Topinard'sapartmentconsistedofakitchenandtwobedrooms。Thefirstwasanurserywithtwolittledealbedsteadsandacradleinit,thesecondwasthebedroom,andthekitchendiddutyasadining-room。
　　Above,reachedbyashortladder,knownamongbuildersasa“trap-
　　ladder,“therewasakindofgarret,sixfeethigh,withasash-windowletintotheroof。Thisroom,givenasaservants'bedroom,raisedtheTopinards'establishmentfrommere“rooms“tothedignityofatenement,andtherenttoacorrespondingsumoffourhundredfrancs。
　　Anarchedlobby,lightedfromthekitchenbyasmallroundwindow,diddutyasanante-chamber,andfilledthespacebetweenthebedroom,thekitchen,andhousedoors——threedoorsinall。Theroomswerepavedwithbricks,andhungwithahideouswall-paperatthreepenceapiece;
　　thechimneypiecesthatadornedthemwereofthekindcalled/capucines/——ashelfsetonacoupleofbracketspaintedtoresemblewood。Hereinthesethreeroomsdweltfivehumanbeings,threeofthemchildren。Anyone,therefore,canimaginehowthewallswerecoveredwithscoresandscratchessofarasaninfantarmcanreach。
　　Richpeoplecanscarcelyrealizetheextremesimplicityofapoorman'skitchen。ADutchoven,akettle,agridiron,asaucepan,twoorthreedumpycooking-pots,andafrying-pan——thatwasall。Allthecrockeryintheplace,whiteandbrownearthenwaretogether,wasnotworthmorethantwelvefrancs。Dinnerwasservedonthekitchentable,which,withacoupleofchairsandacoupleofstools,completedthefurniture。Thestockoffuelwaskeptunderthestovewithafunnel-
　　shapedchimney,andinacornerstoodthewash-tubinwhichthefamilylinenlay,oftensteepingover-nightinsoapsuds。Thenurseryceilingwascoveredwithclothes-lines,thewallswerevariegatedwiththeatricalplacardsandwood-cutsfromnewspapersoradvertisements。
　　Evidentlytheeldestboy,theowneroftheschool-booksstackedinacorner,wasleftinchargewhilehisparentswereabsentatthetheatre。InmanyaFrenchworkingman'sfamily,sosoonasachildreachestheageofsixorseven,itplaysthepartofmothertoyoungersistersandbrothers。
　　Fromthisbareoutline,itmaybeimaginedthattheTopinards,tousethehackneyedformula,were“poorbuthonest。“Topinardhimselfwasvergingonforty;Mme。Topinard,onceleaderofachorus——mistress,too,itwassaid,ofGaudissart'spredecessor,wascertainlythirtyyearsold。Lolottehadbeenafinewomaninherday;butthemisfortunesofthepreviousmanagementhadtolduponhertosuchanextent,thatithadseemedtohertobebothadvisableandnecessarytocontractastage-marriagewithTopinard。Shedidnotdoubtbutthat,assoonastheycouldmusterthesumofahundredandfiftyfrancs,herTopinardwouldperformhisvowsagreeablytothecivillaw,wereitonlytolegitimizethethreechildren,whomheworshiped。
　　Meantime,Mme。Topinardsewedforthetheatrewardrobeinthemorning;
　　andwithprodigiouseffort,thebravecouplemadeninehundredfrancsperannumbetweenthem。
　　“Onemoreflight！”Topinardhadtwicerepeatedsincetheyreachedthethirdfloor。Schmucke,engulfedinhissorrow,didnotsomuchasknowwhetherhewasgoinguporcomingdown。
　　InanotherminuteTopinardhadopenedthedoor;butbeforeheappearedinhiswhiteworkman'sblouseMme。Topinard'svoicerangfromthekitchen：
　　“There,there!children,bequiet!herecomespapa！”
　　Butthechildren,nodoubt,didastheypleasedwithpapa,fortheoldestmemberofthefamily,sittingastrideabroomstick,continuedtocommandachargeofcavalryareminiscenceoftheCirque-
　　Olympique,thesecondblewatintrumpet,whilethethirddiditsbesttokeepupwiththemainbodyofthearmy。Theirmotherwasatworkonatheatricalcostume。
　　“Bequiet!orIshallslapyou！”shoutedTopinardinaformidablevoice;theninanasideforSchmucke'sbenefit——“Alwayshavetosaythat!——Here,littleone,“hecontinued,addressinghisLolotte,“thisisM。Schmucke,poorM。Pons'friend。Hedoesnotknowwheretogo,andhewouldliketolivewithus。Itoldhimthatwewerenotveryspick-and-spanuphere,thatwelivedonthesixthfloor,andhadonlythegarrettoofferhim;butitwasnouse,hewouldcome——“
　　Schmuckehadtakenthechairwhichthewomanbroughthim,andthechildren,strickenwithsuddenshyness,hadgatheredtogethertogivethestrangerthatmute,earnest,sosoon-finishedscrutinycharacteristicofchildhood。Forachild,likeadog,iswonttojudgebyinstinctratherthanreason。Schmuckelookedup;hiseyesrestedonthatcharminglittlepicture;hesawtheperformeronthetintrumpet,alittlefive-year-oldmaidenwithwonderfulgoldenhair。
　　“ShelookslikeeinliddleGermangirl,“saidSchmucke,holdingouthisarmstothechild。
　　“Monsieurwillnotbeverycomfortablehere,“saidMme。Topinard。“I
　　wouldproposethatheshouldhaveourroomatonce,butIamobligedtohavethechildrennearme。“
　　Sheopenedthedoorasshespoke,andbadeSchmuckecomein。Suchsplendorastheirabodepossessedwasallconcentratedhere。Bluecottoncurtainswithawhitefringehungfromthemahoganybedstead,andadornedthewindow;thechestofdrawers,bureau,andchairs,thoughallmadeofmahogany,wereneatlykept。Theclockandcandlesticksonthechimneypiecewereevidentlythegiftofthebankruptmanager,whoseportrait,atrulyfrightfulperformanceofPierreGrassou's,lookeddownuponthechestofdrawers。Thechildrentriedtopeepinattheforbiddenglories。
　　“Monsieurmightbecomfortableinhere,“saidtheirmother。
　　“No,no,“Schmuckereplied。“Eh!Ihafnotver'longtolif,Ionlyvantacornertodiein。“
　　Thedoorwasclosed,andthethreewentuptothegarret。“Disisderdingforme,“Schmuckecriedatonce。“PeforeIlifdmidBons,Ivasneferbetterlodged。“
　　“Verywell。Atruckle-bed,acoupleofmattresses,abolster,apillow,acoupleofchairs,andatable——thatisallthatyouneedtobuy。Thatwillnotruinyou——itmaycostahundredandfiftyfrancs,withthecrockerywareandstripofcarpetforthebedside。“
　　Everythingwassettled——savethemoney,whichwasnotforthcoming。
　　Schmuckesawthathisnewfriendswereverypoor,andrecollectingthatthetheatrewasonlyafewstepsaway,itnaturallyoccurredtohimtoapplytothemanagerforhissalary。Hewentatonce,andfoundGaudissartinhisoffice。Gaudissartreceivedhiminthesomewhatstifflypolitemannerwhichhereservedforprofessionals。Schmucke'sdemandforamonth'ssalarytookhimbysurprise,butoninquiryhefoundthatitwasdue。
　　“Oh,confoundit,mygoodman,aGermancanalwayscount,evenifhehastearsinhiseyes……IthoughtthatyouwouldhavetakenthethousandfrancsthatIsentyouintoaccount,asafinalyear'ssalary,andthatwewerequits。“
　　“Wehafreceifednodings,“saidSchmucke;“undgifIkommtoyou,iteesbecauseIamindershtreet,undhafnoteinbenny。Howdidyousendusderbonus？”
　　“Byyourportress。“
　　“ByMontameZipod！”exclaimedSchmucke。“ShekilledBons,sherobbedhim,shesoldhim——shetriedtopurnhisvill——sheisapadcreature,amonster！”
　　“But,mygoodman,howcomeyoutobeoutinthestreetwithoutaroofoveryourheadorapennyinyourpocket,whenyouarethesoleheir?
　　Thatdoesnotnecessarilyfollow,asthesayingis。“
　　“Theyhafputmeoutatderdoor。Iamavoreigner,Iknownodingsofdielaws。“
　　“Poorman！”thoughtGaudissart,foreseeingtheprobableendoftheunequalcontest——“Listen,“hebegan,“doyouknowwhatyououghttodointhisbusiness？”
　　“Ihafeinmannofpizness！”
　　“Verygood,cometotermsatoncewiththenext-of-kin;makethempayyoualumpsumofmoneydownandanannuity,andyoucanliveinpeace——“
　　“Iasknodingmore。“
　　“Verywell。Letmearrangeitforyou,“saidGaudissart。Fraisierhadtoldhimthewholestoryonlyyesterday,andhethoughtthathesawhiswaytomakinginterestoutofthecasewiththeyoungVicomtessePopinotandhermother。Hewouldfinishadirtypieceofwork,andsomedayhewouldbeaprivycouncillor,atleast;orsohetoldhimself。
　　“Igifyoufullpowers。“
　　“Well。Letmesee。Now,tobeginwith,“saidGaudissart,Napoleonoftheboulevardtheatres,“tobeginwith,hereareahundredcrowns——“
　　hetookfifteenlouisfromhispurseandhandedthemtoSchmucke。
　　“Thatisyours,onaccountofsixmonths'salary。Ifyouleavethetheatre,youcanrepaymethemoney。Nowforyourbudget。Whatareyouryearlyexpenses?Howmuchdoyouwanttobecomfortable?Come,now,schemeoutalifeforaSardanapalus——“
　　“Ionlyneedtwosuitsofclothes,vonfordervinter,vonfordersommer。“
　　“Threehundredfrancs,“saidGaudissart。
　　“Shoes。Vourbairs。“
　　“Sixtyfrancs。“
　　“Shtockings——“
　　“Adozenpairs——thirty-sixfrancs。“
　　“Halfatozzenshirts。“
　　“Sixcalicoshirts,twenty-fourfrancs;asmanylinenshirts,forty-
　　eightfrancs;letussayseventy-two。Thatmakesfourhundredandsixty-eightfrancsaltogether——Sayfivehundred,includingcravatsandpocket-handkerchiefs;ahundredfrancsforthelaundress——sixhundred。Andnow,howmuchforyourboard——threefrancsaday？”
　　“No,iteestoomuch。“
　　“Afterall,youwanthats;thatbringsittofifteenhundred。Fivehundredmoreforrent;thatmakestwothousand。IfIcangettwothousandfrancsperannumforyou,areyouwilling?……Goodsecurities。“
　　“Undmeintobacco。“
　　“Twothousandfourhundred,then……Oh!PapaSchmucke,doyoucallthattobacco?Verywell,thetobaccoshallbegivenin——Sothatistwothousandfourhundredfrancsperannum。“
　　“Dateesnotall!Ishouldlikesommonny。“
　　“Pin-money!——Justso。Oh,theseGermans!Andcallshimselfaninnocent,theoldRobertMacaire！”thoughtGaudissart。Aloudhesaid,“Howmuchdoyouwant?Butthismustbethelast。“
　　“Iteestobayazacreddebt。“
　　“Adebt！”saidGaudissarttohimself。Whatasharkitis!Heisworsethananeldestson。Hewillinventabillortwonext!Wemustcutthisshort。ThisFraisiercannottakelargeviews——Whatdebtisthis,mygoodman?Speakout。“
　　“DerevasbutvonmanndothafmournedBonsmitme……Hehafatearliddlegirlmitwunderschoneshaar;itvasasifIsawmeinboorDeutschlanddotIshouldneferhafleft……BarisisnoblacefordieGermans;deylaughatdem“withalittlenodashespoke,andtheairofamanwhoknowssomethingoflifeinthisworldbelow。
　　“Heisoffhishead,“Gaudissartsaidtohimself。Andasuddenpangofpityforthispoorinnocentbeforehimbroughtateartothemanager'seyes。
　　“Ah!youunderstand,mennesirledirecteur!Ver'goot。DatmannmitdieliddletaughterisDobinard,vattidiesderorchestraandlightsdielamps。Bonsvasferyfondofhim,undhelpedhim。Hevasderonlyvondataccombaniedmeinonlyfriendtodiechurchundtodiegrafe……Ivantdreetausendvrancsforhim,unddreetausendfordieliddlevon——“
　　“Poorfellow！”saidGaudissarttohimself。
　　Rough,self-mademanthoughhewas,hefelttouchedbythisnoblenessofnature,byagratitudeforameretrifle,astheworldviewsit;
　　thoughfortheeyesofthisdivineinnocencethetrifle,likeBossuet'scupofwater,wasworthmorethanthevictoriesofgreatcaptains。BeneathallGaudissart'svanity,beneaththefiercedesiretosucceedinlifeatallcosts,torisetothesociallevelofhisoldfriendPopinot,therelayawarmheartandakindlynature。
　　WhereforehecanceledhistoohastyjudgmentsandwentovertoSchmucke'sside。
　　“Youshallhaveitall!ButIwilldobetterstill,mydearSchmucke。
　　Topinardisagoodsort——“
　　“Yes。Ihafchustpeentoseehiminhisboorhome,vereheeeshappymithischildren——“
　　“Iwillgivehimthecashier'splace。OldBaudrandisgoingtoleave。“
　　“Ah!Gottplessyou！”criedSchmucke。
　　“Verywell,mygood,kindfellow,meetmeatBerthier'sofficeaboutfouro'clockthisafternoon。Everythingshallbeready,andyoushallbesecuredfromwantfortherestofyourdays。Youshalldrawyoursixthousandfrancs,andyoushallhavethesamesalarywithGarangeotthatyouusedtohavewithPons。“
　　“No,“Schmuckeanswered。“Ishallnotlif……Ihafnoheartforanydings;IfeelthatIamattacked——“
　　“Poorlamb！”GaudissartmutteredtohimselfastheGermantookhisleave。“But,afterall,onelivesonmutton;and,asthesublimeBerangersays,'Poorsheep!youweremadetobeshorn,'“andhehummedthepoliticalsquibbywayofgivingventtohisfeelings。Thenherangfortheoffice-boy。
　　“Callmycarriage,“hesaid。
　　“RuedeHanovre,“hetoldthecoachman。
　　Themanofambitionsbythistimehadreappeared;hesawthewaytotheCouncilofStatelyingstraightbeforehim。
　　AndSchmucke?HewasbusybuyingflowersandcakesforTopinard'schildren,andwenthomealmostjoyously。
　　“Iamgifingdiebresents……“hesaid,andhesmiled。Itwasthefirstsmileforthreemonths,butanyonewhohadseenSchmucke'sfacewouldhaveshudderedtoseeitthere。
　　“Butdereiseincondition——“
　　“Itistookindofyou,sir,“saidthemother。
　　“Deliddlegirlshallgifmeakissandputdieflowersinherhair,likedieliddleGermanmaidens——“
　　“Olga,child,dojustasthegentlemanwishes,“saidthemother,assuminganairofdiscipline。
　　“DonotscoldmeinliddleGermangirl,“imploredSchmucke。ItseemedtohimthatthelittleonewashisdearGermany。Topinardcamein。
　　“Threeportersarebringingupthewholebagoftricks,“hesaid。
　　“Oh!Herearetwohundredvrancstobayforeferydings……“saidSchmucke。“But,meinfriend,yourMontameDobinardisver'nice;youshallmarryher,isitnotso?Ishallgifyoutausendcrowns,anddieliddlevoneshallhaftausendcrownsforhertoury,andyoushallinfestitinhername……Undyouarenottopeeinzuperanymore——youaretopedecashieratdeteatre——“
　　“/I/?——insteadofoldBaudrand？”
　　“Yes。“
　　“Whotoldyouso？”
　　“MennesirGautissart！”
　　“Oh!itisenoughtosendonewildwithjoy!……Eh!Isay,Rosalie,whatarumpustherewillbeatthetheatre!Butitisnotpossible——“
　　“Ourbenefactormustnotliveinagarret——“
　　“Pshaw!fordiefewtaysdatIhaftolifiteesferykomfortable,“
　　saidSchmucke。“Goot-pye;Iamgoingtoderzemetery,toseevatdeyhafdonmitBons,undtoordersomflowersforhisgrafe。“
　　Mme。CamusotdeMarvillewasconsumedbytheliveliestapprehensions。
　　AtacouncilheldwithFraisier,Berthier,andGodeschal,thetwolast-namedauthoritiesgaveitastheiropinionthatitwashopelesstodisputeawilldrawnupbytwonotariesinthepresenceoftwowitnesses,sopreciselywastheinstrumentwordedbyLeopoldHannequin。HonestGodeschalsaidthatevenifSchmucke'sownlegaladvisershouldsucceedindeceivinghim,hewouldfindoutthetruthatlast,ifitwereonlyfromsomeofficiousbarrister,thegentlemenoftherobebeingwonttoperformsuchactsofgenerosityanddisinterestednessbywayofself-advertisement。AndthetwoofficialstooktheirleaveofthePresidentewithapartingcautionagainstFraisier,concerningwhomtheyhadnaturallymadeinquiries。
　　AtthatverymomentFraisier,straightfromtheaffixingofthesealsintheRuedeNormandie,waswaitingforaninterviewwithMme。deMarville。BerthierandGodeschalhadsuggestedthatheshouldbeshownintothestudy;thewholeaffairwastoodirtyforthePresidenttolookintotousetheirownexpression,andtheywishedtogiveMme。
　　deMarvilletheiropinioninFraisier'sabsence。
　　“Well,madame,wherearethesegentlemen？”askedFraisier,admittedtoaudience。
　　“Theyaregone。Theyadvisemetogiveup,“saidMme。deMarville。
　　“Giveup！”repeatedFraisier,suppressedfuryinhisvoice。“Giveup!……Listentothis,madame：——
　　“'Attherequestof'……andsoforthIwillomittheformalities……'WhereastherehasbeendepositedinthehandsofM。lePresidentoftheCourtofFirstInstance,awilldrawnupbyMaitresLeopoldHannequinandAlexandreCrottat,notariesofParis,andinthepresenceoftwowitnesses,theSieursBrunnerandSchwab,aliensdomiciledatParis,andbythesaidwilltheSieurPons,deceased,hasbequeathedhispropertytooneSieurSchmucke,aGerman,totheprejudiceofhisnaturalheirs：
　　“'Whereastheapplicantundertakestoprovethatthesaidwillwasobtainedunderundueinfluenceandbyunlawfulmeans;andpersonsofcreditarepreparedtoshowthatitwasthetestator'sintentiontoleavehisfortunetoMlle。Cecile,daughteroftheaforesaidSieurdeMarville,andtheapplicantcanshowthatthesaidwillwasextortedfromthetestator'sweakness,hebeingunaccountableforhisactionsatthetime：
　　“'WhereasastheSieurSchmucke,toobtainawillinhisfavor,sequestratedthetestator,andpreventedthefamilyfromapproachingthedeceasedduringhislastillness;andhissubsequentnotoriousingratitudewasofanaturetoscandalizethehouseandresidentsinthequarterwhochancedtowitnessitwhenattendingthefuneraloftheporteratthetestator'splaceofabode：
　　“'Whereasasstillmoreseriouscharges,ofwhichapplicantiscollectingproofs,willbeformallymadebeforetheirworshipsthejudges：
　　“'I,theundersignedRegistraroftheCourt,etc。,etc。,onbehalfoftheaforesaid,etc。,havesummonedtheSieurSchmucke,pleading,etc。,toappearbeforetheirworshipsthejudgesofthefirstchamberoftheTribunal,andtobepresentwhenapplicationismadethatthewillreceivedbyMaitresHannequinandCrottat,beingevidentlyobtainedbyundueinfluence,shallberegardedasnullandvoidinlaw;andI,theundersigned,onbehalfoftheaforesaid,etc。,havelikewisegivennoticeofprotest,shouldtheSieurSchmuckeasuniversallegateemakeapplicationforanordertobeputintopossessionoftheestate,seeingthattheapplicantopposessuchorder,andmakesobjectionbyhisapplicationbearingdateofto-day,ofwhichacopyhasbeendulydepositedwiththeSieurSchmucke,costsbeingchargedto……etc。,etc。'
　　“Iknowtheman,Mme。lePresidente。Hewillcometotermsassoonashereadsthislittlelove-letter。Hewilltakeourterms。Areyougoingtogivethethousandcrownsperannum？”
　　“Certainly。IonlywishIwerepayingthefirstinstallmentnow。“
　　“Itwillbedoneinthreedays。Thesummonswillcomedownuponhimwhileheisstupefiedwithgrief,forthepoorsoulregretsPonsandistakingthedeathtoheart。“
　　“Cantheapplicationbewithdrawn？”inquiredthelady。
　　“Certainly,madame。Youcanwithdrawitatanytime。“
　　“Verywell,monsieur,letitbeso……goon!Yes,thepurchaseoflandthatyouhavearrangedformeisworththetrouble;and,besides,IhavemanagedVitel'sbusiness——heistoretire,andyoumustpayVitel'ssixtythousandfrancsoutofPons'property。So,yousee,youmustsucceed。“
　　“HaveyouVitel'sresignation？”
　　“Yes,monsieur。M。VitelhasputhimselfinM。deMarville'shands。“
　　“Verygood,madame。IhavealreadysavedyousixtythousandfrancswhichIexpectedtogivetothatvilecreatureMme。Cibot。ButIstillrequirethetobacconist'slicenseforthewomanSauvage,andanappointmenttothevacantplaceofhead-physicianattheQuinze-VingtsformyfriendPoulain。“
　　“Agreed——itisallarranged。“
　　“Verywell。Thereisnomoretobesaid。Everyoneisforyouinthisbusiness,evenGaudissart,themanagerofthetheatre。Iwenttolookhimupyesterday,andheundertooktocrushtheworkmanwhoseemedlikelytogiveustrouble。“
　　“Oh,IknowM。GaudissartisdevotedtothePopinots。“
　　Fraisierwentout。Unluckily,hemissedGaudissart,andthefatalsummonswasservedforthwith。
　　IfallcovetousmindswillsympathizewiththePresidente,allhonestfolkwillturninabhorrencefromherjoywhenGaudissartcametwentyminuteslatertoreporthisconversationwithpoorSchmucke。Shegaveherfullapproval;shewasobligedbeyondallexpressionforthethoughtfulwayinwhichthemanagerrelievedherofanyremainingscruplesbyobservationswhichseemedtohertobeverysensibleandjust。
　　“IthoughtasIcame,Mme。laPresidente,thatthepoordevilwouldnotknowwhattodowiththemoney。'Tisapatriarchallysimplenature。Heisachild,heisaGerman,heoughttobestuffedandputinaglasscaselikeawaxenimage。Whichistosaythat,inmyopinion,heisquitepuzzledenoughalreadywithhisincomeoftwothousandfivehundredfrancs,andhereyouareprovokinghimintoextravagance——“
　　“Itisverygenerousofhimtowishtoenrichthepoorfellowwhoregretsthelossofourcousin,“pronouncedthePresidente。“Formyownpart,IamsorryforthelittlesquabblethatestrangedM。Ponsandme。Ifhehadcomebackagain,allwouldhavebeenforgiven。Ifyouonlyknewhowmyhusbandmisseshim!M。deMarvillereceivednonoticeofthedeath,andwasindespair;familyclaimsaresacredforhim,hewouldhavegonetotheserviceandtheinterment,andImyselfwouldhavebeenatthemass——“
　　“Verywell,fairlady,“saidGaudissart。“Besogoodastohavethedocumentsdrawnup,andatfouro'clockIwillbringthisGermantoyou。PleaseremembermetoyourcharmingdaughtertheVicomtesse,andaskhertotellmyillustriousfriendthegreatstatesman,hergoodandexcellentfather-in-law,howdeeplyIamdevotedtohimandhis,andaskhimtocontinuehisvaluedfavors。Iowemylifetohisunclethejudge,andmysuccessinlifetohim;andIshouldwishtobeboundtobothyouandyourdaughterbythehighesteemwhichlinksuswithpersonsofrankandinfluence。Iwishtoleavethetheatreandbecomeaseriousperson。“
　　“Asyouarealready,monsieur！”saidthePresidente。
　　“Adorable！”returnedGaudissart,kissingthelady'sshriveledfingers。
　　Atfouro'clockthatafternoonseveralpeopleweregatheredtogetheratBerthier'soffice;Fraisier,arch-concocterofthewholescheme,Tabareau,appearingonbehalfofSchmucke,andSchmuckehimself。
　　Gaudissarthadcomewithhim。FraisierhadbeencarefultospreadoutthemoneyonBerthier'sdesk,andsodazzledwasSchmuckebythesightofthesixthousand-francbank-notesforwhichhehadasked,andsixhundredfrancsforthefirstquarter'sallowance,thathepaidnoheedwhatsoevertothereadingofthedocument。Poorman,hewasscarcelyinfullpossessionofhisfaculties,shakenastheyhadalreadybeenbysomanyshocks。Gaudissarthadsnatchedhimuponhisreturnfromthecemetery,wherehehadbeentalkingwithPons,promisingtojoinhimsoon——verysoon。SoSchmuckedidnotlistentothepreambleinwhichitwassetforththatMaitreTabareau,bailiff,wasactingashisproxy,andthatthePresidente,intheinterestsofherdaughter,wastakinglegalproceedingsagainsthim。Altogether,inthatpreambletheGermanplayedasorrypart,butheputhisnametothedocument,andtherebyadmittedthetruthofFraisier'sabominableallegations;
　　andsojoyouswasheoverreceivingthemoneyfortheTopinards,sogladtobestowwealthaccordingtohislittleideasupontheonecreaturewholovedPons,thatheheardnotawordoflawsuitnorcompromise。
　　Butinthemiddleofthereadingaclerkcameintotheprivateofficetospeaktohisemployer。“Thereisamanhere,sir,whowishestospeaktoM。Schmucke,“saidhe。
　　ThenotarylookedatFraisier,and,takinghiscuefromhim,shruggedhisshoulders。
　　“Neverdisturbuswhenwearesigningdocuments。Justaskhisname——isitamanoragentleman?Isheacreditor？”
　　Theclerkwentandreturned。“HeinsiststhathemustspeaktoM。
　　Schmucke。“
　　“Hisname？”
　　“HisnameisTopinard,hesays。“
　　“Iwillgoouttohim。Signwithoutdisturbingyourself,“saidGaudissart,addressingSchmucke。“Makeanendofit;Iwillfindoutwhathewantswithus。“
　　GaudissartunderstoodFraisier;bothscenteddanger。
　　“Whyareyouhere？”Gaudissartbegan。“Soyouhavenomindtobecashieratthetheatre?Discretionisacashier'sfirstrecommendation。“
　　“Sir——“
　　“Justmindyourownbusiness;youwillneverbeanythingifyoumeddleinotherpeople'saffairs。“
　　“Sir,Icannoteatbreadifeverymouthfulofitistostickinmythroat……MonsieurSchmucke!——M。Schmucke！”heshoutedaloud。
　　SchmuckecameoutatthesoundofTopinard'svoice。Hehadjustsigned。Heheldthemoneyinhishand。
　　“TheeseesfordieliddleGermanmaidenundforyou,“hesaid。
　　“Oh!mydearM。Schmucke,youhavegivenawayyourwealthtoinhumanwretches,topeoplewhoaretryingtotakeawayyourgoodname。Itookthispapertoagoodman,anattorneywhoknowsthisFraisier,andhesaysthatyououghttopunishsuchwickedness;yououghttoletthemsummonyouandleavethemtogetoutofit——Readthis,“andSchmucke'simprudentfriendheldoutthesummonsdeliveredintheCiteBordin。
　　Standinginthenotary'sgateway,Schmuckereadthedocument,sawtheimputationsmadeagainsthim,and,allignorantashewasoftheamenitiesofthelaw,theblowwasdeadly。Thelittlegrainofsandstoppedhisheart'sbeating。Topinardcaughthiminhisarms,hailedapassingcab,andputthepoorGermanintoit。Hewassufferingfromcongestionofthebrain;hiseyesweredim,hisheadwasthrobbing,buthehadenoughstrengthlefttoputthemoneyintoTopinard'shands。
　　Schmuckeralliedfromthefirstattack,butheneverrecoveredconsciousness,andrefusedtoeat。Tendaysafterwardshediedwithoutacomplaint;tothelasthehadnotspokenaword。Mme。Topinardnursedhim,andTopinardlaidhimbyPons'side。Itwasanobscurefuneral;TopinardwastheonlymournerwhofollowedthesonofGermanytohislastresting-place。
　　Fraisier,nowajusticeofthepeace,isveryintimatewiththePresident'sfamily,andmuchvaluedbythePresidente。Shecouldnotthinkofallowinghimtomarry“thatgirlofTabareau's,“andpromisedinfinitelybetterthingsfortheclevermantowhomsheconsiderssheowesnotmerelythepasture-landandtheEnglishcottageatMarville,butalsothePresident'sseatintheChamberofDeputies,forM。lePresidentwasreturnedatthegeneralelectionin1846。
　　Everyone,nodoubt,wishestoknowwhatbecameoftheheroineofastoryonlytooveraciousinitsdetails;achroniclewhich,takenwithitstwinsistertheprecedingvolume,/LaCousineBette/,provesthatCharacterisagreatsocialforce。You,Oamateurs,connoisseurs,anddealers,willguessatoncethatPons'collectionisnowinquestion。
　　WhereforeitwillsufficeifwearepresentduringaconversationthattookplaceonlyafewdaysagoinCountPopinot'shouse。Hewasshowinghissplendidcollectiontosomevisitors。
　　“M。leComte,youpossesstreasuresindeed,“remarkedadistinguishedforeigner。
　　“Oh!astopictures,nobodycanhopetorivalanobscurecollector,oneElieMagus,aJew,anoldmonomaniac,theprinceofpicture-
　　lovers,“theCountrepliedmodestly。“AndwhenIsaynobody,IdonotspeakofParisonly,butofallEurope。WhentheoldCroesusdies,Franceoughttosparesevenoreightmillionsoffrancstobuythegallery。Forcuriosities,mycollectionisgoodenoughtobetalkedabout——“
　　“Buthow,busyasyouare,andwithafortunesohonestlyearnedinthefirstinstanceinbusiness——“
　　“Inthedrugbusiness,“brokeinPopinot;“youaskhowIcancontinuetointerestmyselfinthingsthatareadruginthemarket——“
　　“No,“returnedtheforeignvisitor,“no,buthowdoyoufindtimetocollect?Thecuriositiesdonotcometofindyou。“
　　“Myfather-in-lawownedthenucleusofthecollection,“saidtheyoungVicomtess;“helovedtheartsandbeautifulwork,butmostofhistreasurescametohimthroughme。“
　　“Throughyou,madame?——Soyoung!andyethaveyousuchvicesasthis？”
　　askedaRussianprince。
　　Russiansarebynatureimitative;imitativeindeedtosuchanextentthatthediseasesofcivilizationbreakoutamongtheminepidemics。
　　Thebric-a-bracmaniahadappearedinanacuteforminSt。Petersburg,andtheRussianscausedsuchariseofpricesinthe“artline,“asRemonencqwouldsay,thatcollectionbecameimpossible。TheprincewhospokehadcometoParissolelytobuybric-a-brac。
　　“Thetreasurescametome,prince,onthedeathofacousin。Hewasveryfondofme,“addedtheVicomtessePopinot,“andhehadspentsomefortyoddyearssince1805inpickingupthesemasterpieceseverywhere,butmoreespeciallyinItaly——“
　　“Andwhatwashisname？”inquiredtheEnglishlord。
　　“Pons,“saidPresidentCamusot。
　　“Acharmingmanhewas,“pipedthePresidenteinherthin,flutetones,“veryclever,veryeccentric,andyetverygood-hearted。ThisfanthatyouadmireoncebelongedtoMme。dePompadour;hegaveittomeonemorningwithaprettyspeechwhichyoumustpermitmenottorepeat,“andsheglancedatherdaughter。
　　“Mme。laVicomtesse,tellustheprettyspeech,“beggedtheRussianprince。
　　“Thespeechwasasprettyasthefan,“returnedtheVicomtesse,whobroughtoutthestereotypedremarkonalloccasions。“Hetoldmymotherthatitwasquitetimethatitshouldpassfromthehandsofviceintothoseofvirtue。“
　　TheEnglishlordlookedatMme。CamusotdeMarvillewithanairofdoubtnotalittlegratifyingtosowitheredawoman。
　　“Heusedtodineatourhousetwoorthreetimesaweek,“shesaid;
　　“hewassofondofus!Wecouldappreciatehim,andartistslikethesocietyofthosewhorelishtheirwit。Myhusbandwas,besides,hisonesurvivingrelative。Sowhen,quiteunexpectedly,M。deMarvillecameintotheproperty,M。leComtepreferredtotakeoverthewholecollectiontosaveitfromasalebyauction;andweourselvesmuchpreferredtodisposeofitinthatway,foritwouldhavebeensopainfultoustoseethebeautifulthings,inwhichourdearcousinwassomuchinterested,allscatteredabroad。ElieMagusvaluedthem,andinthatwayIbecamepossessedofthecottagethatyourunclebuilt,andIhopeyouwilldousthehonorofcomingtoseeusthere。“
　　Gaudissart'stheatrepassedintootherhandsayearago,butM。
　　Topinardisstillthecashier。M。Topinard,however,hasgrowngloomyandmisanthropic;hesayslittle。Peoplethinkthathehassomethingonhisconscience。WagsatthetheatresuggestthathisgloomdatesfromhismarriagewithLolotte。HonestTopinardstartswheneverhehearsFraisier'snamementioned。SomepeoplemaythinkitstrangethattheonenatureworthyofPonsandSchmuckeshouldbefoundonthethirdfloorbeneaththestageofaboulevardtheatre。
　　Mme。Remonencq,muchimpressedwithMme。Fontaine'sprediction,declinestoretiretothecountry。SheisstilllivinginhersplendidshopontheBoulevarddelaMadeleine,butsheisawidownowforthesecondtime。Remonencq,infact,bythetermsofthemarriagecontract,settledthepropertyuponthesurvivor,andleftalittleglassofvitriolaboutforhiswifetodrinkbymistake;buthiswife,withtheverybestintentions,puttheglasselsewhere,andRemonencqswallowedthedraughthimself。Therascal'sappropriateendvindicatesProvidence,aswellasthechroniclerofmanners,whoissometimesaccusedofneglectonthishead,perhapsbecauseProvidencehasbeensooverworkedbyplaywrightsoflate。
　　Pardonthetranscriber'serrors。
　　End