*XXII*
_Wherein is told how Francois baits a crab-trap with the man of thewart._
Francois understood the risks of his position. For a time he was safe.After he gave up that precious paper he would be at Gregoire's mercy."More or less," muttered the thief, with a laugh which set Toto tocapering. He went toward the Seine, looked in the shop-windows, and hada bite and a good bottle of wine, for the marquis had insisted on givinghim ten louis for his own use. About half-past eleven he turned intothe Rue Perpignan, and rang the bell at No. 33 bis.
"Come, Toto," he said, as he went in. "We owe Mme. Quatre Pattes alittle debt. Let us be honest and pay." He closed the door behind him,and heard the sharp voice of the concierge: "Who goes there? Speak, or Iwill be after thee." He drew back, and looked in through the glasseddoor of the Crab's room. He knew she would not sally out. Why shouldshe? Her house was only a hive of thieves and low women, who were drivenaway when they could not pay, and who rarely plundered one another.
He had never before so carefully inspected his landlady. She was seatedat a table, about to drink a cup of cocoa. The room, the table, thelittle well-swept hearth, were all as clean as care and work could keepthem. The woman herself was no less neat than her surroundings, yet sheseemed one who belonged to the sties of the Cite's lowest life. Therewas something strangely feline in the combination of animal appearancewith the notable cleanliness of her patched clothes, her person, and herabode. Her back, bent forward from the waist, and rigid, forced her toturn her head up and to one side to attain a view of the face of man.The same need kept her red eyes wide open. The malady which caused thisdistortion had ceased to be active. It had scarcely affected hergeneral health. Like many of those who have suffered from the morecommon forms of the disease which makes the hunchback, she possessedamazing strength.
Now, as Francois stood hesitating, watchful, she sat at table beforehim, intent on her meal, looking here or there for bread or salt, herhead swaying from side to side.
"If she were to bite a man, he would be as good as dead," murmured thethief. "What is it she is like? Ah, 't is the vipers in the wood ofFontainebleau. _Bonjour, maman_," he cried gaily, as he went in.
Taken by a sharp surprise, she gripped at her two sticks on the table,but missed them. They fell clattering, and her shaky hands dropped onher lap. She lacked not courage. As she sat crouched, the bald head,red-eyed and vigilant, was held back to watch this enemy.
Toto ran in, and fawned at her feet.
"Enchanted to see you, _maman_." By this time she had her wits abouther, and, hearing no accusing charges, felt more at ease.
"Come back again, art thou, my fine thief-bird? Did he fly to his nest?Ha! he knows who will take care of him. That _sacre_ shoemaker it waswho denounced thee. Didst thou think it was thy little maman? Thoudidst scold me. But how didst thou get out?"
"Ah, no matter now," said Francois. "I have work on hand for thee. IfI mistrusted thee, it is not here I should have come. Sometime we willhave a little _eau-de-vie_ and a pipe, _maman_, and I will tell thee allabout it. Wouldst thou serve the republic, and be well paid for it?Here, take thy sticks; thou art fit for anything only when thou hast allthy four legs. Listen, now; and, to begin, thou canst read alittle--enough to understand this passport, and this order from theGreat Committee of Safety?"
She looked eagerly over the papers. "Yes, yes."
"And thou canst read this still better." He let a gold louis drop onthe table. She put out a claw, and, failing through tremor to pick itup, drew it to the edge, and for a moment held it under her eyes; thenshe put it into her mouth, and, apparently satisfied, chewed on it,moving her lower jaw from side to side.
"A good purse, _maman_. It would be a bold man or a blind would stealthy head for the gold. Heads always lose in our France to-day; thy ownis none too sure, _maman_."
"If thou art thinking to scare Quatre Pattes, it won't do. Ha! it won'tpay." She looked as if it would not.
Francois saw that he had made a misplay. He laughed his best. "_Nom dediable!_ thou didst like a joke once. No matter. My time is short. Iexpect a citizen in a few minutes. Is my old room empty?"
"Yes, and half the rest. I tell thee, _mon fils_, I have missed thee."
"Give me the key, and pen, ink, and paper. These will do. Thy ink isdry. A little water--so. I shall come down in a minute or two, andtake the citizen up with me. After that I shall come down alone. Thecitizen will be locked up."
"Good. Will he be alive? I will have no tricks; they get one intotrouble."
"Alive! Yes; he will howl."
"Ah, he will howl. What shall I get?"
"He will pay to get out."
"He will pay--how much?"
"One--two--three hundred francs."
"Pshaw! Paper?"
"No; gold. At four to-morrow--no later, no sooner--at four to-morrowthou wilt let him out; and, mind thee, Dame Quatre Pattes, this isbusiness of the republic. What happens to him after he is let out is ofno moment. He may very likely make a fuss; he is bad-tempered. Wiltthou take the risk?"
"I--Quatre Pattes? Three hundred francs! I?"
"If I return not to give further orders before twelve, thou mayst askthe municipals to be here at four. That will save trouble. He will thenbe in no way to swear thou hast his money. That may be the best plan.I have no mind to get thee into trouble. Now, hold thy tongue; andremember, it will be the little cripple Couthon who will reckon withthee if in this business thou dost fail."
"This is all very well if thou dost not return; but who will pay me ifthou art of a mind to come and take him away thyself?"
"'T is a sharp old Crab," laughed Francois. "If I come for him, Ipromise thee he shall pay thee full rent; and here is his _denier aDieu, maman_." He cast another louis in her lap. "If I come not bynoon, get all you can, and denounce him as a suspect; but remember--nottill four."
"_Queue du diable_! 'T is a fine transaction," cried the Crab, andknocked her sticks together for emphasis. "We will bleed him like adoctor; we will send in the bill under the door; and then--we will havesome nice municipals for sextons. Ha! ha! It is well to have thecredit on one's little _carte de surete_."
Francois assured her that the plan was good. At this point, however,she became suddenly suspicious. She stood crouching over her sticks, thesnake-like head slowly moving from side to side, her eyes searching thethief's smiling face. "Why is the man to be kept? What is it?"
He expected this. "Ask Couthon the palsied that, thou imbecile. I willtake him elsewhere. There are a dozen houses where they ask noquestions. Yes or no?"
"Yes, yes!" Caution was put to sleep by greed; or, more truly, by want,which was nearing its extremity.
He felt secure. "If he should ring before I get down-stairs, let himwait. Now, the ink and key."
"Is he to make his will? Thou wilt not be long?"
"No; I want something that I left."
"Ah! thou didst leave something?"
"Yes, and thou didst not find it, _maman_. Fie, fie, for a cleverwoman! Well, if thou didst not find it, few could. Wait, now."
He went swiftly up-stairs with Toto, and unlocked the door, leaving thekey outside in the lock. He put the writing-materials on a table. Inthe chimney, just within reach of his farthest touch, he found hispistol. It was not loaded, and he had no powder to recharge it. Helaughed as, putting it behind him in his waist-belt, under his cloak, hedescended the stair.
"All is right. _Cordon_, if you please," he cried from the hall. Hehad not waited outside five minutes when Gregoire appeared, in ordinarydress, without the official feathered hat or the scarf of a functionary.He was now sober enough, but uneasy, and looked about him as if fearingrecognition.
"Come," said Francois. They mounted the ill-smelling stairway to theattic. Neither spoke. Once they were within the room, Francois said:"Sit down." He took a stool, placing himself between Gregoire and
thedoor. "To business," he said, and slipped out the famous letter fromGregoire to De la Vicomterie. He glanced at it, laughing. "There arethree or more heads in this," he said. "Robespierre would pay well forit, or Saint-Just. One might put it up at auction. There would be highbidding."
Gregoire said: "I have paid for it. Give it to me--give it to me!"
"No hurry, commissioner." The thief enjoyed the situation. "Let ustalk a little. Let us make things a trifle safer. Have the kindness towrite a receipt for one hundred louis d'or accepted by thee as securityfor the head of one Louis de Ste. Luce, _ci-devant_ marquis."
"Not I!" cried Gregoire, starting up.
"Ah, I think thou wilt"; and, with this, Francois drew his quiteharmless pistol, and cocked it.
"Dost thou mean to murder me? Help! help! Murder!"
Francois seized him by the throat and thrust him down on to the chair.
"The devil! Fat fool! must I really kill thee? Hold thy tongue. Toto,"he said, "just look at this gentleman. He is afraid, a coward--he whohas killed so many--so many brave men and women, who died and showed nofear. Keep the door, Toto. There, now, citizen; write it, and quick,too, or--"
"But it is my death."
"What do I care? It is certain death unless thou dost keep faith. Oncethe marquis is free, and I am secure, I will burn it. That is all.Thou art forced to trust me. The situation is simple, and ratherdifferent from what it was at nine this morning. Thou art trapped."
It was true, and Gregoire knew it. He drew his chair to the table, andwrote a few lines as the thief dictated. Francois added a request for adate. "Thou art not clever with a pen," he said; "thy hand shakes."
"I am a lost man!"
"No; by no means. But look out for my marquis. He ought to be veryprecious to thee, because--because if there should be any accident tohim or to me, my friend will promptly place this harmless receipt in thehands of Saint-Just; and then--"
Gregoire sat in a cold sweat, saying at intervals: "I am lost. Let mego."
"Not quite yet. Give me ten louis."
"I--I can't. I left the money at home."
"Thou art lying. I heard it rattle when I shook thee. I might take itall. I am generous, just, like the incorruptible man with the greenaround his eyes, one Robespierre. Come, now."
Gregoire, reluctant, counted out the gold. "Let me go," he said. Therewere scarce left in him the dregs of a man. He rose, pale andtottering.
"Not quite yet, my friend. Thou wilt wait here a little while. Then acitizen hag will come up and let thee out. But be careful; no noise.The gentlemen who inhabit this mansion like not to be disturbed in theirdevotions. Moreover, they are curious, and generally inquisitive as topurses. Thou hast a few hours for reflection on thy sins. Prayunderstand that this little paper will be put in the hands of a friendof the marquis; I shall not keep it. The trap will be well set. Am Iclear?"
The commissioner made no reply.
"I forgot," said Francis. "Here is thy letter. I keep my word. Thereceipt is enough."
The compromising document lay on the table, unnoticed by Gregoire. Hefell back, limp and cowed, gripping the seat with both hands to savehimself from slipping ont of the chair. The sweat ran down his face.When Francois, calling to the poodle, left him alone, he made no motion;he was like a beaten cur.
"Come, Toto," said Francois, as he locked the door. "That for his wart!It is not as big as it used to be, and it is not in the middle of hisnose." He went down to the room of the concierge, and threw the key ofhis room in her lap.
"He is very quiet, thy patient up-stairs; he hath a chill."
Quatre Pattes, standing by, nodded, and looked up. "Is he alive? Nolies, young man."
"Alive? Not quite; only well scared. Imagine thyself one day on thered stair, and the basket all ready, and so neat,--thou art fond ofneatness,--all as clean as thy room; and the knife--"
"Shut up that big jaw! I am Quatre Pattes. Dost thou want to frightenme?"
"I? By _St. Fiacre_, no! I only want to let thee understand how thecitizen on the fourth floor feels."
"He will bleed the better, my dear." She rattled the sticks, and lookedup at Francois, her head swaying as the head of the cobra sways. Shewas still in some doubt as to this too ready pupil, whom she had taughtso much. "Art thou trying to fool Mother Quatre Pattes?"
"Oh, stuff! Go up and speak to the man. But take care; this is nolight matter to put thy claws into. The man will rage; but a daywithout diet will quiet him a good bit. Then thou canst begin to makethy little commercial arrangement."
"Two hundred--three hundred. No rags, no assignats."
"Might get four hundred, Mother Crabby. There will be two sides to thequestion."
The old woman laughed a laugh shrill and virulent.
"Two sides? I see--inside and outside. All right."
Francois stood in the doorway as she spoke.
"By-by, _maman_; and don't frighten him too much. Thy style of beauty isnot to the taste of all men. Folks are really afraid of thee, _maman_.Don't make it a part of the bargain that he marry thee."
"Good idea, that! And when shall I see thee?"
"Possibly to-morrow; certainly within a week or so. I may have a fewdays' work for the committee in Villefranche--dirty country, filthyinns, not like thy room"; and he glanced at it. "I always do like tosee how neat it is, and how clean. It would please Sanson. He is soparticular; keeps things clean and ready--always ready."
"'T is true," said Quatre Pattes, and clattered away up the hall.
Francois heard her sticks on the stair, and her shrill laughter. "Thycheese is poisoned, old rat," he said.
Once secure of the absence of his too observant landlady, Francoiscalled to Toto and went out of the house. It was now about half-pastone. No suspicious persons were visible. He had doubted this Gregoire.He had no mind to leave Paris, but when asking a passport he meant thatGregoire should think he had done so. He moved away, with the dog athis heels, and presently stood awhile in deep thought, at the end of thestreet. Gregoire was safe; he could harm no one for a day, and afterthat would be the last man in Paris to trouble Francois. Amar was to befeared, but that was to be left to chance and cautious care. QuatrePattes? He smiled. "'T is as fine as a play, Toto. Here comes thelast act. Can we go away and not see it?" He looked back. Theshoemaker whom the Crab had wished him to denounce, with a view to theeternal settlement of her debts, was standing at his door in the sun,just opposite to No. 33 bis. It was a good little man, lame of a leg,hard-working and timid.
"It is not to be resisted, Toto. Come, my boy." He went back, andpulled the bell at No. 33 bis. No one answered. He rang three times,and became sure that, as he had anticipated, the Crab had at once goneup to see how much of truth there was in his statement.
"HE PULLED THE BELL AT No. 33 BIS."]
Thus assured, he looked about him. He saw no one he had need to fear.He crossed the street, and spoke to the cobbler.
"Come into thy shop; I want to speak to thee." When within, he said: "Ihave been arrested, and let out--praise be to the saints! I have justnow seen the old Crab. She owes thee money?"
"Not much."
"No matter. She has asked me to denounce thee, my poor friend. I cameto warn thee."
The cobbler gasped. "_Dieu!_ and my little ones! I have done nothing--Iassure thee, nothing."
"Nor I, my friend. Now, listen. I am lucky enough to be in a littleemployment for the Great Committee. I mean to save thee."
"And canst thou do that?"
"Yes, yes. Something will happen to-morrow, about four o'clock; andafter that no fear of the hag. I must see it; it is my business. Can Istay a day--I mean until then--in the little room here above thy shop?"
"Why not? The children are with my sister. They shall stay tillto-morrow night."
He followed the overjoyed cobbler up to the room above his shop, senthim out to buy food and wine, and sat down to awai
t events. The cobblercame back with a supply of diet and the gazettes. Francois sat behindthe slats of the green window-shades, and laughed, or talked to Toto, orread, while at intervals he watched No. 33 bis. He read of howCharleroi had been taken, and of the recovery of Fleurus. It interestedhim but little.
"They have cut off the head of the devil, and got a new god, my goodpoodle. _Tenes_! Hold! Attention!" He saw Quatre Pattes clatter out.It was about 4 P.M. She had no market-net. She was decisively bent onsome errand, and moved with unusual celerity, her back bent, her headstrained upward to get a sufficient horizon.
"It is altogether pleasant, _ami_. She will not wait till twelveto-morrow. She has gone to denounce him. Get up. Here is a nice bitefor thee. She is shrewd, our snake. If she plunders M. Gregoire,--andshe will, too,--she knows what he will do when he is out. He willdenounce her. The play is good, Toto. The money she will have, if weknow her. But, mm ami, if he makes her believe through the door that heis the great Gregoire of the wart, and she lets him out, and is scared,and asks no pay, Toto, 't is nevertheless a scotched snake she will be.The Wart will want to be revenged for low diet and loss of therepublic's time. _Mordieu_! Toto, let us bet on it."
He read his gazettes, and waited. At six that afternoon the Crab camehome. At nine Francois went to bed. Twice he awakened, laughing; hewas thinking about Gregoire. The cobbler came in at six with breakfast,and Francois warned him to be careful.
At ten in the morning Quatre Pattes appeared at her door, and chattedwith one or two dames of the fish-market. She rattled her sticks, andtalked volubly. She was in the best of humors.
No new thing took place till three o'clock, when two municipal guardspaused at her door. She came forth, spoke to them, and went in, leavingthe door open. A third joined them. They loitered about. Ten minuteswent by. Francois grew more and more eager as he watched.
"Ho, ho, Toto," he exclaimed, "there was a noise! The fool! she has goneup alone to let him out."
It was true. Gregoire had yielded in all some three hundred francs,and, as ordered, had slipped the money under the door, piece by piece,while Quatre Pattes sat and counted it with eyes of greed. She camedown and hid the last of it. Now she went up again, rather liking theerrand. She was absolutely fearless. She opened the door, and stoodaside. "Come out," she said, "little man."
Gregoire was past restraining his rage. "She-devil!" he cried, andstruck at her in a fury of passion. He ran past her down the stairs,the terrible woman after him. She was wonderfully quick, but the man'sfear was quicker. At the last stairway she found him beyond her reach,and, cursing him in fluent slang of the quarter, she threw one of hersticks at him. It caught him on the back of the neck, and he fellheadlong into the hallway. In an instant he was up and staggering intothe street. As he came forth two guards seized him. "In the name ofthe law!" Quatre Pattes came swiftly after him, screaming out: "Takehim! I denounce him! He is an aristocrat!"
What she and Francois saw was unpleasant for her.
"_Nom de Ciel!_ 't is the Citizen Gregoire!" cried the third guard.
Gregoire was for an instant speechless and breathless. The guards fellback.
"Arrest me?--me, Gregoire! Have you an order to arrest me?" He was notquite at ease.
"No, no, citizen. It is clearly a mistake. We were to arrest a_ci-devant_."
Quatre Pattes stood up, pallid.
"Take this woman!" cried Gregoire. "I will send an order. TheChatelet, and quick!"
"The little trap did work," cried Francois, behind his screen. "How shesqueals--like a pig, a pig! She will give up the money. The citizensand she disappear within."
"'THE LITTLE TRAP DID WORK,' CRIED FRANCOIS, BEHIND HISSCREEN."]
"This woman stole it!" roared the great man, as they came out. "Takeher away."
When they came to lay final hands on her, she was like a cat in acorner.
"_Chien de mon ame_! 't is a fine scrimmage," cried Francois, "and thestreet full."
The sticks rattled; and when they were torn from her, she used tooth andclaw, to the joy of a crowd appreciative of personal prowess. At lastshe was carried away, screaming, and exhausted as to all but her tongue.
The commissioner with the wart readjusted his garments and his dignity.The crowd cried: "_Vive Gregoire!_" and the hungry Jacobin went his way,furious, in search of dietetic consolation.
"The show is over, Toto," said Francois, as he sat down.
Presently came the cobbler, curious, and much relieved.
"Ask no questions," said Francois. "Here is a little money."
"But, citizen, it is a gold louis."
"The show was worth the price of admission. Thou art welcome. Hold thytongue, if thou art wise. At dusk I shall slip out. Thou art safe.The Crab will denounce no more of her neighbors."
"Two she hath sent to the knife," said the cobbler.
"_Dieu!_ how the _tricoteuses_ will grin!"
The Adventures of François Page 24
