old man goriot

Chapter 22
Two days later, Poiret and Mademoiselle Michnot were sitting on a bench in the sun by a secluded path in the Botanic Gardens, talking with a gentleman whom the medical student had reason to suspect very suspicious.

"Miss," said M. Gondillo, "I do not see why you have such scruples. Your Excellency the Royal Minister of Police..."

"Oh! Your Excellency the Royal Minister of Police..." Poiret repeated.

"Yes, your Excellency, he personally intervened in the case," said Gondello.

After this self-proclaimed little rich man of the Rue Buffon uttered the word police, and revealed his true face as an agent of Jerusalem Street[58] under the mask of a gentleman, Poiret, who had been a clerk, must have been a clerk, although he had no brains. A well-behaved citizen, he would continue to listen, wouldn't everyone find it unbelievable?In fact, this could not be more natural.To understand better the peculiar class to which Poiret belonged in the midst of a great mass of bewildered people, one need only look at what some observers have said, but this opinion has not yet been published.There is a kind of clerical family in the world, which is between the first and third grades in the budget table of the organization; the salary of the first grade is 59 francs, which is like Greenland in the cold zone in the organization; Up to [-] francs, which is equivalent to the temperate zone. Although it is not easy to grow, there are bonuses to be received, and the amount has increased.This group of lower-level personnel has some characteristics, and the one that best reflects their cowardly and narrow virtues is that they have an involuntary, mechanical, and instinctive reverence for the big Bodhisattvas in various departments.For the great Bodhisattva, what the small staff know is only an illegible signature and the title of Minister, these words are like Il Bando Khani in the opera "The Caliph of Baghdad"[[-]], In the eyes of those submissive people, it represents a kind of sacred authority with no room for appeal.The minister in the eyes of the clerk is like the pope to the Christians, and he can never make mistakes in handling official affairs.He shines in person, and his actions, his words, and even the words spoken in his name carry his radiance.His beautiful handwriting covered everything, and everything he ordered became lawful.The word Your Excellency proves that his heart is pure and his thoughts are holy; with it, all absurd ideas can be carried forward.Those poor wretches who do not do it for their own benefit, do it as soon as they hear the word your lord.The government is like an army, everyone just knows how to obey with their eyes closed.This kind of system destroys conscience and kills humanity. Over time, it finally turns a person into a screw and a nut in a government agency.Mr. Gondillo seems to have studied people quite well, and he can tell at a glance that Poiret is the kind of fool in the institution, so when it comes time to take off the mask to reveal his true colors and bluff Poiret, he does it like a spell Said Your Excellency; he also felt that Poiret was the masculine Michnot, just as Michnot was the feminine Poiret.

"Since your Excellency, Your Excellency... Oh! That will make a big difference," said Poiret.

"You have heard what you said, sir; you seem to trust his opinion." The pretended little rich man said to Miss Michno. "Yes! Your Excellency is now fully convinced that the so-called Vautrin who lives in the Vauquer apartment is a fugitive from Toulon Prison, nicknamed "Deceived Ghost."

"Hey! A fool!" said Poiret. "If he lives up to his name, he must be lucky."

"Yes," said the Inspector, "he got that nickname because of several daring incidents in which he narrowly escaped death. Look! This fellow is dangerous. He has some qualities that set him apart. Even his sentence He earned a lot of face among those people..."

"Then he is a man of honor?" asked Poiret.

"That's just his opinion. He promised to take the blame for other people's crimes, forgery, and the crime was committed by a handsome young man he liked very much, an Italian and a gambling man; then the young man served in the army. And it’s doing really well.”

"Since Your Excellency the Minister of Police believes that Mr. Vautrin is a fool, why do you need me?" Miss Mixunuo asked.

"Oh! yes," said Poiret, "if the minister, as you say, is sure..."

"Not sure; just a suspicion. You will understand in a moment. The real name of the ghost is Jacques Collin. The prisoners in the three prisons trust him and recommend him as their agent and money manager. He is in this business. You can make a lot of money online, so of course you need a good person to take care of it.”

"Ha ha! Do you catch the pun, Mademoiselle?" said Poiret. "Monsieur calls him a fine man, because he has his stamp on him."

The detective went on to say: "This man named Vautrin took money from the prisoners, took care of it, kept it for them, and returned it to them after they escaped; or handed it over to their relatives according to their will; He pays their mistresses."

"Their mistresses! You mean their wives," pointed out Poiret.

"No, sir. Convicts usually only have unofficial wives, which we call cohabitants."

"Then they all live together?"

"of course."

"Ah!" said Poiret, "the minister should not tolerate such absurdities. Since you have had the honor of seeing him, and I think you are kind enough, you should point out to him the indecent behavior of these people." That's good, they set a bad precedent for society."

"But sir, the government doesn't lock them up to set an example of morals."

"That's right. But sir, allow me..."

"Well, let the gentleman go on, my dear," said Mademoiselle Michno.

"You know, miss," Gondiro continued, "the government may very much want to acquire an underground bank, and it is said that the amount is very large. The ghost has a huge amount of money, and the money is not only hidden by his accomplices, but also by the Swastika Gang... ..."

"There are tens of thousands of thieves!" Poiret exclaimed.

"That's not what it means. The Swastika gang is a gang of master thieves. They specialize in big crimes. They never intervene in sales that don't cost less than ten thousand francs. The gang members are the most important people among criminals. They know the "Code" well. , will never be sentenced to death when caught. Ke Leng is someone they can trust, their high-ranking counselor. This guy has great powers, has his security system, has extensive connections, and is mysterious. For a year, we There are spies around him, but he still can't figure out his details. With his financial resources and ability, he keeps instigating crimes, raising criminal funds, and raising a bunch of villains to fight against the society endlessly. If he is caught, he will be confiscated His bank is equivalent to eradicating the evil forces. Therefore, this operation has become a national and political event, and anyone who helps solve the case will be rewarded. Even you, sir, can also work in the agency again, and become the secretary of the police chief. And your pension is in order."

"But why," Miss Mixunuo asked, "did the ghost just walk away without taking the money?"

"Oh!" said the detective, "he's followed wherever he goes, and if he steals the prisoner's money for himself, the man kills him. Besides, it's not like kidnapping a good family." It's so easy for a woman. Besides, Collan is a good man, and he would never do it. He thinks it will ruin his reputation."

"Monsieur," continued Poiret, "you are right, and he is really discredited."

"All these are still not enough to explain to us, why don't you just arrest him?" Miss Mi Xunuo said puzzled.

"Well, ma'am, I'll answer...but," he whispered in her ear, "don't let your husband interrupt me, or we'll never finish. He's probably rich, you know. He, the fellow. When the ghost came here, he put on the clothes of a gentleman, pretended to be a decent citizen of Paris, and lived in an unremarkable apartment. He is very cunning, huh! Can't catch him by surprise. Stop him. Monsieur Vautrin is a man of great importance, and does great business."

"Of course," thought Poiret to himself.

"The minister doesn't want us to make a mistake and catch a real Vautrin, offending the business circles and public opinion in Paris. The position of the Chief of Police is also not stable. He has some enemies; if there is a mistake, he will plot against him. People in his position will take advantage of the gossip and the clamor of the Liberal Party to throw him down. Therefore, this case is handled like the case of Cornyal, Earl of St. Helena[60]; if it is a real St. Helena Earl, we are in trouble. So we must make sure!"

"Yes, but you need a beautiful woman." Miss Mi Xunuo said quickly.

"A ghost won't let a woman get close," the plainclothes said. "I'll tell you a secret, he doesn't like women."

"Then I can't see it. What role do I have, don't you want to confirm it? For two thousand francs, I will agree to do it."

"It couldn't be easier," said the stranger, "and I will give you a vial containing a prepared liquid that will cause stroke-like symptoms, but is not dangerous. The drug can be mixed with wine or In coffee. Immediately afterward, you put him on the bed and undress him, as if to see if he is still alive. When no one is around, you hit him on the shoulder, smack! You will see the words Show up."

"That would be no trouble at all," said Poiret.

"Do you agree, then?" asked Gondillo to the old maid.

"But, my dear sir," said Mademoiselle Michnot, "how can I get the two thousand francs if there are no words?"

"No."

"Then what compensation?"

"Five hundred francs."

"It's always a prick in my conscience to do such a thing for so little money, and I want peace of mind, sir."

"I'm sure," said Poiret, "that Mademoiselle, besides being very sweet and capable, has a very good conscience."

"Well!" continued Mademoiselle Michnot, "if it's really a trick, you'll give me three thousand francs; if not, I'll give you nothing."

"Yes," said Gondillo, "but on one condition, the thing must be done tomorrow."

"Not yet, my dear sir, I must ask my confessor."

"How cunning!" said the plainclothes standing up. "Then see you tomorrow. If you are in a hurry to find me, go to the Via Santa Ana, in the courtyard of the chapel; there is only one door under the arch, and you can go to M. Gondillo."

On his way back from Cuvier's class, Bianchon suddenly heard the strange word "deception", and heard the famous police chief say "yes".

"Why are you dawdling? The life annuity pays three hundred francs a year in interest," said Poiret to Mademoiselle Michnot.

"What for?" she said. "You have to think about it. If M. Vautrin really is the fool, it may be more profitable to deal with him. But to ask him for money is to tip him off, and he will give him nothing." If you don't give it, you will run away. It will be bad luck."

"He won't get wind of it," continued Poiret. "Didn't the gentleman tell us that he was being watched? Then you'll get nothing."

"Besides," thought Mademoiselle Michno, "I don't like him either! He keeps saying nasty things to me."

Poiret continued: "You have done well. I think that gentleman is not only well-dressed, but also a good man; he said well that getting rid of a criminal for society, no matter how virtuous he may be, is an act of obedience to the law. The world is easy to change, but the nature is hard to change. What if he gets angry and kills us all? Then hell! We are responsible for him killing people, not to mention that we will be killed by him first. "

Mademoiselle Michnot was so preoccupied that she didn't listen to what Poiret said, and spit out the words one by one, like drops of water from a tap that was not closed tightly.Once the old man started to talk, Miss Michno would talk like clockwork if Miss Michno didn't stop him.He'd just come up on one topic, then branched off to say something quite the opposite, without any conclusions.Arriving at the door of Vauquer's apartment, he babbled, citing, and recounting the details of how he had appeared as a witness for the accused in the case of M. Lagulot and Ms. Morin.As he entered the door, his lady companion glanced at the two of them. It turned out that Eugene de Rastignac and Mademoiselle Taypin were talking so affectionately and vigorously, and the young couple were inseparable. The elderly tenant walked across the dining room without noticing it.

"It's going to come to that point," said Mademoiselle Michno to Poiret. "They've been flirting with each other for a week, and they're dying to get their hearts out."

"Yes," he responded, "so she's convicted."

"Who?"

"Mrs. Morland."

"I'm talking about Mademoiselle de Védoline," said Michno, entering Poiret's room without knowing it. "You're talking about Madame Morin. What's the matter with this woman?"

"What crime can Mademoiselle Védorine commit?" asked Poiret.

"Her crime is to fall in love with M. Eugene de Rastignac, and to go on without knowing the consequences, poor innocent!"

That morning Eugene was driven into despair by Madame de Nucingen.Inwardly he had completely surrendered to Vautrin, and he did not want to speculate on the nature of the strange man's friendship with him, nor on the prospects of such a union.For an hour he and Miss Tayfan had sworn to each other and were terribly affectionate; he had stepped into an abyss from which only a miracle could pull him out.Vidoline thought she heard the voice of an angel, and the gates of heaven opened for her, and Vauquer's apartment was dyed with magical colors, like a palace decorated by a set designer on a stage.She loved and was loved, or so she thought!What woman wouldn't think as she did during this hour, hiding from all the Argos in the apartment, watching Rastignac, and listening to him?Rastignac, wrestling with his conscience, knowing that he was committing a wrong, and knowingly doing it, thought that if some woman would be happy in the future, he would be able to atone for this slight sin; Beauty, radiant with the fire of hell in her heart.As luck would have it, a miracle happened: Vautrin came in excitedly and read their minds.The two young people were originally matched by his ghost idea, but their interest at this moment was suddenly destroyed by his rough and joking singing.

my fanchet is so charming
And unpretentious...[64]
Vidoline ran away in a flash, and the happiness she took away was worth the misfortune she experienced in her life.Poor girl!After shaking hands, Rastignac's hair lightly brushed her cheek, and whispered in her ear, so close that she could feel the warmth of the college student's lips, with a trembling arm wrapped around her waist, impressing A kiss on her neck, these became promises, and since the fat Sylvie from the next room could intrude into this sunny dining room at any moment, it was more important than eachother in the most famous love stories. Fierce, more intense, more touching, according to a beautiful saying of our ancestors, these subtle gestures, in a girl who confesses once every half month, are already full of sins!In one hour she had shown so much precious truth that even if she had money and happiness in the future, the feelings she would devote herself to would pale in comparison.

"It's settled," said Vautrin to Eugene, "the two gentlemen have fought each other. Everything is going well. It's because of political differences. Our pigeons insulted my eagle. Tomorrow at Kerry Niang Courbourg. At 08:30, just as Miss Tayfan is here dipping buttered slices of bread in coffee, she will inherit her father's love and property. Think of it Isn't it ridiculous? That boy Taifan's swordsmanship is very good, and he is very confident, as if he has a winning ticket; but I have thought of a way to let him bleed, which is to pick up the sword and stab the opponent's forehead. I’ll show you this move later, it’s really useful.”

Rastignac listened in a daze, unable to utter a word.At this time, old man Gao, Bi Anxun and several other guests came.

(End of this chapter)