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第51章

the lesser bourgeoisie-第51章

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embarrassment when she gave her testimonyand also the total
extinction of voice that attacked her when the judge asked her age。〃

〃The robbery;〃 continued du Portail; 〃was audaciously committed in the
daytime; and no sooner did Charles Crochard get possession of the
casket than he went to the church of Saint…Sulpice; where he had an
appointment with an accomplice; who; being supplied with a passport;
was to start immediately with the diamonds for foreign parts。 It so
chanced that on entering the church; instead of meeting the man he
expected; who was a trifle late; Charles Crochard came face to face
with a celebrated agent of the detective force; who was well known to
him; inasmuch as the young rascal was not at his first scrimmage with
the police。 The absence of his accomplice; this encounter with the
detective; and; lastly; a rapid movement made by the latter; by the
merest chance; toward the door; induced the robber to fancy he was
being watched。 Losing his head under this idea; he wanted; at any
cost; to put the casket out of his possession; knowing that if
arrested; as he expected; at the door of the church; it would be a
damning proof against him。 Catching sight at that moment of
Toupillier; who was then the giver of holy water; 'My man;' said he;
making sure that no one overheard their colloquy; 'will you take care
of this little package for me? It is a box of lace。 I am going near by
to a countess who is slow to pay her bill; and if I have the lace with
me she'll want to see it; for it is a new style; and she'll ask me to
leave it with her on credit; instead of paying the bill; therefore I
don't want to take it。 But;' he added; 'be sure not to touch the paper
that wraps the box; for there's nothing harder than to do up a package
in the same folds'〃

〃The booby!〃 cried Cerizet; naively; 〃why; that very caution would
make the man want to open it。〃

〃You are an able casuist;〃 said du Portail。 〃Well; an hour later;
Charles Crochard; finding that nothing happened to him; returned to
the church to obtain his deposit; but Toupillier was no longer there。
You can imagine the anxiety with which Charles Crochard attended early
mass the next day; and approached the giver of holy water; who was
there; sure enough; attending to his functions。 But night; they say;
brings counsel; the worthy beggar audaciously declared that he had
received no package; and did not know what his interlocutor meant。〃

〃And there was no possibility of arguing with him; for that would be
exposure;〃 remarked Cerizet; who was not far from sympathizing in a
trick so boldly played。

〃No doubt;〃 resumed du Portail; 〃the robbery was already noised about;
and Toupillier; who was a very able fellow; had calculated that
Charles Crochard would not dare to publicly accuse him; for that would
reveal the theft。 In fact; on his trial Charles Crochard never said a
word of his mishap; and during the six years he spent at the galleys
(he was condemned to ten; but four were remitted) he did not open his
lips to a single soul about the treachery of which he had been a
victim。〃

〃That was pretty plucky;〃 said Cerizet; the tale excited him; and he
showed openly that he saw the matter as an artist and a connoisseur。

〃In that interval;〃 continued du Portail; 〃Madame Beaumesnil died;
leaving her daughter a few fragments of a once great fortune; and the
diamonds which the will expressly stated Lydie was to receive 'in case
they were recovered。'〃

〃Ha! ha!〃 exclaimed Cerizet; 〃bad for Toupillier; because; having to
do with a man of your calibre〃

〃Charles Crochard's first object on being liberated was vengeance on
Toupillier; and his first step was to denounce him to the police as
receiver of the stolen property。 Taken in hand by the law; Toupillier
defended himself with such singular good…humor; being able to show
that no proof whatever existed against him; that the examining judge
let him off。 He lost his place; however; as giver of holy water;
obtaining; with great difficulty; permission to beg at the door of the
church。 For my part; I was certain of his guilt; and I managed to have
the closest watch kept upon him; though I relied far more upon myself。
Being a man of means and leisure; I stuck; as you may say; to the skin
of my thief; and did; in order to unmask him; one of the cleverest
things of my career。 He was living at that time in the rue du Coeur…
Volant。 I succeeded in becoming the tenant of the room adjoining his;
and one night; through a gimlet hole I had drilled in the partition; I
saw my man take the case of diamonds from a very cleverly contrived
hiding…place。 He sat for an hour gazing at them and fondling them; he
made them sparkle in the light; he pressed them passionately to his
lips。 The man actually loved those diamonds for themselves; and had
never thought of turning them to money。〃

〃I understand;〃 said Cerizet;〃a mania like that of Cardillac; the
jeweller; which has now been dramatized。〃

〃That is just it;〃 returned du Portail; 〃the poor wretch was in love
with that casket; so that when; shortly after; I entered his room and
told him I knew all; he proposed to me to leave him the life use of
what he called the consolation of his old age; pledging himself to
make Mademoiselle de la Peyrade his sole heir; revealing to me at the
same time the existence of a hoard of gold (to which he was adding
every day); and also the possession of a house and an investment in
the Funds。〃

〃If he made that proposal in good faith;〃 said Cerizet; 〃it was a
desirable one。 The interest of the capital sunk in the diamonds was
more than returned by that from the other property。〃

〃You now see; my dear sir;〃 said du Portail; 〃that I was not mistaken
in trusting him。 All my precautions were well taken; I exacted that he
should occupy a room in the house I lived in; where I could keep a
close eye upon him。 I assisted him in making that hiding…place; the
secret of which you discovered so cleverly; but what you did not find
out was that in touching the spring that opened the iron safe you rang
a bell in my apartment; which warned me of any attempt that was made
to remove our treasure。〃

〃Poor Madame Cardinal!〃 cried Cerizet; good…humoredly; 〃how far she
was from suspecting it!〃

〃Now here's the situation;〃 resumed du Portail。 〃On account of the
interest I feel in the nephew of my old friend; and also; on account
of the relationship; this marriage seems to me extremely desirable; in
short; I unite Theodose to his cousin and her 'dot。' As it is possible
that; considering the mental state of his future wife; Theodose may
object to sharing my views; I have not thought it wise to make this
proposal directly to himself。 You have suddenly turned up upon my
path; I know already that you are clever and wily; and that knowledge
induces me to put this little matrimonial negotiation into your hands。
Now; I think; you understand the matter thoroughly; speak to him of a
fine girl; with one little drawback; but; on the other hand; a
comfortable fortune。 Do not name her to him; and come here and let me
know how the proposal has been taken。〃

〃Your confidence delights me as much as it honors me;〃 replied
Cerizet; 〃and I will justify it the best I can。〃

〃We must not expect too much;〃 said du Portail。 〃Refusal will be the
first impulse of a man who has an affair on hand elsewhere; but we
need not consider ourselves beaten。 I shall not easily give up a plan
which I know to be just; even if I push my zeal so far as to put la
Peyrade under lock and key in Clichy。 I am resolved not to take no for
his answer to a proposal of which; in the end; he cannot fail to see
the propriety。 Therefore; in any case; buy up those notes from
Monsieur Dutocq。〃

〃At par?〃 asked Cerizet。

〃Yes; at par; if you cannot do better; we are not going to haggle over
a few thousand francs; only; when this transaction is arranged;
Monsieur Dutocq must pledge us either his assistance; or; at the very
least; his neutrality。 After what you have said of the other marriage;
it is unnecessary for me to warn you that there is not a moment to
lose in putting our irons into the fire。〃

〃Two days hence I hav

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