"Burette will give at least five hundred francs for the whole," said the widow, after a close examination.
"Then it must be worth at least fifteen hundred francs," said Nicholas, "but a receiver is as bad as a thief! Bah! I do not know how to cheat. I shall be soft enough this time again to do just as Burette wishes, and Micou also; but he is a friend."
"Never mind; the seller of old iron is a robber, just like the rest, but these rascally receivers know one has need of them," said Calabash, trying on one of the shawls, "and they abuse it."
"There"s nothing more," said Nicholas, reaching the bottom of the box.
"Now all must be repacked," said the widow.
"I"ll keep this shawl," said Calabash.
"You"ll keep it!" cried Nicholas, brutally, "if I give it to you. You are always taking--you--Miss Free-and-easy."
"Oh! you then refrain from taking?"
"I? I nail at the risk of my skin. It"s not you who"d have been jugged if they"d caught me on the barge."
"Well, there"s your shawl! I don"t care about it," said Calabash, sharply throwing it back into the case.
"It is not on account of the shawl that I speak; I am not mean enough to value a shawl; for one, more or less, old Burette will not change her price; she buys in a lump," said Nicholas. "But instead of saying that you"d take the shawl you might ask if I would give it you. Come, keep it--keep it, I tell you; or if you won"t, I"ll pitch it into the fire to make the pot boil."
These words soothed Calabash"s bad temper, and she took the shawl.
Nicholas was, doubtless, in a generous mood; for, tearing off with his teeth two of the handsomest handkerchiefs, he threw them to Francois and Amandine.
"That"s for you, my kids, to put you in the notion to go on the lay.
Appet.i.te comes with eating. Now go to bed; I want to talk with mother.
Your supper shall be brought upstairs." The children clapped their hands, and waved triumphantly the stolen handkerchiefs which had just been given them.
"Well, you little blockheads!" said Calabash, "will you listen any more to Martial? Has he ever given you such handsome things?" Francois and Amandine looked at each other; then hung their heads without replying.
"Speak!" said Calabash, harshly; "has he ever made you presents?"
"Well, no; he never has," said Francois, looking at his red handkerchief with delight. Amandine said, in a very low tone, "Brother Martial does not make us presents, because he hasn"t the means."
"If he would steal, he"d have them," said Nicholas; "eh, Francois?"
"Yes, brother," answered Francois. Then he added: "Oh, the beautiful silk! What a fine cravat for Sunday?"
"What a fine head-dress!" said Amandine.
"Not to say how wild the children of the lime-burner will be when they see you pa.s.s," said Calabash, looking at the children to see if they comprehended the bearing of the words. The abominable creature thus called vanity to her a.s.sistance to stifle the last scruples of conscience. "The beggars will burst with envy: while you, with your fine silk, will look like little gentry."
"That"s true," answered Francois. "I am much more content with my fine cravat, since the little lime-burners will be so jealous; ain"t you, Amandine?"
"I am content with my fine kerchief."
"You"ll never be anything but a noodle!" said Calabash, disdainfully; and taking from the table a piece of bread and cheese, she gave it to the children and said, "Go upstairs to bed. Here is a lantern. Take care of the fire, and put out the light before you go to sleep."
"And," added Nicholas, "remember, if you say a word to Martial about the box, or the copper, or the clothes, you shall have a dance, so that you"ll take fire; not to say taking away the silks."
After the departure of the children, Nicholas and his sister hid the stolen articles in a little cellar under the kitchen.
"Mother! some drink, and let it be choice," cried the robber. "I have well earned my day. Serve supper, Calabash; Martial shall gnaw our bones--good enough for him. Now let us talk of the customer, "Quai de Billy," for to-morrow or next day that must come off, if I wish to pocket the money he promised. I am going to tell you, mother; but some drink--thunder! let"s have some drink. I"ll stand some."
Nicholas rattled the money which he had in his pocket anew; then, throwing off his goatskin jacket and his black woolen cap, he seated himself at table before a ragout of mutton, a piece of cold veal, and salad.
When Calabash had brought some wine and brandy, the widow seated herself at the table, having Nicholas on her right and Calabash on her left; opposite were the unoccupied places of Martial and the two children. The thief drew from his pocket a long, broad knife, with a horn handle and sharp blade. Looking at this murderous weapon with a kind of ferocious satisfaction, he said to the widow, "My rib-tickler still cuts well! Pa.s.s me the bread, mother!"
"Speaking of knives," said Calabash, "Francois saw something in the woodhouse."
"What?" said Nicholas, not understanding her.
"He saw one of the trotters--"
"Of the man?" cried Nicholas.
"Yes," said the widow, putting a slice of meat on the plate of her son.
"That"s queer, for the hole was very deep," said the brigand, "but since that time should have been heaped up."
"We must throw the lot into the river to-night," said the widow."
"It is more sure," answered Nicholas.
"We can tie a stone to it with a piece of old chain," added Calabash.
"Not so foolish!" said Nicholas, pouring out drink; "come, drink with us, mother; it will make you more lively."
The widow shook her head, drew back her gla.s.s, and said to her son, "And the man at the Quai de Billy?"
"Well," said Nicholas, continuing to eat and drink. "On arriving at the wharf, I tied up my boat, and mounted on the wharf; seven o"clock struck at the military bakehouse of Chaillot; I could hardly see my hand before my face. I walked up and down for about fifteen minutes, when I heard some one walk softly behind me. I stopped; a man wrapped in a cloak approached, coughing; he halted. All that I know of his face is, that his cloak hid his nose, and his hat covered his eyes."
(This mysterious personage was Jacques Ferrand, who, wishing to make away with Fleur-de-Marie, had that morning dispatched Mrs. Seraphin to the Martials, whom he hoped to make his instruments in this new crime.)
""Bradamanti," said the tax-payer," continued Nicholas; "the pa.s.sword agreed upon with the old woman. "Ravageur," I replied. "Is your name Martial?" said he to me. "Rather!" "A woman came to your island this morning; what did she say?" "That you had something to say to me from M. Bradamanti." "Do you wish to gain some money?" "Yes, much." "Have you a boat?" "Four! it is our business; boatmen and ravageurs from father to son, at your service." "I"ll tell you what is to be done--if you are not afraid--" "Afraid--of what?" "To see some one _drowned by accident_; only it is necessary to a.s.sist the _accident_.
Do you comprehend?" "Oh, you want to make some cove drink of the Seine by chance! that suits me; but, as it is rather a delicate draught, the seasoning will cost rather dear." "How much for two?" "For two! will there be two persons to make soup of in the river?" "Yes." "Five hundred francs a-head, and not dear." "Agreed for a thousand francs."
"Pay in advance?" "Two hundred in advance, the remainder afterward."
"You are afraid to trust me?" "No, you can pocket my two hundred francs without fulfilling our agreement." "And you, old friend, once the affair finished, when I ask you for the remainder, can answer me-- go to the deuce!" "You must run your chance; does this suit you, yes or no? Two hundred francs down, and the night after to-morrow, here, at nine o"clock, I will give you eight hundred francs." "And who shall tell you that I have made these two persons drink?" "I shall know it: that"s my affair! Is it a bargain?" "It is." "Here"s your money. Now listen to me; you will know the old woman again who came to see you this morning?" "Yes." "To-morrow, or the day after at furthest, you will see her arrive, about four o"clock in the afternoon, on the sh.o.r.e opposite your island with a young girl; the old woman will make you a signal by waving her handkerchief." "Yes." "How long does it take to go from the sh.o.r.e to your island?" "Twenty good minutes." "Your boats have flat bottoms." "Flat as your hand." "You must make a hole in the bottom of one of your boats, so as to be able, by opening it, to make it sink in a twinkling; do you comprehend?" "Very well; you are the devil! I have an old boat that I was about to break up; it will just answer for this last voyage." "You set out, then, from your island with this boat; a good boat follows you, conducted by some one of your family. You land; you take the old woman and the young girl on board your boat, and you set off for the island; but, at a reasonable distance from the sh.o.r.e, you feign to stoop to fix something; you open the hole, and you jump lightly into the other boat, while the old woman and the young girl--" "Drink out of the same cup--that"s it."
"But are you sure of not being disturbed should there be any guests at your tavern?" "No fear, at this time, in winter, above all, no one comes; it is our dead season; and if any one should come, they would not be in the way; on the contrary--all tried friends." "Very well!
Besides, you will not be at all compromised; the boat will sink through age, and the old woman with it. In fine, to be well a.s.sured that both of them are drowned (remember, by accident), you should, if they appear again, or if they cling to the boat, appear to do all in your power to a.s.sist them, and--" "Aid them--to dive again! Good again." "It is better that the job take place after sunset, so that it be dark when they fall into the water." "No, for if one cannot see clear, how can they know whether the two women have drunk their fill, or want some more?" "That is true; then the accident must happen before dark." "Very good; but does the old woman suspect anything?"
"No. On arriving she will whisper in your ear: We must drown the girl; a short time before you sink the boat, make me a sign, so that I can escape with you. You must answer in such a manner as to calm any suspicions." "So that she thinks to lead the girl to drink?" "And she will drink with her." "It is wisely arranged." "Above all, let the old woman suspect nothing." "Be easy; she shall swallow it like honey."
"Well, good luck! If I am pleased, perhaps I shall employ you again."
"At your service." Thereupon," said the brigand, ending his story, "I left the man in the cloak, got into my boat, and, pa.s.sing by the barge, I picked up the booty you have seen."
It will be seen from this recital, that the notary wished, by a double crime, to get rid of Fleur-de-Marie and of Mrs. Seraphin at the same time, by making the latter fall into the snare she believed only laid for La Goualeuse. The reasons for putting the latter out of the way are known to the reader; and in sacrificing Mrs. Seraphin, he silenced one of his accomplices (Bradamanti was the other), who could at any time ruin him by ruining themselves, it is true; but Jacques Ferrand thought his secrets better guarded by the tomb than by personal interest. The widow and Calabash had attentively listened to Nicholas, who had only interrupted himself to drink to excess. For this reason he began to talk with singular warmth.
"That"s not all; I have managed another affair with La Chouette and Barbillon, of the Rue aux Feves. It is a famous plant, knowingly got up, and if we don"t fail, there"ll be something to try, I tell you. It is in contemplation to rob a diamond broker, who has sometimes as much as fifty thousand francs" value in her box."
"Fifty thousand francs!" cried mother and daughter, their eyes sparkling with cupidity.