Scenes from a Courtesan's Life [252]
his aunt on the shoulder.
"Listen to me," he went on. "You, Paccard, have nothing more to fear; you may follow your nose about Pantin (Paris) as you please. I give you leave to marry Prudence Servien."
Paccard took Jacques Collin's hand and kissed it respectfully.
"And what must I do?" said he.
"Nothing; and you will have dividends and women, to say nothing of your wife--for you have a touch of the Regency about you, old boy!-- That comes of being such a fine man!"
Paccard colored under his sultan's ironical praises.
"You, Prudence," Jacques went on, "will want a career, a position, a future; you must remain in my service. Listen to me. There is a very good house in the Rue Sainte-Barbe belonging to that Madame de Saint- Esteve, whose name my aunt occasionally borrows. It is a very good business, with plenty of custom, bringing in fifteen to twenty thousand francs a year. Saint-Esteve puts a woman in to keep the shop----"
"La Gonore," said Jacqueline.
"Poor la Pouraille's moll," said Paccard. "That is where I bolted to with Europe the day that poor Madame van Bogseck died, our mis'ess."
"Who jabbers when I am speaking?" said Jacques Collin.
Perfect silence fell in the coach. Paccard and Prudence did not dare look at each other.
"The shop is kept by la Gonore," Jacques Collin went on. "If that is where you went to hide with Prudence, I see, Paccard, that you have wit enough to dodge the reelers (mislead the police), but not enough to puzzle the old lady," and he stroked his aunt's chin. "Now I see how she managed to find you.--It all fits beautifully. You may go back to la Gonore.--To go on: Jacqueline will arrange with Madame Nourrisson to purchase her business in the Rue Sainte-Barbe; and if you manage well, child, you may make a fortune out of it," he said to Prudence. "An Abbess at your age! It is worthy of a Daughter of France," he added in a hard tone.
Prudence flung her arms round Trompe-la-Mort's neck and hugged him; but the boss flung her off with a sharp blow, showing his extraordinary strength, and but for Paccard, the girl's head would have struck and broken the coach window.
"Paws off! I don't like such ways," said the boss stiffly. "It is disrespectful to me."
"He is right, child," said Paccard. "Why, you see, it is as though the boss had made you a present of a hundred thousand francs. The shop is worth that. It is on the Boulevard, opposite the Gymnase. The people come out of the theatre----"
"I will do more," said Trompe-la-Mort; "I will buy the house."
"And in six years we shall be millionaires," cried Paccard.
Tired of being interrupted, Trompe-la-Mort gave Paccard's shin a kick hard enough to break it; but the man's tendons were of india-rubber, and his bones of wrought iron.
"All right, boss, mum it is," said he.
"Do you think I am cramming you with lies?" said Jacques Collin, perceiving that Paccard had had a few drops too much. "Well, listen. In the cellar of that house there are two hundred and fifty thousand francs in gold----"
Again silence reigned in the coach.
"The coin is in a very hard bed of masonry. It must be got out, and you have only three nights to do it in. Jacqueline will help you.--A hundred thousand francs will buy up the business, fifty thousand will pay for the house; leave the remainder."
"Where?" said Paccard.
"In the cellar?" asked Prudence.
"Silence!" cried Jacqueline.
"Yes, but to get the business transferred, we must have the consent of the police authorities," Paccard objected.
"We shall have it," said Trompe-la-Mort. "Don't meddle in what does not concern you."
Jacqueline looked at her nephew, and was struck by the alteration in his face, visible through the stern mask under which the strong man generally hid his feelings.
"You, child," said he to Prudence Servien, "will receive from my aunt the seven hundred and fifty thousand francs----"
"Seven hundred and thirty," said Paccard.
"Very good, seven hundred and thirty then," said Jacques Collin. "You must return this evening under some
"Listen to me," he went on. "You, Paccard, have nothing more to fear; you may follow your nose about Pantin (Paris) as you please. I give you leave to marry Prudence Servien."
Paccard took Jacques Collin's hand and kissed it respectfully.
"And what must I do?" said he.
"Nothing; and you will have dividends and women, to say nothing of your wife--for you have a touch of the Regency about you, old boy!-- That comes of being such a fine man!"
Paccard colored under his sultan's ironical praises.
"You, Prudence," Jacques went on, "will want a career, a position, a future; you must remain in my service. Listen to me. There is a very good house in the Rue Sainte-Barbe belonging to that Madame de Saint- Esteve, whose name my aunt occasionally borrows. It is a very good business, with plenty of custom, bringing in fifteen to twenty thousand francs a year. Saint-Esteve puts a woman in to keep the shop----"
"La Gonore," said Jacqueline.
"Poor la Pouraille's moll," said Paccard. "That is where I bolted to with Europe the day that poor Madame van Bogseck died, our mis'ess."
"Who jabbers when I am speaking?" said Jacques Collin.
Perfect silence fell in the coach. Paccard and Prudence did not dare look at each other.
"The shop is kept by la Gonore," Jacques Collin went on. "If that is where you went to hide with Prudence, I see, Paccard, that you have wit enough to dodge the reelers (mislead the police), but not enough to puzzle the old lady," and he stroked his aunt's chin. "Now I see how she managed to find you.--It all fits beautifully. You may go back to la Gonore.--To go on: Jacqueline will arrange with Madame Nourrisson to purchase her business in the Rue Sainte-Barbe; and if you manage well, child, you may make a fortune out of it," he said to Prudence. "An Abbess at your age! It is worthy of a Daughter of France," he added in a hard tone.
Prudence flung her arms round Trompe-la-Mort's neck and hugged him; but the boss flung her off with a sharp blow, showing his extraordinary strength, and but for Paccard, the girl's head would have struck and broken the coach window.
"Paws off! I don't like such ways," said the boss stiffly. "It is disrespectful to me."
"He is right, child," said Paccard. "Why, you see, it is as though the boss had made you a present of a hundred thousand francs. The shop is worth that. It is on the Boulevard, opposite the Gymnase. The people come out of the theatre----"
"I will do more," said Trompe-la-Mort; "I will buy the house."
"And in six years we shall be millionaires," cried Paccard.
Tired of being interrupted, Trompe-la-Mort gave Paccard's shin a kick hard enough to break it; but the man's tendons were of india-rubber, and his bones of wrought iron.
"All right, boss, mum it is," said he.
"Do you think I am cramming you with lies?" said Jacques Collin, perceiving that Paccard had had a few drops too much. "Well, listen. In the cellar of that house there are two hundred and fifty thousand francs in gold----"
Again silence reigned in the coach.
"The coin is in a very hard bed of masonry. It must be got out, and you have only three nights to do it in. Jacqueline will help you.--A hundred thousand francs will buy up the business, fifty thousand will pay for the house; leave the remainder."
"Where?" said Paccard.
"In the cellar?" asked Prudence.
"Silence!" cried Jacqueline.
"Yes, but to get the business transferred, we must have the consent of the police authorities," Paccard objected.
"We shall have it," said Trompe-la-Mort. "Don't meddle in what does not concern you."
Jacqueline looked at her nephew, and was struck by the alteration in his face, visible through the stern mask under which the strong man generally hid his feelings.
"You, child," said he to Prudence Servien, "will receive from my aunt the seven hundred and fifty thousand francs----"
"Seven hundred and thirty," said Paccard.
"Very good, seven hundred and thirty then," said Jacques Collin. "You must return this evening under some