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〃slipped into the skin of an honest man； he turned up disguised
as a decent Parisian citizen； and took up his quarters in an
unpretending lodging…house。 He is cunning； that he is！ You don't
catch him napping。 Then M。 Vautrin is a man of consequence； who
transacts a good deal of business。〃
〃Naturally；〃 said Poiret to himself。
〃And suppose that the Minister were to make a mistake and get
hold of the real Vautrin； he would put every one's back up among
the business men in Paris； and public opinion would be against
him。 M。 le Prefet de Police is on slippery ground； he has
enemies。 They would take advantage of any mistake。 There would be
a fine outcry and fuss made by the Opposition； and he would be
sent packing。 We must set about this just as we did about the
Coignard affair； the sham Comte de Sainte…Helene； if he had been
the real Comte de Sainte…Helene； we should have been in the wrong
box。 We want to be quite sure what we are about。〃
〃Yes； but what you want is a pretty woman；〃 said Mlle。 Michonneau
briskly。
〃Trompe…la…Mort would not let a woman come near him；〃 said the
detective。 〃I will tell you a secrethe does not like them。〃
〃Still； I do not see what I can do； supposing that I did agree to
identify him for two thousand francs。〃
〃Nothing simpler；〃 said the stranger。 〃I will send you a little
bottle containing a dose that will send a rush of blood to the
head； it will do him no harm whatever； but he will fall down as
if he were in a fit。 The drug can be put into wine or coffee；
either will do equally well。 You carry your man to bed at once；
and undress him to see that he is not dying。 As soon as you are
alone； you give him a slap on the shoulder； and PRESTO！ the
letters will appear。〃
〃Why； that is just nothing at all；〃 said Poiret。
〃Well； do you agree？〃 said Gondureau； addressing the old maid。
〃But； my dear sir； suppose there are no letters at all；〃 said
Mlle。 Michonneau； 〃am I to have the two thousand francs all the
same？〃
〃No。〃
〃What will you give me then？〃
〃Five hundred francs。〃
〃It is such a thing to do for so little！ It lies on your
conscience just the same； and I must quiet my conscience； sir。〃
〃I assure you；〃 said Poiret； 〃that mademoiselle has a great deal
of conscience； and not only so； she is a very amiable person； and
very intelligent。〃
〃Well； now；〃 Mlle。 Michonneau went on； 〃make it three thousand
francs if he is Trompe…la…Mort； and nothing at all if he is an
ordinary man。〃
〃Done！〃 said Gondureau； 〃but on the condition that the thing is
settled to…morrow。〃
〃Not quite so soon； my dear sir； I must consult my confessor
first。〃
〃You are a sly one；〃 said the detective as he rose to his feet。
〃Good…bye till to…morrow； then。 And if you should want to see me
in a hurry； go to the Petite Rue Saint…Anne at the bottom of the
Cour de la Sainte…Chapelle。 There is one door under the archway。
Ask there for M。 Gondureau。〃
Bianchon； on his way back from Cuvier's lecture； overheard the
sufficiently striking nickname of Trompe…la…Mort； and caught the
celebrated chief detective's 〃Done！〃
〃Why didn't you close with him？ It would be three hundred francs
a year；〃 said Poiret to Mlle。 Michonneau。
〃Why didn't I？〃 she asked。 〃Why； it wants thinking over。 Suppose
that M。 Vautrin is this Trompe…la…Mort； perhaps we might do
better for ourselves with him。 Still； on the other hand； if you
ask him for money； it would put him on his guard； and he is just
the man to clear out without paying； and that would be an
abominable sell。〃
〃And suppose you did warn him；〃 Poiret went on； 〃didn't that
gentleman say that he was closely watched？ You would spoil
everything。〃
〃Anyhow；〃 thought Mlle。 Michonneau； 〃I can't abide him。 He says
nothing but disagreeable things to me。〃
〃But you can do better than that；〃 Poiret resumed。 〃As that
gentleman said （and he seemed to me to be a very good sort of
man； besides being very well got up）； it is an act of obedience
to the laws to rid society of a criminal； however virtuous he may
be。 Once a thief； always a thief。 Suppose he were to take it into
his head to murder us all？ The deuce！ We should be guilty of
manslaughter； and be the first to fall victims into the bargain！〃
Mlle。 Michonneau's musings did not permit her to listen very
closely to the remarks that fell one by one from Poiret's lips
like water dripping from a leaky tap。 When once this elderly
babbler began to talk； he would go on like clockwork unless Mlle。
Michonneau stopped him。 He started on some subject or other； and
wandered on through parenthesis after parenthesis； till he came
to regions as remote as possible from his premises without coming
to any conclusions by the way。
By the time they reached the Maison Vauquer he had tacked
together a whole string of examples and quotations more or less
irrelevant to the subject in hand； which led him to give a full
account of his own deposition in the case of the Sieur Ragoulleau
versus Dame Morin； when he had been summoned as a witness for the
defence。
As they entered the dining…room； Eugene de Rastignac was talking
apart with Mlle。 Taillefer； the conversation appeared to be of
such thrilling interest that the pair never noticed the two older
lodgers as they passed through the room。 None of this was thrown
away on Mlle。 Michonneau。
〃I knew how it would end；〃 remarked that lady； addressing Poiret。
〃They have been making eyes at each other in a heartrending way
for a week past。〃
〃Yes；〃 he answered。 〃So she was found guilty。〃
〃Who？〃
〃Mme。 Morin。〃
〃I am talking about Mlle。 Victorine；〃 said Mlle； Michonneau； as
she entered Poiret's room with an absent air； 〃and you answer；
'Mme。 Morin。' Who may Mme。 Morin be？〃
〃What can Mlle。 Victorine be guilty of？〃 demanded Poiret。
〃Guilty of falling in love with M。 Eugene de Rastignac and going
further and further without knowing exactly where she is going；
poor innocent！〃
That morning Mme。 de Nucingen had driven Eugene to despair。 In
his own mind he had completely surrendered himself to Vautrin；
and deliberately shut his eyes to the motive for the friendship
which that extraordinary man professed for him； nor would he look
to the consequences of such an alliance。 Nothing short of a
miracle could extricate him now out of the gulf into which he had
walked an hour ago； when he exchanged vows in the softest
whispers with Mlle。 Taillefer。 To Victorine it seemed as if she
heard an angel's voice； that heaven was opening above her； the
Maison Vauquer took strange and wonderful hues； like a stage
fairy…palace。 She loved and she was loved； at any rate； she
believed that she was loved； and what woman would not likewise
have believed after seeing Rastignac's face and listening to the
tones of his voice during that hour snatched under the Argus eyes
of the Maison Vauquer？ He had trample