father goriot-第44章

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species。



〃If　his　Excellency　himself；　his　Excellency　the　Minister　。　。　。　Ah！

that　is　quite　another　thing；〃　said　Poiret。



〃You　seem　to　be　guided　by　this　gentleman's　opinion；　and　you　hear

what　he　says；〃　said　the　man　of　independent　means；　addressing

Mlle。　Michonneau。　〃Very　well；　his　Excellency　is　at　this　moment

absolutely　certain　that　the　so…called　Vautrin；　who　lodges　at　the

Maison　Vauquer；　is　a　convict　who　escaped　from　penal　servitude　at

Toulon；　where　he　is　known　by　the　nickname　Trompe…la…Mort。〃



〃Trompe…la…Mort？〃　said　Pioret。　〃Dear　me；　he　is　very　lucky　if　he

deserves　that　nickname。〃



〃Well；　yes；〃　said　the　detective。　〃They　call　him　so　because　he　has

been　so　lucky　as　not　to　lose　his　life　in　the　very　risky

businesses　that　he　has　carried　through。　He　is　a　dangerous　man；

you　see！　He　has　qualities　that　are　out　of　the　common；　the　thing

he　is　wanted　for；　in　fact；　was　a　matter　which　gained　him　no　end

of　credit　with　his　own　set〃



〃Then　is　he　a　man　of　honor？〃　asked　Poiret。



〃Yes；　according　to　his　notions。　He　agreed　to　take　another　man's

crime　upon　himselfa　forgery　committed　by　a　very　handsome　young

fellow　that　he　had　taken　a　great　fancy　to；　a　young　Italian；　a　bit

of　a　gambler；　who　has　since　gone　into　the　army；　where　his　conduct

has　been　unexceptionable。〃



〃But　if　his　Excellency　the　Minister　of　Police　is　certain　that　M。

Vautrin　is　this　Trompe…la…Mort；　why　should　he　want　me？〃　asked

Mlle。　Michonneau。



〃Oh　yes；〃　said　Poiret；　〃if　the　Minister；　as　you　have　been　so

obliging　as　to　tell　us；　really　knows　for　a　certainty〃



〃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　fra