there was some strange goings-on at the Quenus'? Well, you see, I was right in my conclusions, wasn't I? Thank God, however, the neighbourhood will now be able to breathe easily. It was high time strong steps were taken, for things had got to such a pitch that one actually felt afraid of being murdered in broad daylight. There was no pleasure in life. All the dreadful stories and reports one heard were enough to worry one to death. And it was all owing to that man, that dreadful Florent. Now beautiful Lisa and the beautiful Norman have sensibly made friends again. It was their duty to do so for the sake of the peace and quietness of us all. Everything will go on satisfactorily now, you'll find. Ah! there's poor Monsieur Quenu laughing yonder!'
Quenu had again come on to the footway, and was joking with Madame Taboureau's little servant. He seemed quite gay and skittish that morning. He took hold of the little servant's hands, and squeezed her fingers so tightly, in the exuberance of his spirits, that he made her cry out. Lisa had the greatest trouble to get him to go back into the kitchen. She was impatiently pacing about the shop, fearing lest Florent should make his appearance; and she called to her husband to come away, dreading a meeting between him and his brother.
'She's getting quite vexed,' said Mademoiselle Saget. 'Poor Monsieur Quenu, you see, knows nothing at all about what's taking place. Just look at him there, laughing like a child! Madame Taboureau, you know, said that she should have nothing more to do with the Quenus if they persisted in bringing themselves into discredit by keeping that Florent with them.'
'Well, now, I suppose, they will stick to the fortune,' remarked Madame Lecoeur.
'Oh, no, indeed, my dear. The other one has had his share already.'
'Really? How do you know that?'
'Oh, it's clear enough, that is!' replied the old maid after a momentary hesitation, but without giving any proof of her assertions. 'He's had even more than his share. The Quenus will be several thousand francs out of pocket. Money flies, you know, when a man has such vices as he has. I dare say you don't know that there was another woman mixed up in it all. Yes, indeed, old Madame Verlaque, the wife of the former inspector; you know the sallow-faced thing well enough.'
The others protested that it surely wasn't possible. Why, Madame Verlaque was positively hideous!
'What! do you think me a liar?' cried Mademoiselle Saget, with angry indignation. 'Why, her letters to him have been found, a whole pile of letters, in which she asks for money, ten and twenty francs at a time. There's no doubt at all about it. I'm quite certain in my own mind that they killed the husband between them.'
La Sarriette and Madame Lecoeur were convinced; but they were beginning to get very impatient. They had been waiting on the footway for more than an hour, and feared that somebody might be robbing their stalls during their long absence. So Mademoiselle Saget began to give them some further interesting information to keep them from going off. Florent could not have taken to flight, said she; he was certain to return, and it would be very interesting to see him arrested. Then she went on to describe the trap that had been laid for him, while Madame Lecoeur and La Sarriette continued scrutinising the house from top to bottom, keeping watch upon every opening, and at each moment expecting to see the hats of the detectives appear at one of the doors or windows.
'Who would ever imagine, now, that the place was full of police?' observed the butter dealer.
'Oh! they're in the garret at the top,' said the old maid. 'They've left the window open, you see, just as they found it. Look! I think I can see one of them hiding behind the pomegranate on the balcony.'
The others excitedly craned out their necks, but could see nothing.
'Ah, no, it's only a shadow,' continued Mademoiselle Saget. 'The little curtains even are perfectly still. The detectives must be sitting down in the room, and keeping quiet.'
Just at that moment the women caught sight of Gavard coming out of the fish market with a thoughtful air. They looked at him with glistening eyes, without speaking. They had drawn close to one another, and stood there rigid in their drooping skirts. The poultry dealer came up to them.
'Have you seen Florent go by?' he asked.
They replied that they had not.
'I want to speak to him at once,' continued Gavard. 'He isn't in the fish market. He must have gone up to his room. But you would have seen him, though, if he had.'
The women had turned rather pale. They still kept looking at each other with a knowing expression, their lips twitching slightly every now and then. 'We have only been here some five minutes, said Madame Lecoeur unblushingly, as her brother-in-law still stood hesitating.
'Well, then, I'll go upstairs and see. I'll risk the five flights,' rejoined Gavard with a laugh.
La Sarriette stepped forward as though she wished to detain him, but her aunt took hold of her arm and drew her back.
'Let him alone, you big simpleton!' she whispered. 'It's the best thing that can happen to him. It'll teach him to treat us with respect in future.'
'He won't say again that I ate tainted meat,' muttered Mademoiselle Saget in a low tone.
They said nothing more. La Sarriette was very red; but the two others still remained quite yellow. But they now averted their heads, feeling confused by each other's looks, and at a loss what to do with their hands, which they buried beneath their aprons. Presently their eyes instinctively came back to the house, penetrating the walls, as it were, following Gavard in his progress up the stairs. When they imagined that he had entered Florent's room they again exchanged furtive glances. La Sarriette laughed nervously. All at once they fancied they could see the window curtains moving, and this led them to believe that a struggle was taking place. But the house-front remained as tranquil as ever in the sunshine; and another quarter of an hour of unbroken quietness passed away, during which the three women's nervous excitement became more and more intense. They were beginning to feel quite faint when a man hurriedly came out of the passage and ran off to get a cab. Five minutes later Gavard appeared, followed by two police officers. Lisa, who had stepped out on to the footway on observing the cab, hastily hurried back into the shop.
Gavard was very pale. The police had searched him upstairs, and had discovered the revolver and cartridge case in his possession. Judging by the commissary's stern expression on hearing his name, the poultry dealer deemed himself lost. This was a terrible ending to his plotting that had never entered into his calculations. The Tuileries would never forgive him! His legs gave way beneath him as though the firing party was already awaiting him outside. When he got into the street, however, his vanity lent him sufficient strength to walk erect; and he even managed to force a smile, as he knew the market people were looking at him. They should see him die bravely, he resolved.
However, La Sarriette and Madame Lecoeur rushed up to him and anxiously inquired what was the matter; and the butter dealer began to cry, while La Sarriette embraced her uncle, manifesting the deepest emotion. As Gavard held her clasped in his arms, he slipped a key into her hand, and whispered in her ear: 'Take everything, and burn the papers.'
Then he got into the cab with the same mien as he would have ascended the scaffold. As the vehicle disappeared round the corner of the Rue Pierre Lescot, Madame Lecoeur observed La Sarriette trying to hide the key in her pocket.
'It's of no use you trying that little game on me, my dear,' she exclaimed, clenching her teeth; 'I saw him slip it into your hand. As true as there's a God in Heaven, I'll go to the gaol and tell him everything, if you don't treat me properly.'
'Of course I shall treat you properly, aunt, dear,' replied La Sarriette, with an embarrassed smile.
'Very well, then, let us go to his rooms at once. It's of no use to give the police time to poke their dirty hands in the cupboards.'
Mademoiselle Saget, who had been listening with gleaming eyes, followed them, running along in the rear as quickly as her short legs could carry her. She had no thought, now, of waiting for Florent. From the Rue Rambuteau to the Rue de la Cossonnerie she manifested the most humble obsequiousness, and volunteered to explain matters to Madame Leonce, the doorkeeper.
'We'll see, we'll see,' the butter dealer curtly replied.
However, on reaching the house a preliminary parley-as Mademoiselle Saget had opined-proved to be necessary. Madame Leonce refused to allow the women to go up to her tenant's room. She put on an expression of severe austerity, and seemed greatly shocked by the sight of La Sarriette's loosely fastened fichu. However, after the old maid had whispered a few words to her and she was shown the key, she gave way. When they got upstairs she surrendered the rooms and furniture to the others article by article, apparently as heartbroken as if she had been compelled to show a party of burglars the place where her own money was secreted.
