the deputy of arcis-第79章

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〃Who　is　the　object　of　all　this　preparation？〃

〃Oh！　a　/star/；destined；　they　say；　to　European　success；　an　Italian；　discovered　by　a　Swedish　nobleman；　Comte　Halphertius；　through　the　medium　of　Madame　de　Saint…Esteve。　The　illustrious　manager　of　the　London　opera…house　is　negotiating　this　treaty　in　order　that　she　shall　make　her　first　appearance　at　his　theatre。〃

〃Well；　adieu；　my　dear　fellow；　a　pleasant　dinner；〃　said　Maxime；　preparing　to　depart。　〃If　your　star　shines　in　London；　it　will　probably　appear　in　our　firmament　next　winter。　As　for　me；　I　must　go　and　attend　to　the　sunrise　in　Arcis。　By　the　bye；　where　does　Massol　live？〃

〃Faith！　I　couldn't　tell　you　that。　I　never　myself　trust　him　with　a　case；　for　I　will　not　employ　barristers　who　dabble　in　politics。　But　you　can　get　his　address　from　the　'Gazette　des　Tribuneaux'；　he　is　one　of　their　reporters。〃

Maxime　went　to　the　office　of　that　newspaper；　but；　probably　on　account　of　creditors；　the　office　servant　had　express　orders　not　to　give　the　barrister's　address；　so　that；　in　spite　of　his　arrogant；　imperious　manner；　Monsieur　de　Trailles　obtained　no　information。　Happily；　he　bethought　him　that　he　frequently　saw　Massol　at　the　Opera；　and　he　resolved　to　seek　him　there　that　evening。　Before　going　to　dinner；　he　went　to　the　lodgings　in　the　rue　Montmartre；　where　he　had　installed　the　Romilly　peasant…woman　and　her　counsel；　whom　Madame　Beauvisage　had　already　sent　to　Paris。　He　found　them　at　dinner；　making　the　most　of　the　Beauvisage　funds；　and　he　gave　them　an　order　to　come　to　his　apartment　the　next　day　at　half…past　eleven　without　breakfasting。

In　the　evening　he　found　Massol；　as　he　expected；　at　the　opera…house。　Going　up　to　the　lawyer　with　the　slightly　insolent　manner　which　was　natural　to　him；　he　said；

〃Monsieur；　I　have　an　affair；　half　legal；　half　political；　which　I　desire　to　talk　over　with　you。　If　it　did　not　demand　a　certain　amount　of　secrecy；　I　would　go　to　your　office；　but　I　think　we　could　talk　with　more　safety　in　my　own　apartment；　where；　moreover；　I　shall　be　able　to　put　you　in　communication　with　other　persons　concerned　in　the　affair。　May　I　hope　that　to…morrow　morning；　at　eleven　o'clock；　you　will　do　me　the　favor　to　take　a　cup　of　tea　with　me？〃

If　Massol　had　had　an　office；　he　might　possibly　not　have　consented；　for　the　sake　of　his　legal　dignity；　to　reverse　the　usual　order　of　things；　but　as　he　perched　rather　than　lodged　in　any　particular　place；　he　was　glad　of　an　arrangement　which　left　his　abode；　if　he　had　any；　incognito。

〃I　shall　have　the　honor　to　be　with　you　at　the　hour　named；〃　he　replied　ceremoniously。

〃Rue　Pigalle；〃　said　Maxime；　〃No。　6。〃

〃Yes；　I　know；〃　returned　Massol；〃a　few　steps　from　the　corner　of　the　rue　de　la　Rochefoucauld。〃



VIII

SOME　OLD　ACQUAINTANCES

A　few　evenings　after　the　one　on　which　Sallenauve　and　Marie…Gaston　had　taken　Jacques　Bricheteau　to　Saint…Sulpice　to　hear　the　Signora　Luigia's　voice；　the　church　was　the　scene　of　a　curious　little　incident　that　passed　by　almost　wholly　unperceived。　A　young　man　entered　hastily　by　a　side…door；　he　seemed　agitated；　and　so　absorbed　in　some　anxiety　that　he　forgot　to　remove　his　hat。　The　beadle　caught　him　by　the　arm；　and　his　face　became　livid；　but；　turning　round；　he　saw　at　once　that　his　fears　were　causeless。

〃Is　your　hat　glued　on　your　head；　young　man？〃　said　the　beadle；　pompously。

〃Oh；　pardon　me；　monsieur；〃　he　replied；　snatching　it　off；　〃I　forgot　myself。〃

Then　he　slipped　into　the　thickest　of　the　crowd　and　disappeared。

A　few　seconds　after　the　irruption　of　this　youth　the　same　door　gave　access　to　a　man　around　whose　powerful；　seamed　face　was　the　collar　of　a　white　beard；　which；　combined　with　a　thick　shock　of　hair；　also　white　but　slightly　reddish　in　tone　and　falling　almost　to　his　shoulders；　gave　him　very　much　the　air　of　an　old　Conventional；　or　a　Bernardin　de　Saint…　Pierre　who　had　had　the　small…pox。　His　face　and　his　hair　placed　him　in　the　sixties；　but　his　robust　figure；　the　energetic　decision　of　his　movements；　and；　above　all；　the　piercing　keenness　of　the　glance　which　he　cast　about　him　on　entering　the　church；　showed　a　powerful　organization　on　which　the　passage　of　years　had　made　little　or　no　impression。　No　doubt；　he　was　in　search　of　the　young　fellow　who　had　preceded　him；　but　he　did　not　commit　the　mistake　of　entering　the　crowd；　where　he　knew　of　course　that　the　youth　had　lost　himself。　Like　a　practised　hunter；　he　saw　that　pursuit　was　useless；　and　he　was　just　about　to　leave　the　church　when；　after　a　short　organ　prelude；　the　contralto　of　the　signora　delivering　its　solemn　notes　gave　forth　that　glorious　harmony　to　which　is　sung　the　Litany　of　the　Virgin。　The　beauty　of　the　voice；　the　beauty　of　the　chant；　the　beauty　of　the　words　of　the　sacred　hymn；　which　the　fine　method　of　the　singer　brought　out　distinctly；　made　a　singular　impression　on　the　stalwart　stranger。　Instead　of　leaving　the　church；　he　put　himself　in　the　shadow　of　a　column；　against　which　he　leaned　as　he　stood；　but　as　the　last　notes　of　the　divine　canticle　died　away　among　the　arches　of　the　church；　he　knelt　on　the　pavement；　and　whoever　had　chanced　to　look　that　way　would　have　seen　two　heavy　tears　rolling　slowly　down　his　cheeks。　The　benediction　given；　and　the　crowd　dispersing；　he　rose；　wiped　his　eyes；　and；　muttering；　〃What　a　fool　I　am！〃　left　the　church。　Then　he　went　to　the　Place　Saint…Sulpice；　and；　beckoning　to　a　coach　on　the　stand；　he　said　to　the　driver；

〃Rue　de　Provence；　my　man；　quick！　there's　fat　in　it。〃

Reaching　the　house；　he　went　rapidly　up　the　stairway；　and　rang　at　the　door　of　an　apartment　on　the　first　floor。

〃Is　my　aunt　at　home？〃　he　inquired　of　the　Negro　who　opened　it。　Then　he　followed　the　man；　and　was　presently　ushered　into　a　salon　where　the　Negro　announced；

〃Monsieur　de　Saint…Esteve。〃

The　salon　which　the　famous　chief　of　the　detective　police　now　entered　was　remarkable　for　the　luxury；　but　still　more　for　the　horribly　bad　taste；　of　its　appointments。　Three　women　of　advanced　age　were　seated　round　a　card…table　earnestly　employed　in　a　game　of　dominoes。　Three　glasses　and　an　empty　silver　bowl　which　gave　forth　a　vinous　odor　showed　that　the　worship　of　double…sixes　was　not　without　its　due　libations。

〃Good　evening；　mesdames；〃　said　the　chief　of　police；　sitting　down；　〃for　I　have　something　to　say　to　each　of　you。〃

〃We'll　listen　presently；〃　said　his　aunt；　〃you　can't　interrupt　the　game。　It　won't　be　long；　I　play　for　four。〃

〃White　all　round！〃　said　one　of　the　hags。

〃Domino！〃　cried　the　Saint…Esteve。　〃I　win；　you　have　four　points　between　you　two；　and　the　whites　are　all　out。　Well；　my　dear；　what　is　it？〃　she　said；　turning　to　her　nephew；　after　a　rather　stormy　reckoning　among　the　witches　was　over。

〃You；　Madame　Fontaine；〃　said　the　chief　of　police；　addressing　one　of　the　venerable　beings；　whose　head　was　covered　with　disorderly　gray　hair　and　a　battered　green　bonnet；〃you　neglect　your　duty；　you　have　sent　me　no　report；　and；　on　the　contrary；　I　get　many　complaints　of　you。　The　prefect　has　a　great　mind　to　close　your　establishment。　I　protect　you　on　account　of　the　services　you　are　supposed　to　render　us；　but　if　you　don't　render　them；　I　warn　you；　without　claiming　any　gifts　of　prediction；　that　your　fate…shop　will　be　shut　up。〃

〃There　now！〃　replied　the　pythoness；　〃you　prevented　me　from　hiring　Mademoiselle　Lenormand's　apartment　in　the　rue　de　Tournon；　and　how　can　you　expect　me　to　make　reports　about　the　cooks　and　clerks　and　workmen　and　grisettes　who　are　all　I　get　where　I　am？　If　you　had　let　me　work　among　the　great　folks；　I'd　make　you　reports　and　plenty　of　them。〃

〃I　don't　see　how　you　can　say　that；　Madame　Fontaine；〃　said　Madame　de　Saint…Esteve。　〃I　am　sure　I　send　you　all　my　clients。　It　was　only　the　other　day；〃　continued　the　matrimonial　agent；　〃I　sent　you　that　Italian　singer；　living　with　a　deputy　who　is　against　the　government；　why　didn't　you　report　about　that？〃

〃There's　another　thing；〃　said　the　chief　of　police；　〃which　appears　in　several　of　the　complaints　that　I　received　about　you；that　nasty　animal〃

〃What；　Astaroth？〃　said　Madame　Fontaine。

〃Yes；　that　batrachian；　that　toad；　to　come　down　to　his　right　name。　It　seems　he　nearly　killed　a　woman　who　was　pregnant〃

〃Well；　well；〃　interrupted　the　sorceress；　〃if　I　am　to　tell　fortunes　alone；　you　might　as　well　guillotine　me　at　once。　Because　a　fool　of　a　woman　lay…in　wit