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Updated: June 5, 2025
"Perhaps he is at the factory," said Tantaine blandly. The fat woman was utterly taken aback by this suggestion. "What do you know about that?" faltered she. "You see I do know, and that is sufficient for you. Come, is he there?" "I think so." "Thank you, I will call on him then.
On the one side of this valley is the busy Rue Mouffetard, and on the other one of the outer boulevards, while a long line of sickly-looking poplars mark the course of the semi-stagnant stream. Tantaine seemed to know the quarter well, and went on until he reached the Champs des Alouettes.
"Well, I'll do my best." "Try and find me a wealthy widower, or a young woman married to a very old fellow. Now, do look round; I'll drop in again to-morrow;" and with a farewell pinch of snuff, she left the office. Paul listened to this conversation with feelings of anger and humiliation, and in his heart cursed old Tantaine for having introduced him into such company.
"Let us begin at the commencement," said Tantaine. "For some days past your people have been following a certain Caroline Schimmel. A fellow of sixteen called Ambrose, a lad with a harp, was told off for this duty. He is not to be trusted. Only a night or two ago one of my men made him drunk; and fearing lest his absence might create surprise, drove him here in a cab, and left him at the corner."
"No; and on my last visit I plainly told him that I was getting sick of all this mystery; and he said that he himself was tired, and was sorry that he had ever meddled in the affair." Tantaine was not surprised at hearing this, and accounted for Catenac's change of front by the threats of Mascarin. "Well, what do you draw from this?" asked he. "That Catenac has no more information than I have.
"Ah," remarked Hortebise, "then Tantaine was right in his description of her." "Of course he was," answered Mascarin with a slight frown, "and this proves the justice of the objection you made a little time back. A girl possessed of such dazzling beauty may even influence the fool who has carried her off to become dangerous." Beaumarchef touched his master's arm kindly.
"You vexed me and made me angry." "Just so; well, now, get up, take that chair, and let us talk reasonably." Perpignan obeyed without a word. "Now," said Tantaine, "I came here with a really magnificent proposal. But I adopted the course I pursued because I wished to prove to you that you belonged more absolutely to Mascarin than did your wretched foreign slaves to you.
Perpignan's manner was most threatening; but Tantaine still smiled pleasantly, like a child who had just committed some simply mischievous act, the results of which it cannot foresee. "The sentence isn't heavy," he continued; "five years' penal servitude, if evidence of previous good conduct could be put in; but if former antecedents were disclosed, such as a journey to Nancy "
But Tantaine interrupted him with a low laugh, terrible to listen to. "And why not?" said he. "Is it not better to kill than to be killed?" Hortebise trembled from head to foot. He had no objection to extorting money by the basest threats, but he drew the line at murder. "And suppose we were found out?" muttered he. "Nonsense! How could we be discovered?
Harmless people did not usually ask questions of itinerant chestnut venders, and to open his mouth might be to injure Mascarin, Beaumarchef, or the guileless Tantaine. This last thought determined the lad. "Keep your ten sous, my pippin," said the boy; "I'll tell you what you want to know all gratis and for nothing, because I've taken a real fancy to the cut of your mug.
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