NightsetitsleadensealupontheplansmadebythesometimeattorneyofMantes,andaformidableschemesproutedup,aflourishingscheme,fertileinharvestsofgainandintrigue。LaCibotwasthehingeuponwhichthewholematterturned;andforthisreason,anyrebelliononthepartoftheinstrumentmustbeatonceputdown;suchactiononherpartwasquiteunexpected;butFraisierhadputforthallthestrengthofhisrancorousnature,andtheaudaciousportresslaytrampledunderhisfeet。
　　“Come,reassureyourself,mydearmadame,“heremarked,holdingouthishand。Thetouchofthecold,serpent-likeskinmadeaterribleimpressionupontheportress。Itbroughtaboutsomethinglikeaphysicalreaction,whichcheckedheremotion;Mme。Fontaine'stoad,Astaroth,seemedtohertobelessdeadlythanthispoison-sacthatworeasandywigandspokeintoneslikethecreakingofahinge。
　　“DonotimaginethatIamfrighteningyoutonopurpose,“Fraisiercontinued。LaCibot'sfeelingofrepulsionhadnotescapedhim。“TheaffairswhichmadeMme。laPresidente'sdreadfulreputationaresowellknownatthelaw-courts,thatyoucanmakeinquiriesthereifyoulike。ThegreatpersonwhowasallbutsentintoalunaticasylumwastheMarquisd'Espard。TheMarquisd'Esgrignonwassavedfromthehulks。Thehandsomeyoungmanwithwealthandagreatfuturebeforehim,whowastohavemarriedadaughterofoneofthefirstfamiliesofFrance,andhangedhimselfinacelloftheConciergerie,wasthecelebratedLuciendeRubempre;theaffairmadeagreatdealofnoiseinParisatthetime。Thatwasaquestionofawill。Hismistress,thenotoriousEsther,diedandlefthimseveralmillions,andtheyaccusedtheyoungfellowofpoisoningher。HewasnoteveninParisatthetimeofherdeath,nordidhesomuchasknowthewomanhadleftthemoneytohim!——Onecannotwellbemoreinnocentthanthat!Well,afterM。Camusotexaminedhim,hehangedhimselfinhiscell。Law,likemedicine,hasitsvictims。Inthefirstcase,onemansuffersforthemany,andinthesecond,hediesforscience,“headded,andanuglysmilestoleoverhislips。“Well,Iknowtherisksmyself,yousee;
　　poorandobscurelittleattorneyasIam,thelawhasbeentheruinofme。Myexperiencewasdearlybought——itisallatyourservice。“
　　“Thankyou,no,“saidLaCibot;“Iwillhavenothingtodowithit,uponmyword!……Ishallhavenourishedingratitude,thatisall!I
　　wantnothingbutmydue;Ihavethirtyyearsofhonestybehindme,sir。M。PonssaysthathewillrecommendmetohisfriendSchmucke;
　　wellandgood,IshallendmydaysinpeacewiththeGerman,goodman。“
　　Fraisierhadovershothismark。HehaddiscouragedLaCibot。Nowhewasobligedtoremovetheseunpleasantimpressions。
　　“Donotletusgiveup,“hesaid;“justgoawayquietlyhome。Come,now,wewillsteertheaffairtoagoodend。“
　　“Butwhataboutmy/rentes/,whatamItodotogetthem,and——“
　　“Andfeelnoremorse？”heinterruptedquickly。“Eh!itispreciselyforthatthatmenofbusinesswereinvented;unlessyoukeepwithinthelaw,yougetnothing。Youknownothingoflaw;Iknowagooddeal。
　　Iwillseethatyoukeepontherightsideofit,andyoucanholdyourowninallmen'ssight。Asforyourconscience,thatisyourownaffair。“
　　“Verywell,tellmehowtodoit,“returnedLaCibot,curiousanddelighted。
　　“Idonotknowhowyet。Ihavenotlookedatthestrongpointsofthecaseyet;Ihavebeenbusywiththeobstacles。Butthefirstthingtobedoneistourgehimtomakeawill;youcannotgowrongoverthat;
　　andfindout,firstofall,howPonsmeanstoleavehisfortune;forifyouwerehisheir——“
　　“No,no;hedoesnotlikeme。Ah!ifIhadbutknownthevalueofhisgimcracks,andifIhadknownwhatIknownowabouthisamours,I
　　shouldbeeasyinmymindthisday——“
　　“Keepon,infact,“brokeinFraisier。“Dyingfolkhavequeerfancies,mydearmadame;theydisappointhopesmanyatime。Lethimmakehiswill,andthenweshallsee。Andofallthings,thepropertymustbevalued。SoImustseethisRemonencqandtheJew;theywillbeveryusefultous。Putentireconfidenceinme,Iamatyourdisposal。Whenaclientisafriendtome,Iamhisfriendthroughthickandthin。
　　Friendorenemy,thatismycharacter。“
　　“Verywell,“saidLaCibot,“Iamyoursentirely;andasforfees,M。
　　Poulain——“
　　“Letussaynothingaboutthat,“saidFraisier。“ThinkhowyoucankeepPoulainatthebedside;heisoneofthemostuprightandconscientiousmenIknow;and,yousee,wewantsomeonetherewhomwecantrust。PoulainwoulddobetterthanI;Ihavelostmycharacter。“
　　“Youlookasifyouhad,“saidLaCibot;“but,formyownpart,I
　　shouldtrustyou。“
　　“Andyouwoulddowell。Cometoseemewheneveranythinghappens,and——there!——youareanintelligentwoman;allwillgowell。“
　　“Good-day,M。Fraisier。Ihopeyouwillrecoveryourhealth。Yourservant,sir。“
　　Fraisierwenttothedoorwithhisclient。Butthistimeitwashe,andnotLaCibot,whowasstruckwithanideaonthethreshold。
　　“IfyoucouldpersuadeM。Ponstocallmein,itwouldbeagreatstep。“
　　“Iwilltry,“saidLaCibot。
　　Fraisierdrewherbackintohissanctum。“Lookhere,oldlady,IknowM。Trognon,thenotaryofthequarter,verywell。IfM。Ponshasnotanotary,mentionM。Trognontohim。MakehimtakeM。Trognon——“
　　“Right,“returnedLaCibot。
　　Andasshecameoutagainsheheardtherustleofadressandthesoundofastealthy,heavyfootstep。
　　Outinthestreetandbyherself,Mme。Cibottosomeextentrecoveredherlibertyofmindasshewalked。Thoughtheinfluenceoftheconversationwasstilluponher,andshehadalwaysstoodindreadofscaffolds,justice,andjudges,shetookaverynaturalresolutionwhichwastobringaboutaconflictofstrategybetweenherandherformidablelegaladviser。
　　“WhatdoIwantwithotherfolk？”saidshetoherself。“Letusmakearoundsum,andafterwardsIwilltakeallthattheyoffermetopushtheirinterests;“andthisthought,aswillshortlybeseen,hastenedthepooroldmusician'send。
　　“Well,dearM。Schmucke,andhowisourdear,adoredpatient？”askedLaCibot,asshecameintotheroom。
　　“Ferypad;Bonshafpeenvanderingalldernight。“
　　“Then,whatdidhesay？”
　　“Chustnonsense。HevoulddotIhafallhisfortune,onkonditiondotIsellnodings——Denhecried!Boormann!Itmademever'sad。“
　　“Nevermind,honey,“returnedtheportress。“Ihavekeptyouwaitingforyourbreakfast;itisnineo'clockandpast;butdon'tscoldme。I
　　havebusinessonhand,yousee,businessofyours。Herearewewithoutanymoney,andIhavebeenouttogetsome。“
　　“Vere？”askedSchmucke。
　　“Ofmyuncle。“
　　“Onkel？”
　　“Upthespout。“
　　“Shpout？”
　　“Oh!thedearman!howsimpleheis?No,youareasaint,alove,anarchbishopofinnocence,amanthatoughttobestuffed,astheoldactorsaid。What!youhavelivedinParisfortwenty-nineyears;yousawtheRevolutionofJuly,youdid,andyouhaveneversomuchasheardtellofapawnbroker——amanthatlendsyoumoneyonyourthings?——
　　Ihavebeenpawningoursilverspoonsandforks,eightofthem,threadpattern。Pooh,CibotcaneathisvictualswithGermansilver;
　　itisquitethefashionnow,theysay。Itisnotworthwhiletosayanythingtoourangelthere;itwouldupsethimandmakehimyellowerthanbefore,andheisquitecrossenoughasitis。Letusgethimroundagainfirst,andafterwardsweshallsee。Whatmustbemust;andwemusttakethingsaswefindthem,eh？”
　　“Gootvoman!nopleheart！”criedpoorSchmucke,withagreattendernessinhisface。HetookLaCibot'shandandclaspedittohisbreast。Whenhelookedup,thereweretearsinhiseyes。
　　“There,thatwilldo,PapaSchmucke;howfunnyyouare!Thisistoobad。Iamanolddaughterofthepeople——myheartisinmyhand。I
　　havesomething/here/,yousee,likeyouhave,heartsofgoldthatyouare,“sheadded,slappingherchest。
　　“BabaSchmucke！”continuedthemusician。“No。Toknowdetepthsofsorrow,tocrymittearsofblood,tomountupinderhefn——datismeinlot!IshallnotlifafterBons——“
　　“Gracious!Iamsureyouwon't,youarekillingyourself——Listen,pet！”
　　“Bet？”
　　“Verywell,mysonny——“
　　“Zonny？”
　　“Mylamb,then,ifyoulikeitbetter。“
　　“Itisnotmoreclear。“
　　“Oh,well,let/me/takecareofyouandtellyouwhattodo;forifyougoonlikethis,Ishallhavebothofyoulaiduponmyhands,yousee。Tomylittlewayofthinking,wemustdotheworkbetweenus。YoucannotgoaboutParistogivelessonsforittiresyou,andthenyouarenotfittodoanythingafterwards,andsomebodymustsitupofanightwithM。Pons,nowthatheisgettingworseandworse。Iwillrunroundto-daytoallyourpupilsandtellthemthatyouareill;isitnotso?Andthenyoucanspendthenightswithourlamb,andsleepofamorningfromfiveo'clocktill,letussay,twointheafternoon。I
　　myselfwilltaketheday,themosttiringpart,forthereisyourbreakfastanddinnertogetready,andthebedtomake,andthethingstochange,andthedosesofmedicinetogive。Icouldnotholdoutforanothertendaysatthisrate。WhatwouldbecomeofyouifIweretofallill?Andyouyourself,itmakesoneshuddertoseeyou;justlookatyourself,aftersittingupwithhimlastnight！”
　　ShedrewSchmucketotheglass,andSchmuckethoughtthattherewasagreatchange。
　　“So,ifyouareofmymind,I'llhaveyourbreakfastreadyinajiffy。
　　Thenyouwilllookafterourpoordearagaintilltwoo'clock。Letmehavealistofyourpeople,andIwillsoonarrangeit。Youwillbefreeforafortnight。YoucangotobedwhenIcomein,andsleeptillnight。“
　　Soprudentdidthepropositionseem,thatSchmuckethenandthereagreedtoit。
　　“NotawordtoM。Pons;hewouldthinkitwasalloverwithhim,youknow,ifweweretotellhiminthiswaythathisengagementatthetheatreandhislessonsareputoff。Hewouldbethinkingthatheshouldnotfindhispupilsagain,poorgentleman——stuffandnonsense!
　　M。PoulainsaysthatweshallsaveourBenjaminifwekeephimasquietaspossible。“
　　“Ach!ferygoot!Pringupderpreakfast;Ishallmakederbett,andgifyoudieattresses!——Youareright;itvouldpetoomuchforme。“
　　AnhourlaterLaCibot,inherSundayclothes,departedingreatstate,tothenosmallastonishmentoftheRemonencqs;shepromisedherselfthatshewouldsupportthecharacterofconfidentialservantofthepairofnutcrackers,intheboarding-schoolsandprivatefamiliesinwhichtheygavemusic-lessons。
　　ItisneedlesstorepeatallthegossipinwhichLaCibotindulgedonherround。Themembersofeveryfamily,thehead-mistressofeveryboarding-school,weretreatedtoavariationuponthethemeofPons'
　　illness。Asinglescene,whichtookplaceintheIllustriousGaudissart'sprivateroom,willgiveasufficientideaoftherest。LaCibotmetwithunheard-ofdifficulties,butshesucceededinpenetratingatlasttothepresence。KingsandcabinetministersarelessdifficultofaccessthanthemanagerofatheatreinParis;norisithardtounderstandwhysuchprodigiousbarriersareraisedbetweenthemandordinarymortals：akinghasonlytodefendhimselffromambition;themanagerofatheatrehasreasontodreadthewoundedvanityofactorsandauthors。
　　LaCibot,however,struckupanacquaintancewiththeportress,andtraversedalldistancesinabriefspace。Thereisasortoffreemasonryamongtheportertribe,and,indeed,amongthemembersofeveryprofession;foreachcallinghasitsshibboleth,aswellasitsinsultingepithetandthemarkwithwhichitbrandsitsfollowers。
　　“Ah!madame,youaretheportresshere,“beganLaCibot。“Imyselfamaportress,inasmallway,inahouseintheRuedeNormandie。M。
　　Pons,yourconductor,lodgeswithus。Oh,howgladIshouldbetohaveyourplace,andseetheactorsanddancersandauthorsgopast。Itisthemarshal'sbatoninourprofession,astheoldactorsaid。“
　　“AndhowisM。Ponsgoingon,goodman？”inquiredtheportress。
　　“Heisnotgoingonatall;hehasnotlefthisbedthesetwomonths。
　　Hewillonlyleavethehousefeetforemost,thatiscertain。“
　　“Hewillbemissed。“
　　“Yes。Ihavecomewithamessagetothemanagerfromhim。Justtrytogetmeawordwithhim,dear。“
　　“AladyfromM。Ponstoseeyou,sir！”Afterthisfashiondidtheyouthattachedtotheserviceofthemanager'sofficeannounceLaCibot,whomtheportressbelowhadparticularlyrecommendedtohiscare。
　　Gaudissarthadjustcomeinforarehearsal。Chancesoordereditthatnoonewishedtospeakwithhim;actorsandauthorswerealikelate。
　　Delightedtohavenewsofhisconductor,hemadeaNapoleonicgesture,andLaCibotwasadmitted。
　　Thesometimecommercialtraveler,nowtheheadofapopulartheatre,regardedhissleepingpartnersinthelightofalegitimatewife;theywerenotinformedofallhisdoings。Theflourishingstateofhisfinanceshadreacteduponhisperson。Grownbigandstoutandhigh-
　　coloredwithgoodcheerandprosperity,GaudissartmadenodisguiseofhistransformationintoaMondor。
　　“Weareturningintoacity-father,“heoncesaid,tryingtobethefirsttolaugh。
　　“YouareonlyintheTurcaretstageyet,though,“retortedBixiou,whooftenreplacedGaudissartinthecompanyoftheleadingladyoftheballet,thecelebratedHeloiseBrisetout。
　　TheformerIllustriousGaudissart,infact,wasexploitingthetheatresimplyandsolelyforhisownparticularbenefit,andwithbrutaldisregardofotherinterests。Hefirstinsinuatedhimselfasacollaboratorinvariousballets,plays,andvaudevilles;thenhewaitedtilltheauthorwantedmoneyandboughtuptheotherhalfofthecopyright。Theseafter-piecesandvaudevilles,alwaysaddedtosuccessfulplays,broughthiminadailyharvestofgoldcoins。Hetraffickedbyproxyintickets,allottingacertainnumbertohimself,asthemanager'sshare,tillhetookinthiswayatitheofthereceipts。AndGaudissarthadothermethodsofmakingmoneybesidestheseofficialcontributions。Hesoldboxes,hetookpresentsfromindifferentactressesburningtogouponthestagetofillsmallspeakingparts,orsimplytoappearasqueens,orpages,andthelike;
　　heswelledhisnominalthirdshareoftheprofitstosuchpurposethatthesleepingpartnersscarcelyreceivedone-tenthinsteadoftheremainingtwo-thirdsofthenetreceipts。Evenso,however,thetenthpaidthemadividendoffifteenpercentontheircapital。OnthestrengthofthatfifteenpercentGaudissarttalkedofhisintelligence,honesty,andzeal,andthegoodfortuneofhispartners。
　　WhenCountPopinot,showinganinterestintheconcern,askedMatifat,orGeneralGouraudMatifat'sson-in-law,orCrevel,whethertheyweresatisfiedwithGaudissart,Gouraud,nowapeerofFrance,answered,“Theysayherobsus;butheissuchaclever,good-naturedfellow,thatwearequitesatisfied。“
　　“ThisislikeLaFontaine'sfable,“smiledtheex-cabinetminister。
　　Gaudissartfoundinvestmentsforhiscapitalinotherventures。HethoughtwellofSchwab,Brunner,andtheGraffs;thatfirmwaspromotingrailways,hebecameashareholderinthelines。Hisshrewdnesswascarefullyhiddenbeneaththefrankcarelessnessofamanofpleasure;heseemedtobeinterestedinnothingbutamusementsanddress,yethethoughteverythingover,andhiswideexperienceofbusinessgainedasacommercialtravelerstoodhimingoodstead。
　　Aself-mademan,hedidnottakehimselfseriously。Hegavesuppersandbanquetstocelebritiesinroomssumptuouslyfurnishedbythehousedecorator。Showybynature,withatastefordoingthingshandsomely,heaffectedaneasy-goingair,andseemedsomuchthelessformidablebecausehehadkepttheslangof“theroad“tousehisownexpression,withafewgreen-roomphrasessuperadded。Now,artistsinthetheatricalprofessionarewonttoexpressthemselveswithsomevigor;Gaudissartborrowedsufficientracygreen-roomtalktoblendwithhiscommercialtraveler'slivelyjocularity,andpassedforawit。Hewasthinkingatthatmomentofsellinghislicenseand“goingintoanotherline,“ashesaid。Hethoughtofbeingchairmanofarailwaycompany,ofbecomingaresponsiblepersonandanadministrator,andfinallyofmarryingMlle。Minard,daughteroftherichestmayorinParis。HemighthopetogetintotheChamberthrough“hisline,“and,withPopinot'sinfluence,totakeofficeundertheGovernment。
　　“WhomhaveIthehonorofaddressing？”inquiredGaudissart,lookingmagisteriallyatLaCibot。
　　“IamM。Pons'confidentialservant,sir。“
　　“Well,andhowisthedearfellow？”
　　“Ill,sir——veryill。“
　　“Thedevilheis!Iamsorrytohearit——Imustcomeandseehim;heissuchamanasyoudon'toftenfind。“
　　“Ahyes!sir,heisacherub,heis。Ihavealwayswonderedhowhecametobeinatheatre。“
　　“Why,madame,thetheatreisahouseofcorrectionformorals,“saidGaudissart。“PoorPons!——Uponmyword,oneoughttocultivatethespeciestokeepupthestock。'Tisapatternman,andhastalenttoo。
　　Whenwillhebeabletotakehisorchestraagain,doyouthink?A
　　theatre,unfortunately,islikeastagecoach：emptyorfull,itstartsatthesametime。Hereatsixo'clockeveryevening,upgoesthecurtain;andifweareneversorryforourselves,itwon'tmakegoodmusic。Letusseenow——howishe？”
　　LaCibotpulledoutherpocket-handkerchiefandheldittohereyes。
　　“Itisaterriblethingtosay,mydearsir,“saidshe;“butIamafraidweshalllosehim,thoughweareascarefulofhimasoftheappleofoureyes。And,atthesametime,IcametosaythatyoumustnotcountonM。Schmucke,worthyman,forheisgoingtositupwithhimatnight。Onecannothelpdoingasiftherewashopestillleft,andtryingone'sbesttosnatchthedear,goodsoulfromdeath。Butthedoctorhasgivenhimup——“
　　“Whatisthematterwithhim？”
　　“Heisdyingofgrief,jaundice,andlivercomplaint,withalotoffamilyaffairstocomplicatematters。“
　　“Andadoctoraswell,“saidGaudissart。“HeoughttohavehadLebrun,ourdoctor;itwouldhavecosthimnothing。“
　　“M。Pons'doctorisaProvidenceonearth。Butwhatcanadoctordo,nomatterhowcleverheis,withsuchcomplications？”
　　“Iwantedthegoodpairofnutcrackersbadlyfortheaccompanimentofmynewfairypiece。“
　　“IsthereanythingthatIcandoforthem？”askedLaCibot,andherexpressionwouldhavedonecredittoaJocrisse。
　　Gaudissartburstoutlaughing。
　　“Iamtheirhousekeeper,sir,anddomanythingsformygentlemen——“
　　Shedidnotfinishherspeech,forinthemiddleofGaudissart'sroaroflaughterawoman'svoiceexclaimed,“Ifyouarelaughing,oldman,onemaycomein,“andtheleadingladyoftheballetrushedintotheroomandflungherselfupontheonlysofa。ThenewcomerwasHeloiseBrisetout,withasplendid/algerienne/,suchasscarvesusedtobecalled,abouthershoulders。
　　“Whoisamusingyou?Isitthislady?Whatpostdoesshewant？”askedthisnymph,givingthemanagersuchaglanceasartistgivesartist,aglancethatwouldmakeasubjectforapicture。
　　Heloise,ayoungwomanofexceedinglyliterarytastes,wasonintimatetermswithgreatandfamousartistsinBohemia。Elegant,accomplished,andgraceful,shewasmoreintelligentthandancersusuallyare。Assheputherquestion,shesniffedatascent-bottlefullofsomearomaticperfume。
　　“Onefinewomanisasgoodasanother,madame;andifIdon'tsniffthepestilenceoutofascent-bottle,nordaubbrickdustonmycheeks——“
　　“Thatwouldbeasinfulwaste,child,whenNatureputitonforyoutobeginwith,“saidHeloise,withasideglanceathermanager。
　　“Iamanhonestwoman——“
　　“Somuchtheworseforyou。Itisnoteveryonebyalongchalkthatcanfindsomeonetokeepthem,andkeptIam,andinslap-upstyle,madame。“
　　“Somuchtheworse!Whatdoyoumean?Oh,youmaytossyourheadandgoaboutinscarves,youwillneverhaveasmanydeclarationsasI
　　havehad,missus。Youwillnevermatchthe/BelleEcaillereoftheCadranBleu/。“
　　HeloiseBrisetoutroseatoncetoherfeet,stoodatattention,andmadeamilitarysalute,likeasoldierwhomeetshisgeneral。
　　“What？”askedGaudissart,“areyoureally/LaBelleEcaillere/ofwhommyfatherusedtotalk？”
　　“Inthatcasethecachuchaandthepolkawereafteryourtime;andmadamehaspassedherfiftiethyear,“remarkedHeloise,andstrikinganattitude,shedeclaimed,“'Cinna,letusbefriends。'“
　　“Come,Heloise,theladyisnotuptothis;letheralone。“
　　“MadameisperhapstheNewHeloise,“suggestedLaCibot,withslyinnocence。
　　“Notbad,oldlady！”criedGaudissart。
　　“Itisavenerablejoke,“saidthedancer,“agrizzledpun;findusanotheroldlady——ortakeacigarette。“
　　“Ibegyourpardon,madame,Ifeeltoounhappytoansweryou;mytwogentlemenareveryill;andtobuynourishmentforthemandtosparethemtrouble,Ihavepawnedeverythingdowntomyhusband'sclothesthatIpledgedthismorning。Hereistheticket！”
　　“Oh!here,theaffairisbecomingtragic,“criedthefairHeloise。
　　“Whatisitallabout？”
　　“Madamedropsdownuponuslike——“
　　“Likeadancer,“saidHeloise;“letmepromptyou,——missus！”
　　“Come,Iambusy,“saidGaudissart。“Thejokehasgonefarenough。
　　Heloise,thisisM。Pons'confidentialservant;shehadcometotellmethatImustnotcountuponhim;ourpoorconductorisnotexpectedtolive。Idon'tknowwhattodo。“
　　“Oh!poorman;why,hemusthaveabenefit。“
　　“Itwouldruinhim,“saidGaudissart。“Hemightfindnextdaythatheowedfivehundredfrancstocharitableinstitutions,andtheyrefusetoadmitthatthereareanysufferersinParisexcepttheirown。No,lookhere,mygoodwoman,sinceyouaregoinginfortheMontyonprize——“
　　Hebrokeoff,rangthebell,andtheyouthbeforementionedsuddenlyappeared。
　　“Tellthecashiertosendmeupathousand-francnote——Sitdown,madame。“
　　“Ah!poorwoman,look,sheiscrying！”exclaimedHeloise。“Howstupid!
　　There,there,mother,wewillgotoseehim;don'tcry——Isay,now,“
　　shecontinued,takingthemanagerintoacorner,“youwanttomakemetaketheleadingpartintheballetin/Ariane/,youTurk。Youaregoingtobemarried,andyouknowhowIcanmakeyoumiserable——“
　　“Heloise,myheartiscopper-bottomedlikeaman-of-war。“
　　“Ishallbringyourchildrenonthescene!Iwillborrowsomesomewhere。“
　　“Ihaveownedupabouttheattachment。“
　　“Dobenice,andgivePons'posttoGarangeot;hehastalent,poorfellow,andhehasnotapenny;andIpromisepeace。“
　　“ButwaittillPonsisdead,incasethegoodmanmaycomebackagain。“
　　“Oh,astothat,no,sir,“saidLaCibot。“Hebegantowanderinhismindlastnight,andnowheisdelirious。Itwillsoonbeover,unfortunately。“
　　“Atanyrate,takeGarangeotasastop-gap！”pleadedHeloise。“Hehasthewholepressonhisside——“
　　Justatthatmomentthecashiercameinwithanoteforathousandfrancsinhishand。
　　“Giveittomadamehere,“saidGaudissart。“Good-day,mygoodwoman;
　　takegoodcareofthedearman,andtellhimthatIamcomingtoseehimto-morrow,orsometime——assoonasIcan,inshort。“
　　“Adrowningman,“saidHeloise。
　　“Ah,sir,heartslikeyoursareonlyfoundinatheatre。MayGodblessyou！”
　　“TowhataccountshallIpostthisitem？”askedthecashier。
　　“Iwillcountersigntheorder。Postittothebonusaccount。“
　　BeforeLaCibotwentout,shemadeMlle。Brisetoutafinecourtesy,andheardGaudissartremarktohismistress：
　　“CanGarangeotdothedance-musicforthe/Mohicans/intwelvedays?
　　Ifhehelpsmeoutofmypredicament,heshallhavePons'place。“
　　LaCibothadcutofftheincomesofthetwofriends,shehadleftthemwithoutmeansofsubsistenceifPonsshouldchancetorecover,andwasbetterrewardedforallthismischiefthanforanygoodthatshehaddone。Inafewdays'timehertreacheroustrickwouldbringaboutthedesiredresult——ElieMaguswouldhavehiscovetedpictures。Butifthisfirstspoliationwastobeeffected,LaCibotmustthrowdustinFraisier'seyes,andlullthesuspicionsofthatterriblefellow-
　　conspiratorofherownseeking;andElieMagusandRemonencqmustbeboundovertosecrecy。
　　AsforRemonencq,hehadgraduallycometofeelsuchapassionasuneducatedpeoplecanconceivewhentheycometoParisfromthedepthsofthecountry,bringingwiththemallthefixedideasbredofthesolitarycountrylife;alltheignoranceofaprimitivenature,allthebruteappetitesthatbecomesomanyfixedideas。Mme。Cibot'smasculinebeauty,hervivacity,hermarket-woman'swit,hadallbeenremarkedbythemarinestore-dealer。HethoughtatfirstoftakingLaCibotfromherhusband,bigamyamongthelowerclassesinParisbeingmuchmorecommonthanisgenerallysupposed;butgreedwaslikeaslip-knotdrawnmoreandmoretightlyabouthisheart,tillreasonatlengthwasstifled。WhenRemonencqcomputedthatthecommissionpaidbyhimselfandElieMagusamountedtoaboutfortythousandfrancs,hedeterminedtohaveLaCibotforhislegitimatespouse,andhisthoughtsturnedfromamisdemeanortoacrime。Aromanticpurelyspeculativedream,persistentlyfollowedthroughatobacco-smoker'slongmusingsasheloungedinthedoorway,hadbroughthimtothepointofwishingthatthelittletailorweredead。Atastrokehebeheldhiscapitaltrebled;andthenhethoughtofLaCibot。Whatagoodsaleswomanshewouldbe!Whatahandsomefigureshewouldmakeinamagnificentshopontheboulevards!ThetwofoldcovetousnessturnedRemonencq'shead。InfancyhetookashopthatheknewofontheBoulevarddelaMadeleine,hestockeditwithPons'treasures,andthen——afterdreaminghisdreaminsheetsofgold,afterseeingmillionsinthebluespiralwreathsthatrosefromhispipe,heawoketofindhimselffacetofacewiththelittletailor。Cibotwassweepingtheyard,thedoorstep,andthepavementjustashisneighborwastakingdowntheshuttersanddisplayinghiswares;forsincePonsfellill,LaCibot'sworkhadfallentoherhusband。
　　TheAuvergnatbegantolookuponthelittle,swarthy,stunted,copper-
　　coloredtailorastheoneobstacleinhisway,andponderedhowtoberidofhim。MeanwhilethisgrowingpassionmadeLaCibotveryproud,forshehadreachedanagewhenawomanbeginstounderstandthatshemaygrowold。
　　Soearlyonemorning,shemeditativelywatchedRemonencqashearrangedhisoddsandendsforsale。Shewonderedhowfarhislovecouldgo。Hecameacrosstoher。
　　“Well,“hesaid,“arethingsgoingasyouwish？”
　　“Itisyouwhomakesmeuneasy,“saidLaCibot。“Ishallbetalkedabout;theneighborswillseeyoumakingsheep'seyesatme。“
　　SheleftthedoorwayanddivedintotheAuvergnat'sbackshop。
　　“Whatanotion！”saidRemonencq。
　　“Comehere,Ihavesomethingtosaytoyou,“saidLaCibot。“M。Pons'
　　heirsareabouttomakeastir;theyarecapableofgivingusalotoftrouble。Godknowswhatmightcomeofitiftheysendthelawyersheretopoketheirnosesintotheaffairlikehunting-dogs。IcannotgetM。
　　Schmucketosellafewpicturesunlessyoulikemewellenoughtokeepthesecret——suchasecret!——Withyourheadontheblock,youmustnotsaywherethepicturescomefrom,norwhoitwasthatsoldthem。WhenM。Ponsisoncedeadandburied,youunderstand,nobodywillknowhowmanypicturesthereoughttobe;iftherearefifty-threepicturesinsteadofsixty-seven,nobodywillbeanythewiser。Besides,ifM。
　　Ponssoldthemhimselfwhilehewasalive,nobodycanfindfault。“
　　“No,“agreedRemonencq,“itisallonetome,butM。ElieMaguswillwantreceiptsindueform。“
　　“Andyoushallhaveyourreceipttoo,blessyourlife!Doyousupposethat/I/shouldwritethem?——No,M。Schmuckewilldothat。ButtellyourJewthathemustkeepthesecretascloselyasyoudo,“shecontinued。
　　“Wewillbeasmuteasfishes。Thatisourbusiness。Imyselfcanread,butIcannotwrite,andthatiswhyIwantacapablewifethathashadeducationlikeyou。Ihavethoughtofnothingbutearningmybreadallmydays,andnowIwishIhadsomelittleRemonencqs。DoleavethatCibotofyours。“
　　“Why,herecomesyourJew,“saidtheportress;“wecanarrangethewholebusiness。“
　　ElieMaguscameeverythirddayveryearlyinthemorningtoknowwhenhecouldbuyhispictures。“Well,mydearlady,“saidhe,“howarewegettingon？”
　　“HasnobodybeentospeaktoyouaboutM。Ponsandhisgimcracks？”
　　askedLaCibot。
　　“Ireceivedaletterfromalawyer,“saidElieMagus,“arascalthatseemstometobetryingtoworkforhimself;Idon'tlikepeopleofthatsort,soItooknonoticeofhisletter。Threedaysafterwardshecametoseeme,andlefthiscard。ItoldmyporterthatIamneverathomewhenhecalls。“
　　“YouarealoveofaJew,“saidLaCibot。LittledidsheknowElieMagus'prudence。“Well,sonnies,inafewdays'timeIwillbringM。
　　Schmucketothepointofsellingyousevenoreightpictures,tenatmost。Butontwoconditions——Absolutesecrecyinthefirstplace。M。
　　Schmuckewillsendforyou,sir,isnotthatso?AndM。Remonencqsuggestedthatyoumightbeapurchaser,eh?——And,comewhatmay,I
　　willnotmeddleinitfornothing。Youaregivingforty-sixthousandfrancsforfourpictures,areyounot？”
　　“Sobeit,“groanedtheJew。
　　“Verygood。Thisisthesecondcondition。Youwillgiveme/forty-
　　three/thousandfrancs,andpaythreethousandonlytoM。Schmucke;
　　Remonencqwillbuyfourfortwothousandfrancs,andhandoverthesurplustome——Butatthesametime,youseemydearM。Magus,IamgoingtohelpyouandRemonencqtoasplendidbitofbusiness——onconditionthattheprofitsaresharedamongthethreeofus。Iwillintroduceyoutothatlawyer,ashe,nodoubt,willcomehere。YoushallmakeavaluationofM。Pons'thingsatthepriceswhichyoucangiveforthem,sothatM。Fraisiermayknowhowmuchthepropertyisworth。But——notuntilafteroursale,youunderstand！”
　　“Iunderstand,“saidtheJew,“butittakestimetolookatthethingsandvaluethem。“
　　“Youshallhavehalfaday。But,there,thatismyaffair。Talkitoverbetweenyourselves,myboys,andforthatmatterthebusinesswillbesettledbythedayafterto-morrow。IwillgoroundtospeaktothisFraisier;forDr。Poulaintellshimeverythingthatgoesoninthehouse,anditisagreatbothertokeepthatscarecrowquiet。“
　　LaCibotmetFraisierhalfwaybetweentheRuedelaPerleandtheRuedeNormandie;soimpatientwashetoknowthe“elementsofthecase“
　　tousehisownexpression,thathewascomingtoseeher。
　　“Isay!Iwasgoingtoyou,“saidshe。
　　FraisiergrumbledbecauseElieMagushadrefusedtoseehim。ButLaCibotextinguishedthesparkofdistrustthatgleamedinthelawyer'seyesbyinforminghimthatElieMagushadreturnedfromajourney,andthatshewouldarrangeforaninterviewinPons'roomsandforthevaluationoftheproperty;forthedayafterto-morrowatlatest。
　　“Dealfranklywithme,“returnedFraisier。“ItismorethanprobablethatIshallactforM。Pons'next-of-kin。Inthatcase,Ishallbeevenbetterabletoserveyou。“
　　ThewordswerespokensodrilythatLaCibotquaked。Thisstarvinglimbofthelawwassuretomanoeuvreonhissideassheherselfwasdoing。Sheresolvedforthwithtohurryonthesaleofthepictures。
　　LaCibotwasright。ThedoctorandlawyerhadclubbedtogethertobuyanewsuitofclothesinwhichFraisiercoulddecentlypresenthimselfbeforeMme。laPresidenteCamusotdeMarville。Indeed,iftheclotheshadbeenready,theinterviewwouldhavetakenplacesooner,forthefateofthecouplehunguponitsissues。FraisierleftMme。Cibot,andwenttotryonhisnewclothes。Hefoundthemwaitingforhim,wenthome,adjustedhisnewwig,andtowardsteno'clockthatmorningsetoutinacarriagefromaliverystablefortheRuedeHanovre,hopingforanaudience。Inhiswhitetie,yellowgloves,andnewwig,redolentof/eaudePortugal/,helookedsomethinglikeapoisonousessencekeptinacut-glassbottle,seemingbutthemoredeadlybecauseeverythingaboutitisdaintilyneat,fromthestoppercoveredwithwhitekidtothelabelandthethread。Hisperemptorymanner,theeruptiononhisblotchedcountenance,thegreeneyes,andamalignantsomethingabouthim,——allthesethingsstruckthebeholderwiththesamesenseofsurpriseasstorm-cloudsinabluesky。Ifinhisprivateoffice,asheshowedhimselftoLaCibot,hewasthecommonknifethatamurderercatchesupforhiscrime,——now,atthePresidente'sdoor,hewasthedaintily-wroughtdaggerwhichawomansetsamongtheornamentsonherwhat-not。
　　AgreatchangehadtakenplaceintheRuedeHanovre。TheCountandCountessPopinotandtheyoungpeoplewouldnotallowthePresidentandhiswifetoleavethehousethattheyhadsettledupontheirdaughtertopayrentelsewhere。M。andMme。laPresidente,therefore,wereinstalledonthesecondfloor,nowleftatliberty,fortheelderlyladyhadmadeuphermindtoendherdaysinthecountry。
　　Mme。CamusottookMadeleineVivet,withhercookandherman-servant,tothesecondfloor,andwouldhavebeenasmuchpinchedformoneyasintheearlydays,ifthehousehadnotbeenrentfree,andthePresident'ssalaryincreasedtotenthousandfrancs。This/aureamediocritas/wasbutlittlesatisfactorytoMme。deMarville。Evennowshewishedformeansmoreinaccordancewithherambitions;forwhenshehandedovertheirfortunetotheirdaughter,shespoiledherhusband'sprospects。NowAmeliehadsetherheartuponseeingherhusbandintheChamberofDeputies;shewasnotoneofthosewomenwhofinditeasytogiveuptheirway;andshebynomeansdespairedofreturningherhusbandforthearrondissementinwhichMarvilleissituated。Soforthepasttwomonthsshehadteasedherfather-in-law,M。leBaronCamusotforthenewpeerofFrancehadbeenadvancedtothatrank,anddoneherutmosttoextortanadvanceofahundredthousandfrancsoftheinheritancewhichonedaywouldbetheirs。Shewanted,shesaid,tobuyasmallestateworthabouttwothousandfrancsperannumsetlikeawedgewithintheMarvillelands。Theresheandherhusbandwouldbeneartheirchildrenandintheirownhouse,whiletheadditionwouldroundouttheMarvilleproperty。WiththatthePresidentelaidstressupontherecentsacrificeswhichsheandherhusbandhadbeencompelledtomakeinordertomarryCeciletoViscountPopinot,andaskedtheoldmanhowhecouldbarhiseldestson'swaytothehighesthonorsofthemagistracy,whensuchhonorswereonlytobehadbythosewhomadethemselvesastrongpositioninparliament。Herhusbandwouldknowhowtotakeupsuchaposition,hewouldmakehimselffearedbythoseinoffice,andsoonandsoon。
　　“Theydonothingforyouunlessyoutightenahalterroundtheirneckstoloosentheirtongues,“saidshe。“Theyareungrateful。WhatdotheynotowetoCamusot!CamusotbroughttheHouseofOrleanstothethronebyenforcingtheordinancesofJuly。“
　　M。Camusotsenioransweredthathehadgoneoutofhisdepthinrailwayspeculations。Hequiteadmittedthatitwasnecessarytocometotherescue,butputoffthedayuntilsharesshouldrise,astheywereexpectedtodo。
　　Thishalf-promise,extractedsomefewdaysbeforeFraisier'svisit,hadplungedthePresidenteintodepthsofaffliction。Itwasdoubtfulwhethertheex-proprietorofMarvillewaseligibleforre-electionwithoutthelandqualification。
　　FraisierfoundnodifficultyinobtainingspeechofMadeleineVivet;
　　suchvipernaturesowntheirkinshipatonce。
　　“IshouldliketoseeMme。laPresidenteforafewmoments,mademoiselle,“Fraisiersaidinblandaccents;“Ihavecomeonamatterofbusinesswhichtouchesherfortune;itisaquestionofalegacy,besuretomentionthat。IhavenotthehonorofbeingknowntoMme。laPresidente,somynameisofnoconsequence。Iamnotinthehabitofleavingmychambers,butIknowtherespectthatisduetoaPresident'swife,andItookthetroubleofcomingmyselftosaveallpossibledelay。“
　　Thematterthusbroached,whenrepeatedandamplifiedbythewaiting-
　　maid,naturallybroughtafavorableanswer。ItwasadecisivemomentforthedoubleambitionhiddeninFraisier'smind。Boldasapettyprovincialattorney,sharp,rough-spoken,andcurtashewas,hefeltascaptainsfeelbeforethedecisivebattleofacampaign。Ashewentintothelittledrawing-roomwhereAmeliewaswaitingforhim,hefeltaslightperspirationbreakingoutuponhisforeheadanddownhisback。Everysudorifichithertoemployedhadfailedtoproducethisresultuponaskinwhichhorriblediseaseshadleftimpervious。“EvenifIfailtomakemyfortune,“saidhetohimself,“Ishallrecover。
　　PoulainsaidthatifIcouldonlyperspireIshouldrecover。“
　　ThePresidentecameforwardinhermorninggown。
　　“Madame——“saidFraisier,stoppingshorttobowwiththehumilitybywhichofficialsrecognizethesuperiorrankofthepersonwhomtheyaddress。
　　“Takeaseat,monsieur,“saidthePresidente。Shesawataglancethatthiswasamanoflaw。
　　“Mme。laPresidente,ifItakethelibertyofcallingyourattentiontoamatterwhichconcernsM。lePresident,itisbecauseIamsurethatM。deMarville,occupying,ashedoes,ahighposition,wouldleavematterstotaketheirnaturalcourse,andsolosesevenoreighthundredthousandfrancs,asumwhichladieswho,inmyopinion,haveafarbetterunderstandingofprivatebusinessthanthebestofmagistrates——asumwhichladies,Irepeat,wouldbynomeansdespise——“
　　“Youspokeofalegacy,“interruptedthelady,dazzledbythewealth,andanxioustohidehersurprise。AmeliedeMarville,likeanimpatientnovel-reader,wantedtheendofthestory。
　　“Yes,madame,alegacythatyouareliketolose;yes,tolosealtogether;butIcan,thatis,I/could/,recoveritforyou,if——“
　　“Speakout,monsieur。“Mme。deMarvillespokefrigidly,scanningFraisierasshespokewithasagaciouseye。
　　“Madame,youreminentcapacityisknowntome;IwasonceatMantes。
　　M。Leboeuf,PresidentoftheTribunal,isacquaintedwithM。deMarville,andcananswerinquiriesaboutme——“
　　ThePresidente'sshrugwassoruthlesslysignificant,thatFraisierwascompelledtomakeshortworkofhisparentheticdiscourse。
　　“SodistinguishedawomanwillatonceunderstandwhyIspeakofmyselfinthefirstplace。Itistheshortestwaytotheproperty。“
　　Tothisacuteobservationtheladyrepliedbyagesture。Fraisiertookthesignforapermissiontocontinue。
　　“Iwasanattorney,madame,atMantes。MyconnectionwasallthefortunethatIwaslikelytohave。ItookoverM。Levroux'spractice。
　　Youknewhim,nodoubt？”
　　ThePresidenteinclinedherhead。
　　“Withborrowedcapitalandsometenthousandfrancsofmyown,IwenttoMantes。IhadbeenwithDesroches,oneofthecleverestattorneysinParis,Ihadbeenhishead-clerkforsixyears。IwassounluckyastomakeanenemyoftheattorneyforthecrownatMantes,Monsieur——“
　　“OlivierVinet。“
　　“SonoftheAttorney-General,yes,madame。Hewaspayinghiscourttoalittleperson——“
　　“Whom？”
　　“Mme。Vatinelle。“
　　“Oh!Mme。Vatinelle。Shewasveryprettyandvery——er——whenIwasthere——“
　　“Shewasnotunkindtome：/indeiroe/,“Fraisiercontinued。“Iwasindustrious;Iwantedtorepaymyfriendsandtomarry;Iwantedwork;
　　Iwentinsearchofit;andbeforelongIhadmoreonmyhandsthananybodyelse。Bah!IhadeverysoulinMantesagainstme——attorneys,notaries,andeventhebailiffs。Theytriedtofastenaquarrelonme。
　　Inourruthlessprofession,asyouknow,madame,ifyouwishtoruinaman,itissoondone。Iwasconcernedforbothpartiesinacase,andtheyfounditout。Itwasatrifleirregular;butitissometimesdoneinParis,attorneysincertaincaseshandtherhubarbandtakethesenna。TheydothingsdifferentlyatMantes。IhaddoneM。Bouyonnetthislittleservicebefore;but,eggedonbyhiscolleaguesandtheattorneyforthecrown,hebetrayedme——Iamkeepingbacknothing,yousee——Therewasagreathueandcryaboutit。Iwasascoundrel;
　　theymademeoutblackerthanMarat;forcedmetosellout;ruinedme。
　　AndIaminParisnow。Ihavetriedtogettogetherapractice;butmyhealthissobad,thatIhaveonlytwoquiethoursoutofthetwenty-
　　four。
　　“AtthismomentIhavebutoneambition,andaverysmallone。Someday,“hecontinued,“youwillbethewifeoftheKeeperoftheSeals,oroftheHomeSecretary,itmaybe;butI,poorandsicklyasIam,desirenothingbutapostinwhichIcanliveinpeacefortherestofmylife,aplacewithoutanyopeninginwhichtovegetate。IshouldliketobeajusticeofthepeaceinParis。ItwouldbeameretrifleforyouandM。lePresidenttogaintheappointmentforme;forthepresentKeeperoftheSealsmustbeanxioustokeepongoodtermswithyou……
　　“Andthatisnotall,madame,“addedFraisier。SeeingthatMme。deMarvillewasabouttospeak,hecuthershortwithagesture。“Ihaveafriend,thedoctorinattendanceontheoldmanwhooughttoleavehispropertytoM。lePresident。Wearecomingtothepoint,yousee。Thedoctor'sco-operationisindispensable,andthedoctorispreciselyinmyposition：hehasabilities,heisunlucky。Ilearnedthroughhimhowfaryourinterestswereimperiled;forevenasI
　　speak,allmaybeover,andthewilldisinheritingM。lePresidentmayhavebeenmade。Thisdoctorwishestobehead-surgeonofahospitalorofaGovernmentschool。HemusthaveapositioninParisequaltomine……PardonmeifIhaveenlargedonamattersodelicate;butwemusthavenomisunderstandingsinthisbusiness。Thedoctoris,besides,muchrespectedandlearned;hesavedthelifeoftheComtessePopinot'sgreat-uncle,M。Pillerault。
　　“Now,ifyouaresogoodastopromisethesetwoposts——theappointmentofjusticeofthepeaceandthesinecureformyfriend——I
　　willundertaketobringyoutheproperty,/almost/intact——Almostintact,Isay,fortheco-operationofthelegateeandseveralotherpersonsisabsolutelyindispensable,andsomeobligationswillbeincurred。YouwillnotredeemyourpromisesuntilIhavefulfilledmine。“
　　ThePresidentehadfoldedherarms,andforthelastminuteortwosatlikeapersoncompelledtolistentoasermon。Nowsheunfoldedherarms,andlookedatFraisierasshesaid,“Monsieur,allthatyousayconcerningyourinterestshasthemeritofclearness;butmyowninterestsinthematterarebynomeanssoclear——“
　　“Awordortwowillexplaineverything,madame。M。lePresidentisM。
　　Pons'firstcousinonceremoved,andhissoleheir。M。Ponsisveryill;heisabouttomakehiswill,ifitisnotalreadymade,infavorofaGerman,afriendofhisnamedSchmucke;andhehasmorethansevenhundredthousandfrancstoleave。Ihopetohaveanaccuratevaluationmadeintwoorthreedays——“
　　“Ifthisisso,“saidthePresidente,“Imadeagreatmistakeinquarrelingwithhimandthrowingtheblame——“shethoughtaloud,amazedbythepossibilityofsuchasum。
　　“No,madame。Iftherehadbeennorupture,hewouldbeasblitheasalarkatthismoment,andmightoutliveyouandM。lePresidentandme……ThewaysofProvidencearemysterious,letusnotseektofathomthem,“headdedtopalliatetosomeextentthehideousidea。“Itcannotbehelped。Wemenofbusinesslookatthepracticalaspectsofthings。Nowyouseeclearly,madame,thatM。deMarvilleinhispublicpositionwoulddonothing,andcoulddonothing,asthingsare。Hehasbrokenoffallrelationswithhiscousin。YouseenothingnowofPons;
　　youhaveforbiddenhimthehouse;youhadexcellentreasons,nodoubt,fordoingasyoudid,buttheoldmanisill,andheisleavinghispropertytotheonlyfriendlefttohim。APresidentoftheCourtofAppealinPariscouldsaynothingundersuchcircumstancesifthewillwasmadeoutindueform。Butbetweenourselves,madame,whenonehasarighttoexpectsevenoreighthundredthousandfrancs——oramillion,itmaybehowshouldIknow?——itisveryunpleasanttohaveitslipthroughone'sfingers,especiallyifonehappenstobetheheir-at-law……But,ontheotherhand,topreventthis,oneisobligedtostooptodirtywork;worksodifficult,soticklish,bringingyoucheekbyjowlwithsuchlowpeople,servantsandsubordinates;andintosuchclosecontactwiththemtoo,thatnobarrister,noattorneyinPariscouldtakeupsuchacase。
　　“Whatyouwantisabrieflessbarristerlikeme,“saidhe,“amanwhoshouldhaverealandsolidability,whohaslearnedtobedevoted,andyet,beinginaprecariousposition,isbroughttemporarilytoalevelwithsuchpeople。InmyarrondissementIundertakebusinessforsmalltradespeopleandworkingfolk。Yes,madame,youseethestraitstowhichIhavebeenbroughtbytheenmityofanattorneyforthecrown,nowadeputy-publicprosecutorinParis,whocouldnotforgivememysuperiority——Iknowyou,madame,Iknowthatyourinfluencemeansasolidcertainty;andinsuchaservicerenderedtoyou,IsawtheendofmytroublesandsuccessformyfriendDr。Poulain。“
　　TheladysatpensiveduringamomentofunspeakabletortureforFraisier。Vinet,anoratoroftheCentre,attorney-general/procureur-general/forthepastsixteenyears,nominatedhalf-a-
　　scoreoftimesforthechancellorship,thefather,moreover,oftheattorneyforthecrownatManteswhohadbeenappointedtoapostinPariswithinthelastyear——VinetwasanenemyandarivalforthemalignantPresidente。Thehaughtyattorney-generaldidnothidehiscontemptforPresidentCamusot。ThisfactFraisierdidnotknow,andcouldnotknow。
　　“Haveyounothingonyourconsciencebutthefactthatyouwereconcernedforbothparties？”askedshe,lookingsteadilyatFraisier。
　　“Mme。laPresidentecanseeM。Leboeuf;M。Leboeufwasfavorabletome。“
　　“DoyoufeelsurethatM。LeboeufwillgiveM。deMarvilleandM。leComtePopinotagoodaccountofyou？”
　　“Iwillanswerforit,especiallynowthatM。OlivierVinethasleftMantes;forbetweenourselves,goodM。Leboeufwasafraidofthatcrabbedlittleofficial。Ifyouwillpermitme,MadameLaPresidente,IwillgotoMantesandseeM。Leboeuf。Notimewillbelost,forI
　　cannotbecertainoftheprecisevalueofthepropertyfortwoorthreedays。Idonotwishthatyoushouldknowalltheinsandoutsofthisaffair;yououghtnottoknowthem,Mme。laPresidente,butisnottherewardthatIexpectformycompletedevotionapledgeofmysuccess？”
　　“Verywell。IfM。Leboeufwillspeakinyourfavor,andifthepropertyisworthasmuchasyouthinkIdoubtitmyself,youshallhavebothappointments,/if/yousucceed,mindyou——“
　　“Iwillanswerforit,madame。Only,youmustbesogoodastohaveyournotaryandyourattorneyherewhenIshallneedthem;youmustgivemeapowerofattorneytoactforM。lePresident,andtellthosegentlementofollowmyinstructions,andtodonothingontheirownresponsibility。“
　　“Theresponsibilityrestswithyou,“thePresidenteansweredsolemnly,“soyououghttohavefullpowers——ButisM。Ponsveryill？”sheasked,smiling。
　　“Uponmyword,madame,hemightpullthrough,especiallywithsoconscientiousadoctorasPoulaininattendance;forthisfriendofmine,madame,issimplyanunconsciousspydirectedbymeinyourinterests。Lefttohimself,hewouldsavetheoldman'slife;butthereissomeoneelsebythesickbed,aportress,whowouldpushhimintothegraveforthirtythousandfrancs。Notthatshewouldkillhimoutright;shewillnotgivehimarsenic,sheisnotsomerciful;shewilldoworse,shewillkillhimbyinches;shewillworryhimtodeathdaybyday。Ifthepooroldmanwerekeptquietandleftinpeace;ifheweretakenintothecountryandcaredforandmademuchofbyfriends,hewouldgetwellagain;butheisharassedbyasortofMme。Evrard。Whenthewomanwasyoungshewasoneofthirty/BellesEcailleres/,famousinParis,sheisarough,greedy,gossipingwoman;
　　shetormentshimtomakeawillandtoleavehersomethinghandsome,andtheendofitwillbeindurationoftheliver,calculiarepossiblyformingatthismoment,andhehasnotenoughstrengthtobearanoperation。Thedoctor,noblesoul,isinahorriblepredicament。Hereallyoughttosendthewomanaway——“
　　“Why,then,thisvixenisamonster！”criedtheladyinthinflute-
　　liketones。
　　FraisiersmiledinwardlyatthelikenessbetweenhimselfandtheterriblePresidente;heknewallaboutthosesuavemodulationsofanaturallysharpvoice。Hethoughtofanotherpresident,theheroofananecdoterelatedbyLouisXI。,stampedbythatmonarch'sfinalpraise。
　　BlessedwithawifeafterthepatternofSocrates'spouse,andungiftedwiththesage'sphilosophy,hemingledsaltwiththecorninthemangersandforbadthegroomstogivewatertothehorses。AshiswiferodealongtheSeinetowardstheircountry-house,theanimalsboltedintotheriverwiththelady,andthemagistratereturnedthankstoProvidenceforriddinghimofhiswife“insonaturalamanner。“AtthispresentmomentMme。deMarvillethankedHeavenforplacingatPons'bedsideawomansolikelytogethim“decently“outoftheway。
　　Aloudshesaid,“Iwouldnottakeamillionatthepriceofasinglescruple——YourfriendoughttospeaktoM。Ponsandhavethewomansentaway。“
　　“Inthefirstplace,madame,Messrs。SchmuckeandPonsthinkthewomananangel;theywouldsendmyfriendaway。Andsecondly,thedoctorliesunderanobligationtothishorridoyster-woman;shecalledhimintoattendM。Pillerault。Whenhetellshertobeasgentleaspossiblewiththepatient,hesimplyshowsthecreaturehowtomakemattersworse。“
　　“Whatdoesyourfriendthinkof/my/cousin'scondition？”
　　Thisman'sclear,business-likewayofputtingthefactsofthecasefrightenedMme。deMarville;shefeltthathiskeengazereadthethoughtsofaheartasgreedyasLaCibot'sown。
　　“Insixweeksthepropertywillchangehands。“
　　ThePresidentedroppedhereyes。
　　“Poorman！”shesighed,vainlystrivingafteradolorousexpression。
　　“Haveyouanymessage,madame,forM。Leboeuf?IamtakingthetraintoMantes。“
　　“Yes。Waitamoment,andIwillwritetoaskhimtodinewithusto-morrow。Iwanttoseehim,sothathemayactinconcerttorepairtheinjusticetowhichyouhavefallenavictim。“