_Adolphe Consulted_
|THEOPHRASTE, the next day, seemed to have forgotten all the incidents
of the night before, or at least to attach very little importance to
them.
As to Marceline, she was far too agitated to make any direct mention
of it. However, she knew Adolphe would be calling at noon and she was
resolved to find out the cause of Théophraste’s actions before he
came so that she could tell Adolphe the best to act. The thing that
struck her most was Théophraste’s sudden show of courage and
strength. Before he had shown excessive lack of courage, and he was
naturally physically weak. Suddenly, to be seized with all the nerve
necessary to meet a burglar and then to have the strength to gag and
bind him and cut off his ears, was unnatural. He had always recoiled
from the sight of blood, and here he was fairly reveling in it. What
could all this mean? He had suddenly turned from a quiet, inoffensive
citizen to a ghoul.
It was with these thoughts that she approached Théophraste and demanded
an explanation. He at first was loath to tell her, but her entreaties
prevailed, and he eventually told her that it was the spirit of
Cartouche that had seized him and forced him to do these horrible
actions. He told her with a sort of bravado that there had been more
than one hundred and fifty assassinations laid to his account.
Marceline was in a terrible state of mind and shrank from him. She
declared that nothing in the world would make her live with him. She
would apply for a divorce. She thought she had married an honest man,
and now she had discovered him to be a thief and murderer. Here were
enough grounds for a separation, and she declared her intention of
securing it.
At this Théophraste became very melancholy, and entreated her to think
of his side of the calamity. He told her how necessary her help was to
him, and with Adolphe’s and her assistance he thought he could throw
off this evil influence. By this time he had become quite rational, and
they decided to consult Adolphe, and if necessary, have him live with
them.
Marceline readily acquiesced in this suggestion. Adolphe arrived about
1 o’clock, and she took him into the sitting-room and was soon in
earnest and animated council with him. Théophraste went into his
office and waited anxiously for them to join him. After some time they
returned, and Marceline insisted that Théophraste should do all that
Adolphe should ask of him, which he readily consented to do, having
confidence in his friend.
Later on in the afternoon Théophraste and Adolphe went for a walk
into the city. Théophraste immediately began asking questions as to
Adolphe’s progress in the search for the treasures. He, however, was
in no mood to tell much. Marceline’s story of the night before had
driven all thoughts of the treasure out of his head, and he answered
somewhat abruptly that nothing of importance had been found, and that he
must think of Théophraste’s health first, before taking any further
steps.
It was obvious to Théophraste that Adolphe was evading the subject, and
he was determined to find out more of the matter.
He felt that Adolphe had more information, and so pressed him to speak.
Adolphe then told how he had discovered that after the war most of the
soldiers who had been serving with Cartouche had been discharged, and
were left with no means of livelihood, and so, recognizing him as having
the talent of a leader, they formed themselves into a party of bandits,
and placed him at their head. At this time the police force of Paris was
quite inadequate to cope with the many crimes; therefore Cartouche and
his comrades resolved to turn their attention to this. He divided his
men into troops, and gave them each a quarter, to guard over which
he placed an intelligent lieutenant. When anybody was found out after
curfew he was politely accosted and requested to turn over a sum of
money, or if he had no money on him, to part with his coat. In exchange
for this he was given a pass which entitled him to walk through Paris in
perfect security at any time he pleased. He would have nothing to fear
from Cartouche’s men. If he showed any resistance he was immediately
killed. Cartouche had the clergy on his side, and was often able to make
good use of them. One priest named Le Ratichon, was even hanged for him.
On reaching the Hotel de Ville, Adolphe stopped and asked Théophraste
if he cared to cross the Place de l’Hotel de Ville.
He answered, “If you wish, certainly we will.”
“Have you often crossed the place?” said Adolphe.
“Yes, very often,” replied Théophraste.
“And nothing unusual has happened? Is there any place in Paris which
you have some difficulty in passing?”
“Why, no, of course not. What is there to hinder me from going
anywhere?”
However, Adolphe’s look made him reflect, and then he recalled having
several times walked up the Place de l’Ordson, and when in front of
the Institute he changed his mind and retraced his steps. He accounted
for this rather by his absent-mindedness than by anything unusual. He
recalled that he had never passed through the Rue Mazarine or crossed
the Pont-Neuf. Neither had he crossed the Petit Pont. He had always
turned at the corner of the Rue Ville du Temple, near the house with the
grated windows.
“Why,” Adolphe asked, “can’t you pass these places?”
“I think it is because the paving stones are red; and I dislike that
color.”
“You remember the Place de Grere?”
“Why, yes. It was there that the pillory and scaffold were erected.
The wheel was placed there on execution days in front of the Rue
Vanniere. There was the old coal harbor. I never passed that place
without counselling my comrades to avoid the wheel. However, I will
wager not one profited by it.”
“Nor you either,” said Adolphe. “It was there that you suffered
the final torment. It was there that you were racked and expired by the
tortures of the wheel.”