登陆注册
15693900000061

第61章

"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 secret--he 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 thief, always a thief. Suppose he were to take it into his head to murder us all? The deuce! We should be guilty of manslaughter, and be the first to fall victims into the bargain!"

Mlle. Michonneau's musings did not permit her to listen very closely to the remarks that fell one by one from Poiret's lips like water dripping from a leaky tap. When once this elderly babbler began to talk, he would go on like clockwork unless Mlle.

Michonneau stopped him. He started on some subject or other, and wandered on through parenthesis after parenthesis, till he came to regions as remote as possible from his premises without coming to any conclusions by the way.

By the time they reached the Maison Vauquer he had tacked together a whole string of examples and quotations more or less irrelevant to the subject in hand, which led him to give a full account of his own deposition in the case of the Sieur Ragoulleau versus Dame Morin, when he had been summoned as a witness for the defence.

As they entered the dining-room, Eugene de Rastignac was talking apart with Mlle. Taillefer; the conversation appeared to be of such thrilling interest that the pair never noticed the two older lodgers as they passed through the room. None of this was thrown away on Mlle. Michonneau.

"I knew how it would end," remarked that lady, addressing Poiret.

"They have been making eyes at each other in a heartrending way for a week past."

"Yes," he answered. "So she was found guilty."

"Who?"

"Mme. Morin."

"I am talking about Mlle. Victorine," said Mlle, Michonneau, as she entered Poiret's room with an absent air, "and you answer, 'Mme. Morin.' Who may Mme. Morin be?"

"What can Mlle. Victorine be guilty of?" demanded Poiret.

"Guilty of falling in love with M. Eugene de Rastignac and going further and further without knowing exactly where she is going, poor innocent!"

同类推荐
  • 列祖提纲录

    列祖提纲录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 佛说白衣金幢二婆罗门缘经

    佛说白衣金幢二婆罗门缘经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 皇明九边考

    皇明九边考

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 师友谈记

    师友谈记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 太极图说

    太极图说

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 最后一枚微笑

    最后一枚微笑

    喜欢一个人,会卑微到尘埃里,然后开出花来。我从来没有想过,在自己本应青涩快乐的16岁,会遇见一个叫具蓝博的恶魔。因为不停地守候,两颗真心渐渐靠拢;因为过多的骄傲,两人分隔地球的两边。如果时光可以倒流,我希望可以更好地站在你的面前,然后告诉你,我喜欢你,一直都喜欢你……
  • 武断玄天

    武断玄天

    一名少年,因为出身,和母亲被当成家族的佣人,少年隐忍,偷偷修炼,却没想道因为天赋,被追杀,母亲身亡,他发誓,一定要毁了那个腐烂的地方!
  • 天地龙腾

    天地龙腾

    奇石无罪,罪在人心。一块史前留下来的奇石,竟发出人类灭亡的警告,全新的科技,究竟会给人类带来什么?各方势力的角逐,使得少年英雄家破人亡。正在上课的教室忽现黑洞,教室外忽然闯入的黑衣人又来自何方?他们背后的组织到底为何存在?救世还是灭世?一切尚未可知......武术,科技,校园,特种兵,间谍与反间谍,斗智斗勇层出不穷......你想看的,这里可能都有!新书《天地龙腾》群号146127382,欢迎大家加群!
  • 半部神书

    半部神书

    大学毕业,就业无门。穷困潦倒,食不果腹。凭借半部神书,相面、读心、推倒、经商,无所不能!
  • 天庭寻物员

    天庭寻物员

    大学新生陈飞的手机里莫名冒出一个名叫《天庭寻物员》的软件,从此成为一名光荣的天庭打工仔。“太上老君,你丢的宝丹我找到了。什么?送两颗给我尝尝?那我就不客气啦。”“玉帝大哥,那个如来佛祖送你的佛光灵毫找着了,不过比较难拿回来,你看这个奖励是不是要加点?”“吴刚兄,不是我说你,你怎么连砍树的斧子也能丢了?”“……”随着天庭寻物员的等级越来越高,陈飞赫然发现,原来天庭竟然是这样的天庭!
  • 相思谋:妃常难娶

    相思谋:妃常难娶

    某日某王府张灯结彩,婚礼进行时,突然不知从哪冒出来一个小孩,对着新郎道:“爹爹,今天您的大婚之喜,娘亲让我来还一样东西。”说完提着手中的玉佩在新郎面前晃悠。此话一出,一府宾客哗然,然当大家看清这小孩与新郎如一个模子刻出来的面容时,顿时石化。此时某屋顶,一个绝色女子不耐烦的声音响起:“儿子,事情办完了我们走,别在那磨矶,耽误时间。”新郎一看屋顶上的女子,当下怒火攻心,扔下新娘就往女子所在的方向扑去,吼道:“女人,你给本王站住。”一场爱与被爱的追逐正式开始、、、、、、、
  • 皇帝下令:捉拿逃跑小皇后

    皇帝下令:捉拿逃跑小皇后

    她只是一个小小的乞丐,无法攀高皇后这个令人耽耽的职位。于是,她选择了逃!灵儿,我们之间就只能是猫捉老鼠的关系吗?他满脸寒峻,薄唇轻启,只是淡淡的开口道:捉!谁能理解道,这淡淡的语言中,却包裹着数不尽的苦楚与心酸。她十三岁,他十四岁。第一次的相遇,她从天而降。砸在了他的步撵之上。就在那一刻,他的心只为她而活!相伴长大,她十六岁,他十七岁。他欲封她为后,她却在当夜出逃。他满世界发疯了的寻找,终于在去九凤国都的路上与她相遇。可是此时,她的身边却是已众男相伴——楚云寒——喂!楚大哥啊,你好歹也捡了一个便宜“弟弟”,多多少少得给予一些报酬才行啊!
  • 人生与慈济:证严法师开示录

    人生与慈济:证严法师开示录

    普天之下,没有我不爱的人;普天之下,没有我不信任的人;普天之下,没有我不能原谅的人。——证严法师真善美,是人类的福音,也是你的福音。用一个什么样的姿态,活在这个世上,许多人可能都没有仔细想过吧,看看这本书。 如何活得快乐,如何活得幸福,如何活得有尊严,如何活得心安理得,上人证严法师都和你娓娓道来。这本书教你另一种生活方式:散钱得钱,散福得福,给人快乐自己快乐。
  • 玄宇劫

    玄宇劫

    新书《末世有天堂》已上传,欢迎喜欢爽文的朋友位临指导。
  • 霁月风华

    霁月风华

    他是战神将军,她是亡国公主,他冷漠无情,她呆萌调皮。他那似千年寒冰的心终被她在不知不觉中捂热。缘起缘落,相爱的两个人能突破重艰难困苦相守白头吗?