Mysteries of Paris, V3

enormous mouth, almost entirely without teeth; when he spoke he twisted it from side to side, according to the pretty general custom of those who address the populace of market places; his nose was fl

linen, were thrust

t mistakes), formerly a juggler, and a prisoner for the crime of passing counterfei

ory-teller. At the present day these are rare, but formerly each ward generally had, at the expense of a light, individual contribution, its

crosses, finishes by triumphing over its persecutors. Pique-Vinaigre possessed, besides,

e, sweet, and interesting face, poorly but neatly clad; she wept bitterly, and kept her hand

s sixteen years since we have met; if you keep your h

r Fortune-I suffoca

what ever is the

her eyes, and regarding him with stupor, answered, "What is the matte

Melun prison, without going to see you at Par

did you leave Beaugency, where you were sent,

t to ask me wh

are r

ne ought to do when he sees a sister after an age. Now, let us chat. A prisoner of Melun, called the Big Cripple, told me that there was at

bro

at their ease; they take their time; take good care of themselves, and they may last a year, eighteen months at the most. After all, the trade is not so badly paid as some others, and th

se a trade so dangero

d, and cut, and carved for fifteen years, these toys! I am sure that I supplied the pets of an entire quarter of Paris-it was, above all, on the trumpet I excelled; and rattles too! With these two instruments one could have put on edge the teeth of a whole battalion! I pride myself, on it. My time out, behold me with the degree of penny-trumpet manufacturer. They allowed me to choose for my residence three or four pl

lways

ency, wishing to engage myself in the white-lead factory. It is a pastry which gives you an indigestion of misery; but, until one dies from it, one has a living; it is always something

strong if you had only had th

elieve tha

gerous affair of false money, you had been dragged into

like my old pipe which you see, whenever it comes in the jail white as a n

calling. Hold, Fortune! I tell you that yo

the malady would find too little in me to feed on, and that it would go elsewhere; in fine, that I would become one of the old white-leaders.

es, my brother? It used to amuse o

she never suspected befo

lu

ents she thought you ha

hout a sou: I asked for Velu, the friend of Big Cripple, the chief of the factory. Serviteur! no more manufactory of white-lead than you could put under your hand; eleven persons had died there in one year; the old galley-slave had shut up shop. Here I was in this village, with my talents for making wooden trumpets for my dinner, and my convict's passport for my sole recommendation. I asked for employment suited to my strength, and, as I had no strength, you can comprehend how I was received; robber here, gueux there, jail bird! in fine, as soon as I made my appearance anywhere, every one clapped their hands on their pockets; I could not, the

ring that the warder, although at this moment some

do not conceal it; I was taken in the act; there are no means to deny it;

woman, weeping, "with wh

uld I gain? Come, be reasonable, Jeanne; must I con

y thoughts I fell asleep; a noise of voices awoke me; it was quite dark; I listened, it was a man and a woman talking on the road, on the other side of my hedge; the man said to the woman, 'Who do you think would rob us? have we not left the house alone a hundr

s night, if there is no dog (you know I always was afraid of dogs), the affair is done.' Luckily there was no dog. To be still more sure, I knocked against the door-nothing; that encouraged me. The shutters of the ground floor were closed: I passed my stick between the two, I forced them, I entered through the window into a chamber; there wa

o

watchman who was g

a misf

l held the stocking in my hand; he heard the money jingle, he took it all, put it in his bag, and compelled me to follow him to Auteuil. He went to the mayor's with the usual accompan

prison again, perha

sh to deceive you, my girl,

more

take co

peak,

is no more pr

is

r told me, 'It's a safe thing.' I shall have fifteen or twen

you will die there!" cried the u

lled myself among

lleys, oh!

stead of a brown one, and, besides, I have always

contempt of all the world, oh! my brother." A

I not accustomed to a crowd? When I played juggler I always had people around me; I will imagine that I am at my old tra

and satisfy his sister by this apparent indifference. For a man accustomed to prison manners, and with whom all shame is neces

n. This can be imagined before they enter the galleys they have almost as much work, according to their declaration. The condition of the most honest workman of the forts is not less rude than

t is shame for these poor wretches, who, each day, bronze the soul in this infamy, in this mutual school of perdition, where the most criminal are the

leys!" repeated the poor

lun, they will give me easy work, and employ me in the infirmary. I am not refractory; I am good-natured. I will tell stories as I do here, I will make myself adored by the keepe

g to Paris, I would have tried to conceal an

hands full; for, besides, from your appearance I see that you do

eak to me

it is a pity, for h

troubles enough of my own, with

your h

ll our furniture, leaving me with the childre

not tell

? It would hav

ou managed, all alone wi

eighbors helped me a little, taking care of my children when I went out; and then I, who do not a

is

er having sold all my furniture, and that in spite of it I worked with all my strength to bring up my children; one day, on retur

not write me about your poverty? Instead of spend

ask from you,

as so much gained; knowing that my brother-in-law was a good workman, and you a good

ow of knowing that you were at Melun. Work was plenty, my children were properly dressed, they wanted scarcely anything; that made me take heart. At length I had even saved thirty-five francs, when, suddenly, my h

scoun

he second time he began to sell little by little the furniture I had. Foreseeing what would happen, I went to a lawyer who

ou ought to have thru

ed under one roof, gave me the right to demand the separation of bed and board, as it is called; so much the more as I had proofs my husband beat me; that I could plead against him, but that it would cost me at least four or five hund

gre, with bitterness; "it is to hang up one's appetite for a year-to live on air, but

always

ou, abuses you, robs you, and spends at the tavern the money you earn; you apply to justice, that it may protect you, and keep from the clutches of this rascal your bread and your children's. The people of the law tell you, 'Yes, you are right, your husband is a bad fellow, justice shall be d

ersation, and sympathized deeply in the misfortunes of this poor woman. She promised herself t

tunately, a new visitor entering asked for a prisoner, and seated himself on the bench between Jeanne and the grisette. She, at the sight of this man, could not restrain a moveme

ttention had been slightly withdrawn by the touching and painful communications of the sister of Pique-Vinaigre. Retreating

neither strong nor brave; but if I had been there while your husband was causing you so much

ng as there was anything to be sold, my husband sold it, so that he might go to

hy did you give them to him

iously that I shall not be able to work for some time. Suppose he breaks my arm, then what will become of me-who will take care of and feed my children? If I am forced to go the hospital, they

talk of martyrdom-it is

take care of my children; but what would you? There are th

the good are! But you have finally g

ld my bedstead, and the cradle of my two little chi

do you

t I speak of it. 'I say,' one day he said to me, 'when in a family there is a pr

er having sold the clothes,

as this bad woman wished to meddle in our quarrel by asserting that my husband could do with his daughter as he

years' imprisonment, who would not have done like y

ok you; it is bad company at th

a child; but to a grown

anything to purchase a mattress with, for before all one must eat and pay rent, and my poor daughter Catherine and myself could hardly earn together forty sous a day,

squandered m

s, and industrious, and good she is! always with her eyes on mine to know what I wish her to do; never a complaint, and yet-she has alrea

e, I see; you should have t

r the Pont-au Change, at three sous the hour, the few clothes my husband left us: all the rest of the time at the stake like a poor dog. True, misfortune came to her too soon; I knew well enough that it must c

ories; I will ask two, or they will have to do without Pique-Vinaigre's romances, and that will help you

us at least twenty sous a days; how much would remain for o

ck to fix up your room a little; as soon as you get something, your husband will rob

he must kill me!-

as long as you are not separated by law, and as you have not five hundred francs to give for that, you must be resigned; your husband has the rig

was possible, would t

it is again gratis-always gratis. Ta-a-a-ake your tickets!" added Pique-Vinaigre, imitating a mountebank; "it is not ten sous, two sous, one you, a centime that it will cost you. No, ladies and gentlemen, it will cost you the trifle of nothing at all; it suits every one's pockets; you have only to furnish the head-the cutting

appy mother, bursting i

r the strength nor the courage to be bad, angry, nor malicious, as others are, that always passes over with me in words more or less farcical. My cowardice and my weakness of body have prevented me from becoming worse than I am. It

rtune, that you are better than you think. T

t, I am not wicked; and those who are, I hate them, after my fashion, by making fun of them; you must think that, from relating stories where, to please

ories, my brother? I sho

ed by a Bluebeard, who persecutes him solely for the pleasure of persecuting him, for honor, as they say; oh! then they shout with joy when, at the end, the Bluebeard receives his pay. I have, above all, a history called Gringalet and Cut-in-half, which created the greatest sensation at the Centrale

little is, to see that you are not as unh

myself. Poor fellow! I am much afraid that before the end of the day he will blee

? you will have nothing to do

poke of a gag, to prevent him from crying out; and then, to hinder any one from seeing the execution, they mean t

ey wish to inj

ward, called the Living Skeleton, who is at the head of this plot. He is like a real bloody bones after this poor Germain-their intended victim is so named. Let them make their own arrangements-it is their business; I can do nothing. But you see, Jeanne, what good comes from being sad in prison; rig

ill a few momen

you. Ah, you do not tell them, I hope

e islands, as my mother d

an talk to

od. Go!

be cold-no stockings, and this wretched waistcoat! I will fix something for you, with Cather

tle. No? Well! seriously, my girl, I do not refuse, while waiting for Gringalet and Cut-in-half to fill my money-box. Then I will return it. Adieu,

rother,

the warder seated at the other end, "I have finish

ot kind to send me aw

to-morrow morning say to the children that you have dreamed of their uncle,

r woman, all in tears at seein

r eyes from them, thinking how to find out the address of this poor woman, so as to be able, according to her first idea, to recommend her to Rudolph. When Jeanne rose

urprised but prepossessed in favor of Rigolet

times some customers who ask me for trimmings after their own taste; I have thought perhaps it wou

he silk on my own accoun

to think of me. I

eard you talk to your brother of your sorrows, of your children; I said to myself, poor folks ought to assist each other. The idea struck me at the time that I might be of some use to you, si

e sister of Pique-Vinaigre. She, quite to

aughter, which made me look at you twice on entering. I thank you much; if you employ me, you shall be satisfied

fficult to remember.

so kind in you to have thought at once of s

h a charming smile. "Since I look like your daughter Catherin

ad than I thought; and then, perhaps, we may meet he

answered Rigo

pe so, Miss Rigolette," said Jeanne Duport, after h

and certainly M. Rudolph will interest himself for her when he knows how unfortunate she is,

mpatience the end of the conversation of her n

Duport was legitimate. Yes: in saying the law was too dear for the poor, he said the truth. To plead before the civi

n of the conjugal tie; let them have all right to obtain it: will they obtain it? No; for there is no wo

estion of morality; but of bread. The fate of a woman of the people, such as we have endeavored to paint, does it deserve less i

fortunate mother, the misery of her children, is it not monstrous that the poverty of this woman places her without t

, as this new edition of the sensational romancist's work is issued, the Imp

reason, the impartiality of the institutions in the name of which he is condemned. Is

e application is absolutely subordinate to a question of money? Oug

eminently preservative and tutelary, ought not society to assure t

ain a matrimonial separation by law. Let us speak of Jeanne Duport's brother. This man left a den of corruption to enter the world aga

urn to well-doing, in order to be able to punish, as one should p

rest of Fontainebleau, an employment which he survives, average time, six years! The condition of a liberated convict is, then, much worse, more painful, more difficult, than it was before his first criminal action: he lives surrounded by shackles and dangers; he is obliged to brave repulses and disdain-often the deepest misery. And if he succumbs to all these frightful temptations to criminality, and commits a second crime, you show yourself ten times more severe toward him than for his first fault. That is unjust; for it is almost always the necessity you impose on him which conducts him to a second crime. Yes; for it is shown that, instead of correcting him, your penitentiary system depraves. Instead of ameliorating, it makes worse; instead of curing slight moral affections, it renders them incurabl