ThePresidentelefttheroom。Fraisiersawhimselfajusticeofthepeace。Hefelttransformedatthethought;hegrewstouter;hislungswerefilledwiththebreathofsuccess,thebreezeofprosperity。Hedippedintothemysteriousreservoirsofvolitionforfreshandstrongdosesofthedivineessence。Toreachsuccess,hefelt,asRemonencqhalffelt,thathewasreadyforanything,forcrimeitself,providedthatnoproofsofitremained。HehadfacedthePresidenteboldly;hehadtransmutedconjectureintoreality;hehadmadeassertionsrightandleft,alltotheendthatshemightauthorizehimtoprotectherinterestsandwinherinfluence。Ashestoodthere,herepresentedtheinfinitemiseryoftwolives,andthenolessboundlessdesiresoftwomen。HespurnedthesqualidhorrorsoftheRuedelaPerle。HesawtheglitterofathousandcrownsinfeesfromLaCibot,andfivethousandfrancsfromthePresidente。Thismeantanabodesuchasbefittedhisfutureprospects。Finally,hewasrepayingDr。Poulain。
　　Therearehard,ill-naturedbeings,goadedbydistressordiseaseintoactivemalignity,thatyetentertaindiametricallyopposedsentimentswithalikedegreeofvehemence。IfRichelieuwasagoodhater,hewasnolessagoodfriend。Fraisier,inhisgratitude,wouldhavelethimselfbecutintwoforPoulain。
　　Soabsorbedwasheinthesevisionsofacomfortableandprosperouslife,thathedidnotseethePresidentecomeinwiththeletterinherhand,andshe,lookingathim,thoughthimlessuglynowthanatfirst。Hewasabouttobeusefultoher,andassoonasatoolbelongstouswelookuponitwithothereyes。
　　“M。Fraisier,“saidshe,“youhaveconvincedmeofyourintelligence,andIthinkthatyoucanspeakfrankly。“
　　Fraisierrepliedbyaneloquentgesture。
　　“Verywell,“continuedthelady,“Imustaskyoutogiveacandidreplytothisquestion：Arewe,eitherofus,M。deMarvilleorI,likelytobecompromised,directlyorindirectly,byyouractioninthismatter？”
　　“Iwouldnothavecometoyou,madame,ifIthoughtthatsomedayI
　　shouldhavetoreproachmyselfforbringingsomuchasasplashofmuduponyou,forinyourpositionaspeckthesizeofapin'sheadisseenbyalltheworld。Youforget,madame,thatImustsatisfyyouifIamtobeajusticeofthepeaceinParis。Ihavereceivedonelessonattheoutsetofmylife;itwassosharpthatIdonotcaretolaymyselfopentoasecondthrashing。Tosumitupinalastword,madame,Iwillnottakeastepinwhichyouareindirectlyinvolvedwithoutpreviouslyconsultingyou——“
　　“Verygood。Hereistheletter。AndnowIshallexpecttobeinformedoftheexactvalueoftheestate。“
　　“Thereisthewholematter,“saidFraisiershrewdly,makinghisbowtothePresidentewithasmuchgraciousnessashiscountenancecouldexhibit。
　　“Whataprovidence！”thoughtMme。CamusotdeMarville。“SoIamtoberich!CamusotwillbesureofhiselectionifweletloosethisFraisierupontheBolbecconstituency。Whatatool！”
　　“Whataprovidence！”Fraisiersaidtohimselfashedescendedthestaircase;“andwhatasharpwomanMme。Camusotis!Ishouldwantawomaninthesecircumstances。Nowtowork！”
　　AndhedepartedforMantestogainthegoodgracesofamanhescarcelyknew;buthecounteduponMme。Vatinelle,towhom,unfortunately,heowedallhistroubles——andsometroublesareofakindthatresembleaprotestedbillwhilethedefaulterisyetsolvent,inthattheybearinterest。
　　Threedaysafterwards,whileSchmuckesleptforinaccordancewiththecompacthenowsatupatnightwiththepatient,LaCibothada“tiff,“asshewaspleasedtocallit,withPons。Itwillnotbeoutofplacetocallattentiontooneparticularlydistressingsymptomoflivercomplaint。Thesuffererisalwaysmoreorlessinclinedtoimpatienceandfitsofanger;anoutburstofthiskindseemstogivereliefatthetime,muchasapatientwhilethefeverfitisuponhimfeelsthathehasboundlessstrength;butcollapsesetsinsosoonastheexcitementpassesoff,andthefullextentofmischiefsustainedbythesystemisdiscernible。Thisisespeciallythecasewhenthediseasehasbeeninducedbysomegreatshock;andtheprostrationissomuchthemoredangerousbecausethepatientiskeptuponarestricteddiet。Itisakindoffeveraffectingneitherthebloodnorthebrain,butthehumoristicmechanism,frettingthewholesystem,producingmelancholy,inwhichthepatienthateshimself;insuchacrisisanythingmaycausedangerousirritation。
　　Inspiteofallthatthedoctorcouldsay,LaCibothadnobeliefinthiswearandtearofthenervoussystembythehumoristic。Shewasawomanofthepeople,withoutexperienceoreducation;Dr。Poulain'sexplanationsforherweresimply“doctor'snotions。“Likemostofherclass,shethoughtthatsickpeoplemustbefed,andnothingshortofDr。Poulain'sdirectorderpreventedherfromadministeringham,aniceomelette,orvanillachocolateuponthesly。
　　Theinfatuationoftheworkingclassesonthispointisverystrong。
　　Thereasonoftheirreluctancetoenterahospitalistheideathattheywillbestarvedthere。Themortalitycausedbythefoodsmuggledinbythewivesofpatientsonvisiting-dayswasatonetimesogreatthatthedoctorswereobligedtoinstituteaverystrictsearchforcontrabandprovisions。
　　IfLaCibotwastorealizeherprofitsatonce,amomentaryquarrelmustbeworkedupinsomeway。ShebeganbytellingPonsabouthervisittothetheatre,notomittingherpassageatarmswithMlle。
　　Heloisethedancer。
　　“Butwhydidyougo？”theinvalidaskedforthethirdtime。LaCibotoncelaunchedonastreamofwords,hewaspowerlesstostopher。
　　“So,then,whenIhadgivenherapieceofmymind,MademoiselleHeloisesawwhoIwasandknuckledunder,andwewerethebestoffriends——AndnowdoyouaskmewhyIwent？”sheadded,repeatingPons'question。
　　Therearecertainbabblers,babblersofgeniusarethey,whosweepupinterruptions,objections,andobservationsinthiswayastheygoalong,bywayofprovisiontoswellthematteroftheirconversation,asifthatsourcewereeverinanydangerofrunningdry。
　　“WhyIwent？”repeatedshe。“IwenttogetyourM。Gaudissartoutofafix。Hewantssomemusicforaballet,andyouarehardlyfittoscribbleonsheetsofpaperanddoyourwork,dearie——SoI
　　understood,thingsbeingso,thataM。Garangeotwastobeaskedtosetthe/Mohicans/tomusic——“
　　“Garangeot！”roaredPonsinfury。“/Garangeot!/amanwithnotalent;
　　Iwouldnothavehimforfirstviolin!Heisveryclever,heisverygoodatmusicalcriticism,butastocomposing——Idoubtit!Andwhatthedevilputthenotionofgoingtothetheatreintoyourhead？”
　　“Howconfoundedlycontrairythemanis!Lookhere,dearie,wemustn'tboiloverlikemilkonthefire!Howareyoutowritemusicinthestatethatyouarein?Why,youcan'thavelookedatyourselfintheglass!Willyouhavetheglassandsee?Youarenothingbutskinandbone——youareasweakasasparrow,anddoyouthinkthatyouarefittomakeyournotes!why,youwouldnotsomuchasmakeoutmine……
　　AndthatremindsmethatIoughttogouptothethirdfloorlodger'sthatowesusseventeenfrancs,forwhenthechemisthasbeenpaidweshallnothavetwentyleft——SoIhadtotellM。GaudissartIlikethatname,agoodsortheseemstobe,——aregularRogerBontempsthatwouldjustsuitme——/He/willneverhavelivercomplaint!——Well,soI
　　hadtotellhimhowyouwere——Lord!youarenotwell,andhehasputsomeoneelseinyourplaceforabit——“
　　“Someoneelseinmyplace！”criedPonsinaterriblevoice,ashesatrightupinbed。Sickpeople,generallyspeaking,andthosemostparticularlywholiewithinthesweepofthescytheofDeath,clingtotheirplaceswiththesamepassionateenergythatthebeginnerdisplaystogainastartinlife。Tohearthatsomeonehadtakenhisplacewaslikeaforetasteofdeathtothedyingman。
　　“Why,thedoctortoldmethatIwasgoingonaswellaspossible,“
　　continuedhe;“hesaidthatIshouldsoonbeaboutagainasusual。Youhavekilledme,ruinedme,murderedme！”
　　“Tut,tut,tut！”criedLaCibot,“thereyougo!Iamkillingyou,amI?Mercyonus!thesearetheprettythingsthatyouarealwaystellingM。Schmuckewhenmybackisturned。Ihearallthatyousay,thatIdo!Youareamonsterofingratitude。“
　　“ButyoudonotknowthatifIamonlyawayforanotherfortnight,theywilltellmethatIhavehadmyday,thatIamold-fashioned,outofdate,Empire,rococo,whenIgoback。Garangeotwillhavemadefriendsalloverthetheatre,highandlow。Hewilllowerthepitchtosuitsomeactressthatcannotsing,hewilllickM。Gaudissart'sboots！”criedthesickman,whoclungtolife。“Hehasfriendsthatwillpraisehiminallthenewspapers;andwhenthingsarelikethatinsuchashop,Mme。Cibot,theycanfindholesinanybody'scoat……Whatfienddroveyoutodoit？”
　　“Why!plaguetakeit,M。Schmucketalkeditoverwithmeforaweek。
　　Whatwouldyouhave?Youseenothingbutyourself!Youaresoselfishthatotherpeoplemaydieifyoucanonlygetbetter——WhypoorM。
　　Schmuckehasbeentiredoutthismonthpast!heistiedbytheleg,hecangonowhere,hecannotgivelessonsnortakehisplaceatthetheatre。Doyoureallyseenothing?Hesitsupwithyouatnight,andItakethenursingintheday。IfIweretositupatnightwithyou,asItriedtodoatfirstwhenIthoughtyouweresopoor,Ishouldhavetosleepallday。Andwhowouldseetothehouseandlookoutforsqualls!Illnessisillness,itcannotbehelped,andhereareyou——“
　　“ThiswasnotSchmucke'sidea,itisquiteimpossible——“
　　“Thatmeansthatitwas/I/whotookitintomyheadtodoit,doesit?Doyouthinkthatwearemadeofiron?Why,ifM。Schmuckehadgivensevenoreightlessonseverydayandconductedtheorchestraeveryeveningatthetheatrefromsixo'clocktillhalf-pastelevenatnight,hewouldhavediedintendays'time。Poorman,hewouldgivehislifeforyou,anddoyouwanttobethedeathofhim?Bytheauthorsofmydays,Ihaveneverseenasickmantomatchyou!Whereareyoursenses?haveyouputtheminpawn?Weareallslavingourlivesoutforyou;wedoallforthebest,andyouarenotsatisfied!
　　Doyouwanttodriveusragingmad?Imyself,tobeginwith,amtiredoutasitis——“
　　LaCibotrattledonatherease;Ponswastooangrytosayaword。Hewrithedonhisbed,painfullyutteringinarticulatesounds;theblowwaskillinghim。Andatthispoint,asusual,thescoldingturnedsuddenlytotenderness。Thenursedashedatherpatient,graspedhimbythehead,madehimliedownbymainforce,anddraggedtheblanketsoverhim。
　　“Howanyonecangetintosuchastate！”exclaimedshe。“Afterall,itisyourillness,dearie。ThatiswhatgoodM。Poulainsays。Seenow,keepquietandbegood,mydearlittlesonny。Everybodythatcomesnearyouworshipsyou,andthedoctorhimselfcomestoseeyoutwiceaday。Whatwouldhesayifhefoundyouinsuchaway?Youputmeoutofallpatience;yououghtnottobehavelikethis。IfyouhaveMa'amCibottonurseyou,youshouldtreatherbetter。Youshoutandyoutalk!——yououghtnottodoit,youknowthat。Talkingirritatesyou。
　　Andwhydoyouflyintoapassion?Thewrongisallonyourside;youarealwaysbotheringme。Lookhere,letushaveitout!IfM。SchmuckeandI,wholoveyoulikeourlife,thoughtthatweweredoingright——
　　well,mycherub,itwasright,youmaybesure。“
　　“Schmuckenevercouldhavetoldyoutogotothetheatrewithoutspeakingtomeaboutit——“
　　“AndmustIwakehim,poordear,whenheissleepinglikeoneoftheblest,andcallhiminasawitness？”
　　“No,no！”criedPons。“IfmykindandlovingSchmuckemadetheresolution,perhapsIamworsethanIthought。“Hiseyeswanderedroundtheroom,dwellingonthebeautifulthingsinitwithamelancholylookpainfultosee。
　　“SoImustsaygood-byetomydearpictures,toallthethingsthathavecometobelikesomanyfriendstome……andtomydivinefriendSchmucke?……Oh!canitbetrue？”
　　LaCibot,actingherheartlesscomedy,heldherhandkerchieftohereyes;andatthatmuteresponsethesuffererfelltodarkmusing——sosorelystrickenwashebythedoublestabdealttohealthandhisinterestsbythelossofhispostandthenearprospectofdeath,thathehadnostrengthleftforanger。Helay,ghastlyandwan,likeaconsumptivepatientafterawrestlingboutwiththeDestroyer。
　　“InM。Schmucke'sinterests,yousee,youwoulddowelltosendforM。
　　Trognon;heisthenotaryofthequarterandaverygoodman,“saidLaCibot,seeingthathervictimwascompletelyexhausted。
　　“YouarealwaystalkingaboutthisTrognon——“
　　“Oh!heoranother,itisallonetome,foranythingyouwillleaveme。“
　　Shetossedherheadtosignifythatshedespisedriches。Therewassilenceintheroom。
　　AmomentlaterSchmuckecamein。Hehadsleptforsixhours,hungerawakenedhim,andnowhestoodatPons'bedsidewatchinghisfriendwithoutsayingaword,forMme。Cibothadlaidafingeronherlips。
　　“Hush！”shewhispered。Thensheroseandwentuptoaddunderherbreath,“Heisgoingofftosleepatlast,thankHeaven!Heisascrossasareddonkey!——Whatcanyouexpect,heisstrugglingwithhisillness——“
　　“No,onthecontrary,Iamverypatient,“saidthevictiminawearyvoicethattoldofadreadfulexhaustion;“but,oh!Schmucke,mydearfriend,shehasbeentothetheatretoturnmeoutofmyplace。“
　　Therewasapause。Ponswastooweaktosaymore。LaCibottooktheopportunityandtappedherheadsignificantly。“Donotcontradicthim,“shesaidtoSchmucke;“itwouldkillhim。“
　　PonsgazedintoSchmucke'shonestface。“Andshesaysthatyousenther——“hecontinued。
　　“Yes,“Schmuckeaffirmedheroically。“Ithadtope。Hush!——letussafeyourlife。Itisabsurdtovorkandtrainyoursdrengthgifyouhafadreasure。Getbetter;vevillsellsomeprick-a-prackundendourtayskvietlyinacornersomveres,mitkindMontameZipod。“
　　“Shehaspervertedyou,“moanedPons。
　　Mme。Cibothadtakenupherstationbehindthebedtomakesignalsunobserved。Ponsthoughtthatshehadlefttheroom。“Sheismurderingme,“headded。
　　“Whatisthat?Iammurderingyou,amI？”criedLaCibot,suddenlyappearing,handonhipsandeyesaflame。“Iamasfaithfulasadog,andthisisallIget!GodAlmighty!——“
　　Sheburstintotearsanddroppeddownintothegreatchair,atragicalmovementwhichwroughtamostdisastrousrevulsioninPons。
　　“Verygood,“shesaid,risingtoherfeet。Thewoman'smalignanteyeslookedpoisonandbulletsatthetwofriends。“Verygood。NothingthatIcandoisrighthere,andIamtiredofslavingmylifeout。Youshalltakeanurse。“
　　PonsandSchmuckeexchangedglancesindismay。
　　“Oh!youmaylookateachotherlikeactors。Imeanit。IshallaskDr。Poulaintofindanurseforyou。Andnowwewillsettleaccounts。
　　YoushallpaymebackthemoneythatIhavespentonyou,andthatI
　　wouldneverhaveaskedyoufor,IthathavegonetoM。Pilleraulttoborrowanotherfivehundredfrancsofhim——“
　　“Iteeshisillness！”criedSchmucke——hesprangtoMme。Cibotandputanarmroundherwaist——“hafbatience。“
　　“Asforyou,youareanangel,Icouldkissthegroundyoutreadupon,“saidshe。“ButM。Ponsneverlikedme,healwayshatedme。
　　Besides,hethinksperhapsthatIwanttobementionedinhiswill——“
　　“Hush!youvillkillhim！”criedSchmucke。
　　“Good-bye,sir,“saidLaCibot,withawitheringlookatPons。“YoumaykeepwellforalltheharmIwishyou。Whenyoucanspeaktomepleasantly,whenyoucanbelievethatwhatIdoisdoneforthebest,Iwillcomebackagain。TillthenIshallstayinmyownroom。Youwerelikemyownchildtome;didanybodyeverseeachildrevoltagainstitsmother?……No,no,M。Schmucke,Idonotwanttohearmore。Iwillbringyou/your/dinnerandwaitupon/you/,butyoumusttakeanurse。AskM。Poulainaboutit。“
　　Andshewentout,slammingthedoorafterhersoviolentlythattheprecious,fragileobjectsintheroomtrembled。ToPonsinhistorture,therattleofchinawaslikethefinalblowdealtbytheexecutionertoavictimbrokenonthewheel。
　　AnhourlaterLaCibotcalledtoSchmuckethroughthedoor,tellinghimthathisdinnerwaswaitingforhiminthedining-room。Shewouldnotcrossthethreshold。PoorSchmuckewentouttoherwithahaggard,tear-stainedface。
　　“MeinboorBonsinvandering,“saidhe;“hesaysdatyouareeinpadvoman。Iteeshisillness,“headdedhastily,tosoftenLaCibotandexcusehisfriend。
　　“Oh,Ihavehadenoughofhisillness!Lookhere,heisneitherfather,norhusband,norbrother,norchildofmine。Hehastakenadisliketome;wellandgood,thatisenough!Asforyou,yousee,I
　　wouldfollow/you/totheendoftheworld;butwhenawomangivesherlife,herheart,andallhersavings,andneglectsherhusbandforherehasCibotfallenill,andthenhearsthatsheisabadwoman——itiscomingitrathertoostrong,itis。“
　　“Tooshtrong？”
　　“Toostrong,yes。Nevermindidlewords。Letuscometothefacts。Astothat,youowemeforthreemonthsatahundredandninetyfrancs——
　　thatisfivehundredseventyfrancs;thenthereistherentthatI
　　havepaidtwiceherearethereceipts,sixhundredmore,includingratesandthesouinthefrancfortheporter——somethingundertwelvehundredfrancsaltogether,andwiththetwothousandfrancsbesides——
　　withoutinterest,mindyou——thetotalamountstothreethousandonehundredandninety-twofrancs。Andrememberthatyouwillwantatleasttwothousandfrancsbeforelongforthedoctor,andthenurse,andthemedicine,andthenurse'sboard。ThatwaswhyIborrowedathousandfrancsofM。Pillerault,“andwiththatsheheldupGaudissart'sbank-note。
　　ItmayreadilybeconceivedthatSchmuckelistenedtothisreckoningwithamazement,forheknewaboutasmuchofbusinessasacatknowsofmusic。
　　“MontameZipod,“heexpostulated,“Bonshaflosthishead。Bardonhim,andnursehimasbefore,undpeourprofidence;Ipegitofyouonmineknees,“andhekneltbeforeLaCibotandkissedthetormentor'shands。
　　LaCibotraisedSchmuckeandkissedhimontheforehead。“Listen,mylamb,“saidshe,“hereisCibotillinbed;IhavejustsentforDr。
　　Poulain。SoIoughttosetmyaffairsinorder。Andwhatismore,Cibotsawmecrying,andflewintosuchapassionthathewillnothavemesetfootinhereagain。Itis/he/whowantsthemoney;itishis,yousee。Wewomencandonothingwhenitcomestothat。Butifyoulethimhavehismoneybackagain——thethreethousandtwohundredfrancs——hewillbequietperhaps。Poorman,itishisall,earnedbythesweatofhisbrow,thesavingsoftwenty-sixyearsoflifetogether。Hemusthavehismoneyto-morrow;thereisnogettingroundhim——YoudonotknowCibot;whenheisangryhewouldkillaman。
　　Well,Imightperhapsgetleaveofhimtolookafteryoubothasbefore。Beeasy。Iwilljustlethimsayanythingthatcomesintohishead。Iwillbearitallforloveofyou,anangelasyouare。“
　　“No,Iameinboorman,dotlofhisfriendandvouldgifhislifetosavehim——“
　　“Butthemoney？”brokeinLaCibot。“MygoodM。Schmucke,letussupposethatyoupaymenothing;youwillwantthreethousandfrancs,andwherearetheytocomefrom?Uponmyword,doyouknowwhatI
　　shoulddoinyourplace?Ishouldnotthinktwice,Ishouldjustsellsevenoreightgood-for-nothingpicturesandputupsomeofthoseinsteadthatarestandinginyourclosetwiththeirfacestothewallforwantofroom。Onepictureoranother,whatdifferencedoesitmake？”
　　“Undvy？”
　　“Heissocunning。Itishisillness,forheisalambwhenheiswell。Heiscapableofgettingupandpryingabout;andifbyanychancehewentintothesalon,heissoweakthathecouldnotgobeyondthedoor;hewouldseethattheyareallstillthere。“
　　“Drue！”
　　“Andwhenheisquitewell,wewilltellhimaboutthesale。Andifyouwishtoconfess,throwitalluponme,saythatyouwereobligedtopayme。Come!Ihaveabroadback——“
　　“Icannottisposeofdingsdotarenotmine,“thegoodGermanansweredsimply。
　　“Verywell。Iwillsummonsyou,youandM。Pons。“
　　“Itvouldkillhim——“
　　“Takeyourchoice!Dearme,sellthepicturesandtellhimaboutitafterwards……youcanshowhimthesummons——“
　　“Ver'goot。Summonsus。Dotshallpemineegscuse。Ishallshowhimderchudgment。“
　　Mme。Cibotwentdowntothecourt,andthatverydayatseveno'clockshecalledtoSchmucke。SchmuckefoundhimselfconfrontedwithM。
　　Tabareauthebailiff,whocalleduponhimtopay。Schmuckemadeanswer,tremblingfromheadtofoot,andwasforthwithsummonedtogetherwithPons,toappearinthecountycourttohearjudgmentagainsthim。ThesightofthebailiffandabitofstampedpapercoveredwithscrawlsproducedsuchaneffectuponSchmucke,thatheheldoutnolonger。
　　“Selldiebictures,“hesaid,withtearsinhiseyes。
　　Nextmorning,atsixo'clock,ElieMagusandRemonencqtookdownthepaintingsoftheirchoice。Tworeceiptsfortwothousandfivehundredfrancsweremadeoutincorrectform：——
　　“I,theundersigned,representingM。Pons,acknowledgethereceiptoftwothousandfivehundredfrancsfromM。ElieMagusforthefourpicturessoldtohim,thesaidsumbeingappropriatedtotheuseofM。
　　Pons。Thefirstpicture,attributedtoDurer,isaportraitofawoman;thesecond,likewiseaportrait,isoftheItalianSchool;thethird,aDutchlandscapebyBreughel;andthefourth,a/HolyFamily/
　　byanunknownmasteroftheFlorentineSchool。“
　　Remonencq'sreceiptwaswordedinpreciselythesameway;aGreuze,aClaudeLorraine,aRubens,andaVanDyckbeingdisguisedaspicturesoftheFrenchandFlemishschools。
　　“Dermonnymakesmebeleefdotthechimcrackshafsomvalue,“saidSchmuckewhenthefivethousandfrancswerepaidover。
　　“Theyareworthsomething,“saidRemonencq。“Iwouldwillinglygiveyouahundredthousandfrancsforthelot。“
　　Remonencq,askedtodoatriflingservice,hungeightpicturesofthepropersizeinthesameframes,takingthemfromamongthelessvaluablepicturesinSchmucke'sbedroom。
　　NosoonerwasElieMagusinpossessionofthefourgreatpicturesthanhewent,takingLaCibotwithhim,underpretenceofsettlingaccounts。Buthepleadedpoverty,hefoundfaultwiththepictures,theyneededrebacking,heofferedLaCibotthirtythousandfrancsbywayofcommission,andfinallydazzledherwiththesheetsofpaperonwhichtheBankofFranceengravesthewords“Onethousandfrancs“incapitalletters。MagusthereuponcondemnedRemonencqtopaythelikesumtoLaCibot,bylendinghimthemoneyonthesecurityofhisfourpictures,whichhetookwithhimasaguarantee。Sogloriouswerethey,thatMaguscouldnotbringhimselftopartwiththem,andnextdayheboughtthemofRemonencqforsixthousandfrancsoverandabovetheoriginalprice,andaninvoicewasdulymadeoutforthefour。
　　Mme。Cibot,thericherbysixty-eightthousandfrancs,oncemoresworehertwoaccomplicestoabsolutesecrecy。ThensheaskedtheJew'sadvice。Shewantedtoinvestthemoneyinsuchawaythatnooneshouldknowofit。
　　“BuysharesintheOrleansRailway,“saidhe;“theyarethirtyfrancsbelowpar,youwilldoubleyourcapitalinthreeyears。Theywillgiveyouscrapsofpaper,whichyoukeepsafeinaportfolio。“
　　“Stayhere,M。Magus。IwillgoandfetchthemanofbusinesswhoactsforM。Pons'family。Hewantstoknowhowmuchyouwillgivehimforthewholebagoftricksupstairs。Iwillgoforhimnow。“
　　“Ifonlyshewereawidow！”saidRemonencqwhenshewasgone。“Shewouldjustsuitme;shewillhaveplentyofmoneynow——“
　　“EspeciallyifsheputshermoneyintotheOrleansRailway;shewilldoublehercapitalintwoyears'time。Ihaveputallmypoorlittlesavingsintoit,“addedtheJew,“formydaughter'sportion——Come,letustakeaturnontheboulevarduntilthislawyerarrives。“
　　“Cibotisverybadasitis,“continuedRemonencq;“ifitshouldpleaseGodtotakehimtoHimself,Ishouldhaveafamouswifetokeepashop;Icouldsetuponalargescale——“
　　“Good-day,M。Fraisier,“LaCibotbeganinaningratiatingtoneassheenteredherlegaladviser'soffice。“Why,whatisthisthatyourporterhasbeentellingme?areyougoingtomove？”
　　“Yes,mydearMme。Cibot。IamtakingthefirstflooraboveDr。
　　Poulain,andtryingtoborrowtwoorthreethousandfrancssoastofurnishtheplaceproperly;itisverynice,uponmyword,thelandlordhasjustpaperedandpaintedit。Iamacting,asItoldyou,inPresidentdeMarville'sinterestsandyours……Iamnotasolicitornow;Imeantohavemynameenteredontherollofbarristers,andImustbewelllodged。AbarristerinPariscannothavehisnameontherollsunlesshehasdecentfurnitureandbooksandthelike。Iamadoctoroflaw,Ihavekeptmyterms,andhavepowerfulinterestalready……Well,howarewegettingon？”
　　“Perhapsyouwouldacceptmysavings,“saidLaCibot。“Ihaveputtheminasavingsbank。Ihavenotmuch,onlythreethousandfrancs,thefruitsoftwenty-fiveyearsofstintingandscraping。Youmightgivemeabillofexchange,asRemonencqsays;forIamignorantmyself,I
　　onlyknowwhattheytellme。“
　　“No。Itisagainsttherulesoftheguildforabarrister/avocat/
　　toputhisnametoabill。Iwillgiveyouareceipt,bearinginterestatfivepercentperannum,ontheunderstandingthatifImakeanincomeoftwelvehundredfrancsforyououtofoldPons'estateyouwillcancelit。“
　　LaCibot,caughtinthetrap,utterednotaword。
　　“Silencegivesconsent,“Fraisiercontinued。“Letmehaveitto-morrowmorning。“
　　“Oh!Iamquitewillingtopayfeesinadvance,“saidLaCibot;“itisonewayofmakingsureofmymoney。“
　　Fraisiernodded。“Howareyougettingon？”herepeated。“IsawPoulainyesterday;youarehurryingyourinvalidalong,itseems……Onemorescenesuchasyesterday's,andgall-stoneswillform。Begentlewithhim,mydearMme。Cibot,donotlayupremorseforyourself。Lifeisnottoolong。“
　　“Justletmealonewithyourremorse!Areyougoingtotalkabouttheguillotineagain?M。Ponsisacontrairyoldthing。Youdon'tknowhim。Itishethatbothersme。Thereisnotamorecross-grainedmanalive;hisrelationsareintherightofit,heissly,revengeful,andcontrairy……M。Magushascome,asItoldyou,andiswaitingtoseeyou。“
　　“Right!Iwillbethereassoonasyou。Yourincomedependsuponthepricethecollectionwillfetch。Ifitbringsineighthundredthousandfrancs,youshallhavefifteenhundredfrancsayear。Itisafortune。“
　　“Verywell。Iwilltellthemtovaluethethingsontheirconsciences。“
　　Anhourlater,Ponswasfastasleep。Thedoctorhadorderedasoothingdraught,whichSchmuckeadministered,allunconsciousthatLaCibothaddoubledthedose。Fraisier,Remonencq,andMagus,threegallows-
　　birds,wereexaminingtheseventeenhundreddifferentobjectswhichformedtheoldmusician'scollectiononebyone。
　　Schmuckehadgonetobed。Thethreekites,drawnbythescentofacorpse,weremastersofthefield。
　　“Makenonoise,“saidLaCibotwheneverMaguswentintoecstasiesorexplainedthevalueofsomeworkofarttoRemonencq。Thedyingmansleptonintheneighboringroom,whilegreedinfourdifferentformsappraisedthetreasuresthathemustleavebehind,andwaitedimpatientlyforhimtodie——asighttowringtheheart。
　　Threehourswentbybeforetheyhadfinishedthesalon。
　　“Onanaverage,“saidthegrimyoldJew,“everythinghereisworthathousandfrancs。“
　　“Seventeenhundredthousandfrancs！”exclaimedFraisierinbewilderment。
　　“Nottome,“Magusansweredpromptly,andhiseyesgrewdull。“Iwouldnotgivemorethanahundredthousandfrancsmyselfforthecollection。Youcannottellhowlongyoumaykeepathingonhand……Therearemasterpiecesthatwaittenyearsforabuyer,andmeanwhilethepurchasemoneyisdoubledbycompoundinterest。Still,I
　　shouldpaycash。“
　　“Thereisstainedglassintheotherroom,aswellasenamelsandminiaturesandgoldandsilversnuff-boxes,“putinRemonencq。
　　“Cantheybeseen？”inquiredFraisier。
　　“I'llseeifheissoundasleep,“repliedLaCibot。Shemadeasign,andthethreebirdsofpreycamein。
　　“Therearemasterpiecesyonder！”saidMagus,indicatingthesalon,everybristleofhiswhitebeardtwitchingashespoke。“Buttherichesarehere!Andwhatriches!Kingshavenothingmoregloriousinroyaltreasuries。“
　　Remonencq'seyeslighteduptilltheyglowedlikecarbuncles,atthesightofthegoldsnuff-boxes。Fraisier,coolandcalmasaserpent,orsomesnake-creaturewiththepowerofrisingerect,stoodwithhisviperheadstretchedout,insuchanattitudeasapainterwouldchooseforMephistopheles。Thethreecovetousbeings,thirstingforgoldasdevilsthirstforthedewofheaven,lookedsimultaneously,asitchanced,attheownerofallthiswealth。SomenightmaretroubledPons;hestirred,andsuddenly,undertheinfluenceofthosediabolicalglances,heopenedhiseyeswithashrillcry。
　　“Thieves!……Theretheyare!……Help!Murder!Help！”
　　Thenightmarewasevidentlystilluponhim,forhesatupinbed,staringbeforehimwithblank,wide-openeyes,andhadnotthepowertomove。
　　ElieMagusandRemonencqmadeforthedoor,butawordgluedthemtothespot。
　　“/Magus/here!……Iambetrayed！”
　　Instinctivelythesickmanhadknownthathisbelovedpictureswereindanger,athoughtthattouchedhimatleastascloselyasanydreadforhimself,andheawoke。Fraisiermeanwhiledidnotstir。
　　“Mme。Cibot!whoisthatgentleman？”criedPons,shiveringatthesight。
　　“Goodnessme!howcouldIputhimoutofthedoor？”sheinquired,withawinkandgestureforFraisier'sbenefit。“Thisgentlemancamejustaminuteago,fromyourfamily。“
　　FraisiercouldnotconcealhisadmirationforLaCibot。
　　“Yes,sir,“hesaid,“IhavecomeonbehalfofMme。laPresidentedeMarville,herhusband,andherdaughter,toexpresstheirregret。Theylearnedquitebyaccidentthatyouareill,andtheywouldliketonurseyouthemselves。TheywantyoutogotoMarvilleandgetwellthere。Mme。laVicomtessePopinot,thelittleCecilethatyoulovesomuch,willbeyournurse。Shetookyourpartwithhermother。SheconvincedMme。deMarvillethatshehadmadeamistake。“
　　“Somynext-of-kinhavesentyoutome,havethey？”Ponsexclaimedindignantly,“andsentthebestjudgeandexpertinallPariswithyoutoshowyoutheway?Oh!anicecommission！”hecried,burstingintowildlaughter。“Youhavecometovaluemypicturesandcuriosities,mysnuff-boxesandminiatures!……Makeyourvaluation。Youhaveamantherewhounderstandseverything,andmore——hecanbuyeverything,forheisamillionairetentimesover……Mydearrelativeswillnothavelongtowait,“headded,withbitterirony,“theyhavechokedthelastbreathoutofme……Ah!Mme。Cibot,yousaidyouwereamothertome,andyoubringdealersintothehouse,andmycompetitorandtheCamusots,whileIamasleep!……Getout,allofyou!——“
　　Theunhappymanwasbesidehimselfwithangerandfear;herosefromthebedandstoodupright,agaunt,wastedfigure。
　　“Takemyarm,sir,“saidLaCibot,rushingtotherescue,lestPonsshouldfall。“Praycalmyourself,thegentlemenaregone。“
　　“Iwanttoseethesalon……“saidthedeath-strickenman。LaCibotmadeasigntothethreeravenstotakeflight。ThenshecaughtupPonsasifhehadbeenafeather,andputhiminbedagain,inspiteofhiscries。Whenshesawthathewasquitehelplessandexhausted,shewenttoshutthedooronthestaircase。ThethreewhohaddonePonstodeathwerestillonthelanding;LaCibottoldthemtowait。
　　SheheardFraisiersaytoMagus：
　　“Letmehaveitinwriting,andsignit,bothofyou。UndertaketopayninehundredthousandfrancsincashforM。Pons'collection,andwewillseeaboutputtingyouinthewayofmakingahandsomeprofit。“
　　WiththathesaidsomethingtoLaCibotinavoicesolowthattheotherscouldnotcatchit,andwentdownafterthetwodealerstotheporter'sroom。
　　“Havetheygone,Mme。Cibot？”askedtheunhappyPons,whenshecamebackagain。
　　“Gone?……who？”askedshe。
　　“Thosemen。“
　　“Whatmen?There,now,youhaveseenmen,“saidshe。“Youhavejusthadaravingfit;ifithadn'tbeenformeyouwouldhavegoneoutthewindow,andnowyouarestilltalkingofmenintheroom。Isitalwaystobelikethis？”
　　“What!wastherenotagentlemanherejustnow,sayingthatmyrelativeshadsenthim？”
　　“Willyoustillstandmeout？”saidshe。“Uponmyword,doyouknowwhereyououghttobesent?——TotheasylumatCharenton。Youseemen——“
　　“ElieMagus,Remonencq,and——“
　　“Oh!asforRemonencq,youmayhaveseen/him/,forhecameuptotellmethatmypoorCibotissobadthatImustclearoutofthisandcomedown。MyCibotcomesfirst,yousee。Whenmyhusbandisill,Icanthinkofnobodyelse。Trytokeepquietandsleepforacoupleofhours;IhavesentforDr。Poulain,andIwillcomeupwithhim……
　　Takeadrinkandbegood——“
　　“Thenwastherenooneintheroomjustnow,whenIwaked?……“
　　“Noone,“saidshe。“YoumusthaveseenM。Remonencqinoneofyourlooking-glasses。“
　　“Youareright,Mme。Cibot,“saidPons,meekasalamb。
　　“Well,nowyouaresensibleagain……Good-bye,mycherub;keepquiet,Ishallbebackagaininaminute。“
　　WhenPonsheardtheouterdoorcloseuponher,hesummonedupallhisremainingstrengthtorise。
　　“Theyarecheatingme,“hemutteredtohimself,“theyarerobbingme!
　　Schmuckeisachildthatwouldletthemtiehimupinasack。“
　　Theterriblescenehadseemedsoreal,itcouldnotbeadream,hethought;adesiretothrowlightuponthepuzzleexcitedhim;hemanagedtoreachthedoor,openeditaftermanyefforts,andstoodonthethresholdofhissalon。Theretheywere——hisdearpictures,hisstatues,hisFlorentinebronzes,hisporcelain;thesightofthemrevivedhim。Theoldcollectorwalkedinhisdressing-gownalongthenarrowspacesbetweenthecredence-tablesandthesideboardsthatlinedthewall;hisfeetbare,hisheadonfire。Hisfirstglanceofownershiptoldhimthateverythingwasthere;heturnedtogobacktobedagain,whenhenoticedthataGreuzeportraitlookedoutoftheframethathadheldSebastiandelPiombo's/Templar/。Suspicionflashedacrosshisbrain,makinghisdarkthoughtsapparenttohim,asaflashoflightningmarkstheoutlinesofthecloud-barsonastormysky。Helookedroundfortheeightcapitalpicturesofthecollection;
　　eachoneofthemwasreplacedbyanother。Adarkfilmsuddenlyoverspreadhiseyes;hisstrengthfailedhim;hefellfaintinguponthepolishedfloor。
　　Soheavywastheswoon,thatfortwohourshelayashefell,tillSchmuckeawokeandwenttoseehisfriend,andfoundhimlyingunconsciousinthesalon。WithendlesspainsSchmuckeraisedthehalf-
　　deadbodyandlaiditonthebed;butwhenhecametoquestionthedeath-strickenman,andsawthelookinthedulleyesandheardthevague,inarticulatewords,thegoodGerman,sofarfromlosinghishead,rosetotheveryheroismoffriendship。Manandchildashewas,withthepressureofdespaircametheinspirationofamother'stenderness,awoman'slove。Hewarmedtowelshefoundtowels!,hewrappedthemaboutPons'hands,helaidthemoverthepitofthestomach;hetookthecold,moistforeheadinhishands,hesummonedbacklifewithamightofwillworthyofApolloniusofTyana,layingkissesonhisfriend'seyelidslikesomeMarybendingoverthedeadChrist,ina/pieta/carvedinbas-reliefbysomegreatItaliansculptor。Thedivineeffort,theoutpouringofonelifeintoanother,theworkofmotherandoflover,wascrownedwithsuccess。InhalfanhourthewarmthrevivedPons;hebecamehimselfagain,thehuesoflifereturnedtohiseyes,suspendedfacultiesgraduallyresumedtheirplayundertheinfluenceofartificialheat;Schmuckegavehimbalm-
　　waterwithalittlewineinit;thespiritoflifespreadthroughthebody;intelligencelighteduptheforeheadsoshortawhileagoinsensibleasastone;andPonsknewthathehadbeenbroughtbacktolife,bywhatsacreddevotion,whatmightoffriendship!
　　“Butforyou,Ishoulddie,“hesaid,andashespokehefeltthegoodGerman'stearsfallingonhisface。Schmuckewaslaughingandcryingatonce。
　　PoorSchmucke!hehadwaitedforthosewordswithafrenzyofhopeascostlyasthefrenzyofdespair;andnowhisstrengthutterlyfailedhim,hecollapsedlikearentballoon。Itwashisturntofall;hesankintotheeasy-chair,claspedhishands,andthankedGodinferventprayer。Forhimamiraclehadjustbeenwrought。Heputnobeliefintheefficacyoftheprayerofhisdeeds;themiraclehadbeenwroughtbyGodindirectanswertohiscry。Andyetthatmiraclewasanaturaleffect,suchasmedicalscienceoftenrecords。
　　Asickman,surroundedbythosewholovehim,nursedbythosewhowishearnestlythatheshouldlive,willrecoverotherthingsbeingequal,whenanotherpatienttendedbyhirelingswilldie。Doctorsdeclinetoseeunconsciousmagnetisminthisphenomenon;forthemitistheresultofintelligentnursing,ofexactobediencetotheirorders;butmanyamotherknowsthevirtueofsuchardentprojectionofstrong,unceasingprayer。
　　“MygoodSchmucke——“
　　“Saynodings;Ishallhearyoumitmeinheart……rest,rest！”saidSchmucke,smilingathim。
　　“Poorfriend,noblecreature,childofGod,livinginGod!……Theonebeingthathaslovedme……“Thewordscameoutwithpausesbetweenthem;therewasanewnote,asomethingneverheardbefore,inPons'voice。Allthesoul,sosoontotakeflight,foundutteranceinthewordsthatfilledSchmuckewithhappinessalmostlikealover'srapture。
　　“Yes,yes。Ishallbeshtrongasalion。Ishallvorkfortwo！”
　　“Listen,mygood,myfaithful,adorablefriend。Letmespeak,Ihavenotmuchtimeleft。Iamadeadman。Icannotrecoverfromtheserepeatedshocks。“
　　Schmuckewascryinglikeachild。
　　“Justlisten,“continuedPons,“andcryafterwards。AsaChristian,youmustsubmit。Ihavebeenrobbed。ItisLaCibot'sdoing……I
　　oughttoopenyoureyesbeforeIgo;youknownothingoflife……
　　Somebodyhastakenawayeightofthepictures,andtheywereworthagreatdealofmoney。“
　　“Vorgifme——Isolddem。“
　　“/You/soldthem？”
　　“Yes,I,“saidpoorSchmucke。“Deysummonedustodercourt——“
　　“/Summoned?/……Whosummonedus？”
　　“Wait,“saidSchmucke。Hewentforthebitofstamped-paperleftbythebailiff,andgaveittoPons。Ponsreadthescrawlthroughwithcloseattention,thenheletthepaperdropandlayquitesilentforawhile。Acloseobserveroftheworkofmen'shands,unheedfulsofaroftheworkingsofthebrain,PonsfinallycountedoutthethreadsoftheplotwovenabouthimbyLaCibot。Theartist'sfire,theintellectthatwontheRomanscholarship——allhisyouthcamebacktohimforalittle。
　　“MygoodSchmucke,“hesaidatlast,“youmustdoasItellyou,andobeylikeasoldier。Listen!godownstairsintothelodgeandtellthatabominablewomanthatIshouldliketoseethepersonsenttomebymycousinthePresident;andthatunlesshecomes,IshallleavemycollectiontotheMusee。Saythatawillisinquestion。“
　　Schmuckewentonhiserrand;butatthefirstword,LaCibotansweredbyasmile。
　　“MygoodM。Schmucke,ourdearinvalidhashadadeliriousfit;hethoughtthatthereweremenintheroom。Onmyword,asanhonestwoman,noonehascomefromthefamily。“
　　Schmuckewentbackwithhisanswer,whichherepeatedwordforword。
　　“Sheiscleverer,moreastuteandcunningandwily,thanIthought,“
　　saidPonswithasmile。“Shelieseveninherroom。Imagineit!ThismorningshebroughtaJewhere,ElieMagusbyname,andRemonencq,andathirdwhomIdonotknow,moreterrificthantheothertwoputtogether。ShemeanttomakeavaluationwhileIwasasleep;Ihappenedtowake,andsawthemallthree,estimatingtheworthofmysnuff-
　　boxes。Thestrangersaid,indeed,thattheCamusotshadsenthimhere;
　　Ispoketohim……ThatshamelesswomanstoodmeoutthatIwasdreaming!……MygoodSchmucke,itwasnotadream。Iheardthemanperfectlyplainly;hespoketome……Thetwodealerstookfrightandmadeforthedoor……IthoughtthatLaCibotwouldcontradictherself——theexperimentfailed……Iwilllayanothersnare,andtrapthewretchedwoman……PoorSchmucke,youthinkthatLaCibotisanangel;andforthismonthpastshehasbeenkillingmebyinchestogainhercovetousends。Iwouldnotbelievethatawomanwhoservedusfaithfullyforyearscouldbesowicked。Thatdoubthasbeenmyruin……Howmuchdidtheeightpicturesfetch？”
　　“Vifetausendvrancs。“
　　“Goodheavens!theywereworthtwentytimesasmuch！”criedPons;“thegemsofthecollection!Ihavenottimenowtoinstituteproceedings;
　　andifIdid,youwouldfigureincourtasthedupeofthoserascals……Alawsuitwouldbethedeathofyou。Youdonotknowwhatjusticemeans——acourtofjusticeisasinkofiniquity……Atthesightofsuchhorrors,asoullikeyourswouldgiveway。Andbesides,youwillhaveenough。Thepicturescostmefortythousandfrancs。I
　　havehadthemforthirty-sixyears……Oh,wehavebeenrobbedwithsurprisingdexterity。Iamonthebrinkofthegrave,Icarefornothingnowbutthee——forthee,thebestsoulunderthesun……
　　“Iwillnothaveyouplundered;allthatIhaveisyours。Soyoumusttrustnobody,Schmucke,youthathaveneversuspectedanyoneinyourlife。IknowGodwatchesoveryou,butHemayforgetforonemoment,andyouwillbeseizedlikeavesselamongpirates……LaCibotisamonster!Sheiskillingme;andyouthinkheranangel!Youshallseewhatsheis。Goandaskhertogiveyouthenameofanotary,andIwillshowyouherwithherhandinthebag。“
　　SchmuckelistenedasifPonsproclaimedanapocalypse。CouldsodepravedacreatureasLaCibotexist?IfPonswasright,itseemedtoimplythattherewasnoGodintheworld。HewentrightdownagaintoMme。Cibot。
　　“MeinboorvriendBonsfeelsoill,“hesaid,“dathevishtomakehisvill。Goundpringeinnodary。“
　　Thiswassaidinthehearingofseveralpersons,forCibot'slifewasdespairedof。Remonencqandhissister,twowomenfromneighboringporters'lodges,twoorthreeservants,andthelodgerfromthefirstflooronthesidenextthestreet,wereallstandingoutsideinthegateway。
　　“Oh!youcanjustfetchanotaryyourself,andhaveyourwillmadeasyouplease,“criedLaCibot,withtearsinhereyes。“MypoorCibotisdying,anditisnotimetoleavehim。IwouldgiveallthePonsesintheworldtosaveCibot,thathasnevergivenmeanounceofunhappinessinthesethirtyyearssinceweweremarried。“
　　Andinshewent,leavingSchmuckeinconfusion。
　　“IsM。Ponsreallyseriouslyill,sir？”askedthefirst-floorlodger,oneJolivard,aclerkintheregistrar'sofficeatthePalaisdeJustice。
　　“Henearlydiedchustnow,“saidSchmucke,withdeepsorrowinhisvoice。
　　“M。TrognonlivesnearbyintheRueSaint-Louis,“saidM。Jolivard,“heisthenotaryofthequarter。“
　　“Wouldyoulikemetogoforhim？”askedRemonencq。
　　“Ishouldpeferyglad,“saidSchmucke;“forgifMontameZipodcannotpemitminevriend,Ishallnotvishtoleafhimindershtateheisin——“
　　“Mme。Cibottoldusthathewasgoingoutofhismind,“resumedJolivard。
　　“Bons!outoffhismind！”criedSchmucke,terror-strickenbytheidea。
　　“Nefervashesoclearinderhead……datischustderreasonvyI
　　amanxiousforhim。“
　　Thelittlegroupofpersonslistenedtotheconversationwithaverynaturalcuriosity,whichstampedthesceneupontheirmemories。
　　SchmuckedidnotknowFraisier,andcouldnotnotehissataniccountenanceandglitteringeyes。ButtwowordswhisperedbyFraisierinLaCibot'searhadpromptedadaringpieceofacting,somewhatbeyondLaCibot'srange,itmaybe,thoughsheplayedherpartthroughoutinamasterlystyle。Tomakeothersbelievethatthedyingmanwasoutofhismind——itwastheverycorner-stoneoftheedificerearedbythepettylawyer。Themorning'sincidenthaddoneFraisiergoodservice;butforhim,LaCibotinhertroublemighthavefallenintothesnareinnocentlyspreadbySchmucke,whenheaskedhertosendbackthepersonsentbythefamily。
　　RemonencqsawDr。Poulaincomingtowardsthem,andaskednobetterthantovanish。ThefactwasthatforthelasttendaystheAuvergnathadbeenplayingProvidenceinamannersingularlydispleasingtoJustice,whichclaimsthemonopolyofthatpart。Hehadmadeuphismindtoridhimselfatallcostsoftheoneobstacleinhiswaytohappiness,andhappinessforhimmeantcapitaltrebledandmarriagewiththeirresistiblycharmingportress。Hehadwatchedthelittletailordrinkinghisherb-tea,andathoughtstruckhim。Hewouldconverttheailmentintomortalsickness;hisstockofoldmetalssuppliedhimwiththemeans。
　　Onemorningasheleanedagainstthedoor-post,smokinghispipeanddreamingofthatfineshopontheBoulevarddelaMadeleinewhereMme。
　　Cibot,gorgeouslyarrayed,shouldsomedaysitenthroned,hiseyesfelluponacopperdisc,aboutthesizeofafive-francpiece,coveredthicklywithverdigris。TheeconomicalideaofusingCibot'smedicinetocleanthediscimmediatelyoccurredtohim。Hefastenedthethinginabitoftwine,andcameovereverymorningtoinquirefortidingsofhisfriendthetailor,timinghisvisitduringLaCibot'svisittohergentlemenupstairs。Hedroppedthediscintothetumbler,allowedittosteeptherewhilehetalked,anddrewitoutagainbythestringwhenhewentaway。
　　Thetraceoftarnishedcopper,commonlycalledverdigris,poisonedthewholesomedraught;aminutedoseadministeredbystealthdidincalculablemischief。Beholdtheresultsofthiscriminalhomoeopathy!OnthethirddaypoorCibot'shaircameout,histeethwereloosenedintheirsockets,hiswholesystemwasderangedbyascarcelyperceptibletraceofpoison。Dr。Poulainrackedhisbrains。
　　Hewasenoughofamanofsciencetoseethatsomedestructiveagentwasatwork。Heprivatelycarriedoffthedecoction,analyzedithimself,butfoundnothing。ItsochancedthatRemonencqhadtakenfrightandomittedtodipthediscinthetumblerthatday。
　　ThenDr。Poulainfellbackonhimselfandscienceandgotoutofthedifficultywithatheory。Asedentarylifeinadamproom;acrampedpositionbeforethebarredwindow——theseconditionshadvitiatedthebloodintheabsenceofproperexercise,especiallyasthepatientcontinuallybreathedanatmospheresaturatedwiththefetidexhalationsofthegutter。TheRuedeNormandieisoneoftheold-
　　fashionedstreetsthatslopetowardsthemiddle;themunicipalauthoritiesofParisasyethavelaidonnowatersupplytoflushthecentralkennelwhichdrainsthehousesoneitherside,andasaresultastreamoffilthyoozemeandersamongthecobblestones,filtersintothesoil,andproducesthemudpeculiartothecity。LaCibotcameandwent;butherhusband,ahard-workingman,satdayindayoutlikeafakironthetableinthewindow,tillhisknee-jointswerestiffened,thebloodstagnatedinhisbody,andhislegsgrewsothinandcrookedthathealmostlosttheuseofthem。Thedeepcoppertintoftheman'scomplexionnaturallysuggestedthathehadbeenoutofhealthforaverylongtime。Thewife'sgoodhealthandthehusband'sillnessseemedtothedoctortobesatisfactorilyaccountedforbythistheory。
　　“ThenwhatisthematterwithmypoorCibot？”askedtheportress。
　　“MydearMme。Cibot,heisdyingoftheporter'sdisease,“saidthedoctor。“Incurablevitiationofthebloodisevidentfromthegeneralanaemiccondition。“
　　Noonehadanythingtogainbyacrimesoobjectless。Dr。Poulain'sfirstsuspicionswereeffacedbythisthought。WhocouldhaveanypossibleinterestinCibot'sdeath?Hiswife?——thedoctorsawhertastetheherb-teaasshesweetenedit。Crimeswhichescapesocialvengeancearemanyenough,andasaruletheyareofthisorder——towit,murderscommittedwithoutanystartlingsignofviolence,withoutbloodshed,bruises,marksofstrangling,withoutanybunglingofthebusiness,inshort;ifthereseemstobenomotiveforthecrime,itmostlikelygoesunpunished,especiallyifthedeathoccursamongthepoorerclasses。Murderisalmostalwaysdenouncedbyitsadvancedguards,byhatredorgreedwellknowntothoseunderwhoseeyesthewholematterhaspassed。ButinthecaseoftheCibots,noonesavethedoctorhadanyinterestindiscoveringtheactualcauseofdeath。
　　Thelittlecopper-facedtailor'swifeadoredherhusband;hehadnomoneyandnoenemies;LaCibot'sfortuneandthemarine-storedealer'smotiveswerealikehiddenintheshade。Poulainknewtheportressandherwayofthinkingperfectlywell;hethoughthercapableoftormentingPons,buthesawthatshehadneithermotiveenoughnorwitenoughformurder;andbesides——everytimethedoctorcameandshegaveherhusbandadraught,shetookaspoonfulherself。Poulainhimself,theonlypersonwhomighthavethrownlightonthematter,inclinedtobelievethatthiswasoneoftheunaccountablefreaksofdisease,oneoftheastonishingexceptionswhichmakemedicinesoperilousaprofession。Andintruth,thelittletailor'sunwholesomelifeandunsanitarysurroundingshadunfortunatelybroughthimtosuchapassthatthetraceofcopper-poisoningwaslikethelaststraw。
　　Gossipsandneighborstookituponthemselvestoexplainthesuddendeath,andnosuspicionofblamelighteduponRemonencq。
　　“Oh!thislongtimepastIhavesaidthatM。Cibotwasnotwell,“
　　criedone。
　　“Heworkedtoohard,hedid,“saidanother;“heheatedhisblood。“
　　“Hewouldnotlistentome,“putinaneighbor;“IadvisedhimtowalkoutofaSundayandkeepSaintMonday;twodaysintheweekisnottoomuchforamusement。“
　　Inshort,thegossipofthequarter,thetell-talevoicetowhichJustice,inthepersonofthecommissaryofpolice,thekingofthepoorerclasses,lendsanattentiveear——gossipexplainedthelittletailor'sdemiseinaperfectlysatisfactorymanner。YetM。Poulain'spensiveairanduneasyeyesembarrassedRemonencqnotalittle,andatsightofthedoctorheofferedeagerlytogoinsearchofM。Trognon,Fraisier'sacquaintance。FraisierturnedtoLaCibottosayinalowvoice,“Ishallcomebackagainassoonasthewillismade。Inspiteofyoursorrow,youmustlookforsqualls。“Thenheslippedawaylikeashadowandmethisfriendthedoctor。
　　“Ah,Poulain！”heexclaimed,“itisallright。Wearesafe!Iwilltellyouaboutitto-night。Lookoutapostthatwillsuityou,youshallhaveit!Formyownpart,Iamajusticeofthepeace。Tabareauwillnotrefusemenowforason-in-law。Andasforyou,IwillundertakethatyoushallmarryMlle。Vitel,granddaughterofourjusticeofthepeace。“
　　FraisierleftPoulainreducedtodumbbewildermentbythesewildwords;bouncedlikeaballintotheboulevard,hailedanomnibus,andwassetdowntenminuteslaterbythemoderncoachatthecorneroftheRuedeChoiseul。Bythistimeitwasnearlyfouro'clock。FraisierfeltquitesureofawordinprivatewiththePresidente,forofficialsseldomleavethePalaisdeJusticebeforefiveo'clock。
　　Mme。deMarville'sreceptionofhimassuredFraisierthatM。LeboeufhadkepthispromisemadetoMme。VatinelleandspokenfavorablyofthesometimeattorneyatMantes。Amelie'smannerwasalmostcaressing。
　　SomighttheDuchessedeMontpensierhavetreatedJacquesClement。Thepettyattorneywasaknifetoherhand。ButwhenFraisierproducedthejoint-lettersignedbyElieMagusandRemonencqofferingthesumofninehundredthousandfrancsincashforPons'collection,thenthePresidentelookedathermanofbusinessandthegleamofthemoneyflashedfromhereyes。Thatrippleofgreedreachedtheattorney。
　　“M。lePresidentleftamessagewithme,“shesaid;“hehopesthatyouwilldinewithusto-morrow。Itwillbeafamilyparty。M。Godeschal,Desroches'successorandmyattorney,willcometomeetyou,andBerthier,ournotary,andmydaughterandson-in-law。Afterdinner,youandIandthenotaryandattorneywillhavethelittleconsultationforwhichyouask,andIwillgiveyoufullpowers。Thetwogentlemenwilldoasyourequireandactuponyourinspiration;
　　andseethat/everything/goeswell。YoushallhaveapowerofattorneyfromM。deMarvilleassoonasyouwantit。“
　　“Ishallwantitonthedayofthedecease。“
　　“Itshallbeinreadiness。“
　　“Mme。laPresidente,ifIaskforapowerofattorney,andwouldpreferthatyourattorney'snameshouldnotappearIwishitlessinmyowninterestthaninyours……WhenIgivemyself,itiswithoutreserve。Andinreturn,madame,Iaskthesamefidelity;IaskmypatronsIdonotventuretocallyoumyclientstoputthesameconfidenceinme。YoumaythinkthatinactingthusIamtryingtofastenuponthisaffair——no,no,madame;theremaybereprehensiblethingsdone;withaninheritanceinviewoneisdraggedon……
　　especiallywithninehundredthousandfrancsinthebalance。Well,now,youcouldnotdisavowamanlikeMaitreGodeschal,honestyitself,butyoucanthrowalltheblameonthebackofamiserablepettifogginglawyer——“
　　Mme。CamusotdeMarvillelookedadmiringlyatFraisier。
　　“Yououghttogoveryhigh,“saidshe,“orsinkverylow。Inyourplace,insteadofaskingtohidemyselfawayasajusticeofthepeace,Iwouldaimatthecrownattorney'sappointment——at,say,Mantes!——andmakeagreatcareerformyself。“
　　“Letmehavemyway,madame。ThepostofjusticeofthepeaceisanamblingpadforM。Vitel;formeitshallbeawar-horse。“
　　AndinthiswaythePresidenteproceededtoafinalconfidence。
　　“Youseemtobesocompletelydevotedtoourinterests,“shebegan,“thatIwilltellyouaboutthedifficultiesofourpositionandourhopes。ThePresident'sgreatdesire,eversinceamatchwasprojectedbetweenhisdaughterandanadventurerwhorecentlystartedabank,——
　　thePresident'swish,Isay,hasbeentoroundouttheMarvilleestatewithsomegrazingland,atthattimeinthemarket。Wedispossessedourselvesoffineproperty,asyouknow,tosettleituponourdaughter;butIwishverymuch,mydaughterbeinganonlychild,tobuyallthatremainsofthegrassland。Parthasbeensoldalready。
　　TheestatebelongstoanEnglishmanwhoisreturningtoEnglandafteratwentyyears'residenceinFrance。Hebuiltthemostcharmingcottageinadelightfulsituation,betweenMarvilleParkandthemeadowswhichoncewerepartoftheMarvillelands;heboughtupcovers,copse,andgardensatfancypricestomakethegroundsaboutthecottage。Thehouseanditssurroundingsmakeafeatureofthelandscape,anditliesclosetomydaughter'sparkpalings。Thewhole,landandhouse,shouldbeboughtforsevenhundredthousandfrancs,forthenetrevenueisabouttwentythousandfrancs……ButifMr。
　　Wadmanfindsoutthat/we/thinkofbuyingit,heissuretoaddanothertwoorthreehundredthousandfrancstotheprice;forhewilllosemoneyifthehousecountsfornothing,asitusuallydoeswhenyoubuylandinthecountry——“
　　“Why,madame,“Fraisierbrokein,“inmyopinionyoucanbesosurethattheinheritanceisyoursthatIwilloffertoactthepartofpurchaserforyou。Iwillundertakethatyoushallhavethelandatthebestpossibleprice,andhaveawrittenengagementmadeoutunderprivateseal,likeacontracttodelivergoods……IwillgototheEnglishmaninthecharacterofbuyer。Iunderstandthatsortofthing;
　　itwasmyspecialtyatMantes。Vatinelledoubledthevalueofhispractice,whileIworkedinhisname。“
　　“HenceyourconnectionwithlittleMadameVatinelle。Hemustbeverywelloff——“
　　“ButMme。Vatinellehasexpensivetastes……Sobeeasy,madame——I
　　willserveyouuptheEnglishmandonetoaturn——“
　　“Ifyoucanmanagethatyouwillhaveeternalclaimstomygratitude。
　　Good-day,mydearM。Fraisier。Tillto-morrow——“
　　Fraisierwent。Hispartingbowwasadegreelesscringingthanonthefirstoccasion。
　　“Iamtodineto-morrowwithPresidentdeMarville！”hesaidtohimself。“Comenow,Ihavethesefolkinmypower。Only,tobeabsolutemaster,IoughttobetheGerman'slegaladviserinthepersonofTabareau,thejustice'sclerk。Tabareauwillnothavemenowforhisdaughter,hisonlydaughter,buthewillgivehertomewhenI
　　amajusticeofthepeace。Ishallbeeligible。Mlle。Tabareau,thattall,consumptivegirlwiththeredhair,hasahouseinthePlaceRoyaleinrightofhermother。Atherfather'sdeathsheissuretocomeinforsixthousandfrancs,youmustnotlooktoohardattheplank。“
　　AshewentbacktotheRuedeNormandiebywayoftheboulevards,hedreamedouthisgoldendream,hegavehimselfuptothehappinessofthethoughtthatheshouldneverknowwantagain。HewouldmarryhisfriendPoulaintoMlle。Vitel,thedaughterofthejusticeofthepeace;together,heandhisfriendthedoctorwouldreignlikekingsinthequarter;hewouldcarryalltheelections——municipal,military,orpolitical。Theboulevardsseemshortif,whileyoupaceafoot,youmountyourambitiononthesteedoffancyinthisway。
　　SchmuckemeanwhilewentbacktohisfriendPonswiththenewsthatCibotwasdying,andRemonencqgoneinsearchofM。Trognon,thenotary。Ponswasstruckbythename。IthadcomeupagainandagaininLaCibot'sinterminabletalk,andLaCibotalwaysrecommendedhimashonestyincarnate。AndwiththataluminousideaoccurredtoPons,inwhommistrusthadgrownparamountsincethemorning,anideawhichcompletedhisplanforoutwittingLaCibotandunmaskinghercompletelyforthetoo-credulousSchmucke。
　　SomanyunexpectedthingshadhappenedthatdaythatpoorSchmuckewasquitebewildered。Ponstookhisfriend'shand。
　　“Theremustbeagooddealofconfusioninthehouse,Schmucke;iftheporterisatdeath'sdoor,wearealmostfreeforaminuteortwo;
　　thatistosay,therewillbenospies——forwearewatched,youmaybesureofthat。Goout,takeacab,gotothetheatre,andtellMlle。
　　HeloiseBrisetoutthatIshouldliketoseeherbeforeIdie。Askhertocomehereto-nightwhensheleavesthetheatre。ThengotoyourfriendsBrunnerandSchwabandbegthemtocometo-morrowmorningatnineo'clocktoinquireafterme;letthemcomeupasiftheywerejustpassingbyandcalledintoseeme。“
　　Theoldartistfeltthathewasdying,andthiswastheschemethatheforged。HemeantSchmucketobehisuniversallegatee。ToprotectSchmuckefromanypossiblelegalquibbles,heproposedtodictatehiswilltoanotaryinthepresenceofwitnesses,lesthissanityshouldbecalledinquestionandtheCamusotsshouldattemptuponthatpretexttodisputethewill。AtthenameofTrognonhecaughtaglimpseofmachinationsofsomekind;perhapsaflawpurposelyinserted,orpremeditatedtreacheryonLaCibot'spart。Hewouldpreventthis。Trognonshoulddictateaholographwillwhichshouldbesignedanddepositedinasealedenvelopeinadrawer。ThenSchmucke,hiddeninoneofthecabinetsinhisalcove,shouldseeLaCibotsearchforthewill,findit,opentheenvelope,readitthrough,andsealitagain。Nextmorning,atnineo'clock,hewouldcancelthewillandmakeanewoneinthepresenceoftwonotaries,everythingindueformandorder。LaCibothadtreatedhimasamadmanandavisionary;
　　hesawwhatthismeant——hesawthePresidente'shateandgreed,herrevengeinLaCibot'sbehavior。Inthesleeplesshoursandlonelydaysofthelasttwomonths,thepoormanhadsiftedtheeventsofhispastlife。