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four uncles； who all led an existence of the baser sort。
After inspecting the sick man； she went； at full speed； to consult
Cerizet； telling him； in the first place； how she had found her
daughter； and then the reasons and indications which made her think
that her uncle Toupillier was hoarding a pile of gold in his mattress。
Mere Cardinal did not feel herself strong enough to seize upon the
property； legally or illegally； and she therefore came to confide in
Cerizet and get his advice。
So； then； the banker of the poor； like other scavengers； had； at last；
found diamonds in the slime in which he had paddled for the last four
years； being always on the watch for some such chance；a chance； they
say； occasionally met with in the purlieus； which give birth to
heiresses in sabots。 This was the secret of his unexpected gentleness
to la Peyrade； the man whose ruin he had vowed。 It is easy to imagine
the anxiety with which he awaited the return of Madame Cardinal； to
whom this wily schemer of nefarious plots had given means to verify
her suspicions as to the existence of the hoarded treasure； promising
her complete success if she would trust him to obtain for her so rich
a harvest。 He was not the man to shrink from a crime； above all； when
he saw that others could commit it； while he obtained the benefits。
〃Well； monsieur；〃 cried the fishwife； entering Cerizet's den with a
face as much inflamed by cupidity as by the haste of her movements；
〃my uncle sleeps on more than a hundred thousand francs in gold； and I
am certain that those Perraches； by dint of nursing him； have smelt
the rat。〃
〃Shared among forty heirs that won't be much to each；〃 said Cerizet。
〃Listen to me； Mere Cardinal： I'll marry your daughter； give her your
uncle's gold； and I'll guarantee to you a life…interest in the house
and the dividends from the money in the Funds。〃
〃We sha'n't run any risk？〃
〃None； whatever。〃
〃Agreed； then；〃 said the widow Cardinal； holding out her hand to her
future son…in…law。 〃Six thousand francs a year； hey！ what a fine life
I'll have。〃
〃With a son…in…law like me！〃 added Cerizet。
〃I shall be a bourgeoisie of Paris！〃
〃Now；〃 resumed Cerizet； after a pause； 〃I must study the ground。 Don't
leave your uncle alone a minute； tell the Perraches that you expect a
doctor。 I'll be the doctor； and when I get there you must seem not to
know me。〃
〃Aren't you sly； you old rogue；〃 said Madame Cardinal； with a punch on
Cerizet's stomach by way of farewell。
An hour later； Cerizet； dressed in black； disguised by a rusty wig and
an artificially painted physiognomy； arrived at the house in the rue
Honore…Chevalier in the regulation cabriolet。 He asked the porter to
tell him how to find the lodging of an old beggar named Toupillier。
〃Is monsieur the doctor whom Madame Cardinal expects？〃 asked Perrache。
Cerizet had no doubt reflected on the gravity of the affair he was
undertaking； for he avoided giving an answer to that question。
〃Is this the way？〃 he said； turning at random to one side of the
courtyard。
〃No； monsieur；〃 replied Perrache； who then took him to the back stairs
of the house； which led up to the wretched attic occupied by the
pauper。
Nothing remained for the inquisitive porter to do but to question the
driver of the cabriolet； to which employment we will leave him； while
we pursue our own inquiries elsewhere。
CHAPTER XV
THE DIFFICULTIES THAT CROP UP IN THE EASIEST OF THEFTS
The house in which Toupillier lived is one of those which have lost
half their depth； owing to the straightening of the line of the
street； the rue Honore…Chevalier being one of the narrowest in the
Saint…Sulpice quarter。 The owner； forbidden by the law to repair it；
or to add new storeys； was compelled to let the wretched building in
the condition in which he bought it。 It consisted of a first storey
above the ground…floor； surmounted by garrets； with two small wings
running back on either side。 The courtyard thus formed ended in a
garden planted with trees； which was always rented to the occupant of
the first floor。 This garden； separated by an iron railing from the
courtyard； would have allowed a rich owner to sell the front buildings
to the city； and to build a new house upon the courtyard； but the
whole of the first floor was let on an eighteen years' lease to a
mysterious personage； about whom neither the official policing of the
concierge nor the curiosity of the other tenants could find anything
to censure。
This tenant； now seventy years of age； had built； in 1829； an outer
stairway； leading from the right wing of the first floor to the
garden； so that he could get there without going through the
courtyard。 Half the ground…floor was occupied by a book…stitcher； who
for the last ten years had used the stable and coach…house for
workshops。 A book…binder occupied the other half。 The binder and the
stitcher lived； each of them； in half the garret rooms over the front
building on the street。 The garrets above the rear wings were
occupied； the one on the right by the mysterious tenant； the one on
the left by Toupillier； who paid a hundred francs a year for it； and
reached it by a dark staircase； lighted by small round windows。 The
porte…cochere was made in the circular form indispensable in a street
so narrow that two carriages cannot pass in it。
Cerizet laid hold of the rope which served as a baluster； to climb the
species of ladder leading to the room where the so…called beggar was
dying；a room in which the odious spectacle of pretended pauperism
was being played。 In Paris； everything that is done for a purpose is
thoroughly done。 Would…be paupers are as clever at mounting their
disguise as shopkeepers in preparing their show…windows； or sham rich
men in obtaining credit。
The floor had never been swept； the bricks had disappeared beneath
layers of dirt； dust； dried mud； and any and every thing thrown down
by Toupillier。 A miserable stove of cast…iron； the pipe of which
entered a crumbling chimney； was the most apparent piece of furniture
in this hovel。 In an alcove stood a bed； with tester and valence of
green serge； which the moths had transformed into lace。 The window；
almost useless； had a heavy coating of grease upon its panes； which
dispensed with the necessity of curtains。 The whitewashed walls
presented to the eye fuliginous tones； due to the wood and peat burned
by the pauper in his stove。 On the fireplace were a broken water…
pitcher； two bottles； and a cracked plate。 A worm…eaten chest of
drawers contained his linen and decent clothes。 The rest of the
furniture consisted of a night…table of the commonest description；
another table； worth about forty sous； and two kitchen chairs with the
straw seats almost gone。 The extremely picturesque costume of the
centenarian pauper was hanging from a nail； and below it； on the
floor； were the shapeless mat…weed coverings that served him for
shoes； the whole forming； with his amorphous old hat and knotty stick；
a sort of panoply of misery。
As he entered； Cerizet gave a rapid glance at the old man； whose head
lay on a pillow brown with grease and without a pillow…case； his
angular profile； like those which engravers of the last century were
fond of making out of rocks in the landscapes they engraved； was
strongly defined in black against the green serge hangings of the
tester。 Toupillier； a man nearly six feet tall； was looking fixedly at
some object at the foot of his bed； he did not move on hearing the
groaning of the heavy door； which； being armed with iron bolts and a
strong lock； closed his domicile securely。
〃Is he conscious？〃 said Cerizet； before whom Madame Cardinal started
back； not having recognized him till he spoke。
〃Pretty nearly；〃 she replied。
〃Come out on the staircase； so that he doesn't hear us；〃 whispered
Cerizet。 〃This is how we'll manage it；〃 he continued； in the ear of
his future mother…in…law。 〃He is weak； but he isn't so very low； we
have fully a week before us。 I'll send you a doctor who'll suit us；
you understand？ and later in the evening I'll bring you six poppy…
heads。 In the state he's in； you see； a decoction of poppy…heads will
send him into a sound sleep。 I'll send you a cot…bed on pretence of
your sleeping in the room with him。 We'll move him from one bed to the
other； and when we've found the money there won't be any difficulty in
carrying it off。 But we ought to know who the people are who live in
this old barrack。 If Perrache suspects； as you think； about the money；
he might give an alarm； and so many tenants； so many spies； you
know〃
〃Oh！ as for that；〃 said Madame Cardinal； 〃I've found out already that
Monsieur du Portail； the old man who occupies the first floor； has
charge of an insane woman； I heard their Dutch servant…woman； Katte；
calling her Lydie this morning。 The only other servant is an old valet
named Bruneau； he does everything； except cook。〃
〃But the binder and the stitcher down below；〃 returned Cerizet； 〃they
begin work very early in the morningWell； anyhow； we must study the
matter；〃 he added； in the tone of a man whose plans are not yet
decided。 〃I'll go to the mayor's office of your arrond