Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 10 — page 31: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

> ~—eeo m= 1 Ue eee ee ee we ere ee ee ee ee er ee ee + . other business, and occupy, themselves, solely in hunt- mg for nie. Atthis juncture I resolved to. make use of tho-e persons for my safety whom I considered as my de- aouncers. . These were the Chevaliers, whom I had. seen un-the. previous .evening, and who in, conversation had dropped some. of those words which make no impression at the time, but which we reflect upon afterwards. Con- vinced that I had no terms to keep benceforward with these wretched beings, I determined to avenge myself on them,whilst Icompelled them to refund all that Il could en- force fromthem. It was.ca a tacit understanding that I had obliged them; and. they had violeted the faith of treaties, even.against their own interest, they had. done wrong; and. i tended to punish them for having mis- taken their own interest. The road is not far from the Boulevard to the Rne de !'Echiquier, and I fell like a bomb shell on Chevatier’s domicile,whose surprise at seeing me at liberty confirmed my suspicions. Ile pretended at first an excuse for going out; but, double-locking the door, and putting the key in my pocket, I seized on a knife lying on the table, and told my brother-in-law that if he uttered a cry it was all over with him. and his family.. This threat could not fail to produce the due effect: I was with people who knew me and feared the violence of my despair. The women were more dead than alive. and Chevalier, petrified. and motionless as the stone vessel on which he leant, asked me, witha faint voice, what I wanted from him? ‘* You shall know,” answered I. I began by asking fora complete suit of clothes, with which I had. provided him the month previously, and he gave it to me: I made him also give me a shirt, boots, and a hat;.all of which having been purchased _ with my means,,.my demand was only for restifution, Chev- alier did al) this with a stern look, and I thought I read in his eyes the meditation of some project; it might be that he intended to let his neighbors know by some means the embarrassinent into, which my presence threw him, and prudence demanded that I should insure a. retreat in case of a nocturnal visit. A window looking on a arden, was closed by two iron bars: I ordered Chevalier o take one of them out; and as, in spite of my directions, he was- exceedingly awkward about it, I took the work in hand myself, without his perceiving that I had laid down the knife which had inspired him. with so. much fear. The operation ended, I again took up the weapon: *‘And now,’’ said I to him and the terrified women, ‘‘ you may go to bed.” As for me, I was hardly inclined to sleep, aud threw myself into a. chair, where I passed a very agitated night. All the vicissitudes of my life passed in review befure me, and I did not doubt that a curse hun over me; in vain did I fly from crime, crime came to see me: and this fatality against which I acropgled with all the energy of my character, seemed to de ent in over- turning my plans of concnct, in ep igeemery ay placing me in contact with infamy and imperious necessity. At break of day | roused Chevalier, and asked him what money he had, and on his replying that he had.only a few pieces of money, J desired him to take four silver knives and forks, which I had given him, to take his permit of residence, and to follow me. I had no need of him, but it would have been dangerous to Jeave him at home; for he might have informed the police, and directed them on my route, before I had concerted my plans. Chevalier obeyed, ard [was not very fearful of the women, as I took so precious a hostage with me; and as, besides, they did not precisely partake of his feelings. 1 contented my- self on going out. by double-locking the door, and we reached the Champs Llysées by the most deserted streets of the capital, even in daytime. It was four o'clock in the morning and we met, nobody. I carried the knives and forks, which I took good care not to trust to my com- panion, as I wanted to get, off without inconvenience in cave he should turn wpon me or create a disturbance. Fortunately he was very quiet, for I had the terrible knife, snd Chevalier, who never reasoned, felt persuaded that at the least motion he should make, I would stab him to the heart; and this salutary dread, which he felt the more deeply as it was not undeserved, kept him in check, e walked for some time in the environs, and Cheva Hier, who did not foresee how this was to end, walked mechanically beside me, like one bewildered and idiotic, At eight o'clock I made him get into a coach and con- ducted him to the passage of ti e wood of Boulogne, where he pledged in my presence, and under his own name, the four knives and forks, on which they lent him 2 hundred france. I took the snm, and, satisfied with having 80 con- veniently recovered in a lump what he had extorted from me in detail, lL got.into the coach with him once more which 1 stopped at the Place de la Concorde. There I alighted, after having given him this piece of advice— ‘‘Mind and be more circumspect than ever; if I am arrested, whoever jis the cause, look to yourself.” I desired the coachman to drive on to Rue de l’Echiqnier No. 28; and. to be sure that he took no other direct on, 1 remained for a short time. on the watch; and then jum ing into.a cabriolet, 1 went to the clothesman of the Croix-Rouge, who gave me the clothes of & workman jn exchange for my own. In this new costume I walked towards the Esplanade des Invalides, to learn if it were possible to purchase a uniform of this establishment. A wooden-legged man, whom 1 qnestioned, directed me to Rue St. Dominique, where, at a broker's, I should find a complete outfit. This broker was, it appeared, a chatter- ing fellow. . ‘Iam not inquisitive,” said he—(that is the preamble to all impertinent inquiries)—‘‘ You have all our limbs:,I presume the uniform is not for yourself,” ‘It is,’ said 1; and as he testified astonishment, I added that J] was going to actin a play. ‘And in what piece?” ‘In f Amour Filial.” The bengele concluded, I immediately set out for Passy, where at the house of a friend, I hastened to effect m metamorphose. In less than five minutes I was converte into the most. maimed of invalids; my arm laid over the nollow of the breast, and kept close to my body bya girth and the waistband of my breeches, had entirely ep ; some ribands introduced into the upper part of one of thy sleeves, the en? of which was hung to.a button m front, joined a stump admirably deceptive, and which made the disguise most. eflicient: a dye which 1 used to stain my hair and whiskers black, perfected my disguise, ander which I was so sure of misleading the phy aiogno. mical knowledge of the observers in the quarter St. Martin, that I ventured there that evening. IJearnt that the police not only still kept possession of my abode, but were making ap inventory of the 8. and furniture. By the number of officers whom I saw going and comin it wus easy to perceive that the search was prosecu with » renewai of activity very extraordinary at this period, when the vigilant administration was not too zeal- sas unless it. were in cases of political arrests. Alarmed such an appearance of investigation any one but myself Ls swonld have Judged it prudent eave Paris without dela ; rg RY a. + woul hase been best perhaps ee et ee ree ee rr e+ ee ee on forsaking Annette in the midst of her troubles, caused by her attachment to mie. Suffered much, shut uP. in the depot of the prefecture, ; : | be ' ; ' ' she was placed in solifary confinement for twenty-five days, whence she was only taken to be threatened with tne left to rot In St. Lazarre, if she would not confess the place of my retreat. But with a dagger at her breast Annette would not have betrayed me. It may be jud d how deeply I was, grieved to learn her wretched situation and yet be unable to deliver her. on. me. I hastened to aid her. A friend to whom I had ocd, the French Police Spy. Ba er a eee ee 7 Peiiindindiiditiesusstdiests tiie allow the sterm to .blow over:.but I conld not. resolye | of a cousiderable number of these supporters of the gal- | lJeys. whom At this time she must have | : had but too many opportunities of know) when several of them proposed that I should help theni trying foraran through the court of the Bons Pauvres: At any other time the project wonld have made me smile, I did not decline it; but I studied it like a man who con sidered localities, and so as to preserve for myself that preponderance which my real successes procured forme, and those which were attributed tome—lI might say those 'which I attributed to myself; for as soon as we live As soon as it depended | amongst rogues, there is always an advantage in passing forthe most wicked and the most clever; and such waa lent a few hundred francs, having returned them to me, I | my well-established reputation, wherever there were four begged him.to retain a portion of the sum; and full of hope that the term of her detention wonld soon expirte, since after all, they had only to reproach her with having lived with a fugitive galley-slave, peeperee to quit Paris, determining, if she Was not set at liberty before my de- parture, that I would let her know, by some means, where I had betaken myself, I lodged in the rue Tiquetonne, at the house of a currier, named Bouhin, who undertook, for a compensation, to get. for himself a passport which he would give tome We were exactly alike; he, like me, was fair, with blue eyes, colored complexion, and. by a singular chance, had on his upper lip, a slight cicatrice. He was, however, shorter than I was, and to increase his height so as to reach mine, he put two or three packs of cards in his shoes. Bouhin bad recourse to this expedient; so that, although I could use the strange faculty 1 had of reducing my heighth four or five inches, at pleasure, the paseport which he pro- cured did not need that I shonld have recourse to this curtailment of my fair proportions. Provided with this, I was congratulating myself on a resemblance which insured my liberty,when Bouhin (after I had been at his house eight days) confided to me #.secret which made me tremble He was a forger of false money, and, to give me a sample of his skill, coined in my presence, eight five-franc pieces which his, wife passed the same day. .It may be believe that the confidence of Bouhin alarmed me. At first 1 argued that sctually from one moment to another, his passport would become but a bad recommen- dation in the eyes of the gendarmes; for from the trade he carried on, Bouhin must sooner or later be the object of an.arrest; besides, the money I had given him was but a rash adyenture, and {t must be confessed that I had but asmall chance of advantage in personating such a char- acter. This was not all; considering that this state of suspicion, which in the opinion of the judge and of the public is always inseparable from the condition of a fugi- tive galley-slave, was it not likely that if Bouhin were ap" prehended as a coiner, I should be considered as his accomplice? Justice has committed mazy errors! Con- demned once, though innocent, who would answer that I should not a,second time be similarly sentenced? The crime which had been wrongfully imputed to me, inas much as it pronounced me a forger, was nominally the same species of crime as that which Bouhin had commit- ted. Lsaw myself sinking beneath a weight of presumptive evidence and appearances, such as perhaps, my counsel, ashamedof undertaking my defence, would conceive neces- sary toimpel him to throw me on the pity of my judges. I heard my death-sentence Sgtapes My fears redoubled when I learnt that. Boubin had an associate, a doctor, named Terrier, who frequently came to his house. This man had a most hanging look, and it seemed to me that, on only looking at him, all the police-officers fn the world would have suspected and watched him. Without knowing him, I should. have thought that in following him it would be I poe not to attain the knowledge of some Cpntin or intended crime. Ina word, he was a bird of ill omen to every place he entered; and per- suaded that his visits would bring mischief to the house, I persuaded Bouhin to give up a business eo hazardons as that he followed; but the most cogent reasons prevailed not with him; all I could obtain by dint of entreaty was, that to avoid giving rise to a search which would certain! betray me to the police, he would suspend the making an assing of money as long as J should remain with him; ut this promise did not prevent my discovering him two daye, afterward, hard at work. This time I thought it best to address his fellow-laborer, to whom I represented in the most glaring colors, the dangers which he ran. “] see, answered the doctor, “that you are one of those cowardly fellows of whom there are so great a number. Suppose we are detected, what then? ere are many others who make their exit at the Place de Gréve, and we are not there yet: for fifteen years I have used these ‘chamber gentlemen’ as my bankers, and nobody has yet doubted me; it will do yet. And besides, my friend,” he added in an ill humored tone, “ do you meddle with your own affairs.” After the turn which this discuesion took, I saw that it would be superfluous to continue it, and that I should do wisely to be on my guard, feeling still more the necessity of quitt Paris as speedily as possible. {ft was Tues- day, and I purposed starting on the following day; but having learned at Annette would be set at liberty at the end of the week, I proposed deferring my departure until her reléase, when on Friday, about three o'clock in the morning, I heard a light knock at the street-door. The nature of the rap, the honr, and circumstance, all combined to make me think that they were coming to take me; and saying nothing to Bouhin, I went out on the stair-case, and getting to the top, Lgot hold of the gutter, and climbing on the roof, hastened to conceal myself be- hind a stack of chimneys. My presentiments had not deceived me, and in an in- stant the house was filled with police ts, who searched everywhere. Surprised atnot finding me, and doubtless in- formed by my clothes, left Bear hy ed, that I had escaped in my shirt, which would not. allow me to go far, they i ned that I could not have escaped by the usual way, For want of cayaliers to send in pursuit of me, they sent for some bricklayere, who went all over the roof, where I was found and seized, without the nature of the place allowing me to offer any resistance, which could only have been done at the risk of a most perilous leap. Ex- cept.a few cuffs, which the agents bestowed on me, my arrest. offered nothing remarkable. Conducted to the prrnamcnee, I was REC by M. Henry, who remem- ered perfectly the offer I had made him some months previously, promised to do all in bis power to ease my situation; but still 1 was taken to the Force, and thence to CAG, to await the departure of the next chain of galley- yea, a CHAPTER XXI. I nra@ax to wearied of escapes and the sort of lib- erty they procured for me; I did nct wish to return to the Bagne; but IL preferred a residence at Toulon to that in Paris, if I were yg sya to submit to such creatures as Chevalier, Blondy, I was in this mood in the midst ET ET prisoners at least three had heard of me;—net at all ar j extraordinary thing, for there were galley-slaves who as sumed my name. I wasthe general to whom all the deeds of his soldiers is attributed: they did not cite the places I had taken by assault, but there was no jailor whose vigilance I could not eseape, no irons that 1 could not break through, no wall that I could not penetrate, Iwas no less famed for conrage and skill, and it was the gene- ral opinion that I was capable of any deed of renownin case of need. At Brest, at Tonlon, at Rochefort, in: fact everywhere, l was considered amongst robbers as the most cunning and most bold. The most villainous sought my friendship, because they thought there was stillso ng to be learnt from me, and the greatest novices collected my very words as inatructions from which they could gather profit. At Bicétre I had a complete court, and they pressed sronnd me, surrounded me, and made tenders of servicea and kind offers, and expressed regards of which it would be difficult to form an idea. But now, this a was hateful to me; the more J read the souls of melefac tors, the more they /Jaid themselves open to me, the more I pitied society for having nourished in its bosom such offspring. I no longer felt that sentiment of the com- munity of misfortune which had mae ny Ae oe m breast; cruel,experience and a riper age convin me of the necessity of withdrawing myself from these bricands, whose society I loathed, and whose language was an abomination to me. Decided, at any event, to tale part against them for the interest of honest men, J wrote to M. Henry to offer my services afresh, without any other condition than that of not being taken back to the Bagne, resigning myself to finish the duration of my sentence in any prison that might be selected. My letter Ro nted out 80 fully the information I conid supply that M. Henry was struck with it: one only con- sideration balanced with him; it was the example of many accused or condemned persons, who having en- gaged to guide the police in ite searches, had only given ut trifling information, or had even finished themselves by being detected in criminal deeds. To this powerful argument I opposed the canse of my condemnation, the regularity of my conduct after my escapes, the erty! of my endeavors to procure an honorable existence, finally, I produced my correspondence, my books, my punctuality, and credit, and I called for the testimony of all persons with whom I had transacted business, and peceley of my creditors, who had al) the greatest con- dence in me. These facto and documents militated strongly in my favor. M, Henry submitted my be to the prefect of the police, M. Pasquier, who decided on granting it. After a residence of two months at Bicétre I was removed to the Force; and, to avoid suspicion, it was stated amongst the prisoners that I was kept back in consequei of be ng implicated in a very bad affair, which was to inquired into. This precaution, oined to my reno ce me entirely in goed odor. Not a prisoner d athe a doubt of the gravity of the charge against Since I had shown so much boldness and perseveran escape from a sentence.of eight years in irons, I ma necessity have a conscience charged with some crime, capable, if I should be discovered as the auth ecnding me to the scaffold. It was then whispe at last stated openly at La Force, in speaking “He is a cut-throat!’ And as, in the piace where I confined, an assassin inspires great confidence, I to care not to refute an error so useful to my plans. I wae then far from seeing that an imposture, which I alowed freely to be cha upon me, would be thence tuated; and t one day, in Peron my Mem t would be necessary to state th I had never com murder, The engagement I had entered into was not so easily fulfilled as may be supposed. A multitude of robbers were then preying on the capital, and it wes im e to furnish the slightest indication of the principal of them; it was only on my ancient renown that I could rely for obtaining any information of the staff of these Bedouins of our civilization; it availed me, I will not ady beyond, but equal to what I could ‘esire. At this period there was in Pans a band of fugitive galley-slaves, who dally trated robberies without any pope being entertained of patting a termination to their plunderings. Many of them had been apprehended and uitted for want of evidence; tinately en- trenched in absence of witnesses, they had long brav the attempts of justice, which could neither Bt to them the testimony of the commission of crime, nor ete of guilt. To surprise them proper