the lesser bourgeoisie-第45节

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〃You　spoke　just　now；〃　replied　du　Portail；　〃of　the　cousin　of　Theodose；
Mademoiselle　Lydie　de　la　Peyrade。　This　young　woman；　who　is　not　in　her
first　youth；　for　she　is　nearly　thirty；　is　the　natural　daughter　of　the
celebrated　Mademoiselle　Beaumesnil　of　the　Theatre　Francais　and
Peyrade；　the　commissary…general　of　police　under　the　Empire；　and　the
uncle　of　our　friend。　Until　his　death；　which　occurred　suddenly；　leaving
his　daughter；　whom　he　loved　tenderly；　without　means　of　support；　I　was
bound　to　that　excellent　man　with　the　warmest　friendship。〃

Glad　to　show　that　he　had　some　knowledge　of　du　Portail's　interior　life；
Cerizet　hastened　to　remark：

〃And　you　have　secretly　fulfilled　the　duties　of　that　friendship；
monsieur；　for；　in　taking　into　your　home　that　interesting　orphan　you
assumed　a　difficult　guardianship。　Mademoiselle　de　la　Peyrade's　state
of　health　requires；　I　am　told；　a　care　not　only　affectionate；　but
persevering。〃

〃Yes；〃　replied　du　Portail；　〃the　poor　girl；　after　the　death　of　her
father；　was　so　cruelly　tried　that　her　mind　has　been　somewhat　affected；
but　a　fortunate　change　has　lately　occurred　in　her　condition；　and　only
yesterday　I　called　in　consultation　Doctor　Bianchon　and　the　two
physicians…in…charge　of　Bicetre　and　the　Salpetriere。　These　gentlemen
unanimously　declare　that　marriage　and　the　birth　of　a　first　child　would
undoubtedly　restore　her　to　perfect　health。　You　can　readily　understand
that　the　remedy　is　too　easy　and　agreeable　not　to　be　attempted。〃

〃Then；〃　said　Cerizet；　〃it　is　to　Mademoiselle　Lydie　de　la　Peyrade；　his
cousin；　that　you　wish　to　marry　Theodose。〃

〃You　have　said　it；〃　returned　du　Portail；　〃and　you　must　not　think　that
our　young　friend；　if　he　accepts　the　marriage；　will　be　called　upon　to
show　a　gratuitous　devotion。　Lydie　is　very　agreeable　in　person；　she　has
talents；　a　charming　disposition；　and　she　can　bring　to　bear；　in　her
husband's　interest；　a　strong　influence　in　public　life。　She　has；
moreover；　a　pretty　fortune；　consisting　of　what　her　mother　left　her；
and　of　my　entire　property；　which；　having　no　heirs　myself；　I　intend　to
secure　to　her　in　the　marriage　contract。　Besides　all　this；　she　has　this
very　night　acquired　a　not　inconsiderable　legacy。〃

〃What！〃　exclaimed　Cerizet；　〃do　you　mean　that　old　Toupillier〃

〃By　a　will　in　his　own　handwriting；　which　I　have　here；　that　old　pauper
constitutes　her　his　sole　legatee。　You　see；　therefore；　that　I　showed
some　kindness　in　not　proceeding　against　you　and　Madame　Cardinal　for
your　little　attempt　last　night；　it　was　simply　our　property　that　you
were　trying　to　pillage。〃

〃Heavens！〃　cried　Cerizet；　〃I　won't　pretend　to　excuse　Madame　Cardinal's
misconduct；　and　yet；　as　one　of　the　legal　heirs；　dispossessed　by　a
stranger；　she　had；　it　seems　to　me；　some　right　to　the　indulgence　which
you　certainly　showed　to　her。〃

〃In　that　you　are　mistaken；〃　said　du　Portail；　〃the　apparent　liberality
of　the　old　beggar　to　Mademoiselle　de　la　Peyrade　happens　to　be　only　a
restitution。〃

〃A　restitution！〃　exclaimed　Cerizet；　in　a　tone　of　curiosity。

〃A　restitution；〃　repeated　du　Portail；　〃and　nothing　is　easier　than　to
prove　it。　Do　you　remember　the　robbery　of　some　diamonds　from　one　of　our
dramatic　celebrities　about　ten　years　ago？〃

〃Yes；〃　replied　Cerizet。　〃I　was　manager　of　one　of　my　newspapers　at　the
time；　and　I　used　to　write　the　'Paris　items。'　But　stay；　I　remember；　the
actress　who　lost　them　was　Mademoiselle　Beaumesnil。〃

〃Precisely；　the　mother　of　Mademoiselle　de　la　Peyrade。〃

〃Consequently；　this　miserable　old　Toupillierno；　I　remember　that　the
thief　was　convicted；　his　name　was　Charles　Crochard。　It　was　said；　under
the　rose；　that　he　was　the　natural　son　of　a　great　personage；　the　Comte
de　Granville；　attorney…general　under　the　Restoration。〃　＇See　〃A　Double
Life。〃＇

〃Well；〃　said　du　Portail；　〃this　is　how　it　happened。　The　robbery　was
committed　in　a　house　in　the　rue　de　Tournon；　occupied　by　Mademoiselle
Beaumesnil。　Charles　Crochard；　who　was　a　handsome　fellow；　was　said　to
have　the　run　of　it〃

〃Yes；　yes；〃　cried　Cerizet；　〃I　remember　Mademoiselle　Beaumesnil's
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　l