Scenes from a Courtesan's Life [61]
a black cloak, shod in strong, thick-soled boots, furnished himself with a private card and walked slowly along the Avenue Gabriel, where Contenson, dressed as an old costermonger woman, met him in front of the gardens of the Elysee-Bourbon.
"Monsieur de Saint-Germain," said Contenson, giving his old chief the name he was officially known by, "you have put me in the way of making five hundred pieces (francs); but what I came here for was to tell you that that damned Baron, before he gave me the shiners, had been to ask questions at the house (the Prefecture of Police)."
"I shall want you, no doubt," replied Peyrade. "Look up numbers 7, 10, and 21; we can employ those men without any one finding it out, either at the Police Ministry or at the Prefecture."
Contenson went back to a post near the carriage in which Monsieur de Nucingen was waiting for Peyrade.
"I am Monsieur de Saint-Germain," said Peyrade to the Baron, raising himself to look over the carriage door.
"Ver' goot; get in mit me," replied the Baron, ordering the coachman to go on slowly to the Arc de l'Etoile.
"You have been to the Prefecture of Police, Monsieur le Baron? That was not fair. Might I ask what you said to M. le Prefet, and what he said in reply?" asked Peyrade.
"Before I should gif fife hundert francs to a filain like Contenson, I vant to know if he had earned dem. I simply said to the Prefet of Police dat I vant to employ ein agent named Peyrate to go abroat in a delicate matter, an' should I trust him--unlimited!--The Prefet telt me you vas a very clefer man an' ver' honest man. An' dat vas everything."
"And now that you have learned my true name, Monsieur le Baron, will you tell me what it is you want?"
When the Baron had given a long and copious explanation, in his hideous Polish-Jew dialect, of his meeting with Esther and the cry of the man behind the carriage, and his vain efforts, he ended by relating what had occurred at his house the night before, Lucien's involuntary smile, and the opinion expressed by Bianchon and some other young dandies that there must be some acquaintance between him and the unknown fair.
"Listen to me, Monsieur le Baron; you must, in the first instance, place ten thousand francs in my hands, on account for expenses; for, to you, this is a matter of life or death; and as your life is a business-manufactory, nothing must be left undone to find this woman for you. Oh, you are caught!----"
"Ja, I am caught!"
"If more money is wanted, Baron, I will let you know; put your trust in me," said Peyrade. "I am not a spy, as you perhaps imagine. In 1807 I was Commissioner-General of Police at Antwerp; and now that Louis XVIII. is dead, I may tell you in confidence that for seven years I was the chief of his counter-police. So there is no beating me down. You must understand, Monsieur le Baron, that it is impossible to make any estimate of the cost of each man's conscience before going into the details of such an affair. Be quite easy; I shall succeed. Do not fancy that you can satisfy me with a sum of money; I want something for my reward----"
"So long as dat is not a kingtom!" said the Baron.
"It is less than nothing to you."
"Den I am your man."
"You know the Kellers?"
"Oh! ver' well."
"Francois Keller is the Comte de Gondreville's son-in-law, and the Comte de Gondreville and his son-in-law dined with you yesterday."
"Who der teufel tolt you dat?" cried the Baron. "Dat vill be Georche; he is always a gossip." Peyrade smiled, and the banker at once formed strange suspicions of his man-servant.
"The Comte de Gondreville is quite in a position to obtain me a place I covet at the Prefecture of Police; within forty-eight hours the prefet will have notice that such a place is to be created," said Peyrade in continuation. "Ask for it for me; get the Comte de Gondreville to interest himself in the matter with some degree of warmth--and you will thus repay me for the service I am about to do you. I ask your word only; for, if you fail me, sooner or later you will curse the day
"Monsieur de Saint-Germain," said Contenson, giving his old chief the name he was officially known by, "you have put me in the way of making five hundred pieces (francs); but what I came here for was to tell you that that damned Baron, before he gave me the shiners, had been to ask questions at the house (the Prefecture of Police)."
"I shall want you, no doubt," replied Peyrade. "Look up numbers 7, 10, and 21; we can employ those men without any one finding it out, either at the Police Ministry or at the Prefecture."
Contenson went back to a post near the carriage in which Monsieur de Nucingen was waiting for Peyrade.
"I am Monsieur de Saint-Germain," said Peyrade to the Baron, raising himself to look over the carriage door.
"Ver' goot; get in mit me," replied the Baron, ordering the coachman to go on slowly to the Arc de l'Etoile.
"You have been to the Prefecture of Police, Monsieur le Baron? That was not fair. Might I ask what you said to M. le Prefet, and what he said in reply?" asked Peyrade.
"Before I should gif fife hundert francs to a filain like Contenson, I vant to know if he had earned dem. I simply said to the Prefet of Police dat I vant to employ ein agent named Peyrate to go abroat in a delicate matter, an' should I trust him--unlimited!--The Prefet telt me you vas a very clefer man an' ver' honest man. An' dat vas everything."
"And now that you have learned my true name, Monsieur le Baron, will you tell me what it is you want?"
When the Baron had given a long and copious explanation, in his hideous Polish-Jew dialect, of his meeting with Esther and the cry of the man behind the carriage, and his vain efforts, he ended by relating what had occurred at his house the night before, Lucien's involuntary smile, and the opinion expressed by Bianchon and some other young dandies that there must be some acquaintance between him and the unknown fair.
"Listen to me, Monsieur le Baron; you must, in the first instance, place ten thousand francs in my hands, on account for expenses; for, to you, this is a matter of life or death; and as your life is a business-manufactory, nothing must be left undone to find this woman for you. Oh, you are caught!----"
"Ja, I am caught!"
"If more money is wanted, Baron, I will let you know; put your trust in me," said Peyrade. "I am not a spy, as you perhaps imagine. In 1807 I was Commissioner-General of Police at Antwerp; and now that Louis XVIII. is dead, I may tell you in confidence that for seven years I was the chief of his counter-police. So there is no beating me down. You must understand, Monsieur le Baron, that it is impossible to make any estimate of the cost of each man's conscience before going into the details of such an affair. Be quite easy; I shall succeed. Do not fancy that you can satisfy me with a sum of money; I want something for my reward----"
"So long as dat is not a kingtom!" said the Baron.
"It is less than nothing to you."
"Den I am your man."
"You know the Kellers?"
"Oh! ver' well."
"Francois Keller is the Comte de Gondreville's son-in-law, and the Comte de Gondreville and his son-in-law dined with you yesterday."
"Who der teufel tolt you dat?" cried the Baron. "Dat vill be Georche; he is always a gossip." Peyrade smiled, and the banker at once formed strange suspicions of his man-servant.
"The Comte de Gondreville is quite in a position to obtain me a place I covet at the Prefecture of Police; within forty-eight hours the prefet will have notice that such a place is to be created," said Peyrade in continuation. "Ask for it for me; get the Comte de Gondreville to interest himself in the matter with some degree of warmth--and you will thus repay me for the service I am about to do you. I ask your word only; for, if you fail me, sooner or later you will curse the day