Ithasbeenthewontofsculptors,ancientandmodern,tosetatutelarygeniuswithalightedtorchuponeithersideofatomb。Thosetorchesthatlightupthepathsofdeaththrowlightfordyingeyesuponthespectacleofalife'smistakesandsins;thecarvedstonefiguresexpressgreatideas,theyaresymbolsofafactinhumanexperience。Theagonyofdeathhasitsownwisdom。Notseldomasimplegirl,scarcelymorethanachild,willgrowwisewiththeexperienceofahundredyears,willgainpropheticvision,judgeherfamily,andseeclearlythroughallpretences,atthenearapproachofDeath。
　　HereinliesDeath'spoetry。But,strangeandworthyofremarkitis,therearetwomannersofdeath。
　　Thepoetryofprophecy,thegiftofseeingclearlyintothefutureorthepast,onlybelongstothosewhosebodiesarestricken,tothosewhodiebythedestructionoftheorgansofphysicallife。Consumptivepatients,forinstance,orthosewhodieofgangrenelikeLouisXIV。,offeverlikePons,ofastomachcomplaintlikeMme。deMortsauf,orofwoundsreceivedinthefulltideoflifelikesoldiersonthebattlefield——allthesemaypossessthissupremeluciditytothefull;
　　theirdeathsfilluswithsurpriseandwonder。Butmany,ontheotherhand,dieof/intelligential/diseases,astheymaybecalled;ofmaladiesseatedinthebrainorinthatnervoussystemwhichactsasakindofpurveyorofthoughtfuel——andthesediewholly,bodyandspiritaredarkenedtogether。Theformerarespiritsdesertedbythebody,realizingforusourideasofthespiritsofScripture;thelatterarebodiesuntenantedbyaspirit。
　　Toolatethevirginnature,theepicure-Cato,therighteousmanalmostwithoutsin,wasdiscoveringthePresidente'srealcharacter——thesacofgallthatdiddutyforherheart。Heknewtheworldnowthathewasabouttoleaveit,andforthepastfewhourshehadrisengailytohispart,likeajoyousartistfindingapretextforcaricatureandlaughterineverything。Thelastlinksthatboundhimtolife,thechainsofadmiration,thestrongtiesthatbindtheartlovertoArt'smasterpieces,hadbeensnappedthatmorning。WhenPonsknewthatLaCibothadrobbedhim,hebadefarewell,likeaChristian,tothepompsandvanitiesofArt,tohiscollection,toallhisoldfriendshipswiththemakersofsomanyfairthings。OurforefatherscountedthedayofdeathasaChristianfestival,andinsomethingofthesamespiritPons'thoughtsturnedtothecomingend。InhistenderlovehetriedtoprotectSchmuckewhenheshouldbelowinthegrave。Itwasthisfather'sthoughtthatledhimtofixhischoiceupontheleadingladyoftheballet。Mlle。Brisetoutshouldhelphimtobafflesurroundingtreachery,andthosewhoinallprobabilitywouldneverforgivehisinnocentuniversallegatee。
　　HeloiseBrisetoutwasoneofthefewnaturesthatremaintrueinafalseposition。Shewasanopera-girloftheschoolofJosephaandJennyCadine,capableofplayinganytrickonapayingadorer;yetshewasagoodcomrade,dreadingnopoweronearth,accustomedasshewastoseetheweaksideofthestrongandtoholdherownwiththepoliceatthescarcelyidyllicBaldeMabilleandthecarnival。
　　“IfsheaskedformyplaceforGarangeot,shewillthinkthatsheowesmeagoodturnbysomuchthemore,“saidPonstohimself。
　　Thankstotheprevailingconfusionintheporter'slodge,Schmuckesucceededingettingoutofthehouse。Hereturnedwiththeutmostspeed,fearingtoleavePonstoolongalone。M。TrognonreachedthehousejustasSchmuckecamein。AlbeitCibotwasdying,hiswifecameupstairswiththenotary,broughthimintothebedroom,andwithdrew,leavingSchmuckeandPonswithM。Trognon;butsheleftthedoorajar,andwentnofurtherthanthenextroom。Providingherselfwithalittlehand-glassofcuriousworkmanship,shetookupherstationinthedoorway,sothatshecouldnotonlyhearbutseeallthatpassedatthesuprememoment。
　　“Sir,“saidPons,“Iaminthefullpossessionofmyfaculties,unfortunatelyforme,forIfeelthatIamabouttodie;anddoubtless,bythewillofGod,Ishallbesparednothingoftheagonyofdeath。ThisisM。Schmucke“——thenotarybowedtoM。Schmucke——“myonefriendonearth,“continuedPons。“Iwishtomakehimmyuniversallegatee。Now,tellmehowtowordthewill,sothatmyfriend,whoisaGermanandknowsnothingofFrenchlaw,maysucceedtomypossessionswithoutanydispute。“
　　“Anythingisliabletobedisputed,sir,“saidthenotary;“thatisthedrawbackofhumanjustice。Butinthematterofwills,therearewillssodraftedthattheycannotbeupset——“
　　“Inwhatway？”queriedPons。
　　“Ifawillismadeinthepresenceofanotary,andbeforewitnesseswhocanswearthatthetestatorwasinthefullpossessionofhisfaculties;andifthetestatorhasneitherwifenorchildren,norfathernormother——“
　　“Ihavenoneofthese;allmyaffectioniscentreduponmydearfriendSchmuckehere。“
　　ThetearsoverflowedSchmucke'seyes。
　　“Then,ifyouhavenonebutdistantrelatives,thelawleavesyoufreetodisposeofbothpersonaltyandrealestateasyouplease,solongasyoubequeaththemfornounlawfulpurpose;foryoumusthavecomeacrosscasesofwillsdisputedonaccountofthetestator'seccentricities。Awillmadeinthepresenceofanotaryisconsideredtobeauthentic;fortheperson'sidentityisestablished,thenotarycertifiesthatthetestatorwassaneatthetime,andtherecanbenopossibledisputeoverthesignature——Still,aholographwill,properlyandclearlyworded,isquiteassafe。“
　　“Ihavedecided,forreasonsofmyown,tomakeaholographwillatyourdictation,andtodeposititwithmyfriendhere。Isthispossible？”
　　“Quitepossible,“saidthenotary。“Willyouwrite?Iwillbegintodictate——“
　　“Schmucke,bringmemylittleBoulewriting-desk——Speaklow,sir,“headded;“wemaybeoverheard。“
　　“Justtellme,firstofall,whatyouintend,“demandedthenotary。
　　TenminuteslaterLaCibotsawthenotarylookoverthewill,whileSchmuckelightedataperPonswatchingherreflectionallthewhileinamirror。Shesawtheenvelopesealed,sawPonsgiveittoSchmucke,andheardhimsaythatitmustbeputawayinasecretdrawerinhisbureau。Thenthetestatoraskedforthekey,tiedittothecornerofhishandkerchief,andslippeditunderhispillow。
　　Thenotaryhimself,bycourtesy,wasappointedexecutor。TohimPonsleftapictureofprice,suchathingasthelawpermitsanotarytoreceive。TrognonwentoutandcameuponMme。Cibotinthesalon。
　　“Well,sir,didM。Ponsrememberme？”
　　“Youdonotexpectanotarytobetraysecretsconfidedtohim,mydear,“returnedM。Trognon。“Icanonlytellyouthis——therewillbemanydisappointments,andsomethatareanxiousafterthemoneywillbefoiled。M。Ponshasmadeagoodandverysensiblewill,apatrioticwill,whichIhighlyapprove。“
　　LaCibot'scuriosity,kindledbysuchwords,reachedanunimaginablepitch。ShewentdownstairsandspentthenightatCibot'sbedside,inwardlyresolvingthatMlle。Remonencqshouldtakeherplacetowardstwoorthreeinthemorning,whenshewouldgoupandhavealookatthedocument。
　　Mlle。Brisetout'svisittowardshalf-pasttenthatnightseemednaturalenoughtoLaCibot;butinherterrorlesttheballet-girlshouldmentionGaudissart'sgiftofathousandfrancs,shewentupstairswithher,lavishingpolitespeechesandflatteryasifMlle。
　　Heloisehadbeenaqueen。
　　“Ah!mydear,youaremuchnicerhereonyourowngroundthanatthetheatre,“Heloiseremarked。“Iadviseyoutokeeptoyouremployment。“
　　Heloisewassplendidlydressed。Bixiou,herlover,hadbroughtherinhiscarriageonthewaytoaneveningpartyatMariette's。Itsofelloutthatthefirst-floorlodger,M。Chapoulot,aretiredbraidmanufacturerfromtheRueSaint-Denis,returningfromtheAmbigu-
　　Comiquewithhiswifeanddaughter,wasdazzledbyavisionofsuchacostumeandsuchacharmingwomanupontheirstaircase。
　　“Whoisthat,Mme。Cibot？”askedMme。Chapoulot。
　　“Ano-better-than-she-should-be,alight-skirtsthatyoumayseehalf-
　　nakedanyeveningforacoupleoffrancs,“LaCibotansweredinanundertoneforMme。Chapoulot'sear。
　　“Victorine！”calledthebraidmanufacturer'swife,“lettheladypass,child。“
　　Thematron'salarmsignalwasnotlostuponHeloise。
　　“Yourdaughtermustbemoreinflammablethantinder,madame,ifyouareafraidthatshewillcatchfirebytouchingme,“shesaid。
　　M。Chapoulotwaitedonthelanding。“Sheisuncommonlyhandsomeoffthestage,“heremarked。WhereuponMme。Chapoulotpinchedhimsharplyanddrovehimindoors。
　　“Hereisasecond-floorlodgerthathasamindtosetupforbeingonthefourthfloor,“saidHeloiseasshecontinuedtoclimb。
　　“Butmademoiselleisaccustomedtogoinghigherandhigher。“
　　“Well,oldboy,“saidHeloise,enteringthebedroomandcatchingsightoftheoldmusician'swhite,wastedface。“Well,oldboy,sowearenotverywell?Everybodyatthetheatreisaskingafteryou;butthoughone'sheartmaybeintherightplace,everyonehashisownaffairs,youknow,andcannotfindtimetogotoseefriends。
　　Gaudissarttalksofcomingroundeveryday,andeverymorningthetiresomemanagementgetsholdofhim。Still,weareallofusfondofyou——“
　　“Mme。Cibot,“saidthepatient,“besokindastoleaveus;wewanttotalkaboutthetheatreandmypostasconductor,withthislady。
　　Schmucke,willyougotothedoorwithMme。Cibot？”
　　AtasignfromPons,SchmuckesawMme。Cibotoutatthedoor,anddrewthebolts。
　　“Ah,thatblackguardofaGerman!Ishespoiled,too？”LaCibotsaidtoherselfassheheardthesignificantsounds。“ThatisM。Pons'
　　doing;hetaughthimthosedisgustingtricks……Butyoushallpayforthis,mydears,“shethoughtasshewentdownstairs。“Pooh!ifthattight-ropedancertellshimaboutthethousandfrancs,Ishallsaythatitisafarce。
　　SheseatedherselfbyCibot'spillow。Cibotcomplainedofaburningsensationinthestomach。Remonencqhadcalledinandgivenhimadraughtwhilehiswifewasupstairs。
　　AssoonasSchmuckehaddismissedLaCibot,Ponsturnedtotheballet-
　　girl。
　　“Dearchild,Icantrustnooneelsetofindmeanotary,anhonestman,andsendhimheretomakemywillto-morrowmorningathalf-pastnineprecisely。IwanttoleaveallthatIhavetoSchmucke。Ifheispersecuted,poorGermanthatheis,Ishallreckonuponthenotary;
　　thenotarymustdefendhim。AndforthatreasonImusthaveawealthynotary,highlythoughtof,amanabovethetemptationstowhichpettifogginglawyersyield。Hemustsuccormypoorfriend。IcannottrustBerthier,Cardot'ssuccessor。Andyouknowsomanypeople——“
　　“Oh!Ihavetheverymanforyou,“Heloisebrokein;“thereisthenotarythatactsforFlorineandtheComtesseduBruel,LeopoldHannequin,avirtuousmanthatdoesnotknowwhata/lorette/is!Heisasortofchance-comefather——agoodsoulthatwillnotletyouplayducksanddrakeswithyourearnings;Icallhim/LePereauxRats/,becauseheinstilseconomicalnotionsintothemindsofallmyfriends。Inthefirstplace,mydearfellow,hehasaprivateincomeofsixtythousandfrancs;andheisanotaryoftherealoldsort,anotarywhilehewalksorsleeps;hischildrenmustbelittlenotariesandnotaresses。Heisaheavy,pedanticcreature,andthat'sthetruth;butonhisownground,heisnotthemantoflinchbeforeanypowerincreation……Nowomanevergotmoneyoutofhim;heisafossilpater-familias,hiswifeworshipshim,anddoesnotdeceivehim,althoughsheisanotary'swife——Whatmoredoyouwant?asanotaryhehasnothismatchinParis。Heisinthepatriarchalstyle;
　　notqueerandamusing,asCardotusedtobewithMalaga;buthewillneverdecamplikelittleWhat's-his-namethatlivedwithAntonia。SoI
　　willsendroundmymanto-morrowmorningateighto'clock……Youmaysleepinpeace。AndIhope,inthefirstplace,thatyouwillgetbetter,andmakecharmingmusicforusagain;andyet,afterall,yousee,lifeisverydreary——managerschiselyou,andkingsmizzleandministersfizzleandrichfoldeconomizzle——Artistshavenothingleft/here/“tappingherbreast——“itisatimetodiein。Good-bye,oldboy。“
　　“Heloise,ofallthings,Iaskyoutokeepmycounsel。“
　　“Itisnotatheatreaffair,“shesaid;“itissacredforanartist。“
　　“Whoisyourgentleman,child？”
　　“M。Baudoyer,themayorofyourarrondissement,amanasstupidasthelateCrevel;CreveloncefinancedGaudissart,youknow,andafewdaysagohediedandleftmenothing,notsomuchasapotofpomatum。Thatmademesayjustnowthatthisageofoursissomethingsickening。“
　　“Whatdidhedieof？”
　　“Ofhiswife。Ifhehadstayedwithme,hewouldbelivingnow。Good-
　　bye,dearoldboy,Iamtalkingofgoingoff,becauseIcanseethatyouwillbewalkingabouttheboulevardsinaweekortwo,huntingupprettylittlecuriositiesagain。Youarenotill;Ineversawyoureyeslooksobright。“Andshewent,fullyconvincedthatherprotegeGarangeotwouldconducttheorchestraforgood。
　　Everydoorstoodajarasshewentdownstairs。Everylodger,ontip-
　　toe,watchedtheladyoftheballetpassonherwayout。Itwasquiteaneventinthehouse。
　　Fraisier,likethebulldogthatsetshisteethandneverletsgo,wasonthespot。HestoodbesideLaCibotwhenMlle。Brisetoutpassedunderthegatewayandaskedforthedoortobeopened。Knowingthatawillhadbeenmade,hehadcometoseehowthelandlay,forMaitreTrognon,notary,hadrefusedtosayasyllable——Fraisier'squestionswereasfruitlessasMme。Cibot's。Naturallytheballet-girl'svisit/inextremis/wasnotlostuponFraisier;hevowedtohimselfthathewouldturnittogoodaccount。
　　“MydearMme。Cibot,“hebegan,“nowisthecriticalmomentforyou。“
　　“Ah,yes……mypoorCibot！”saidshe。“WhenIthinkthathewillnotlivetoenjoyanythingImayget——“
　　“ItisaquestionoffindingoutwhetherM。Ponshasleftyouanythingatall;whetheryournameismentionedorleftout,infact,“heinterrupted。“Irepresentthenext-of-kin,andtothemyoumustlookinanycase。Itisaholographwill,andconsequentlyveryeasytoupset——Doyouknowwhereourmanhasputit？”
　　“Inasecretdrawerinhisbureau,andhehasthekeyofit。Hetiedittoacornerofhishandkerchief,andputitunderhispillow。Isawitall。“
　　“Isthewillsealed？”
　　“Yes,alas！”
　　“Itisacriminaloffenceifyoucarryoffawillandsuppressit,butitisonlyamisdemeanortolookatit;andanyhow,whatdoesitamountto?Apeccadillo,andnobodywillseeyou。Isyourmanaheavysleeper？”
　　“Yes。Butwhenyoutriedtoseeallthethingsandvaluethem,heoughttohavesleptlikeatop,andyethewokeup。Still,Iwillseeaboutit。IwilltakeM。Schmucke'splaceaboutfouro'clockthismorning;andifyoucaretocome,youshallhavethewillinyourhandsfortenminutes。“
　　“Good。Iwillcomeupaboutfouro'clock,andIwillknockverysoftly——“
　　“MlleRemonencqwilltakemyplacewithCibot。Shewillknow,andopenthedoor;buttaponthewindow,soastorousenobodyinthehouse。“
　　“Right,“saidFraisier。“Youwillhavealight,willyounot。Acandlewilldo。“
　　AtmidnightpoorSchmuckesatinhiseasy-chair,watchingwithabreakingheartthatshrinkingofthefeaturesthatcomeswithdeath;
　　Ponslookedsowornoutwiththeday'sexertions,thatdeathseemedverynear。
　　PresentlyPonsspoke。“Ihavejustenoughstrength,Ithink,tolasttillto-morrownight,“hesaidphilosophically。“To-morrownightthedeathagonywillbegin;poorSchmucke!Assoonasthenotaryandyourtwofriendsaregone,goforourgoodAbbeDuplanty,thecurateofSaint-Francois。Goodman,hedoesnotknowthatIamill,andIwishtotaketheholysacramentto-morrowatnoon。“
　　Therewasalongpause。
　　“GodsowilleditthatlifehasnotbeenasIdreamed,“Ponsresumed。
　　“Ishouldsohavelovedwifeandchildrenandhome……Tobelovedbyaveryfewinsomecorner——thatwasmywholeambition!Lifeishardforeveryone;IhaveseenpeoplewhohadallthatIwantedsomuchandcouldnothave,andyettheywerenothappy……Thenattheendofmylife,Godputuntoldcomfortinmyway,whenHegavemesuchafriend……AndonethingIhavenottoreproachmyselfwith——thatI
　　havenotknownyourworthnorappreciatedyou,mygoodSchmucke……
　　Ihavelovedyouwithmywholeheart,withallthestrengthoflovethatisinme……Donotcry,Schmucke;Ishallsaynomoreifyoucryanditissosweettometotalkofourselvestoyou……IfI
　　hadlistenedtoyou,Ishouldnotbedying。Ishouldhavelefttheworldandbrokenoffmyhabits,andthenIshouldnothavebeenwoundedtodeath。Andnow,Iwanttothinkofnoonebutyouatthelast——“
　　“Youaremissdaken——“
　　“Donotcontradictme——listen,dearfriend……Youareasguilelessandsimpleasasix-year-oldchildthathasneverleftitsmother;onehonorsyouforit——itseemstomethatGodHimselfmustwatchoversuchasyou。Butmenaresowicked,thatIoughttowarnyoubeforehand……andthenyouwillloseyourgeneroustrust,yoursaint-likebeliefinothers,thebloomofapurityofsoulthatonlybelongstogeniusortoheartslikeyours……InalittlewhileyouwillseeMme。Cibot,wholeftthedoorajarandwatcheduscloselywhileM。Trognonwashere——inalittlewhileyouwillseehercomeforthewill,asshebelievesittobe……Iexpecttheworthlesscreaturewilldoherbusinessthismorningwhenshethinksyouareasleep。Now,mindwhatIsay,andcarryoutmyinstructionstotheletter……Areyoulistening？”askedthedyingman。
　　ButSchmuckewasovercomewithgrief,hisheartwasthrobbingpainfully,hisheadfellbackonthechair,heseemedtohavelostconsciousness。
　　“Yes,“heanswered,“Icanhear,butitisasifyouveredoohuntertbacesafayfromme……ItseemtomedatIamgoingtownintodergrafemityou,“saidSchmucke,crushedwithpain。
　　Hewentovertothebed,tookoneofPons'handsinbothhisown,andwithinhimselfputupaferventprayer。
　　“WhatisthatthatyouaremumblinginGerman？”
　　“IaskedGottdatHevouldtakeuspothtogedderstoHimself！”
　　Schmuckeansweredsimplywhenhehadfinishedhisprayer。
　　Ponsbentover——itwasagreateffort,forhewassufferingintolerablepain;buthemanagedtoreachSchmucke,andkissedhimontheforehead,pouringouthissoul,asitwere,inbenedictionuponanaturethatrecalledthelambthatliesatthefootoftheThroneofGod。
　　“Seehere,listen,mygoodSchmucke,youmustdoasdyingpeopletellyou——“
　　“Iamlisdening。“
　　“Thelittledoorintherecessinyourbedroomopensintothatcloset。“
　　“Yes,butitisblockedupmitbictures。“
　　“Clearthemawayatonce,withoutmakingtoomuchnoise。“
　　“Yes。“
　　“Clearapassageonbothsides,sothatyoucanpassfromyourroomintomine——Now,leavethedoorajar——WhenLaCibotcomestotakeyourplaceandsheiscapableofcominganhourearlierthanusual,youcangoawaytobedasifnothinghadhappened,andlookverytired。Trytolooksleepy。Assoonasshesettlesdownintothearmchair,gointothecloset,drawasidethemuslincurtainsovertheglassdoor,andwatchher……Doyouunderstand？”
　　“Ioondershtand;youbeliefdatdiepadvomanisgoingtopurndervill。“
　　“Idonotknowwhatshewilldo;butIamsureofthis——thatyouwillnottakeherforanangelafterwards——Andnowplayforme;improviseandmakemehappy。Itwilldivertyourthoughts;yourgloomyideaswillvanish,andformethedarkhourswillbefilledwithyourdreams……“
　　Schmuckesatdownatthepiano。Herehewasinhiselement;andinafewmoments,musicalinspiration,quickenedbythepainwithwhichhewasquiveringandtheconsequentirritationthatfollowedcameuponthekindlyGerman,and,afterhiswont,hewascaughtupandborneabovetheworld。Ononesublimethemeafteranotherheexecutedvariations,puttingintothemsometimesChopin'ssorrow,Chopin'sRaphael-likeperfection;sometimesthestormyDante'sgrandeurofLiszt——thetwomusicianswhomostnearlyapproachPaganini'stemperament。Whenexecutionreachesthissupremedegree,theexecutantstandsbesidethepoet,asitwere;heistothecomposerastheactoristothewriterofplays,adivinelyinspiredinterpreterofthingsdivine。Butthatnight,whenSchmuckegavePonsanearnestofdivinersymphonies,ofthatheavenlymusicforwhichSaintCecileletfallherinstruments,hewasatonceBeethovenandPaganini,creatorandinterpreter。Itwasanoutpouringofmusicinexhaustibleasthenightingale'ssong——variedandfullofdelicateundergrowthastheforestfloodedwithhertrills;sublimeastheskyoverhead。Schmuckeplayedashehadneverplayedbefore,andthesouloftheoldmusicianlisteningtohimrosetoecstasysuchasRaphaeloncepaintedinapicturewhichyoumayseeatBologna。
　　Aterrificringingofthedoor-bellputanendtothesevisions。Thefirst-floorlodgerssentupaservantwithamessage。WouldSchmuckepleasestoptheracketoverhead。Madame,Monsieur,andMademoiselleChapoulothadbeenwakened,andcouldnotsleepforthenoise;theycalledhisattentiontothefactthatthedaywasquitelongenoughforrehearsalsoftheatricalmusic,andaddedthatpeopleoughtnotto“strum“allnightinahouseintheMarais——Itwasthenthreeo'clockinthemorning。Athalf-pastthree,LaCibotappeared,justasPonshadpredicted。HemighthaveactuallyheardtheconferencebetweenFraisierandtheportress：“DidInotguessexactlyhowitwouldbe？”
　　hiseyesseemedtosayasheglancedatSchmucke,and,turningalittle,heseemedtobefastasleep。
　　Schmucke'sguilelesssimplicitywasanarticleofbeliefwithLaCibotandbeitnotedthatthisfaithinsimplicityisthegreatsourceandsecretofthesuccessofallinfantinestrategy;LaCibot,therefore,couldnotsuspectSchmuckeofdeceitwhenhecametosaytoher,withafacehalfofdistress,halfofgladrelief：
　　“Ihafhadaderriblenight!aderribledimeofit!Ivasopligedtoplaytokeephimkviet,andthevirst-floorlodgersvaskommuptotell/me/tobekviet!……Itwasfrightful,forderlifeofmeinfriendvasatshtake。Iamsotiredmitderblayingallnight,datdismorningIamallknockedup。“
　　“MypoorCibotisverybad,too;onemoredaylikeyesterday,andhewillhavenostrengthleft……Onecan'thelpit;itisGod'swill。“
　　“Youhafaheartsohonest,asoulsopeautiful,dotgifderZipoddie,veshallliftogedder,“saidthecunningSchmucke。
　　Thecraftofsimple,straightforwardfolkisformidableindeed;theyareexactlylikechildren,settingtheirunsuspectedsnareswiththeperfectcraftofthesavage。
　　“Oh,wellgoandsleep,sonny！”returnedLaCibot。“Youreyeslooktired,theyareasbigasmyfist。Butthere!ifanythingcouldcomfortmeforlosingCibot,itwouldbethethoughtofendingmydayswithagoodmanlikeyou。Beeasy。IwillgiveMme。Chapoulotadressingdown……Tothinkofaretiredhaberdasher'swifegivingherselfsuchairs！”
　　Schmuckewenttohisroomandtookuphispostinthecloset。
　　LaCibothadleftthedoorajaronthelanding;FraisiercameinandcloseditnoiselesslyassoonasheheardSchmuckeshuthisbedroomdoor。Hehadbroughtwithhimalightedtaperandabitofveryfinewiretoopenthesealofthewill。LaCibot,meanwhile,lookingunderthepillow,foundthehandkerchiefwiththekeyofthebureauknottedtoonecorner;andthissomuchthemoreeasilybecausePonspurposelylefttheendhangingoverthebolster,andlaywithhisfacetothewall。
　　LaCibotwentstraighttothebureau,openeditcautiouslysoastomakeaslittlenoiseaspossible,foundthespringofthesecretdrawer,andhurriedintothesalonwiththewillinherhand。HerflightrousedPons'curiositytothehighestpitch;andasforSchmucke,hetrembledasifheweretheguiltyperson。
　　“Goback,“saidFraisier,whenshehandedoverthewill。“Hemaywake,andhemustfindyouthere。“
　　Fraisieropenedthesealwithadexteritywhichprovedthathiswasno'prenticehand,andreadthefollowingcuriousdocument,headed“MyWill,“withever-deepeningastonishment：
　　“OnthisfifteenthdayofApril,eighteenhundredandforty-five,I,beinginmysoundmindasthismyWill,drawnupinconcertwithM。Trognon,willtestify,andfeelingthatImustshortlydieofthemaladyfromwhichIhavesufferedsincethebeginningofFebruarylast,amanxioustodisposeofmyproperty,andhavehereinrecordedmylastwishes：——
　　“Ihavealwaysbeenimpressedbytheuntowardcircumstancesthatinjuregreatpictures,andnotunfrequentlybringabouttotaldestruction。Ihavefeltsorryforthebeautifulpaintingscondemnedtotravelfromlandtoland,neverfindingsomefixedabodewhitheradmirersofgreatmasterpiecesmaytraveltoseethem。AndIhavealwaysthoughtthatthetrulydeathlessworkofagreatmasteroughttobenationalproperty;putwhereeveryoneofeverynationmayseeit,evenasthelight,God'smasterpiece,shinesforallHischildren。
　　“AndasIhavespentmylifeincollectingtogetherandchoosingafewpictures,someofthegreatestmasters'mostgloriouswork,andasthesepicturesareasthemasterleftthem——genuineexamples,neitherrepaintednorretouched,——ithasbeenapainfulthoughttomethatthepaintingswhichhavebeenthejoyofmylife,maybesoldbypublicauction,andgo,sometoEngland,sometoRussia,tilltheyareallscatteredabroadagainasiftheyhadneverbeengatheredtogether。FromthiswretchedfateIhavedeterminedtosaveboththemandtheframesinwhichtheyareset,allofthemtheworkofskilledcraftsmen。
　　“Onthesegrounds,therefore,IgiveandbequeaththepictureswhichcomposemycollectiontotheKing,forthegalleryintheLouvre,subjecttothechargeifthelegacyisacceptedofalife-annuityoftwothousandfourhundredfrancstomyfriendWilhelmSchmucke。
　　“IftheKing,asusufructuaryoftheLouvrecollection,shouldrefusethelegacywiththechargeuponit,thesaidpicturesshallformapartoftheestatewhichIleavetomyfriend,Schmucke,onconditionthatheshalldeliverthe/Monkey'sHead/,byGoya,tomycousin,PresidentCamusot;a/Flower-piece/,thetulips,byAbrahamMignon,toM。Trognon,notarywhomIappointasmyexecutor：andallowMme。Cibot,whohasactedasmyhousekeeperfortenyears,thesumoftwohundredfrancsperannum。
　　“Finally,myfriendSchmuckeistogivethe/DescentfromtheCross/,Ruben'ssketchforhisgreatpictureatAntwerp,toadornachapelintheparishchurch,ingratefulacknowledgmentofM。
　　Duplanty'skindnesstome;fortohimIoweitthatIcandieasaChristianandaCatholic。“——Soranthewill。
　　“Thisisruin！”musedFraisier,“theruinofallmyhopes。Ha!IbegintobelieveallthatthePresidentetoldmeaboutthisoldartistandhiscunning。“
　　“Well？”LaCibotcamebacktosay。
　　“Yourgentlemanisamonster。HeisleavingeverythingtotheCrown。
　　Now,youcannotpleadagainsttheCrown……Thewillcannotbedisputed……Wearerobbed,ruined,spoiled,andmurdered！”
　　“Whathashelefttome？”
　　“Twohundredfrancsayear。“
　　“Aprettycome-down!……Why,heisafinishedscoundrel。“
　　“Goandsee,“saidFraisier,“andIwillputyourscoundrel'swillbackagainintheenvelope。“
　　WhileMme。Cibot'sbackwasturned,Fraisiernimblyslippedasheetofblankpaperintotheenvelope;thewillheputinhispocket。HenextproceededtosealtheenvelopeagainsocleverlythatheshowedthesealtoMme。Cibotwhenshereturned,andaskedherifshecouldseetheslightesttraceoftheoperation。LaCibottookuptheenvelope,feltitover,assuredherselfthatitwasnotempty,andheavedadeepsigh。ShehadentertainedhopesthatFraisierhimselfwouldhaveburnedtheunluckydocumentwhileshewasoutoftheroom。
　　“Well,mydearM。Fraisier,whatistobedone？”
　　“Oh!thatisyouraffair!Iamnotoneofthenext-of-kin,myself;butifIhadtheslightestclaimtoanyof/that/“indicatingthecollection,“IknowverywellwhatIshoulddo。“
　　“ThatisjustwhatIwanttoknow,“LaCibotanswered,withsufficientsimplicity。
　　“Thereisafireinthegrate——“hesaid。Thenherosetogo。
　　“Afterall,noonewillknowaboutit,butyouandme——“beganLaCibot。
　　“Itcanneverbeprovedthatawillexisted,“assertedthemanoflaw。
　　“Andyou？”
　　“I?……IfM。Ponsdiesintestate,youshallhaveahundredthousandfrancs。“
　　“Ohyes,nodoubt,“returnedshe。“Peoplepromiseyouheapsofmoney,andwhentheycomebytheirown,andthereistalkofpayingtheyswindleyoulike——““LikeElieMagus,“shewasgoingtosay,butshestoppedherselfjustintime。
　　“Iamgoing,“saidFraisier;“itisnottoyourinterestthatIshouldbefoundhere;butIshallseeyouagaindownstairs。“
　　LaCibotshutthedoorandreturnedwiththesealedpacketinherhand。Shehadquitemadeuphermindtoburnit;butasshewenttowardsthebedroomfireplace,shefeltthegraspofahandoneacharm,andsaw——Schmuckeononehand,andPonshimselfontheother,leaningagainstthepartitionwalloneithersideofthedoor。
　　LaCibotcriedout,andfellfacedownwardsinafit;realorfeigned,nooneeverknewthetruth。ThissightproducedsuchanimpressiononPonsthatadeadlyfaintnesscameuponhim,andSchmuckeleftthewomanonthefloortohelpPonsbacktobed。Thefriendstrembledineverylimb;theyhadsetthemselvesahardtask,itwasdone,butithadbeentoomuchfortheirstrength。WhenPonslayinbedagain,andSchmuckehadregainedstrengthtosomeextent,heheardasoundofsobbing。LaCibot,onherknees,burstingintotears,heldoutsupplicatinghandstotheminveryexpressivepantomime。
　　“Itwaspurecuriosity！”shesobbed,whenshesawthatPonsandSchmuckewerepayingattentiontoherproceedings。“Purecuriosity;awoman'sfault,youknow。ButIdidnotknowhowelsetogetasightofyourwill,andIbroughtitbackagain——“
　　“Go！”saidSchmucke,standingerect,histallfiguregaininginheightbythefullheightofhisindignation。“Youareamonster!YoudriedtokillmeingootBons!Heisright。Youareworsethanamonster,youarealostsoul！”
　　LaCibotsawthelookofabhorrenceinthefrankGerman'sface;sherose,proudasTartuffe,gaveSchmuckeaglancewhichmadehimquake,andwentout,carryingoffunderherdressanexquisitelittlepictureofMetzu'spointedoutbyElieMagus。“Adiamond,“hehadcalledit。
　　Fraisierdownstairsintheporter'slodgewaswaitingtohearthatLaCibothadburnedtheenvelopeandthesheetofblankpaperinsideit。
　　Greatwashisastonishmentwhenhebeheldhisfairclient'sagitationanddismay。
　　“Whathashappened？”
　　“/This/hashappened,mydearM。Fraisier。Underpretenceofgivingmegoodadviceandtellingmewhattodo,youhavelostmemyannuityandthegentlemen'sconfidence……“
　　Oneoftheword-tornadoesinwhichsheexcelledwasinfullprogress,butFraisiercuthershort。
　　“Thisisidletalk。Thefacts,thefacts!andbequickaboutit。“
　　“Well;itcameaboutinthisway,“——andshetoldhimofthescenewhichshehadjustcomethrough。
　　“Youhavelostnothingthroughme,“wasFraisier'scomment。“Thegentlemenhadtheirdoubts,ortheywouldnothavesetthistrapforyou。Theywerelyinginwaitandspyinguponyou……Youhavenottoldmeeverything,“headded,withatiger'sglanceatthewomanbeforehim。
　　“/I/hideanythingfromyou！”criedshe——“afterallthatwehavedonetogether！”sheaddedwithashudder。
　　“Mydearmadame,/I/havedonenothingblameworthy,“returnedFraisier。EvidentlyhemeanttodenyhisnocturnalvisittoPons'
　　rooms。
　　EveryhaironLaCibot'sheadseemedtoscorchher,whileasenseoficycoldsweptoverherfromheadtofoot。
　　“/What?/“……shefalteredinbewilderment。
　　“Hereisacriminalchargeonthefaceofit……Youmaybeaccusedofsuppressingthewill,“Fraisiermadeanswerdrily。
　　LaCibotstarted。
　　“Don'tbealarmed;Iamyourlegaladviser。Ionlywishedtoshowyouhoweasyitis,inonewayoranother,todoasIonceexplainedtoyou。Letussee,now;whathaveyoudonethatthissimpleGermanshouldbehidingintheroom？”
　　“Nothingatall,unlessitwasthatscenetheotherdaywhenIstoodM。Ponsoutthathiseyesdazzled。Andeversince,thetwogentlemenhavebeenasdifferentascanbe。Soyouhavebroughtallmytroublesuponme;ImighthavelostmyinfluencewithM。Pons,butIwassureoftheGerman;justnowhewastalkingofmarryingmeoroftakingmewithhim——itisallone。“
　　TheexcusewassoplausiblethatFraisierwasfaintobesatisfiedwithit。“Youneedfearnothing,“heresumed。“Igaveyoumywordthatyoushallhaveyourmoney,andIshallkeepmyword。Thewholematter,sofar,wasupintheair,butnowitisasgoodasbank-notes……
　　Youshallhaveatleasttwelvehundredfrancsperannum……But,mygoodlady,youmustactintelligentlyundermyorders。“
　　“Yes,mydearM。Fraisier,“saidLaCibotwithcringingservility。Shewascompletelysubdued。
　　“Verygood。Good-bye,“andFraisierwent,takingthedangerousdocumentwithhim。Hereachedhomeingreatspirits。Thewillwasaterribleweapon。
　　“Now,“thoughthe,“IhaveaholdonMme。laPresidentedeMarville;
　　shemustkeepherwordwithme。Ifshedidnot,shewouldlosetheproperty。“
　　Atdaybreak,whenRemonencqhadtakendownhisshuttersandlefthissisterinchargeoftheshop,hecame,afterhiswontoflate,toinquireforhisgoodfriendCibot。TheportresswascontemplatingtheMetzu,privatelywonderinghowalittlebitofpaintedwoodcouldbeworthsuchalotofmoney。
　　“Aha！”saidhe,lookingoverhershoulder,“thatistheonepicturewhichM。ElieMagusregretted;withthatlittlebitofathing,hesays,hishappinesswouldbecomplete。“
　　“Whatwouldhegiveforit？”askedLaCibot。
　　“Why,ifyouwillpromisetomarrymewithinayearofwidowhood,I
　　willundertaketogettwentythousandfrancsforitfromElieMagus;
　　andunlessyoumarrymeyouwillnevergetathousandfrancsforthepicture。“
　　“Whynot？”
　　“Becauseyouwouldbeobligedtogiveareceiptforthemoney,andthenyoumighthavealawsuitwiththeheirs-at-law。Ifyouweremywife,ImyselfshouldsellthethingtoM。Magus,andinthewayofbusinessitisenoughtomakeanentryintheday-book,andIshouldnotethatM。Schmuckesoldittome。There,leavethepanelwithme……Ifyourhusbandweretodieyoumighthavealotofbotheroverit,butnoonewouldthinkitoddthatIshouldhaveapictureintheshop……Youknowmequitewell。Besides,Iwillgiveyouareceiptifyoulike。“
　　Thecovetousportressfeltthatshehadbeencaught;sheagreedtoaproposalwhichwastobindherfortherestofherlifetothemarine-
　　storedealer。
　　“Youareright,“saidshe,asshelockedthepictureawayinachest;
　　“bringmethebitofwriting。“
　　Remonencqbeckonedhertothedoor。
　　“Icansee,neighbor,thatweshallnotsaveourpoordearCibot,“hesaidloweringhisvoice。“Dr。Poulaingavehimupyesterdayevening,andsaidthathecouldnotlastouttheday……Itisagreatmisfortune。Butafterall,thiswasnottheplaceforyou……YououghttobeinafinecuriosityshopontheBoulevarddesCapucines。
　　DoyouknowthatIhavemadenearlyahundredthousandfrancsintenyears?Andifyouwillhaveasmuchsomeday,Iwillundertaketomakeahandsomefortuneforyou——asmywife。Youwouldbethemistress——mysistershouldwaitonyouanddotheworkofthehouse,and——“
　　Aheartrendingmoanfromthelittletailorcutthetemptershort;thedeathagonyhadbegun。
　　“Goaway,“saidLaCibot。“Youareamonstertotalkofsuchthingsandmypoormandyinglikethis——“
　　“Ah!itisbecauseIloveyou,“saidRemonencq;“Icouldleteverythingelsegotohaveyou——“
　　“Ifyoulovedme,youwouldsaynothingtomejustnow,“returnedshe。
　　AndRemonencqdepartedtohisshop,sureofmarryingLaCibot。
　　Towardsteno'clocktherewasasortofcommotioninthestreet;M。
　　CibotwastakingtheSacrament。Allthefriendsofthepair,alltheportersandporters'wivesintheRuedeNormandieandneighboringstreets,hadcrowdedintothelodge,underthearchway,andstoodonthepavementoutside。NobodysomuchasnoticedthearrivalofM。
　　LeopoldHannequinandabrotherlawyer。SchwabandBrunnerreachedPons'roomsunseenbyMme。Cibot。Thenotary,inquiringforPons,wasshownupstairsbytheportressofaneighboringhouse。Brunnerrememberedhispreviousvisittothemuseum,andwentstraightinwithhisfriendSchwab。
　　PonsformallyrevokedhispreviouswillandconstitutedSchmuckehisuniversallegatee。Thisaccomplished,hethankedSchwabandBrunner,andearnestlybeggedM。LeopoldHannequintoprotectSchmucke'sinterests。Thedemandsmadeuponhimbylastnight'sscenewithLaCibot,andthisfinalsettlementofhisworldlyaffairs,lefthimsofaintandexhaustedthatSchmuckebeggedSchwabtogofortheAbbeDuplanty;itwasPons'greatdesiretotaketheSacrament,andSchmuckecouldnotbringhimselftoleavehisfriend。
　　LaCibot,sittingatthefootofherhusband'sbed,gavenotsomuchasathoughttoSchmucke'sbreakfast——forthatmatterhadbeenforbiddentoreturn;butthemorning'sevents,thesightofPons'
　　heroicresignationinthedeathagony,sooppressedSchmucke'sheartthathewasnotconsciousofhunger。Towardstwoo'clock,however,asnothinghadbeenseenoftheoldGerman,LaCibotsentRemonencq'ssistertoseewhetherSchmuckewantedanything;promptednotsomuchbyinterestasbycuriosity。TheAbbeDuplantyhadjustheardtheoldmusician'sdyingconfession,andtheadministrationofthesacramentofextremeunctionwasdisturbedbyrepeatedringingofthedoor-bell。
　　Pons,inhisterrorofrobbery,hadmadeSchmuckepromisesolemnlytoadmitnooneintothehouse;soSchmuckedidnotstir。AgainandagainMlle。Remonencqpulledthecord,andfinallywentdownstairsinalarmtotellLaCibotthatSchmuckewouldnotopenthedoor;Fraisiermadeanoteofthis。Schmuckehadneverseenanyonedieinhislife;
　　beforelonghewouldbeperplexedbythemanydifficultieswhichbesetthosewhoareleftwithadeadbodyinParis,thismoreespeciallyiftheyarelonelyandhelplessandhavenoonetoactforthem。Fraisierknew,moreover,thatinrealafflictionpeoplelosetheirheads,andthereforeimmediatelyafterbreakfasthetookuphispositionintheporter'slodge,andsittingthereinperpetualcommitteewithDr。
　　Poulain,conceivedtheideaofdirectingallSchmucke'sactionshimself。
　　Toobtaintheimportantresult,thedoctorandthelawyertooktheirmeasuresonthiswise：——
　　ThebeadleofSaint-Francois,Cantinetbyname,atonetimearetaildealeringlassware,livedintheRued'Orleans,nextdoortoDr。
　　Poulainandunderthesameroof。Mme。Cantinet,whosawtothelettingofthechairsatSaint-Francois,oncehadfallenillandDr。Poulainhadattendedhergratuitously;shewas,asmightbeexpected,grateful,andoftenconfidedhertroublestohim。The“nutcrackers,“
　　punctualintheirattendanceatSaint-FrancoisonSundaysandsaints'-
　　days,wereonfriendlytermswiththebeadleandthelowestecclesiasticalrankandfile,commonlycalledinParis/lebasclerge/,towhomthedevoutusuallygivelittlepresentsfromtimetotime。Mme。CantinetthereforeknewSchmuckealmostaswellasSchmuckeknewher。AndMme。Cantinetwasafflictedwithtwosoretroubleswhichenabledthelawyertouseherasablindandinvoluntaryagent。
　　Cantinetjunior,astage-struckyouth,haddesertedthepathsoftheChurchandturnedhisbackontheprospectofonedaybecomingabeadle,tomakehis/debut/amongthesupernumerariesoftheCirque-
　　Olympique;hewasleadingawildlife,breakinghismother'sheartanddrainingherpursebyfrequentforcedloans。Cantinetsenior,muchaddictedtospirituousliquorsandidleness,had,infact,beendriventoretirefrombusinessbythosetwofailings。Sofarfromreforming,theincorrigibleoffenderhadfoundscopeinhisnewoccupationfortheindulgenceofbothcravings;hedidnothing,andhedrankwithdriversofwedding-coaches,withtheundertaker'smenatfunerals,withpoorfolkrelievedbythevicar,tillhismorning'soccupationwassetforthinrubriconhiscountenancebynoon。
　　Mme。Cantinetsawnoprospectbutwantinheroldage,andyetshehadbroughtherhusbandtwelvethousandfrancs,shesaid。ThetaleofherwoesrelatedforthehundredthtimesuggestedanideatoDr。Poulain。
　　Onceintroduceherintotheoldbachelor'squarters,anditwouldbeeasybyhermeanstoestablishMme。Sauvagethereasworkinghousekeeper。ItwasquiteimpossibletopresentMme。Sauvageherself,forthe“nutcrackers“hadgrownsuspiciousofeveryone。Schmucke'srefusaltoadmitMlle。RemonencqhadsufficientlyopenedFraisier'seyes。Still,itseemedevidentthatPonsandSchmucke,beingpioussouls,wouldtakeanyonerecommendedbytheAbbe,withblindconfidence。Mme。CantinetshouldbringMme。Sauvagewithher,andtoputinFraisier'sservantwasalmosttantamounttoinstallingFraisierhimself。
　　TheAbbeDuplanty,comingdownstairs,foundthegatewayblockedbytheCibots'friends,allofthembentuponshowingtheirinterestinoneoftheoldestandmostrespectableportersintheMarais。
　　Dr。Poulainraisedhishat,andtooktheAbbeaside。
　　“IamjustabouttogotopoorM。Pons,“hesaid。“Thereisstillachanceofrecovery;butitisaquestionofinducinghimtoundergoanoperation。Thecalculiareperceptibletothetouch,theyaresettingupaninflammatoryconditionwhichwillendfatally,butperhapsitisnottoolatetoremovethem。Youshouldreallyuseyourinfluencetopersuadethepatienttosubmittosurgicaltreatment;Iwillanswerforhislife,providedthatnountowardcircumstanceoccursduringtheoperation。“
　　“IwillreturnassoonasIhavetakenthesacredciboriumbacktothechurch,“saidtheAbbeDuplanty,“forM。Schmucke'sconditionclaimsthesupportofreligion。“
　　“Ihavejustheardthatheisalone,“saidDr。Poulain。“TheGerman,goodsoul,hadalittlealtercationthismorningwithMme。Cibot,whohasactedashousekeepertothembothforthepasttenyears。Theyhavequarreledforthemomentonly,nodoubt,butunderthecircumstancestheymusthavesomeoneintohelpupstairs。Itwouldbeacharitytolookafterhim——Isay,Cantinet,“continuedthedoctor,beckoningtothebeadle,“justgoandaskyourwifeifshewillnurseM。Pons,andlookafterM。Schmucke,andtakeMme。Cibot'splaceforadayortwo……Evenwithoutthequarrel,Mme。Cibotwouldstillrequireasubstitute。Mme。Cantinetishonest,“addedthedoctor,turningtoM。Duplanty。
　　“Youcouldnotmakeabetterchoice,“saidthegoodpriest;“sheisintrustedwiththelettingofchairsinthechurch。“
　　Afewminuteslater,Dr。PoulainstoodbyPons'pillowwatchingtheprogressmadebydeath,andSchmucke'svaineffortstopersuadehisfriendtoconsenttotheoperation。ToallthepoorGerman'sdespairingentreatiesPonsonlyrepliedbyashakeoftheheadandoccasionalimpatientmovements;till,afterawhile,hesummonedupallhisfast-failingstrengthtosay,withaheartrendinglook：
　　“Doletmedieinpeace！”
　　Schmuckealmostdiedofsorrow,buthetookPons'handandsoftlykissedit,andhelditbetweenhisown,asiftryingasecondtimetogivehisownvitalitytohisfriend。
　　Justatthismomentthebellrang,andDr。Poulain,goingtothedoor,admittedtheAbbeDuplanty。
　　“Ourpoorpatientisstrugglinginthegraspofdeath,“hesaid。“Allwillbeoverinafewhours。Youwillsendapriest,nodoubt,towatchto-night。ButitistimethatMme。Cantinetcame,aswellasawomantodothework,forM。Schmuckeisquiteunfittothinkofanything：Iamafraidforhisreason;andtherearevaluablesherewhichoughttobeinthecustodyofhonestpersons。“
　　TheAbbeDuplanty,akindly,uprightpriest,guilelessandunsuspicious,wasstruckwiththetruthofDr。Poulain'sremarks。Hehad,moreover,acertainbeliefinthedoctorofthequarter。Soonthethresholdofthedeath-chamberhestoppedandbeckonedtoSchmucke,butSchmuckecouldnotbringhimselftoloosenthegraspofthehandthatgrewtighterandtighter。Ponsseemedtothinkthathewasslippingovertheedgeofaprecipiceandmustcatchatsomethingtosavehimself。But,asmanyknow,thedyingarehauntedbyanhallucinationthatleadsthemtosnatchatthingsaboutthem,likemeneagertosavetheirmostpreciouspossessionsfromafire。PresentlyPonsreleasedSchmucketoclutchatthebed-clothes,draggingthemandhuddlingthemabouthimselfwithahasty,covetousmovementsignificantandpainfultosee。
　　“Whatwillyoudo,leftalonewithyourdeadfriend？”askedM。l'AbbeDuplantywhenSchmuckecametothedoor。“YouhavenotMme。Cibotnow——“
　　“EinmonsterdathafkilledBons！”
　　“Butyoumusthavesomebodywithyou,“beganDr。Poulain。“Someonemustsitupwiththebodyto-night。“
　　“Ishallsitup;IshallsaydieprayerstoGott,“theinnocentGermananswered。
　　“Butyoumusteat——andwhoistocookforyounow？”askedthedoctor。
　　“Griefhaftakenafaymeinabbetite,“Schmuckesaid,simply。
　　“Andsomeonemustgivenoticetotheregistrar,“saidPoulain,“andlayoutthebody,andorderthefuneral;andthepersonwhositsupwiththebodyandthepriestwillwantmeals。Canyoudoallthisbyyourself?Amancannotdielikeadoginthecapitalofthecivilizedworld。“
　　Schmuckeopenedwideeyesofdismay。Abrieffitofmadnessseizedhim。
　　“ButBonsshallnottie!……“hecriedaloud。“Ishallsafehim！”
　　“Youcannotgowithoutsleepmuchlonger,andwhowilltakeyourplace?SomeonemustlookafterM。Pons,andgivehimdrink,andnursehim——“
　　“Ah!datisdrue。“
　　“Verywell,“saidtheAbbe,“IamthinkingofsendingyourMme。
　　Cantinet,agoodandhonestcreature——“
　　ThepracticaldetailsofthecareofthedeadbewilderedSchmucke,tillhewasfaintodiewithhisfriend。
　　“Heisachild,“saidthedoctor,turningtotheAbbeDuplanty。
　　“Einchild,“Schmuckerepeatedmechanically。
　　“There,then,“saidthecurate;“IwillspeaktoMme。Cantinet,andsendhertoyou。“
　　“Donottroubleyourself,“saidthedoctor;“Iamgoinghome,andshelivesinthenexthouse。“
　　ThedyingseemtostrugglewithDeathaswithaninvisibleassassin;
　　intheagonyatthelast,asthefinalthrustismade,theactofdyingseemstobeaconflict,ahand-to-handfightforlife。Ponshadreachedthesuprememoment。Atthesoundofhisgroansandcries,thethreestandinginthedoorwayhurriedtothebedside。Thencamethelastblow,smitingasunderthebondsbetweensoulandbody,strikingdowntolife'ssources;andsuddenlyPonsregainedforafewbriefmomentstheperfectcalmthatfollowsthestruggle。Hecametohimself,andwiththeserenityofdeathinhisfacehelookedroundalmostsmilinglyatthem。
　　“Ah,doctor,Ihavehadahardtimeofit;butyouwereright,Iamdoingbetter。Thankyou,mygoodAbbe;IwaswonderingwhathadbecomeofSchmucke——“
　　“Schmuckehashadnothingtoeatsinceyesterdayevening,andnowitisfouro'clock!YouhavenoonewithyounowanditwouldbewisetosendforMme。Cibot。“
　　“Sheiscapableofanything！”saidPons,withoutattemptingtoconcealallhisabhorrenceatthesoundofhername。“Itistrue,Schmuckeoughttohavesometrustworthyperson。“
　　“M。DuplantyandIhavebeenthinkingaboutyouboth——“
　　“Ah!thankyou,Ihadnotthoughtofthat。“
　　“——AndM。DuplantysuggeststhatyoushouldhaveMme。Cantinet——“
　　“Oh!Mme。Cantinetwholetsthechairs！”exclaimedPons。“Yes,sheisanexcellentcreature。“
　　“ShehasnolikingforMme。Cibot,“continuedthedoctor,“andshewouldtakegoodcareofM。Schmucke——“
　　“Sendhertome,M。Duplanty……sendherandherhusbandtoo。I
　　shallbeeasy。Nothingwillbestolenhere。“
　　SchmuckehadtakenPons'handagain,andhelditjoyouslyinhisown。
　　Ponswasalmostwellagain,hethought。
　　“Letusgo,Monsieurl'Abbe,“saidthedoctor。“IwillsendMme。
　　Cantinetroundatonce。Iseehowitis。SheperhapsmaynotfindM。
　　Ponsalive。“
　　WhiletheAbbeDuplantywaspersuadingPonstoengageMme。Cantinetashisnurse,Fraisierhadsentforher。Hehadpliedthebeadle'swifewithsophisticalreasoningandsubtlety。Itwasdifficulttoresisthiscorruptinginfluence。AndasforMme。Cantinet——alean,sallowwoman,withlargeteethandthinlips——herintelligence,assooftenhappenswithwomenofthepeople,hadbeenbluntedbyahardlife,tillshehadcometolookupontheslenderestdailywageasprosperity。ShesoonconsentedtotakeMme。Sauvagewithherasgeneralservant。
　　Mme。Sauvagehadhadherinstructionsalready。Shehadundertakentoweaveawebofironwireaboutthetwomusicians,andtowatchthemasaspiderwatchesaflycaughtinthetoils;andherrewardwastobeatobacconist'slicense。Fraisierhadfoundaconvenientopportunityofgettingridofhisso-calledfoster-mother,whilehepostedherasadetectiveandpolicemantosuperviseMme。Cantinet。Astherewasaservant'sbedroomandalittlekitchenincludedintheapartment,LaSauvagecouldsleeponatruckle-bedandcookfortheGerman。Dr。
　　PoulaincamewiththetwowomenjustasPonsdrewhislastbreath。
　　Schmuckewassittingbesidehisfriend,allunconsciousofthecrisis,holdingthehandthatslowlygrewcolderinhisgrasp。HesignedtoMme。Cantinettobesilent;butMme。Sauvage'ssoldierlyfiguresurprisedhimsomuchthathestartedinspiteofhimself,akindofhomagetowhichtheviragowasquiteaccustomed。
　　“M。Duplantyanswersforthislady,“whisperedMme。Cantinetbywayofintroduction。“Sheoncewascooktoabishop;sheishonestyitself;
　　shewilldothecooking。“
　　“Oh!youmaytalkoutloud,“wheezedthestalwartdame。“Thepoorgentlemanisdead……Hehasjustgone。“
　　AshrillcrybrokefromSchmucke。HefeltPons'coldhandstiffeninginhis,andsatstaringintohisfriend'seyes;thelookinthemwouldhavedrivenhimmad,ifMme。Sauvage,doubtlessaccustomedtoscenesofthissort,hadnotcometothebedsidewithamirrorwhichsheheldoverthelipsofthedead。Whenshesawthattherewasnomistuponthesurface,shebrisklysnatchedSchmucke'shandaway。
　　“Justtakeawayyourhand,sir;youmaynotbeabletodoitinalittlewhile。Youdonotknowhowthebonesharden。Acorpsegrowscoldveryquickly。Ifyoudonotlayoutabodywhileitiswarm,youhavetobreakthejointslateron……“
　　Andsoitwasthisterriblewomanwhoclosedthepoordeadmusician'seyes。
　　Withabusiness-likedexterityacquiredintenyearsofexperience,shestrippedandstraightenedthebody,laidthearmsbythesides,andcoveredthefacewiththebedclothes,exactlyasashopmanwrapsaparcel。
　　“Asheetwillbewantedtolayhimout——Whereisthereasheet？”shedemanded,turningontheterror-strickenSchmucke。
　　Hehadwatchedthereligiousritualwithitsdeepreverenceforthecreaturemadeforsuchhighdestiniesinheaven;andnowhesawhisdeadfriendtreatedsimplyasathinginthispackingprocess——sawwiththesharppainthatdissolvestheveryelementsofthought。
　　“Doasyouvill——“heansweredmechanically。Theinnocentcreatureforthefirsttimeinhislifehadseenamandie,andthatmanwasPons,hisonlyfriend,theonehumanbeingwhounderstoodhimandlovedhim。
　　“IwillgoandaskMme。Cibotwherethesheetsarekept,“saidLaSauvage。
　　“Atruckle-bedwillbewantedforthepersontosleepupon,“Mme。
　　CantinetcametotellSchmucke。
　　Schmuckenoddedandbrokeoutintoweeping。Mme。Cantinetlefttheunhappymaninpeace;butanhourlatershecamebacktosay：
　　“Haveyouanymoney,sir,topayforthethings？”
　　ThelookthatSchmuckegaveMme。Cantinetwouldhavedisarmedthefiercesthate;itwasthewhite,blank,peakedfaceofdeaththatheturneduponher,asanexplanationthatmeteverything。
　　“Dakeitallandleafmetomeinprayersandtears,“hesaid,andknelt。
　　Mme。SauvagewenttoFraisierwiththenewsofPons'death。FraisiertookacabandwenttothePresidente。To-morrowshemustgivehimthepowerofattorneytoenablehimtoactfortheheirs。
　　Anotherhourwentby,andMme。CantinetcameagaintoSchmucke。
　　“IhavebeentoMme。Cibot,sir,whoknowsallaboutthingshere,“shesaid。“Iaskedhertotellmewhereeverythingiskept。Butshealmostjawedmetodeathwithherabuse……Sir,dolistentome……“
　　Schmuckelookedupatthewoman,andshewenton,innocentofanybarbarousintention,forwomenofherclassareaccustomedtotaketheworstofmoralsufferingpassively,asamatterofcourse。
　　“Wemusthavelinenfortheshroud,sir,wemusthavemoneytobuyatruckle-bedforthepersontosleepupon,andsomethingsforthekitchen——plates,anddishes,andglasses,forapriestwillbecomingtopassthenighthere,andthepersonsaysthatthereisabsolutelynothinginthekitchen。“
　　“Andwhatismore,sir,ImusthavecoalandfiringifIamtogetthedinnerready,“echoedLaSauvage,“andnotathingcanIfind。Notthatthereisanythingsoverysurprisinginthat,asLaCibotusedtodoeverythingforyou——“
　　Schmuckelayatthefeetofthedead;heheardnothing,knewnothing,sawnothing。Mme。Cantinetpointedtohim。“Mydearwoman,youwouldnotbelieveme,“shesaid。“Whateveryousay,hedoesnotanswer。“
　　“Verywell,child,“saidLaSauvage;“nowIwillshowyouwhattodoinacaseofthiskind。“
　　Shelookedroundtheroomasathieflooksinsearchofpossiblehiding-placesformoney;thenshewentstraighttoPons'chest,openedthefirstdrawer,sawthebaginwhichSchmuckehadputtherestofthemoneyafterthesaleofthepictures,andhelditupbeforehim。
　　Henoddedmechanically。
　　“Hereismoney,child,“saidLaSauvage,turningtoMme。Cantinet。“I
　　willcountitfirstandtakeenoughtobuyeverythingwewant——wine,provisions,wax-candles,allsortsofthings,infact,forthereisnothinginthehouse……Justlookinthedrawersforasheettoburyhimin。Icertainlywastoldthatthepoorgentlemanwassimple,butIdon'tknowwhatheis;heisworse。Heislikeanew-bornchild;
　　weshallhavetofeedhimwithafunnel。“
　　Thewomenwentabouttheirwork,andSchmuckelookedonpreciselyasanidiotmighthavedone。Brokendownwithsorrow,whollyabsorbed,inahalf-catalepticstate,hecouldnottakehiseyesfromthefacethatseemedtofascinatehim,Pons'facerefinedbytheabsolutereposeofDeath。Schmuckehopedtodie;everythingwasalikeindifferent。Iftheroomhadbeenonfirehewouldnothavestirred。
　　“Therearetwelvehundredandfiftyfrancshere,“LaSauvagetoldhim。
　　Schmuckeshruggedhisshoulders。
　　ButwhenLaSauvagecameneartomeasurethebodybylayingthesheetoverit,beforecuttingouttheshroud,ahorriblestruggleensuedbetweenherandthepoorGerman。Schmuckewasfurious。Hebehavedlikeadogthatwatchesbyhisdeadmaster'sbody,andshowshisteethatallwhotrytotouchit。LaSauvagegrewimpatient。Shegraspedhim,sethiminthearmchair,andheldhimdownwithherculeanstrength。
　　“Goon,child;sewhiminhisshroud,“shesaid,turningtoMme。
　　Cantinet。
　　Assoonasthisoperationwascompleted,LaSauvagesetSchmuckebackinhisplaceatthefootofthebed。
　　“Doyouunderstand？”saidshe。“Thepoordeadmanlyingtheremustbedoneup,thereisnohelpforit。“
　　Schmuckebegantocry。Thewomenlefthimandtookpossessionofthekitchen,whithertheybroughtallthenecessariesinaveryshorttime。LaSauvagemadeoutapreliminarystatementaccountingforthreehundredandsixtyfrancs,andthenproceededtoprepareadinnerforfourpersons。Andwhatadinner!Afatgoosethecobbler'spheasant
　　bywayofasubstantialroast,anomelettewithpreserves,asalad,andtheinevitablebroth——thequantitiesoftheingredientsforthislastbeingsoexcessivethatthesoupwasmorelikeastrongmeat-
　　jelly。
　　Atnineo'clockthepriest,sentbythecuratetowatchbythedead,cameinwithCantinet,whobroughtfourtallwaxcandlesandsometapers。Inthedeath-chamberSchmuckewaslyingwithhisarmsaboutthebodyofhisfriend,holdinghiminatightclasp;nothingbuttheauthorityofreligionavailedtoseparatehimfromhisdead。Thenthepriestsettledhimselfcomfortablyintheeasy-chairandreadhisprayerswhileSchmucke,kneelingbesidethecouch,besoughtGodtoworkamiracleandunitehimtoPons,sothattheymightbeburiedinthesamegrave;andMme。CantinetwentonherwaytotheTempletobuyapalletandcompletebeddingforMme。Sauvage。Thetwelvehundredandfiftyfrancswereregardedasplunder。Ateleveno'clockMme。CantinetcameintoaskifSchmuckewouldnoteatamorsel,butwithagesturehesignifiedthathewishedtobeleftinpeace。
　　“Yoursupperisready,M。Pastelot,“shesaid,addressingthepriest,andtheywent。
　　Schmucke,leftaloneintheroom,smiledtohimselflikeamadmanfreeatlasttogratifyadesirelikethelongingofpregnancy。HeflunghimselfdownbesidePons,andyetagainheheldhisfriendinalong,closeembrace。Atmidnightthepriestcamebackandscoldedhim,andSchmuckereturnedtohisprayers。Atdaybreakthepriestwent,andatseveno'clockinthemorningthedoctorcametoseeSchmucke,andspokekindlyandtriedhardtopersuadehimtoeat,buttheGermanrefused。
　　“Ifyoudonoteatnowyouwillfeelveryhungrywhenyoucomeback,“
　　thedoctortoldhim,“foryoumustgotothemayor'sofficeandtakeawitnesswithyou,sothattheregistrarmayissueacertificateofdeath。“
　　“/I/mustgo！”criedSchmuckeinfrightenedtones。
　　“Whoelse?……Youmustgo,foryouweretheonepersonwhosawhimdie。“
　　“Meinlegsvillnichtcarryme,“pleadedSchmucke,imploringthedoctortocometotherescue。
　　“Takeacab,“thehypocriticaldoctorblandlysuggested。“Ihavegivennoticealready。Asksomeoneinthehousetogowithyou。Thetwowomenwilllookaftertheplacewhileyouareaway。“
　　Nooneimagineshowtherequirementsofthelawjaruponaheartfeltsorrow。Thethoughtofitisenoughtomakeoneturnfromcivilizationandchooseratherthecustomsofthesavage。Atnineo'clockthatmorningMme。Sauvagehalf-carriedSchmuckedownstairs,andfromthecabhewasobligedtobegRemonencqtocomewithhimtotheregistrarasasecondwitness。HereinParis,inthislandofoursbesottedwithEquality,theinequalityofconditionsisglaringlyapparenteverywhereandineverything。TheimmutabletendencyofthingspeepsouteveninthepracticalaspectsofDeath。Inwell-to-dofamilies,arelative,afriend,oramanofbusinesssparesthemournersthesepainfuldetails;butinthis,asinthematteroftaxation,thewholeburdenfallsheaviestupontheshouldersofthepoor。
　　“Ah!youhavegoodreasontoregrethim,“saidRemonencqinanswertothepoormartyr'smoan;“hewasaverygood,averyhonestman,andhehasleftafinecollectionbehindhim。Butbeingaforeigner,sir,doyouknowthatyouareliketofindyourselfinagreatpredicament——
　　foreverybodysaysthatM。Ponslefteverythingtoyou？”
　　Schmuckewasnotlistening。Hewassoundingthedarkdepthsofsorrowthatborderuponmadness。Thereissuchathingastetanusofthesoul。
　　“Andyouwoulddowelltofindsomeone——somemanofbusiness——toadviseyouandactforyou,“pursuedRemonencq。
　　“Einmannofpizness！”echoedSchmucke。
　　“Youwillfindthatyouwillwantsomeonetoactforyou。IfIwereyou,Ishouldtakeanexperiencedman,somebodywellknowntoyouinthequarter,amanyoucantrust……IalwaysgotoTabareaumyselfformybitsofaffairs——heisthebailiff。Ifyougivehisclerkpowertoactforyou,youneednottroubleyourselfanyfurther。“
　　RemonencqandLaCibot,promptedbyFraisier,hadagreedbeforehandtomakeasuggestionwhichstuckinSchmucke'smemory;fortherearetimesinourliveswhengrief,asitwere,congealsthemindbyarrestingallitsfunctions,andanychanceimpressionmadeatsuchmomentsisretainedbyafrost-boundmemory。Schmuckeheardhiscompanionwithsuchafixed,mindlessstare,thatRemonencqsaidnomore。
　　“Ifheisalwaystobeidioticlikethis,“thoughtRemonencq,“Imighteasilybuythewholebagoftricksupyonderforahundredthousandfrancs;ifitisreallyhis……Hereweareatthemayor'soffice,sir。“
　　RemonencqwasobligedtotakeSchmuckeoutofthecabandtohalf-
　　carryhimtotheregistrar'sdepartment,whereawedding-partywasassembled。Heretheyhadtowaitfortheirturn,for,bynoveryuncommonchance,theclerkhadfiveorsixcertificatestomakeoutthatmorning;andhereitwasappointedthatpoorSchmuckeshouldsufferexcruciatinganguish。
　　“MonsieurisM。Schmucke？”remarkedapersoninasuitofblack,reducingSchmucketostupefactionbythementionofhisname。Helookedupwiththesameblank,unseeingeyesthathehadturneduponRemonencq,whonowinterposed。
　　“Whatdoyouwantwithhim？”hesaid。“Justleavehiminpeace;youcanplainlyseethatheisintrouble。“
　　“Thegentlemanhasjustlosthisfriend,andproposes,nodoubt,todohonortohismemory,being,asheis,thesoleheir。Thegentleman,nodoubt,willnothaggleoverit,hewillbuyapieceofgroundoutrightforagrave。AndasM。Ponswassuchaloverofthearts,itwouldbeagreatpitynottoputMusic,Painting,andSculptureonhistomb——
　　threehandsomefull-lengthfigures,weeping——“
　　Remonencqwavedthespeakeraway,inAuvergnatfashion,butthemanrepliedwithanothergesture,whichbeinginterpretedmeans“Don'tspoilsport“;apieceofcommercialfree-masonry,asitwere,whichthedealerunderstood。