the lesser bourgeoisie-第40节

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four　uncles；　who　all　led　an　existence　of　the　baser　sort。

After　inspecting　the　sick　man；　she　went；　at　full　speed；　to　consult
Cerizet；　telling　him；　in　the　first　place；　how　she　had　found　her
daughter；　and　then　the　reasons　and　indications　which　made　her　think
that　her　uncle　Toupillier　was　hoarding　a　pile　of　gold　in　his　mattress。
Mere　Cardinal　did　not　feel　herself　strong　enough　to　seize　upon　the
property；　legally　or　illegally；　and　she　therefore　came　to　confide　in
Cerizet　and　get　his　advice。

So；　then；　the　banker　of　the　poor；　like　other　scavengers；　had；　at　last；
found　diamonds　in　the　slime　in　which　he　had　paddled　for　the　last　four
years；　being　always　on　the　watch　for　some　such　chance；a　chance；　they
say；　occasionally　met　with　in　the　purlieus；　which　give　birth　to
heiresses　in　sabots。　This　was　the　secret　of　his　unexpected　gentleness
to　la　Peyrade；　the　man　whose　ruin　he　had　vowed。　It　is　easy　to　imagine
the　anxiety　with　which　he　awaited　the　return　of　Madame　Cardinal；　to
whom　this　wily　schemer　of　nefarious　plots　had　given　means　to　verify
her　suspicions　as　to　the　existence　of　the　hoarded　treasure；　promising
her　complete　success　if　she　would　trust　him　to　obtain　for　her　so　rich
a　harvest。　He　was　not　the　man　to　shrink　from　a　crime；　above　all；　when
he　saw　that　others　could　commit　it；　while　he　obtained　the　benefits。

〃Well；　monsieur；〃　cried　the　fishwife；　entering　Cerizet's　den　with　a
face　as　much　inflamed　by　cupidity　as　by　the　haste　of　her　movements；
〃my　uncle　sleeps　on　more　than　a　hundred　thousand　francs　in　gold；　and　I
am　certain　that　those　Perraches；　by　dint　of　nursing　him；　have　smelt
the　rat。〃

〃Shared　among　forty　heirs　that　won't　be　much　to　each；〃　said　Cerizet。
〃Listen　to　me；　Mere　Cardinal：　I'll　marry　your　daughter；　give　her　your
uncle's　gold；　and　I'll　guarantee　to　you　a　life…interest　in　the　house
and　the　dividends　from　the　money　in　the　Funds。〃

〃We　sha'n't　run　any　risk？〃

〃None；　whatever。〃

〃Agreed；　then；〃　said　the　widow　Cardinal；　holding　out　her　hand　to　her
future　son…in…law。　〃Six　thousand　francs　a　year；　hey！　what　a　fine　life
I'll　have。〃

〃With　a　son…in…law　like　me！〃　added　Cerizet。

〃I　shall　be　a　bourgeoisie　of　Paris！〃

〃Now；〃　resumed　Cerizet；　after　a　pause；　〃I　must　study　the　ground。　Don't
leave　your　uncle　alone　a　minute；　tell　the　Perraches　that　you　expect　a
doctor。　I'll　be　the　doctor；　and　when　I　get　there　you　must　seem　not　to
know　me。〃

〃Aren't　you　sly；　you　old　rogue；〃　said　Madame　Cardinal；　with　a　punch　on
Cerizet's　stomach　by　way　of　farewell。

An　hour　later；　Cerizet；　dressed　in　black；　disguised　by　a　rusty　wig　and
an　artificially　painted　physiognomy；　arrived　at　the　house　in　the　rue
Honore…Chevalier　in　the　regulation　cabriolet。　He　asked　the　porter　to
tell　him　how　to　find　the　lodging　of　an　old　beggar　named　Toupillier。

〃Is　monsieur　the　doctor　whom　Madame　Cardinal　expects？〃　asked　Perrache。

Cerizet　had　no　doubt　reflected　on　the　gravity　of　the　affair　he　was
undertaking；　for　he　avoided　giving　an　answer　to　that　question。

〃Is　this　the　way？〃　he　said；　turning　at　random　to　one　side　of　the
courtyard。

〃No；　monsieur；〃　replied　Perrache；　who　then　took　him　to　the　back　stairs
of　the　house；　which　led　up　to　the　wretched　attic　occupied　by　the
pauper。

Nothing　remained　for　the　inquisitive　porter　to　do　but　to　question　the
driver　of　the　cabriolet；　to　which　employment　we　will　leave　him；　while
we　pursue　our　own　inquiries　elsewhere。



CHAPTER　XV

THE　DIFFICULTIES　THAT　CROP　UP　IN　THE　EASIEST　OF　THEFTS

The　house　in　which　Toupillier　lived　is　one　of　those　which　have　lost
half　their　depth；　owing　to　the　straightening　of　the　line　of　the
street；　the　rue　Honore…Chevalier　being　one　of　the　narrowest　in　the
Saint…Sulpice　quarter。　The　owner；　forbidden　by　the　law　to　repair　it；
or　to　add　new　storeys；　was　compelled　to　let　the　wretched　building　in
the　condition　in　which　he　bought　it。　It　consisted　of　a　first　storey
above　the　ground…floor；　surmounted　by　garrets；　with　two　small　wings
running　back　on　either　side。　The　courtyard　thus　formed　ended　in　a
garden　planted　with　trees；　which　was　always　rented　to　the　occupant　of
the　first　floor。　This　garden；　separated　by　an　iron　railing　from　the
courtyard；　would　have　allowed　a　rich　owner　to　sell　the　front　buildings
to　the　city；　and　to　build　a　new　house　upon　the　courtyard；　but　the
whole　of　the　first　floor　was　let　on　an　eighteen　years'　lease　to　a
mysterious　personage；　about　whom　neither　the　official　policing　of　the
concierge　nor　the　curiosity　of　the　other　tenants　could　find　anything
to　censure。

This　tenant；　now　seventy　years　of　age；　had　built；　in　1829；　an　outer
stairway；　leading　from　the　right　wing　of　the　first　floor　to　the
garden；　so　that　he　could　get　there　without　going　through　the
courtyard。　Half　the　ground…floor　was　occupied　by　a　book…stitcher；　who
for　the　last　ten　years　had　used　the　stable　and　coach…house　for
workshops。　A　book…binder　occupied　the　other　half。　The　binder　and　the
stitcher　lived；　each　of　them；　in　half　the　garret　rooms　over　the　front
building　on　the　street。　The　garrets　above　the　rear　wings　were
occupied；　the　one　on　the　right　by　the　mysterious　tenant；　the　one　on
the　left　by　Toupillier；　who　paid　a　hundred　francs　a　year　for　it；　and
reached　it　by　a　dark　staircase；　lighted　by　small　round　windows。　The
porte…cochere　was　made　in　the　circular　form　indispensable　in　a　street
so　narrow　that　two　carriages　cannot　pass　in　it。

Cerizet　laid　hold　of　the　rope　which　served　as　a　baluster；　to　climb　the
species　of　ladder　leading　to　the　room　where　the　so…called　beggar　was
dying；a　room　in　which　the　odious　spectacle　of　pretended　pauperism
was　being　played。　In　Paris；　everything　that　is　done　for　a　purpose　is
thoroughly　done。　Would…be　paupers　are　as　clever　at　mounting　their
disguise　as　shopkeepers　in　preparing　their　show…windows；　or　sham　rich
men　in　obtaining　credit。

The　floor　had　never　been　swept；　the　bricks　had　disappeared　beneath
layers　of　dirt；　dust；　dried　mud；　and　any　and　every　thing　thrown　down
by　Toupillier。　A　miserable　stove　of　cast…iron；　the　pipe　of　which
entered　a　crumbling　chimney；　was　the　most　apparent　piece　of　furniture
in　this　hovel。　In　an　alcove　stood　a　bed；　with　tester　and　valence　of
green　serge；　which　the　moths　had　transformed　into　lace。　The　window；
almost　useless；　had　a　heavy　coating　of　grease　upon　its　panes；　which
dispensed　with　the　necessity　of　curtains。　The　whitewashed　walls
presented　to　the　eye　fuliginous　tones；　due　to　the　wood　and　peat　burned
by　the　pauper　in　his　stove。　On　the　fireplace　were　a　broken　water…
pitcher；　two　bottles；　and　a　cracked　plate。　A　worm…eaten　chest　of
drawers　contained　his　linen　and　decent　clothes。　The　rest　of　the
furniture　consisted　of　a　night…table　of　the　commonest　description；
another　table；　worth　about　forty　sous；　and　two　kitchen　chairs　with　the
straw　seats　almost　gone。　The　extremely　picturesque　costume　of　the
centenarian　pauper　was　hanging　from　a　nail；　and　below　it；　on　the
floor；　were　the　shapeless　mat…weed　coverings　that　served　him　for
shoes；　the　whole　forming；　with　his　amorphous　old　hat　and　knotty　stick；
a　sort　of　panoply　of　misery。

As　he　entered；　Cerizet　gave　a　rapid　glance　at　the　old　man；　whose　head
lay　on　a　pillow　brown　with　grease　and　without　a　pillow…case；　his
angular　profile；　like　those　which　engravers　of　the　last　century　were
fond　of　making　out　of　rocks　in　the　landscapes　they　engraved；　was
strongly　defined　in　black　against　the　green　serge　hangings　of　the
tester。　Toupillier；　a　man　nearly　six　feet　tall；　was　looking　fixedly　at
some　object　at　the　foot　of　his　bed；　he　did　not　move　on　hearing　the
groaning　of　the　heavy　door；　which；　being　armed　with　iron　bolts　and　a
strong　lock；　closed　his　domicile　securely。

〃Is　he　conscious？〃　said　Cerizet；　before　whom　Madame　Cardinal　started
back；　not　having　recognized　him　till　he　spoke。

〃Pretty　nearly；〃　she　replied。

〃Come　out　on　the　staircase；　so　that　he　doesn't　hear　us；〃　whispered
Cerizet。　〃This　is　how　we'll　manage　it；〃　he　continued；　in　the　ear　of
his　future　mother…in…law。　〃He　is　weak；　but　he　isn't　so　very　low；　we
have　fully　a　week　before　us。　I'll　send　you　a　doctor　who'll　suit　us；
you　understand？　and　later　in　the　evening　I'll　bring　you　six　poppy…
heads。　In　the　state　he's　in；　you　see；　a　decoction　of　poppy…heads　will
send　him　into　a　sound　sleep。　I'll　send　you　a　cot…bed　on　pretence　of
your　sleeping　in　the　room　with　him。　We'll　move　him　from　one　bed　to　the
other；　and　when　we've　found　the　money　there　won't　be　any　difficulty　in
carrying　it　off。　But　we　ought　to　know　who　the　people　are　who　live　in
this　old　barrack。　If　Perrache　suspects；　as　you　think；　about　the　money；
he　might　give　an　alarm；　and　so　many　tenants；　so　many　spies；　you
know〃

〃Oh！　as　for　that；〃　said　Madame　Cardinal；　〃I've　found　out　already　that
Monsieur　du　Portail；　the　old　man　who　occupies　the　first　floor；　has
charge　of　an　insane　woman；　I　heard　their　Dutch　servant…woman；　Katte；
calling　her　Lydie　this　morning。　The　only　other　servant　is　an　old　valet
named　Bruneau；　he　does　everything；　except　cook。〃

〃But　the　binder　and　the　stitcher　down　below；〃　returned　Cerizet；　〃they
begin　work　very　early　in　the　morningWell；　anyhow；　we　must　study　the
matter；〃　he　added；　in　the　tone　of　a　man　whose　plans　are　not　yet
decided。　〃I'll　go　to　the　mayor's　office　of　your　arrond