father goriot(高老头)-第42章

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〃Certainty　is　not　the　word；　he　only　suspects。　You　will　soon　understand　how　things　are。　Jacques　Collin；　nicknamed　Trompe…la…　Mort；　is　in　the　confidence　of　every　convict　in　the　three　prisons；　he　is　their　man　of　business　and　their　banker。　He　makes　a　very　good　thing　out　of　managing　their　affairs；　which　want　a　MAN　OF　MARK　to　see　about　them。〃

〃Ha！　ha！　do　you　see　the　pun；　mademoiselle？〃　asked　Poiret。　〃This　gentleman　calls　himself　a　MAN　OF　MARK　because　he　is　a　MARKED　MAN　branded；　you　know。〃

〃This　so…called　Vautrin；〃　said　the　detective；　〃receives　the　money　belonging　to　my　lords　the　convicts；　invests　it　for　them；　and　holds　it　at　the　disposal　of　those　who　escape；　or　hands　it　over　to　their　families　if　they　leave　a　will；　or　to　their　mistresses　when　they　draw　upon　him　for　their　benefit。〃

〃Their　mistresses！　You　mean　their　wives；〃　remarked　Poiret。

〃No；　sir。　A　convict's　wife　is　usually　an　illegitimate　connection。　We　call　them　concubines。〃

〃Then　they　all　live　in　a　state　of　concubinage？〃

〃Naturally。〃

〃Why；　these　are　abominations　that　his　Excellency　ought　not　to　allow。　Since　you　have　the　honor　of　seeing　his　Excellency；　you；　who　seem　to　have　philanthropic　ideas；　ought　really　to　enlighten　him　as　to　their　immoral　conductthey　are　setting　a　shocking　example　to　the　rest　of　society。〃

〃But　the　Government　does　not　hold　them　up　as　models　of　all　the　virtues；　my　dear　sir〃

〃Of　course　not；　sir；　but　still〃

〃Just　let　the　gentleman　say　what　he　has　to　say；　dearie；〃　said　Mlle。　Michonneau。

〃You　see　how　it　is；　mademoiselle；〃　Gondureau　continued。　〃The　Government　may　have　the　strongest　reasons　for　getting　this　illicit　hoard　into　its　hands；　it　mounts　up　to　something　considerable；　by　all　that　we　can　make　out。　Trompe…la…Mort　not　only　holds　large　sums　for　his　friends　the　convicts；　but　he　has　other　amounts　which　are　paid　over　to　him　by　the　Society　of　the　Ten　Thousand〃

〃Ten　Thousand　Thieves！〃　cried　Pioret　in　alarm。

〃No。　The　Society　of　the　Ten　Thousand　is　not　an　association　of　petty　offenders；　but　of　people　who　set　about　their　work　on　a　large　scalethey　won't　touch　a　matter　unless　there　are　ten　thousand　francs　in　it。　It　is　composed　of　the　most　distinguished　of　the　men　who　are　sent　straight　to　the　Assize　Courts　when　they　come　up　for　trial。　They　know　the　Code　too　well　to　risk　their　necks　when　they　are　nabbed。　Collin　is　their　confidential　agent　and　legal　adviser。　By　means　of　the　large　sums　of　money　at　his　disposal　he　has　established　a　sort　of　detective　system　of　his　own；　it　is　widespread　and　mysterious　in　its　workings。　We　have　had　spies　all　about　him　for　a　twelvemonth；　and　yet　we　could　not　manage　to　fathom　his　games。　His　capital　and　his　cleverness　are　at　the　service　of　vice　and　crime；　this　money　furnishes　the　necessary　funds　for　a　regular　army　of　blackguards　in　his　pay　who　wage　incessant　war　against　society。　If　we　can　catch　Trompe…la…Mort；　and　take　possession　of　his　funds；　we　should　strike　at　the　root　of　this　evil。　So　this　job　is　a　kind　of　Government　affaira　State　secretand　likely　to　redound　to　the　honor　of　those　who　bring　the　thing　to　a　successful　conclusion。　You；　sir；　for　instance；　might　very　well　be　taken　into　a　Government　department　again；　they　might　make　you　secretary　to　a　Commissary　of　Police；　you　could　accept　that　post　without　prejudice　to　your　retiring　pension。〃

Mlle。　Michonneau　interposed　at　this　point　with；　〃What　is　there　to　hinder　Trompe…la…Mort　from　making　off　with　the　money？〃

〃Oh！〃　said　the　detective；　〃a　man　is　told　off　to　follow　him　everywhere　he　goes；　with　orders　to　kill　him　if　he　were　to　rob　the　convicts。　Then　it　is　not　quite　as　easy　to　make　off　with　a　lot　of　money　as　it　is　to　run　away　with　a　young　lady　of　family。　Besides；　Collin　is　not　the　sort　of　fellow　to　play　such　a　trick；　he　would　be　disgraced；　according　to　his　notions。〃

〃You　are　quite　right；　sir；〃　said　Poiret；　〃utterly　disgraced　he　would　be。〃

〃But　none　of　all　this　explains　why　you　do　not　come　and　take　him　without　more　ado；〃　remarked　Mlle。　Michonneau。

〃Very　well；　mademoiselle；　I　will　explainbut；〃　he　added　in　her　ear；　〃keep　your　companion　quiet；　or　I　shall　never　have　done。　The　old　boy　ought　to　pay　people　handsomely　for　listening　to　him。　Trompe…la…Mort；　when　he　came　back　here；〃　he　went　on　aloud　〃slipped　into　the　skin　of　an　honest　man；　he　turned　up　disguised　as　a　decent　Parisian　citizen；　and　took　up　his　quarters　in　an　unpretending　lodging…house。　He　is　cunning；　that　he　is！　You　don't　catch　him　napping。　Then　M。　Vautrin　is　a　man　of　consequence；　who　transacts　a　good　deal　of　business。〃

〃Naturally；〃　said　Poiret　to　himself。

〃And　suppose　that　the　Minister　were　to　make　a　mistake　and　get　hold　of　the　real　Vautrin；　he　would　put　every　one's　back　up　among　the　business　men　in　Paris；　and　public　opinion　would　be　against　him。　M。　le　Prefet　de　Police　is　on　slippery　ground；　he　has　enemies。　They　would　take　advantage　of　any　mistake。　There　would　be　a　fine　outcry　and　fuss　made　by　the　Opposition；　and　he　would　be　sent　packing。　We　must　set　about　this　just　as　we　did　about　the　Coignard　affair；　the　sham　Comte　de　Sainte…Helene；　if　he　had　been　the　real　Comte　de　Sainte…Helene；　we　should　have　been　in　the　wrong　box。　We　want　to　be　quite　sure　what　we　are　about。〃

〃Yes；　but　what　you　want　is　a　pretty　woman；〃　said　Mlle。　Michonneau　briskly。

〃Trompe…la…Mort　would　not　let　a　woman　come　near　him；〃　said　the　detective。　〃I　will　tell　you　a　secrethe　does　not　like　them。〃

〃Still；　I　do　not　see　what　I　can　do；　supposing　that　I　did　agree　to　identify　him　for　two　thousand　francs。〃

〃Nothing　simpler；〃　said　the　stranger。　〃I　will　send　you　a　little　bottle　containing　a　dose　that　will　send　a　rush　of　blood　to　the　head；　it　will　do　him　no　harm　whatever；　but　he　will　fall　down　as　if　he　were　in　a　fit。　The　drug　can　be　put　into　wine　or　coffee；　either　will　do　equally　well。　You　carry　your　man　to　bed　at　once；　and　undress　him　to　see　that　he　is　not　dying。　As　soon　as　you　are　alone；　you　give　him　a　slap　on　the　shoulder；　and　PRESTO！　the　letters　will　appear。〃

〃Why；　that　is　just　nothing　at　all；〃　said　Poiret。

〃Well；　do　you　agree？〃　said　Gondureau；　addressing　the　old　maid。

〃But；　my　dear　sir；　suppose　there　are　no　letters　at　all；〃　said　Mlle。　Michonneau；　〃am　I　to　have　the　two　thousand　francs　all　the　same？〃

〃No。〃

〃What　will　you　give　me　then？〃

〃Five　hundred　francs。〃

〃It　is　such　a　thing　to　do　for　so　little！　It　lies　on　your　conscience　just　the　same；　and　I　must　quiet　my　conscience；　sir。〃

〃I　assure　you；〃　said　Poiret；　〃that　mademoiselle　has　a　great　deal　of　conscience；　and　not　only　so；　she　is　a　very　amiable　person；　and　very　intelligent。〃

〃Well；　now；〃　Mlle。　Michonneau　went　on；　〃make　it　three　thousand　francs　if　he　is　Trompe…la…Mort；　and　nothing　at　all　if　he　is　an　ordinary　man。〃

〃Done！〃　said　Gondureau；　〃but　on　the　condition　that　the　thing　is　settled　to…morrow。〃

〃Not　quite　so　soon；　my　dear　sir；　I　must　consult　my　confessor　first。〃

〃You　are　a　sly　one；〃　said　the　detective　as　he　rose　to　his　feet。　〃Good…bye　till　to…morrow；　then。　And　if　you　should　want　to　see　me　in　a　hurry；　go　to　the　Petite　Rue　Saint…Anne　at　the　bottom　of　the　Cour　de　la　Sainte…Chapelle。　There　is　one　door　under　the　archway。　Ask　there　for　M。　Gondureau。〃

Bianchon；　on　his　way　back　from　Cuvier's　lecture；　overheard　the　sufficiently　striking　nickname　of　Trompe…la…Mort；　and　caught　the　celebrated　chief　detective's　〃Done！〃

〃Why　didn't　you　close　with　him？　It　would　be　three　hundred　francs　a　year；〃　said　Poiret　to　Mlle。　Michonneau。

〃Why　didn't　I？〃　she　asked。　〃Why；　it　wants　thinking　over。　Suppose　that　M。　Vautrin　is　this　Trompe…la…Mort；　perhaps　we　might　do　better　for　ourselves　with　him。　Still；　on　the　other　hand；　if　you　ask　him　for　money；　it　would　put　him　on　his　guard；　and　he　is　just　the　man　to　clear　out　without　paying；　and　that　would　be　an　abominable　sell。〃

〃And　suppose　you　did　warn　him；〃　Poiret　went　on；　〃didn't　that　gentleman　say　that　he　was　closely　watched？　You　would　spoil　everything。〃

〃Anyhow；〃　thought　Mlle。　Michonneau；　〃I　can't　abide　him。　He　says　nothing　but　disagreeable　things　to　me。〃

〃But　you　can　do　better　than　that；〃　Poiret　resumed。　〃As　that　gentleman　said　（and　he　seemed　to　me　to　be　a　very　good　sort　of　man；　besides　being　very　well　got　up）；　it　is　an　act　of　obedience　to　the　laws　to　rid　society　of　a　criminal；　however　virtuous　he　may　be。　Once　a　thie