Volume III Part 34 (1/2)
To set up the business I spent in the course of a month about sixty thousand francs, and my weekly expenses amounted to twelve hundred francs
As for Madahed every time she saw me, for she was quite certain that this business was only meant to put the curious off the scent and to preserve nito: so persuaded was she of irls, all more or less pretty, the eldest of as not twenty-five, far frohted lio, and I a their meek and modest looks as they did their work under the direction of the foreet more than twenty-four sous a day, and all of them had excellent reputations, for they had been selected at her own request by the e, who if the fancy seized me to test her choice Manon Baletti did not share my satisfaction in the that sooner or later the barque of my virtue would run on the rocks She scolded h I assured her that none of them slept in the house
This business increased ht that I was on the high road to fortune, and partly because I furnished so many people with the enius soon crossed my career
It was now three one into the convent, and the time of her delivery drew near We wrote to each other twice a week, and I considered the matter happily settled; M de la Popeliniere had married, and when Mdlle X C V returned to hermore to be said But just at this period, when my happiness seemed assured, the hidden fire leapt forth and threatened to consu Madame d'Urfe's I went to walk in the Tuileries
I had taken a couple of turns in the chief hen I saw that an old wo ather observations to her co in this in a public place, and I continued ain saw the sathe -house, where he was known by the na, I at last succeeded in recollecting who she was; she was the woman to whom I had taken Mdlle X C V I felt certain that she had recognized ardens to walk elsewhere The day after next, just as I was going to get into aveit covered with an illegible scrawl I gave it hi him to read it himself He did so, and I found myself summoned to appear before the commissary of police to answer to the plea which the ainst e would be, and was certain that the midwife could furnish no proofs of her accusation, I went to an attorney I knew and told him to appear for me I instructed him that I did not know any midwife in Paris whatsoever The attorney waited on the coht me a copy of the pleas
The ht, acco lady about fivea pistol in one hand and a packet of fifty Louis in the other, I made her promise to procure abortion We both of us (so she said) hadthat we had been at the opera ball Fear, said she, had prevented her froh presence of s were not ready, that she would have all in order by the next night; whereupon we left, pro to return
In the belief that ould not fail to keep the appointment, she went in to M Castel-Bajac to ask hiht be protected froht be a witness of what I said, but she had not seen iven information the day after the event if she had knoho I was, but since M Castel-Bajac had told her ht it her bounden duty to deliver ht be compensated for the violence I had used to her And this docuned by the said Castel-Bajac as a witness
”This is an evident case of libel,” said my attorney, ”at least, if she can't prove the truth of her allegations My advice to you is to take the ive you the satisfaction you require”
I authorized hiht advisable, and three or four days after he told me that the lieutenant wished to speak to me in private, and would expect me the same day at three o'clock in the afternoon
As will be expected, I was punctual to the appointentleman He was, in fact, the well-known M de Sartine, as the chief of police two years later His office of criminal lieutenant was saleable, and M de Sartine sold it when he was appointed head of the police
As soon as I had made my bow, he asked me to sit down by him, and addressed me as follows:
”I have asked you to call upon me in the interests of both of us, as in your position our interests are inseparable If you are innocent of the charge which has been brought against you, you are quite right to appeal to in, you should tell et ive you my help, but you uilty of slander, you must prove yourself innocent What I want from you is an inforainst you is a serious one, and of such a kind as to require all your efforts to wipe off this blot upon your honour Your ene They will press you so hard that you will either be obliged to subs of honour in proving your innocence You see I a in you, for in certain cases honour see to me that I am ready to defend it with all the power of the law Pay me back, then, in the same coin, trust in me entirely, tell me the whole story without any reserves, and you ood offices All will be well if you are innocent, for I shall not be the less a judge because I auilty I am sorry for you, for I warn you that I shall be just”
After doing ratitude to hie me to make any reservations on account of honour, and that I had, consequently, no informal statement to make him
”The midwife,” I added, ”is absolutely unknown to me She is most likely an abandoned woman, ith her worthy companion wants to cheat hted to think so,” he answered, ”but ad the fact, see how chance favours her, andfor you to prove your innocence
”The young lady disappeared three o She was known to be your intimate friend, you called upon her at all hours; you spent a considerable time with her the day before she disappeared, and no one knohat has become of her; but everyone's suspicions point at you, and paid spies are continually dogging your steps The midwife sent me a requisition yesterday by her counsel, Vauversin She says that the pregnant lady you brought to her house is the sa for She also says that you both wore black dominoes, and the police have ascertained that you were both at the ball in black doht as that on which the midwife says you came to her house; you are also known to have left the ball-rooether All this, it is true, does not constitute full proof of your guilt, but it makes one tremble for your innocence”
”What cause have I to treh hired for a little ht sith iether; and a coachht swear he had taken you to the midwife's In that case I should be compelled to order your arrest and examination, with a view to ascertain the name of the person whom you took with you Do you realize that you are accused of procuring abortion; that threebeen discovered; that she is said to be dead Do you realize, in short, what a very serious charge murder is?”
”Certainly; but if I die innocent, you will have condely, and will be more to be pitied than I”
”Yes, yes, but that wouldn't make your case any better You may be sure, however, that I will not conde ti your innocence To be brief, you see that in twenty-four hours the case looks very bad, and in the course of a week it ht look very much worse
My interest was aroused in your favour by the evident absurdity of the accusations, but it is the other circumstances about the case which make it a serious one for you I can partly understand the circus of love and honour which bid you be silent I have spoken to you, and I hope you will have no reserves with me I will spare you all the unpleasant circu, as I do, that you are innocent Tell me all, and be sure that the lady's honour will not suffer; but if, on the other hand, you are unfortunately guilty of the crie, I advise you to be prudent, and to take steps which it is not est I warn you that in three or four days I shall cite you to the bar of the court, and that you will then find in e--just, certainly, but severe and impartial”
I was petrified; for these words shewed er in all its nakedness I sa I should esteeood offices, and said to him in quite another tone, that innocent as I was, I saw thatMdlle X C
V, who had committed no crime, but would lose her reputation by this unhappy business