomeextent,heheardasoundofsobbing。LaCibot,onherknees,burstingintotears,heldoutsupplicatinghandstotheminveryexpressivepantomime。
“Itwaspurecuriosity！”shesobbed,whenshesawthatPonsandSchmuckewerepayingattentiontoherproceedings。“Purecuriosity;awoman"sfault,youknow。ButIdidnotknowhowelsetogetasightofyourwill,andIbroughtitbackagain——“
“Go！”saidSchmucke,standingerect,histallfiguregaininginheightbythefullheightofhisindignation。“Youareamonster!YoudriedtokillmeingootBons!Heisright。Youareworsethanamonster,youarealostsoul！”
LaCibotsawthelookofabhorrenceinthefrankGerman"sface;sherose,proudasTartuffe,gaveSchmuckeaglancewhichmadehimquake,andwentout,carryingoffunderherdressanexquisitelittlepictureofMetzu"spointedoutbyElieMagus。“Adiamond,“hehadcalledit。
Fraisierdownstairsintheporter"slodgewaswaitingtohearthatLaCibothadburnedtheenvelopeandthesheetofblankpaperinsideit。
Greatwashisastonishmentwhenhebeheldhisfairclient"sagitationanddismay。
“Whathashappened？”
“/This/hashappened,mydearM。Fraisier。Underpretenceofgivingmegoodadviceandtellingmewhattodo,youhavelostmemyannuityandthegentlemen"sconfidence……“
Oneoftheword-tornadoesinwhichsheexcelledwasinfullprogress,butFraisiercuthershort。
“Thisisidletalk。Thefacts,thefacts!andbequickaboutit。“
“Well;itcameaboutinthisway,“——andshetoldhimofthescenewhichshehadjustcomethrough。
“Youhavelostnothingthroughme,“wasFraisier"scomment。“Thegentlemenhadtheirdoubts,ortheywouldnothavesetthistrapforyou。Theywerelyinginwaitandspyinguponyou……Youhavenottoldmeeverything,“headded,withatiger"sglanceatthewomanbeforehim。
“/I/hideanythingfromyou！”criedshe——“afterallthatwehavedonetogether！”sheaddedwithashudder。
“Mydearmadame,/I/havedonenothingblameworthy,“returnedFraisier。EvidentlyhemeanttodenyhisnocturnalvisittoPons"
rooms。
EveryhaironLaCibot"sheadseemedtoscorchher,whileasenseoficycoldsweptoverherfromheadtofoot。
“/What?/“……shefalteredinbewilderment。
“Hereisacriminalchargeonthefaceofit……Youmaybeaccusedofsuppressingthewill,“Fraisiermadeanswerdrily。
LaCibotstarted。
“Don"tbealarmed;Iamyourlegaladviser。Ionlywishedtoshowyouhoweasyitis,inonewayoranother,todoasIonceexplainedtoyou。Letussee,now;whathaveyoudonethatthissimpleGermanshouldbehidingintheroom？”
“Nothingatall,unlessitwasthatscenetheotherdaywhenIstoodM。Ponsoutthathiseyesdazzled。Andeversince,thetwogentlemenhavebeenasdifferentascanbe。Soyouhavebroughtallmytroublesuponme;ImighthavelostmyinfluencewithM。Pons,butIwassureoftheGerman;justnowhewastalkingofmarryingmeoroftakingmewithhim——itisallone。“
TheexcusewassoplausiblethatFraisierwasfaintobesatisfiedwithit。“Youneedfearnothing,“heresumed。“Igaveyoumywordthatyoushallhaveyourmoney,andIshallkeepmyword。Thewholematter,sofar,wasupintheair,butnowitisasgoodasbank-notes……
Youshallhaveatleasttwelvehundredfrancsperannum……But,mygoodlady,youmustactintelligentlyundermyorders。“
“Yes,mydearM。Fraisier,“saidLaCibotwithcringingservility。Shewascompletelysubdued。
“Verygood。Good-bye,“andFraisierwent,takingthedangerousdocumentwithhim。Hereachedhomeingreatspirits。Thewillwasaterribleweapon。
“Now,“thoughthe,“IhaveaholdonMme。laPresidentedeMarville;
shemustkeepherwordwithme。Ifshedidnot,shewouldlosetheproperty。“
Atdaybreak,whenRemonencqhadtakendownhisshuttersandlefthissisterinchargeoftheshop,hecame,afterhiswontoflate,toinquireforhisgoodfriendCibot。TheportresswascontemplatingtheMetzu,privatelywonderinghowalittlebitofpaintedwoodcouldbeworthsuchalotofmoney。
“Aha！”saidhe,lookingoverhershoulder,“thatistheonepicturewhichM。ElieMagusregretted;withthatlittlebitofathing,hesays,hishappinesswouldbecomplete。“
“Whatwouldhegiveforit？”askedLaCibot。
“Why,ifyouwillpromisetomarrymewithinayearofwidowhood,I
willundertaketogettwentythousandfrancsforitfromElieMagus;
andunlessyoumarrymeyouwillnevergetathousandfrancsforthepicture。“
“Whynot？”
“Becauseyouwouldbeobligedtogiveareceiptforthemoney,andthenyoumighthavealawsuitwiththeheirs-at-law。Ifyouweremywife,ImyselfshouldsellthethingtoM。Magus,andinthewayofbusinessitisenoughtomakeanentryintheday-book,andIshouldnotethatM。Schmuckesoldittome。There,leavethepanelwithme……Ifyourhusbandweretodieyoumighthavealotofbotheroverit,butnoonewouldthinkitoddthatIshouldhaveapictureintheshop……Youknowmequitewell。Besides,Iwillgiveyouareceiptifyoulike。“
Thecovetousportressfeltthatshehadbeencaught;sheagreedtoaproposalwhichwastobindherfortherestofherlifetothemarine-
storedealer。
“Youareright,“saidshe,asshelockedthepictureawayinachest;
“bringmethebitofwriting。“
Remonencqbeckonedhertothedoor。
“Icansee,neighbor,thatweshallnotsaveourpoordearCibot,“hesaidloweringhisvoice。“Dr。Poulaingavehimupyesterdayevening,andsaidthathecouldnotlastouttheday……Itisagreatmisfortune。Butafterall,thiswasnottheplaceforyou……YououghttobeinafinecuriosityshopontheBoulevarddesCapucines。
DoyouknowthatIhavemadenearlyahundredthousandfrancsintenyears?Andifyouwillhaveasmuchsomeday,Iwillundertaketomakeahandsomefortuneforyou——asmywife。Youwouldbethemistress——mysistershouldwaitonyouanddotheworkofthehouse,and——“
Aheartrendingmoanfromthelittletailorcutthetemptershort;thedeathagonyhadbegun。
“Goaway,“saidLaCibot。“Youareamonstertotalkofsuchthingsandmypoormandyinglikethis——“
“Ah!itisbecauseIloveyou,“saidRemonencq;“Icouldleteverythingelsegotohaveyou——“
“Ifyoulovedme,youwouldsaynothingtomejustnow,“returnedshe。
AndRemonencqdepartedtohisshop,sureofmarryingLaCibot。
Towardsteno"clocktherewasasortofcommotioninthestreet;M。
CibotwastakingtheSacrament。Allthefriendsofthepair,alltheportersandporters"wivesintheRuedeNormandieandneighboringstreets,hadcrowdedintothelodge,underthearchway,andstoodonthepavementoutside。NobodysomuchasnoticedthearrivalofM。
LeopoldHannequinandabrotherlawyer。SchwabandBrunnerreachedPons"roomsunseenbyMme。Cibot。Thenotary,inquiringforPons,wasshownupstairsbytheportressofaneighboringhouse。Brunnerrememberedhispreviousvisittothemuseum,andwentstraightinwithhisfriendSchwab。
PonsformallyrevokedhispreviouswillandconstitutedSchmuckehisuniversallegatee。Thisaccomplished,hethankedSchwabandBrunner,andearnestlybeggedM。LeopoldHannequintoprotectSchmucke"sinterests。Thedemandsmadeuponhimbylastnight"sscenewithLaCibot,andthisfinalsettlementofhisworldlyaffairs,lefthimsofaintandexhaustedthatSchmuckebeggedSchwabtogofortheAbbeDuplanty;itwasPons"greatdesiretotaketheSacrament,andSchmuckecouldnotbringhimselftoleavehisfriend。
LaCibot,sittingatthefootofherhusband"sbed,gavenotsomuchasathoughttoSchmucke"sbreakfast——forthatmatterhadbeenforbiddentoreturn;butthemorning"sevents,thesightofPons"
heroicresignationinthedeathagony,sooppressedSchmucke"sheartthathewasnotconsciousofhunger。Towardstwoo"clock,however,asnothinghadbeenseenoftheoldGerman,LaCibotsentRemonencq"ssistertoseewhetherSchmuckewantedanything;promptednotsomuchbyinterestasbycuriosity。TheAbbeDuplantyhadjustheardtheoldmusician"sdyingconfession,andtheadministrationofthesacramentofextremeunctionwasdisturbedbyrepeatedringingofthedoor-bell。
Pons,inhisterrorofrobbery,hadmadeSchmuckepromisesolemnlytoadmitnooneintothehouse;soSchmuckedidnotstir。AgainandagainMlle。Remonencqpulledthecord,andfinallywentdownstairsinalarmtotellLaCibotthatSchmuckewouldnotopenthedoor;Fraisiermadeanoteofthis。Schmuckehadneverseenanyonedieinhislife;
beforelonghewouldbeperplexedbythemanydifficultieswhichbesetthosewhoareleftwithadeadbodyinParis,thismoreespeciallyiftheyarelonelyandhelplessandhavenoonetoactforthem。Fraisierknew,moreover,thatinrealafflictionpeoplelosetheirheads,andthereforeimmediatelyafterbreakfasthetookuphispositionintheporter"slodge,andsittingthereinperpetualcommitteewithDr。
Poulain,conceivedtheideaofdirectingallSchmucke"sactionshimself。
Toobtaintheimportantresult,thedoctorandthelawyertooktheirmeasuresonthiswise：——
ThebeadleofSaint-Francois,Cantinetbyname,atonetimearetaildealeringlassware,livedintheRued"Orleans,nextdoortoDr。
Poulainandunderthesameroof。Mme。Cantinet,whosawtothelettingofthechairsatSaint-Francois,oncehadfallenillandDr。Poulainhadattendedhergratuitously;shewas,asmightbeexpected,grateful,andoftenconfidedhertroublestohim。The“nutcrackers,“
punctualintheirattendanceatSaint-FrancoisonSundaysandsaints"-
days,wereonfriendlytermswiththebeadleandthelowestecclesiasticalrankandfile,commonlycalledinParis/lebasclerge/,towhomthedevoutusuallygivelittlepresentsfromtimetotime。Mme。CantinetthereforeknewSchmuckealmostaswellasSchmuckeknewher。AndMme。Cantinetwasafflictedwithtwosoretroubleswhichenabledthelawyertouseherasablindandinvoluntaryagent。
Cantinetjunior,astage-struckyouth,haddesertedthepathsoftheChurchandturnedhisbackontheprospectofonedaybecomingabeadle,tomakehis/debut/amongthesupernumerariesoftheCirque-
Olympique;hewasleadingawildlife,breakinghismother"sheartanddrainingherpursebyfrequentforcedloans。Cantinetsenior,muchaddictedtospirituousliquorsandidleness,had,infact,beendriventoretirefrombusinessbythosetwofailings。Sofarfromreforming,theincorrigibleoffenderhadfoundscopeinhisnewoccupationfortheindulgenceofbothcravings;hedidnothing,andhedrankwithdriversofwedding-coaches,withtheundertaker"smenatfunerals,withpoorfolkrelievedbythevicar,tillhismorning"soccupationwassetforthinrubriconhiscountenancebynoon。
Mme。Cantinetsawnoprospectbutwantinheroldage,andyetshehadbroughtherhusbandtwelvethousandfrancs,shesaid。ThetaleofherwoesrelatedforthehundredthtimesuggestedanideatoDr。Poulain。
Onceintroduceherintotheoldbachelor"squarters,anditwouldbeeasybyhermeanstoestablishMme。Sauvagethereasworkinghousekeeper。ItwasquiteimpossibletopresentMme。Sauvageherself,forthe“nutcrackers“hadgrownsuspiciousofeveryone。Schmucke"srefusaltoadmitMlle。RemonencqhadsufficientlyopenedFraisier"seyes。Still,itseemedevidentthatPonsandSchmucke,beingpioussouls,wouldtakeanyonerecommendedbytheAbbe,withblindconfidence。Mme。CantinetshouldbringMme。Sauvagewithher,andtoputinFraisier"sservantwasalmosttantamounttoinstallingFraisierhimself。
TheAbbeDuplanty,comingdownstairs,foundthegatewayblockedbytheCibots"friends,allofthembentuponshowingtheirinterestinoneoftheoldestandmostrespectableportersintheMarais。
Dr。Poulainraisedhishat,andtooktheAbbeaside。
“IamjustabouttogotopoorM。Pons,“hesaid。“Thereisstillachanceofrecovery;butitisaquestionofinducinghimtoundergoanoperation。Thecalculiareperceptibletothetouch,theyaresettingupaninflammatoryconditionwhichwillendfatally,butperhapsitisnottoolatetoremovethem。Youshouldreallyuseyourinfluencetopersuadethepatienttosubmittosurgicaltreatment;Iwillanswerforhislife,providedthatnountowardcircumstanceoccursduringtheoperation。“
“IwillreturnassoonasIhavetakenthesacredciboriumbacktothechurch,“saidtheAbbeDuplanty,“forM。Schmucke"sconditionclaimsthesupportofreligion。“
“Ihavejustheardthatheisalone,“saidDr。Poulain。“TheGerman,goodsoul,hadalittlealtercationthismorningwithMme。Cibot,whohasactedashousekeepertothembothforthepasttenyears。Theyhavequarreled(forthemomentonly,nodoubt),butunderthecircumstancestheymusthavesomeoneintohelpupstairs。Itwouldbeacharitytolookafterhim——Isay,Cantinet,“continuedthedoctor,beckoningtothebeadle,“justgoandaskyourwifeifshewillnurseM。Pons,andlookafterM。Schmucke,andtakeMme。Cibot"splaceforadayortwo……Evenwithoutthequarrel,Mme。Cibotwouldstillrequireasubstitute。Mme。Cantinetishonest,“addedthedoctor,turningtoM。Duplanty。
“Youcouldnotmakeabetterchoice,“saidthegoodpriest;“sheisintrustedwiththelettingofchairsinthechurch。“
Afewminuteslater,Dr。PoulainstoodbyPons"pillowwatchingtheprogressmadebydeath,andSchmucke"svaineffortstopersuadehisfriendtoconsenttotheoperation。ToallthepoorGerman"sdespairingentreatiesPonsonlyrepliedbyashakeoftheheadandoccasionalimpatientmovements;till,afterawhile,hesummonedupallhisfast-failingstrengthtosay,withaheartrendinglook：
“Doletmedieinpeace！”
Schmuckealmostdiedofsorrow,buthetookPons"handandsoftlykissedit,andhelditbetweenhisown,asiftryingasecondtimetogivehisownvitalitytohisfriend。
Justatthismomentthebellrang,andDr。Poulain,goingtothedoor,admittedtheAbbeDuplanty。
“Ourpoorpatientisstrugglinginthegraspofdeath,“hesaid。“Allwillbeoverinafewhours。Youwillsendapriest,nodoubt,towatchto-night。ButitistimethatMme。Cantinetcame,aswellasawomantodothework,forM。Schmuckeisquiteunfittothinkofanything：Iamafraidforhisreason;andtherearevaluablesherewhichoughttobeinthecustodyofhonestpersons。“
TheAbbeDuplanty,akindly,uprightpriest,guilelessandunsuspicious,wasstruckwiththetruthofDr。Poulain"sremarks。Hehad,moreover,acertainbeliefinthedoctorofthequarter。Soonthethresholdofthedeath-chamberhestoppedandbeckonedtoSchmucke,butSchmuckecouldnotbringhimselftoloosenthegraspofthehandthatgrewtighterandtighter。Ponsseemedtothinkthathewasslippingovertheedgeofaprecipiceandmustcatchatsomethingtosavehimself。But,asmanyknow,thedyingarehauntedbyanhallucinationthatleadsthemtosnatchatthingsaboutthem,likemeneagertosavetheirmostpreciouspossessionsfromafire。PresentlyPonsreleasedSchmucketoclutchatthebed-clothes,draggingthemandhuddlingthemabouthimselfwithahasty,covetousmovementsignificantandpainfultosee。
“Whatwillyoudo,leftalonewithyourdeadfriend？”askedM。l"AbbeDuplantywhenSchmuckecametothedoor。“YouhavenotMme。Cibotnow——“
“EinmonsterdathafkilledBons！”
“Butyoumusthavesomebodywithyou,“beganDr。Poulain。“Someonemustsitupwiththebodyto-night。“
“Ishallsitup;IshallsaydieprayerstoGott,“theinnocentGermananswered。
“Butyoumusteat——andwhoistocookforyounow？”askedthedoctor。
“Griefhaftakenafaymeinabbetite,“Schmuckesaid,simply。
“Andsomeonemustgivenoticetotheregistrar,“saidPoulain,“andlayoutthebody,andorderthefuneral;andthepersonwhositsupwiththebodyandthepriestwillwantmeals。Canyoudoallthisbyyourself?Amancannotdielikeadoginthecapitalofthecivilizedworld。“
Schmuckeopenedwideeyesofdismay。Abrieffitofmadnessseizedhim。
“ButBonsshallnottie!……“hecriedaloud。“Ishallsafehim！”
“Youcannotgowithoutsleepmuchlonger,andwhowilltakeyourplace?SomeonemustlookafterM。Pons,andgivehimdrink,andnursehim——“
“Ah!datisdrue。“
“Verywell,“saidtheAbbe,“IamthinkingofsendingyourMme。
Cantinet,agoodandhonestcreature——“
ThepracticaldetailsofthecareofthedeadbewilderedSchmucke,tillhewasfaintodiewithhisfriend。
“Heisachild,“saidthedoctor,turningtotheAbbeDuplanty。
“Einchild,“Schmuckerepeatedmechanically。
“There,then,“saidthecurate;“IwillspeaktoMme。Cantinet,andsendhertoyou。“
“Donottroubleyourself,“saidthedoctor;“Iamgoinghome,andshelivesinthenexthouse。“
ThedyingseemtostrugglewithDeathaswithaninvisibleassassin;
intheagonyatthelast,asthefinalthrustismade,theactofdyingseemstobeaconflict,ahand-to-handfightforlife。Ponshadreachedthesuprememoment。Atthesoundofhisgroansandcries,thethreestandinginthedoorwayhurriedtothebedside。Thencamethelastblow,smitingasunderthebondsbetweensoulandbody,strikingdowntolife"ssources;andsuddenlyPonsregainedforafewbriefmomentstheperfectcalmthatfollowsthestruggle。Hecametohimself,andwiththeserenityofdeathinhisfacehelookedroundalmostsmilinglyatthem。
“Ah,doctor,Ihavehadahardtimeofit;butyouwereright,Iamdoingbetter。Thankyou,mygoodAbbe;IwaswonderingwhathadbecomeofSchmucke——“
“Schmuckehashadnothingtoeatsinceyesterdayevening,andnowitisfouro"clock!YouhavenoonewithyounowanditwouldbewisetosendforMme。Cibot。“
“Sheiscapableofanything！”saidPons,withoutattemptingtoconcealallhisabhorrenceatthesoundofhername。“Itistrue,Schmuckeoughttohavesometrustworthyperson。“
“M。DuplantyandIhavebeenthinkingaboutyouboth——“
“Ah!thankyou,Ihadnotthoughtofthat。“
“——AndM。DuplantysuggeststhatyoushouldhaveMme。Cantinet——“
“Oh!Mme。Cantinetwholetsthechairs！”exclaimedPons。“Yes,sheisanexcellentcreature。“
“ShehasnolikingforMme。Cibot,“continuedthedoctor,“andshewouldtakegoodcareofM。Schmucke——“
“Sendhertome,M。Duplanty……sendherandherhusbandtoo。I
shallbeeasy。Nothingwillbestolenhere。“
SchmuckehadtakenPons"handagain,andhelditjoyouslyinhisown。
Ponswasalmostwellagain,hethought。
“Letusgo,Monsieurl"Abbe,“saidthedoctor。“IwillsendMme。
Cantinetroundatonce。Iseehowitis。SheperhapsmaynotfindM。
Ponsalive。“
WhiletheAbbeDuplantywaspersuadingPonstoengageMme。Cantinetashisnurse,Fraisierhadsentforher。Hehadpliedthebeadle"swifewithsophisticalreasoningandsubtlety。Itwasdifficulttoresisthiscorruptinginfluence。AndasforMme。Cantinet——alean,sallowwoman,withlargeteethandthinlips——herintelligence,assooftenhappenswithwomenofthepeople,hadbeenbluntedbyahardlife,tillshehadcometolookupontheslenderestdailywageasprosperity。ShesoonconsentedtotakeMme。Sauvagewithherasgeneralservant。
Mme。Sauvagehadhadherinstructionsalready。Shehadundertakentoweaveawebofironwireaboutthetwomusicians,andtowatchthemasaspiderwatchesaflycaughtinthetoils;andherrewardwastobeatobacconist"slicense。Fraisierhadfoundaconvenientopportunityofgettingridofhisso-calledfoster-mother,whilehepostedherasadetectiveandpolicemantosuperviseMme。Cantinet。Astherewasaservant"sbedroomandalittlekitchenincludedintheapartment,LaSauvagecouldsleeponatruckle-bedandcookfortheGerman。Dr。
PoulaincamewiththetwowomenjustasPonsdrewhislastbreath。
Schmuckewassittingbesidehisfriend,allunconsciousofthecrisis,holdingthehandthatslowlygrewcolderinhisgrasp。HesignedtoMme。Cantinettobesilent;butMme。Sauvage"ssoldierlyfiguresurprisedhimsomuchthathestartedinspiteofhimself,akindofhomagetowhichtheviragowasquiteaccustomed。
“M。Duplantyanswersforthislady,“whisperedMme。Cantinetbywayofintroduction。“Sheoncewascooktoabishop;sheishonestyitself;
shewilldothecooking。“
“Oh!youmaytalkoutloud,“wheezedthestalwartdame。“Thepoorgentlemanisdead……Hehasjustgone。“
AshrillcrybrokefromSchmucke。HefeltPons"coldhandstiffeninginhis,andsatstaringintohisfriend"seyes;thelookinthemwouldhavedrivenhimmad,ifMme。Sauvage,doubtlessaccustomedtoscenesofthissort,hadnotcometothebedsidewithamirrorwhichsheheldoverthelipsofthedead。Whenshesawthattherewasnomistuponthesurface,shebrisklysnatchedSchmucke"shandaway。
“Justtakeawayyourhand,sir;youmaynotbeabletodoitinalittlewhile。Youdonotknowhowthebonesharden。Acorpsegrowscoldveryquickly。Ifyoudonotlayoutabodywhileitiswarm,youhavetobreakthejointslateron……“
Andsoitwasthisterriblewomanwhoclosedthepoordeadmusician"seyes。
Withabusiness-likedexterityacquiredintenyearsofexperience,shestrippedandstraightenedthebody,laidthearmsbythesides,andcoveredthefacewiththebedclothes,exactlyasashopmanwrapsaparcel。
“Asheetwillbewantedtolayhimout——Whereisthereasheet？”shedemanded,turningontheterror-strickenSchmucke。
Hehadwatchedthereligiousritualwithitsdeepreverenceforthecreaturemadeforsuchhighdestiniesinheaven;andnowhesawhisdeadfriendtreatedsimplyasathinginthispackingprocess——sawwiththesharppainthatdissolvestheveryelementsofthought。
“Doasyouvill——“heansweredmechanically。Theinnocentcreatureforthefirsttimeinhislifehadseenamandie,andthatmanwasPons,hisonlyfriend,theonehumanbeingwhounderstoodhimandlovedhim。
“IwillgoandaskMme。Cibotwherethesheetsarekept,“saidLaSauvage。
“Atruckle-bedwillbewantedforthepersontosleepupon,“Mme。
CantinetcametotellSchmucke。
Schmuckenoddedandbrokeoutintoweeping。Mme。Cantinetlefttheunhappymaninpeace;butanhourlatershecamebacktosay：
“Haveyouanymoney,sir,topayforthethings？”
ThelookthatSchmuckegaveMme。Cantinetwouldhavedisarmedthefiercesthate;itwasthewhite,blank,peakedfaceofdeaththatheturneduponher,asanexplanationthatmeteverything。
“Dakeitallandleafmetomeinprayersandtears,“hesaid,andknelt。
Mme。SauvagewenttoFraisierwiththenewsofPons"death。FraisiertookacabandwenttothePresidente。To-morrowshemustgivehimthepowerofattorneytoenablehimtoactfortheheirs。
Anotherhourwentby,andMme。CantinetcameagaintoSchmucke。
“IhavebeentoMme。Cibot,sir,whoknowsallaboutthingshere,“shesaid。“Iaskedhertotellmewhereeverythingiskept。Butshealmostjawedmetodeathwithherabuse……Sir,dolistentome……“
Schmuckelookedupatthewoman,andshewenton,innocentofanybarbarousintention,forwomenofherclassareaccustomedtotaketheworstofmoralsufferingpassively,asamatterofcourse。
“Wemusthavelinenfortheshroud,sir,wemusthavemoneytobuyatruckle-bedforthepersontosleepupon,andsomethingsforthekitchen——plates,anddishes,andglasses,forapriestwillbecomingtopassthenighthere,andthepersonsaysthatthereisabsolutelynothinginthekitchen。“
“Andwhatismore,sir,ImusthavecoalandfiringifIamtogetthedinnerready,“echoedLaSauvage,“andnotathingcanIfind。Notthatthereisanythingsoverysurprisinginthat,asLaCibotusedtodoeverythingforyou——“
Schmuckelayatthefeetofthedead;heheardnothing,knewnothing,sawnothing。Mme。Cantinetpointedtohim。“Mydearwoman,youwouldnotbelieveme,“shesaid。“Whateveryousay,hedoesnotanswer。“
“Verywell,child,“saidLaSauvage;“nowIwillshowyouwhattodoinacaseofthiskind。“
Shelookedroundtheroomasathieflooksinsearchofpossiblehiding-placesformoney;thenshewentstraighttoPons"chest,openedthefirstdrawer,sawthebaginwhichSchmuckehadputtherestofthemoneyafterthesaleofthepictures,andhelditupbeforehim。
Henoddedmechanically。
“Hereismoney,child,“saidLaSauvage,turningtoMme。Cantinet。“I
willcountitfirstandtakeenoughtobuyeverythingwewant——wine,provisions,wax-candles,allsortsofthings,infact,forthereisnothinginthehouse……Justlookinthedrawersforasheettoburyhimin。Icertainlywastoldthatthepoorgentlemanwassimple,butIdon"tknowwhatheis;heisworse。Heislikeanew-bornchild;
weshallhavetofeedhimwithafunnel。“
Thewomenwentabouttheirwork,andSchmuckelookedonpreciselyasanidiotmighthavedone。Brokendownwithsorrow,whollyabsorbed,inahalf-catalepticstate,hecouldnottakehiseyesfromthefacethatseemedtofascinatehim,Pons"facerefinedbytheabsolutereposeofDeath。Schmuckehopedtodie;everythingwasalikeindifferent。Iftheroomhadbeenonfirehewouldnothavestirred。
“Therearetwelvehundredandfiftyfrancshere,“LaSauvagetoldhim。
Schmuckeshruggedhisshoulders。
ButwhenLaSauvagecameneartomeasurethebodybylayingthesheetoverit,beforecuttingouttheshroud,ahorriblestruggleensuedbetweenherandthepoorGerman。Schmuckewasfurious。Hebehavedlikeadogthatwatchesbyhisdeadmaster"sbody,andshowshisteethatallwhotrytotouchit。LaSauvagegrewimpatient。Shegraspedhim,sethiminthearmchair,andheldhimdownwithherculeanstrength。
“Goon,child;sewhiminhisshroud,“shesaid,turningtoMme。
Cantinet。
Assoonasthisoperationwascompleted,LaSauvagesetSchmuckebackinhisplaceatthefootofthebed。
“Doyouunderstand？”saidshe。“Thepoordeadmanlyingtheremustbedoneup,thereisnohelpforit。“
Schmuckebegantocry。Thewomenlefthimandtookpossessionofthekitchen,whithertheybroughtallthenecessariesinaveryshorttime。LaSauvagemadeoutapreliminarystatementaccountingforthreehundredandsixtyfrancs,andthenproceededtoprepareadinnerforfourpersons。Andwhatadinner!Afatgoose(thecobbler"spheasant)
bywayofasubstantialroast,anomelettewithpreserves,asalad,andtheinevitablebroth——thequantitiesoftheingredientsforthislastbeingsoexcessivethatthesoupwasmorelikeastrongmeat-
jelly。
Atnineo"clockthepriest,sentbythecuratetowatchbythedead,cameinwithCantinet,whobroughtfourtallwaxcandlesandsometapers。Inthedeath-chamberSchmuckewaslyingwithhisarmsaboutthebodyofhisfriend,holdinghiminatightclasp;nothingbuttheauthorityofreligionavailedtoseparatehimfromhisdead。Thenthepriestsettledhimselfcomfortablyintheeasy-chairandreadhisprayerswhileSchmucke,kneelingbesidethecouch,besoughtGodtoworkamiracleandunitehimtoPons,sothattheymightbeburiedinthesamegrave;andMme。CantinetwentonherwaytotheTempletobuyapalletandcompletebeddingforMme。Sauvage。Thetwelvehundredandfiftyfrancswereregardedasplunder。Ateleveno"clockMme。CantinetcameintoaskifSchmuckewouldnoteatamorsel,butwithagesturehesignifiedthathewishedtobeleftinpeace。
“Yoursupperisready,M。Pastelot,“shesaid,addressingthepriest,andtheywent。
Schmucke,leftaloneintheroom,smiledtohimselflikeamadmanfreeatlasttogratifyadesirelikethelongingofpregnancy。HeflunghimselfdownbesidePons,andyetagainheheldhisfriendinalong,closeembrace。Atmidnightthepriestcamebackandscoldedhim,andSchmuckereturnedtohisprayers。Atdaybreakthepriestwent,andatseveno"clockinthemorningthedoctorcametoseeSchmucke,andspokekindlyandtriedhardtopersuadehimtoeat,buttheGermanrefused。
“Ifyoudonoteatnowyouwillfeelveryhungrywhenyoucomeback,“
thedoctortoldhim,“foryoumustgotothemayor"sofficeandtakeawitnesswithyou,sothattheregistrarmayissueacertificateofdeath。“
“/I/mustgo！”criedSchmuckeinfrightenedtones。
“Whoelse?……Youmustgo,foryouweretheonepersonwhosawhimdie。“
“Meinlegsvillnichtcarryme,“pleadedSchmucke,imploringthedoctortocometotherescue。
“Takeacab,“thehypocriticaldoctorblandlysuggested。“Ihavegivennoticealready。Asksomeoneinthehousetogowithyou。Thetwowomenwilllookaftertheplacewhileyouareaway。“
Nooneimagineshowtherequirementsofthelawjaruponaheartfeltsorrow。Thethoughtofitisenoughtomakeoneturnfromcivilizationandchooseratherthecustomsofthesavage。Atnineo"clockthatmorningMme。Sauvagehalf-carriedSchmuckedownstairs,andfromthecabhewasobligedtobegRemonencqtocomewithhimtotheregistrarasasecondwitness。HereinParis,inthislandofoursbesottedwithEquality,theinequalityofconditionsisglaringlyapparenteverywhereandineverything。TheimmutabletendencyofthingspeepsouteveninthepracticalaspectsofDeath。Inwell-to-dofamilies,arelative,afriend,oramanofbusinesssparesthemournersthesepainfuldetails;butinthis,asinthematteroftaxation,thewholeburdenfallsheaviestupontheshouldersofthepoor。
“Ah!youhavegoodreasontoregrethim,“saidRemonencqinanswertothepoormartyr"smoan;“hewasaverygood,averyhonestman,andhehasleftafinecollectionbehindhim。Butbeingaforeigner,sir,doyouknowthatyouareliketofindyourselfinagreatpredicament——
foreverybodysaysthatM。Ponslefteverythingtoyou？”
Schmuckewasnotlistening。Hewassoundingthedarkdepthsofsorrowthatborderuponmadness。Thereissuchathingastetanusofthesoul。
“Andyouwoulddowelltofindsomeone——somemanofbusiness——toadviseyouandactforyou,“pursuedRemonencq。
“Einmannofpizness！”echoedSchmucke。
“Youwillfindthatyouwillwantsomeonetoactforyou。IfIwereyou,Ishouldtakeanexperiencedman,somebodywellknowntoyouinthequarter,amanyoucantrust……IalwaysgotoTabareaumyselfformybitsofaffairs——heisthebailiff。Ifyougivehisclerkpowertoactforyou,youneednottroubleyourselfanyfurther。“
RemonencqandLaCibot,promptedbyFraisier,hadagreedbeforehandtomakeasuggestionwhichstuckinSchmucke"smemory;fortherearetimesinourliveswhengrief,asitwere,congealsthemindbyarrestingallitsfunctions,andanychanceimpressionmadeatsuchmomentsisretainedbyafrost-boundmemory。Schmuckeheardhiscompanionwithsuchafixed,mindlessstare,thatRemonencqsaidnomore。
“Ifheisalwaystobeidioticlikethis,“thoughtRemonencq,“Imighteasilybuythewholebagoftricksupyonderforahundredthousandfrancs;ifitisreallyhis……Hereweareatthemayor"soffice,sir。“
RemonencqwasobligedtotakeSchmuckeoutofthecabandtohalf-
carryhimtotheregistrar"sdepartment,whereawedding-partywasassembled。Heretheyhadtowaitfortheirturn,for,bynoveryuncommonchance,theclerkhadfiveorsixcertificatestomakeoutthatmorning;andhereitwasappointedthatpoorSchmuckeshouldsufferexcruciatinganguish。
“MonsieurisM。Schmucke？”remarkedapersoninasuitofblack,reducingSchmucketostupefactionbythementionofhisname。Helookedupwiththesameblank,unseeingeyesthathehadturneduponRemonencq,whonowinterposed。
“Whatdoyouwantwithhim？”hesaid。“Justleavehiminpeace;youcanplainlyseethatheisintrouble。“
“Thegentlemanhasjustlosthisfriend,andproposes,nodoubt,todohonortohismemory,being,asheis,thesoleheir。Thegentleman,nodoubt,willnothaggleoverit,hewillbuyapieceofgroundoutrightforagrave。AndasM。Ponswassuchaloverofthearts,itwouldbeagreatpitynottoputMusic,Painting,andSculptureonhistomb——
threehandsomefull-lengthfigures,weeping——“
Remonencqwavedthespeakeraway,inAuvergnatfashion,butthemanrepliedwithanothergesture,whichbeinginterpretedmeans“Don"tspoilsport“;apieceofcommercialfree-masonry,asitwere,whichthedealerunderstood。