the brotherhood of consolation-第48章

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Monsieur　Bernard。　〃Now　that　you　have　shown　this　entire　confidence　in
trusting　me　with　your　book；　I　will　tell　you　that　your　censor　is　the
former　president；　Lecamus　de　Tresnes。〃

〃Oh；　yes！of　the　Royal　Court　of　Paris。　Take　him　the　book；　he　is　one
of　the　noblest　characters　of　the　present　day。　He　and　the　late　Popinot；
a　judge　of　the　Lower　Court；　were　both　worthy　of　the　days　of　the　old
Parliaments。　All　my　fears；　if　I　had　any；　are　dissipated。　Where　does　he
live？　I　should　like　to　go　and　thank　him　for　the　trouble　he　is　taking。〃

〃You　will　find　him　in　the　rue　Chanoinesse；　under　the　name　of　Monsieur
Joseph。　I　am　going　there　now。　Where　is　that　agreement　you　made　with
your　swindlers？〃

〃Auguste　will　give　it　to　you；〃　said　the　old　man；　re…entering　the
courtyard　of　the　hospital。

A　cab　was　now　brought　up　by　the　porter；　and　Godefroid　jumped　into　it；
promising　the　coachman　a　good　pourboire　if　he　would　get　him　to　the
rue　Chanoinesse　in　good　time；　for　he　wanted　to　dine　there。

Half　an　hour　after　Vanda's　departure；　three　men　dressed　in　black；　whom
Madame　Vauthier　let　into　the　house　by　the　door　on　the　rue　Notre…Dame
des　Champs；　filed　up　the　staircase；　accompanied　by　their　female　Judas；
and　knocked　gently　at　the　door　of　Monsieur　Bernard's　lodging。　As　it
happened　to　be　a　Thursday；　Auguste　was　at　home。　He　opened　the　door；
and　the　three　men　glided　in　like　shadows。

〃What　do　you　want；　messieurs？〃　asked　the　lad。

〃These　are　the　rooms　of　Monsieur　Bernard；that　is；　Monsieur　le　baron；
are　they　not？〃

〃Yes；　but　what　do　you　want？〃

〃You　know　very　well；　young　man；　what　we　want！　We　are　informed　that
your　grandfather　has　left　this　house　with　a　covered　litter。　That's　not
surprising；　he　had　the　right　to　do　so。　But　I　am　the　sheriff；　and　I
have　come　to　seize　everything　he　has　left。　On　Monday　he　received　a
summons　to　pay　three　thousand　francs；　with　interest　and　costs；　to
Monsieur　Metivier；　under　pain　of　arrest　for　debt　duly　notified　to　him；
and　like　an　old　stager　who　is　up　to　the　tricks　of　his　own　trade；　he
has　walked　off　just　in　time。　However；　if　we　can't　catch　him；　his
furniture　hasn't　taken　wings。　You　see　we　know　all　about　it；　young
man。〃

〃Here　are　the　stamped　papers　your　grandpapa　didn't　choose　to　take；〃
said　Madame　Vauthier；　thrusting　three　writs　into　Auguste's　hand。

〃Remain　here；　madame；〃　said　the　sheriff；　〃we　shall　make　you　legal
guardian　of　the　property。　The　law　gives　you　forty　sous　a　day；　and
that's　not　to　be　sneezed　at。〃

〃Ha！　now　I　shall　see　the　inside　of　that　fine　bedroom！〃　cried　the
Vauthier。

〃You　shall　not　go　into　my　mother's　room！〃　said　the　young　lad；　in　a
threatening　voice；　springing　between　the　door　and　the　three　men　in
black。

At　a　sign　from　the　sheriff；　two　of　the　men　seized　Auguste。

〃No　resistance；　young　man；　you　are　not　master　here；〃　said　the　sheriff。
〃We　shall　draw　up　the　proces…verbal；　and　you　will　sleep　in　jail。〃

Hearing　that　dreadful　word；　Auguste　burst　into　tears。

〃Ah；　how　fortunate；〃　he　cried；　〃that　mamma　has　gone！　It　would　have
killed　her。〃

A　conference　now　took　place　between　the　sheriff；　the　other　men；　and
Vauthier；　by　which　Auguste　discovered；　although　they　spoke　in　a　low
voice；　that　his　grandfather's　manuscripts　were　what　they　chiefly
wanted。　On　that；　he　opened　the　door　of　his　mother's　bedroom。

〃Go　in；〃　he　said；　〃but　take　care　to　do　no　injury。　You　will　be　paid
to…morrow　morning。〃

Then　he　went　off　weeping　into　the　lair；　seized　his　grandfather's
notes　and　stuck　them　into　the　stove；　in　which；　as　he　knew　very　well；
there　was　not　a　spark　of　fire。

The　thing　was　done　so　rapidly　that　the　sheriffa　sly；　keen　fellow；
worthy　of　his　clients　Barbet　and　Metivierfound　the　lad　weeping　in
his　chair　when　he　entered　the　wretched　room；　after　assuring　himself
that　the　manuscripts　were　not　in　the　antechamber。

Though　it　is　not　permissible　to　seize　books　or　manuscripts　for　debt；
the　bill　of　sale　which　Monsieur　Bernard　had　made　of　his　work　justified
this　proceeding。　It　was；　however；　easy　to　oppose　various　delays　to
this　seizure；　and　Monsieur　Bernard；　had　he　been　there；　would　not　have
failed　to　do　so。　For　that　reason　the　whole　affair　had　been　conducted
slyly。　Madame　Vauthier　had　not　attempted　to　give　the　writs　to　Monsieur
Bernard；　she　meant　to　have　flung　them　into　the　room　on　entering　behind
the　sheriff's　men；　so　to　give　the　appearance　of　their　being　in　the　old
man's　possession。

The　proces…verbal　of　the　seizure　took　an　hour　to　write　down；　the
sheriff　omitted　nothing；　and　declared　that　the　value　of　the　property
seized　was　sufficient　to　pay　the　debt。　As　soon　as　he　and　his　men　had
departed；　Auguste　took　the　writs　and　rushed　to　the　hospital　to　find
his　grandfather。　The　sheriff　having　told　him　that　Madame　Vauthier　was
now　responsible；　under　heavy　penalties；　for　the　safety　of　the
property；　he　could　leave　the　house　without　fear　of　robbery。

The　idea　of　his　grandfather　being　dragged　to　prison　for　debt　drove　the
poor　lad；　if　not　exactly　crazy；　at　any　rate　as　crazy　as　youth　becomes
under　one　of　those　dangerous　and　fatal　excitements　in　which　all　powers
ferment　at　once；　and　lead　as　often　to　evil　actions　as　to　heroic　deeds。
When　he　reached　the　rue　Basse…Saint…Pierre；　the　porter　told　him　that
he　did　not　know　what　had　become　of　the　father　of　the　lady　who　had
arrived　that　afternoon；　the　orders　of　Monsieur　Halpersohn　were　to
admit　no　one　to　see　her　for　the　next　eight　days；　under　pain　of　putting
her　life　in　danger。

This　answer　brought　Auguste's　exasperation　to　a　crisis。　He　returned　to
the　boulevard　du　Mont…Parnasse；　turning　over　in　his　mind　the　wildest
and　most　extravagant　plans　of　action。　He　reached　home　at　half…past
eight　o'clock；　half　famished；　and　so　exhausted　with　hunger　and
distress　that　he　listened　to　Madame　Vauthier　when　she　asked　him　to
share　her　supper；　which　happened　to　be　a　mutton　stew　with　potatoes。
The　poor　lad　fell　half　dead　upon　a　chair　in　that　atrocious　woman's
room。

Persuaded　by　the　wheedling　and　honeyed　words　of　the　old　vulture；　he
replied　to　a　few　questions　about　Godefroid　which　she　adroitly　put　to
him；　letting　her　discover　that　it　was　really　her　other　lodger　who　was
to　pay　his　grandfather's　debts　the　next　day；　and　also　that　it　was　to
him　they　owed　the　improvement　in　their　condition　during　the　past　week。
The　widow　listened　to　these　confidences　with　a　dubious　air；　plying
Auguste　with　several　glasses　of　wine　meantime。

About　ten　o'clock　a　cab　stopped　before　the　house；　and　Madame　Vauthier
looking　out　exclaimed：

〃Oh！　it　is　Monsieur　Godefroid。〃

Auguste　at　once　took　the　key　of　his　apartment　and　went　up　to　meet　the
protector　of　his　family；　but　he　found　Godefroid's　face　and　manner　so
changed　that　he　hesitated　to　address　him　until；　generous　lad　that　he
was；　the　thought　of　his　grandfather's　danger　came　over　him　and　gave
him　courage。



XVIII

WHO　MONSIEUR　BERNARD　WAS

The　cause　of　this　change　and　of　the　sternness　in　Godefroid's　face　was
an　event　which　had　just　taken　place　in　the　rue　Chanoinesse。　When　the
initiate　arrived　there　he　found　Madame　de　la　Chanterie　and　her　friends
assembled　in　the　salon　awaiting　dinner；　and　he　instantly　took　Monsieur
Joseph　apart　to　give　him　the　four　volumes　on　〃The　Spirit　of　Modern
Laws。〃　Monsieur　Joseph　took　the　voluminous　manuscript　to　his　room　and
returned　for　dinner；　then；　after　sharing　in　the　conversation　for　part
of　the　evening；　he　went　back　to　his　room；　intending　to　begin　the
reading　of　the　book　that　night。

Godefroid　was　much　astonished　when　Manon　came　to　him　soon　after
Monsieur　Joseph's　retirement　and　asked　if　he　would　at　once　go　up　and
speak　to　that　gentleman。　He　went　up；　conducted　by　Manon；　and　was
unable　to　pay　any　heed　to　the　apartment　（which　he　had　never　before
entered）　so　amazed　was　he　by　the　agitated　look　and　manner　of　a　man　who
was　usually　calm　and　placid。

〃Do　you　know；〃　asked　Monsieur　Joseph；　once　more　a　judge；　〃who　the
author　of　this　work　is？〃

〃He　is　Monsieur　Bernard；〃　said　Godefroid；　〃I　know　him　only　under　that
name。　I　did　not　open　the　package。〃

〃True；〃　said　Monsieur　Joseph；　as　if　to　himself；　〃I　broke　the　seals
myself。　You　have　not　tried　to　find　out　anything　about　his
antecedents？〃

〃No；　I　only　know　that　he　made　a　love…match　with　the　daughte