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Updated: May 9, 2025
"Gracious!" said the old woman, eyeing Godefroid cautiously, "you're a bold one, anyhow." She went to the door of the outer room and bolted it; then she came back and sat down on a chair beside the fire. "On my word of honor, and as sure as my name is Vauthier, I took you for a student until I saw you giving your wood to that old Bernard. Ha! you're a sly one; and what a play-actor!
But Godefroid did not yet know Parisian human nature when embodied in a Vauthier. That woman resolved to have Godefroid's money and Barbet's too. She instantly ran off to her proprietor, while Godefroid changed his clothes in order to present himself properly before the daughter of Monsieur Bernard.
From there, I went to live as cook with the present owner of this house." Godefroid stopped the flux of confidences by paying a month's rent in advance; and he also gave, in advance, the six francs he was to pay Madame Vauthier for the care of his rooms.
Clotaire, however, determined to expiate his crime, long pondered upon the meaning of the pope's dying words, and at last concluded that, as there was nothing higher than a king, the words 'highest satisfaction' meant that he should raise the heir of Vauthier to the royal dignity.
Madame Vauthier had not attempted to give the writs to Monsieur Bernard; she meant to have flung them into the room on entering behind the sheriff's men, so to give the appearance of their being in the old man's possession. The proces-verbal of the seizure took an hour to write down; the sheriff omitted nothing, and declared that the value of the property seized was sufficient to pay the debt.
Madame Vauthier, deceived by Godefroid's apparent frankness, let a smile of satisfaction appear on her specious face, which confirmed all her lodger's suspicions. Godefroid was convinced that the old woman was an accomplice in some plot that was brewing against the unfortunate old man. "It is strange, monsieur," she went on, "what fancies one takes into one's head!
As the young lad entered the house, Godefroid went to his door to admit Madame Vauthier who brought her new lodger the wherewithal to make a fire, and he thus became the witness of a scene which took place on the landing. As the man raised his voice angrily Monsieur Bernard appeared. "Auguste," he said to his grandson, "dress yourself, it is time for school."
He returned to the boulevard du Mont-Parnasse, turning over in his mind the wildest and most extravagant plans of action. He reached home at half-past eight o'clock, half famished, and so exhausted with hunger and distress that he listened to Madame Vauthier when she asked him to share her supper, which happened to be a mutton stew with potatoes.
In summer the poor forsaken lad was a waiter in the wine-shops at the barrier; and then his mistress dressed him properly. As for the stout girl, she cooked under direction of the widow, and helped her in another department of industry during the rest of the day; for Madame Vauthier had a business, she made list shoes, which were bought and sold by pedlers.
It seemed as though the woman let rooms with the express purpose that no one should stay in them. Evidently the bed, chairs, tables, bureau, secretary, curtains, came from forced sales at auction, articles massed together in lots as having no separate intrinsic value. Madame Vauthier, with her hands on her hips, stood waiting for thanks; she took Godefroid's smile for one of surprise. "There!
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