The Adventures of François
Page 9
*VII*
_Wherein is told how Francois saved a man's neck and learned to juggle._
In the early spring of this year Francois found himself, one day, in acrowd near to the Porte St. Denis. He stood high on his long legs,looking on, while men on ladders broke up the royal escutcheon on thestone archway. It amused him a little to see how furious they were, andhow crazy were the foolish _poissardes_: these fishwomen, who had somany privileges under the monarchy, at every blow of the hammer yelledwith delight; and behold, here was the Crab, Quatre Pattes, far awayfrom her quarter, hoarse with screaming, a horrible edition of woman asshe stood under the arch, careless of the falling fragments. On theedge of the more prudent crowd, an old man was guilty of some rashprotest in the way of speech. Francois heard the cry, "_A basl'aristocrate! a la lanterne!_" and saw the Crab leap on the man likesome fierce insect, horribly agile, a thin gray tress down her back.Swift and terrible it was. In a moment he swung writhing from the chainof the street-lantern, fighting with vain hands to loosen the rope. Ared-haired woman leaped up and caught his leg. There was laughter. Theman above her hung limp. Francois did not laugh. He tried to get outof the crowd, away from this quivering horror. To do so was not easy.The crowd was noisy and turbulent, swaying to and fro, intent onmischief. As he moved he saw a small, stout man take, with some lack ofskill, a purse from the side-pouch of a huge fishwoman. Francois, beingclose to the thief, saw him seized by the woman he had robbed. In thepress, which was great, Francois slipped a hand into the thief's pocket,and took out the purse. Meanwhile there were again wild cries of "Tothe lantern!" "Up with him!" the woman lamenting her loss, anddenouncing the man who had stolen. His life was like to be brief.Surrounded by these she-devils, he stood, white, shaking, and swearinghe was innocent. The man's anguish of fear moved Francois. "_Dame!_" hecried, "search the man before you hang him! I say, search him!" Whileone of them began to act on his hint, Francois let the purse fall intothe pocket of the original owner--an easy feat for a practised hand."The man has it not. Look again in thy pouch, maman," he cried. "Theman has it not; that is plain." When the dame of the market found herpurse, she turned on Francois, amid the laughter of her friends. "Thouart a confederate. Thou didst put it back thyself." Indeed, things werelike to go ill. The crowd was of a mind to hang some one. A dozenhands fell on him, while the man he had aided slipped away quietly.Francois shook off the women, and with foot and fist cleared a space,for he was of great strength of body. He would have earned but a shortreprieve had he not seen the Crab. He called to her: "_A moi_! QuatrePattes!" The ring of red-faced furies fell back for a moment before therage and power of a man defending his life. Half dismayed, but furious,they shouted: "Hang him! rail him!" and called to the men to help them.Again Francois was hustled and struck as the crowd closed in on him. Hestruggled, and called to Toto, whom nothing so disturbed as to see arude touch laid on his master. In an instant the dog was busy with thestout calves about him, biting, letting go, and biting again. Thediversion was valuable, but brief; and soon Toto, who was notover-valiant, fled to his master, the crowd yelling: "Kill him! Hanghim and the beast!" Once more Francois exerted his exceptionalstrength, crying, "Not while I live!" and catching up the dog under hisarm. Then he heard the shrill voice of the Crab. "_A moi!_" he shouted,and struck right and left as Quatre Pattes, with her sticks, squirmed inunder the great arms of the fishwomen.
"_A moi!_" she cried, "Francois!" With her sticks, and tongue of thevilest, she cleared a space as the venomous creatures fell back from onemore hideous than themselves.
Meanwhile the accusing dame shook her purse at the Crab, crying, "He putit back; I felt him do it." But the rest laughed, and the Crab facedher with so fierce a look that she shrank away.
"Off with thee!" said the Crab to Francois; "thou wert near to thelantern."
"'T is a Jacobin of the best," she cried to the mob; "a friend of mine.You will get into trouble--you cursed fools!"
The crowd cheered her, and Francois, seizing the chance, cried,laughing, "Adieu, mesdames," and in a moment was out of the crowd andaway. He turned as many corners as possible, and soon, feeling it safeto move more slowly, set down the dog and readjusted his dress.
A minute later he saw beside him the man he had saved. "Do not speak tome here," he said; "follow me at a distance." The man, still white andshaking, obeyed him. At the next turn, as Francois paused in doubtwhich way to go, he met Quatre Pattes.
"The devil nearly got thee, my little boy," she said; "but a smart thiefis worth some trouble to save. Pay me for thy long neck, and quick,too." She was full _eau-de-vie_, and, as usual then, savage andreckless.
"More!" she cried--"more!" as he gave her a franc. "More, more!Ungrateful beast, thou art good to feed me, and for little else. More,more! I say, or I will call them after thee, and this time I shall havea good pull at the rope. More, more!" and she struck him with herstick. "_Sacre_, waif of hell! More! more!" she screamed. "And thatfellow who helped thee! I have seen him; I know him."
Francois turned without a word, and ran as fast as his long legs wouldcarry him. Two blocks away he was overtaken by the other thief. Theypushed on in silence.
At last Francois, getting back his somewhat scattered wits, said: "Wecan talk now."
"Ah, I understand," said the other; "thou didst steal her purse from me,and put it back in her pouch."
"Yes; I took it just as they caught thee; then I let it fall into herpouch."
"I thank thee, monsieur. _Dieu_! I am all in a sweat. We are of atrade, I perceive. Why didst thou help me?"
"To keep it was a risk. My turn might have come next. I pitied thee,too."
"I shall never forget it--never."
Francois laughed. The fat man looked up at him. "_Dame!_ but thou hasta queer face, and ears like wings. 'T is a fortune. Let us have alittle wine and talk. I have a good idea."
"Presently," said Francois; "I like not the neighborhood."
Soon they found a _guinguette_, or low liquor-shop, in the Rue Neuve desPetits Champs, and, feeling at last secure, had a long talk over abottle of wine.
Francois learned that his new acquaintance was named Pierre Despard, andthat he had, for the most part of his means of living, given up thebusiness of relieving the rich of their purses. He explained that hedid well as a conjurer, and had a booth near the Pont Neuf. He madeclear to Francois that with his quick fingers, and a face which nonecould see and not laugh, he would be a desirable partner.
"Thou must learn to move those huge ears." Would he be his assistant?When times were bad they might profit by tempting chances in their oldline of life.
Francois was just now as near to penitence as his nature permitted himto be, and his recent peril disposed him to listen. The more hereflected as Despard talked, the more he liked it. He ended by saying,"Yes"; and before the Crab had reached home he had taken away hisslender store of garments, and, with Toto at his heels, found his way tothe room of his new friend, in a little street which ran into the RueBasse du Rempart, not far from the Madeleine. Thus began a mode of lifewhich he found fresh and full of satisfaction.
The pair so strangely brought together took a room in the fifth story,and, with Toto, set up domestic life on a modest scale. It was much toFrancois's contentment. He had what I may call a side taste for therespectable, and this new business seemed to him a decided rise in life.It was varied enough to amuse him; nor was it so conventionallycommercial as to lack such adventure and incident as this wild youngreprobate of the Cite had learned to like. The new business soon gavethe partners more than enough to live upon. After their lodging anddiet were provided for, Pierre Despard took two thirds of what was left,and put it away in a stocking, at first with some doubt as to hiscomrade, but soon with the trust which Francois was apt to inspire.From early morn until noon, Pierre taught Francois to do tricks withcards, to juggle with balls, and to tell fortunes by the lines of thehand.
Toto was educated to carry a basket and collect sous, to stand onhis head with a pipe in his mouth, and to pick out a card at a signal.The rest of the day was spent in the booth, where they rarely failed tobe well paid. At evening there was a quiet cafe and dominoes, and amodest _petit verre_ of brandy. Meanwhile the peasants burned chateaux,and Protestant and Catholic hanged one another in the pleasant South.
"PIERRE TAUGHT FRANCOIS TO JUGGLE WITH BALLS."]
Now and then the Paris mob enjoyed a like luxury, and amid unceasingdisorder the past was swept on to the dust-heaps of history.
The little audience of children and nurses in front of the booth was asyet nowise concerned as to these vast changes; nor was Toto disturbedwhen it was thought prudent to robe him with a three-colored ribbon. Thepolitics of the masters of the show varied as their audiences changedfrom the children of the rich at noon to the Jacobin workmen at thecoming of dusk. Francois personally preferred splendor and the finery ofthe great. He was by nature a Royalist. Pierre was silent ordepressed, and said little as to his opinions. But both had theprudence of men always too near to poverty to take risks of loss for thesake of political sentiments in which they had no immediate interest.
Despard was a somber little man, and nimble, as some fat men are. Hewas as red-cheeked as a Norman apple, and, at this time, of unchanginggravity of face and conduct. Not even Francois's gaiety could tempt himto relate his history; and although at times a great talker, he becameso terrified when frankly questioned as to his past, that Francoisceased to urge him. That any one should desire to conceal anything wasto Francois amazing. He was himself a valuable possession to his morosepartner.
"I do not laugh," said Pierre; "nay, not even as a matter of business.Thou shalt laugh for two. Some day we will go to see the little girlwho is at Sevres, in a school of nuns. 'T is there the money goes."
This was a sudden revelation to Francois. Here was a human being, likehimself a thief, who was sacrificing something for another. Theisolation of his own life came before him with a sense of shock. He saidhe should be glad to see the child, and when should they go?