50

A TALE OF CRIME.

THE following history of events is said to have been narrated by Vidocq, the celebrated "chef de la police de sûreté" under Louis Philippe. The name of the principal personage has alone been changed, out of respect for his family, cruelly struck both in its honour and fortune by the sad incidents that befel it:

I. TUTOR AND PUPIL.

The antecedents of Pierre Figasse, alias the Rabouin, were significative. The son of a respectable tradesman of Marseilles, he squandered his patrimony in gambling, and this led him to criminal acts-first to swindling, then he took to forgery; and being of a very ardent and enterprising spirit, he at last attempted to shield these evil deeds by an assassination—a combination of crimes which led him to Brest, whence, however, he managed to make his escape.

On his flight, he fell in by chance with a young man who was going to the Duke of Candas as tutor to his son. To establish an intimacy with him, kill him, become possessed of his papers, and to present himself at the ducal château under the name of the expected tutor, was with Figasse the affair of a week. He also adopted the name of the murdered manM. Locinet. The social position he thus acquired served his purposes admirably, for it was not at a duke's house that curious persons would seek for a runaway convict. He was sufficiently well informed also to be able to play his part with success; but, unfortunately, with elements of profitable instruction, he also imparted to his pupil a knowledge of the world, which was not by any means conducive to his welfare.

The duke belonged to the old school "la vieille roche," and he was exceedingly proud of his name and tenacious of his reputation. All he sought for was to establish his son in the world by an alliance worthy of him; and when the old intendant intimated that the education which the young man was receiving was not quite the thing, he at once ordered the tutor to be dismissed. Figasse, who up to that time had lived in clover, participating in all his pupil's pleasures, and in some cases administering to them, had felt no inclination for more evil practices; but when he received notice of dismissal, he at once conceived the project of obtaining possession of the old duke's economies, of making his pupil his accomplice, and of going with him in search of adventures. The young marquis had been so well instructed that he was delighted at the idea; he would be free, and could do just as he liked. We all know what happens to young spendthrifts under such circumstances. Being at Bordeaux with his tutor, Hector de Candas fell in love with an actress, known as La Juanita, who easily consented to lend her aid in spending the hundred thousand francs carried away from the château. But this did not suit the views of Figasse; so, getting possession of as much of the treasure as he could lay his hands upon, he bolted to the Rhine, in order to enjoy his favourite pastime of gambling.

Hector de Candas, thus abandoned and robbed, devoted himself solely to his passion for La Juanita, whom he married, to the utter consternation and horror of his parent, supporting himself and her by the assistance of one of those sons of Abraham who have always so much sympathy for

the embarrassments of sons of good families. But the usurer, finding out that the father had cast off and disinherited his son, refused to renew his bills; and Hector, although more lucky in play than in love, and who hence obtained the surname of "Le Chançard" from his success at the gambling-table, was unable to supply the whims of his beautiful and capricious wife, who in consequence took herself off with a wealthy stranger; nor was Hector, who was devotedly attached to her, able to find out whither she had taken refuge.

II.-A DUCAL SUCCESSION.

In the mean time, Figasse had lost the old duke's moneys at rouge-etnoir. Being once more penniless, he returned to Paris, where his disregard for the rights of property soon brought about his reintegration as a convict this time for his life. When, on quitting Bicêtre for Brest, he was about to be chained to another convict, he started back in surprise, ejaculating, "What! he here, too!" He, in fact, took his fellowconvict for Hector de Candas, so close was the resemblance he bore to his former pupil; but it was not the marquis. It was a young man— Jacques Piednoir by name-who had been brought up in a seminary, and then articled to an attorney, but whose bad instincts involving him in debauchery, petty thefts, forgery, and finally robbery on a large scale, he had arrived at the usual climax of such a career-condemnation to the galères. An understanding was soon established between the two rogues, and before they reached Brest they had discussed and matured a plan for evasion. Put to work in the convict-yard, they were chained for greater safety to two other convicts-Loupart and Le Hableur by name -and they initiated these in the project which they had conceived. Figasse made money by lending at a hundred per cent. to other convicts; with this money he purchased a watch, out of which he took the spring and converted it into a file; he also bought four wigs, essential to cover the convict's crop, and at the time of his evasion he had eight hundred francs in gold, each piece secreted in a hollow penny. It was in vain that the great gun booming across the country announced to the peasantry that an evasion had taken place, the convicts made good their escape, separating so as not to attract attention; and having procured suitable costumes, Piednoir presented himself as Stephen de Dion at Homburg, while Figasse went to try his luck at Baden.

He was eased there of his ready money in a few moments, but his good or bad fate would have it that he stumbled upon his former pupilHector de Candas-in search of his Juanita. The meeting was attended at first with many recriminations, but Figasse was not of a sensitive nature; he put up with these, and soon learnt from Hector that his father had closed his doors upon him and disinherited him. Figasse at once conceived an infernal project. Piednoir was the very picture of Hector; the latter must be made away with, and the two, tutor and pupil-but another pupil-would manage the duke. With this object in view, he enticed Hector to Homburg, where, in the mean time, Stephen de Dion had taken up with La Juanita, who was quite captivated with his unscrupulous intelligence. Hector first met the party at the Casino, and such was the youth's infatuation that he claimed his reprobate wife; but Juanita preferred Stephen, whose proceedings were more in sympathy with her own; and Hector, in a moment of exasperation, seized a wax

light, set fire to her dress, and then made his escape amidst the confusion created by the conflagration. Figasse and Piednoir alone did not lose sight of him; they followed him up, assassinated him, and returned to Paris in possession of his family papers and a good supply of ready cash. The old duke had died broken-hearted. Figasse, faithful to his plan, conducted Piednoir to the family mansion, and the old intendant— Didier-deceived by the likeness and by the representations of the tutor, admitted the convict as the representative of the ducal house. A son, however, had been born of the connexion of Hector with Juanita, which, abandoned to strangers, had been secretly brought up by the good old steward, and Piednoir found himself under the necessity of simulating a paternity, which had not come into the programme of the two swindlers. This, however, was a trifle to two such experienced hands. It is true the new duke did not take to the son, and the son entertained an unconquerable antipathy to his supposed father; but the doors of the château were thrown open, there were riding, driving, shooting, and feasting, and little antipathies were drowned in the pleasures of a ducal existence.

III. ESTAMINET OF THE SOLEIL NOIR.

Piednoir had been attracted when at Homburg by the person of the young widow of a general, and had paid her so much attention, that Juanita, in her jealousy, had threatened to do her mischief. His own master now, and master of a château and of an hôtel in Paris, to find her out, to offer his hand, and to marry her, were the affair of only a few weeks. The duchess brought a handsome fortune with her, and she devoted a portion of it to charitable purposes; the duke, on his side, gave splendid suppers at the Hôtel Candas, and was especially prodigal to pretty actresses, whilst the terrible Figasse devoted all his time to gambling; and, together, the resources of the domain went so fast, that they were soon obliged to have recourse to loans. The old Israelite who had supplied the young Marquis of Candas was sought out, and he was induced to advance moneys to the duke, Figasse slipping, at the same time, a bill for a hundred thousand francs on his own account among the other acceptances. Pierre Figasse had left the Jew's elated at his success, and was stepping from the ducal carriage into the Hôtel Candas, when two men of sinister aspect accosted him under the name of Le Rabouin. It was Loupart and the Hableur, who had the same morning recognised Piednoir, and had written to him to insist on his meeting them that very evening at the Soleil Noir, kept by "La Mère des Fanandels," or the Mother of Thieves. The letter had fallen by chance into the hands of Henri de Candas, who at once suspected something wrong. Figasse and Piednoir held a consultation as to what was to be done under the circumstances, and they came to the decision that their convict comrades must be got rid of by fair means or by foul. So they went together to the rendezvous armed to the teeth.

"La Mère des Fanandels," otherwise known as the Ogress, was no other than the once beautiful Juanita. Her face horribly disfigured by burns, the brilliant diva of the Casino of Homburg had come to Paris to hide herself, and had taken the estaminet of the Soleil Noir, from which she never went forth, her mutilated face being only known to the depraved frequenters of the place. She was assisted in her "commerce" by Poil aux Pattes, who found it worth his while to keep up that

semblance of gallantry towards the Ogress without which life would have been intolerable to her, as also by two female bull-dogs called Liline and Suzon. The Ogress consumed a bottle of absinthe every day, and Poil aux Pattes sometimes more, sometimes less. His supply was more vicarious. A compliment to the Ogress, although it cost him a shudder, was generally equivalent to a "petit verre.'

One day this estimable admirer of the Ogress ventured to remark that people of suspicious appearance were hovering about the estaminet; he hoped they were not spies.

"The Seine is not far off," La Juanita responded; "and those who come in here do not get out easily."

The conversation was interrupted by the entrance of a man of mild, alluring manners. It was the old usurer, who came to consult " Madame" upon the subject of a valuable collection of diamonds, the whereabouts of which had come to his knowledge, and to remove which would require the assistance of a couple of accomplished burglars. Madame promised to consider the matter over, and consult with her habitués; upon which Monsieur Jacobus withdrew with as much ceremony as if he had been retiring from the presence of the "patrone" of the Maison d'Or. No sooner had the usurer gone, than a young man came in and asked to speak to Loupart and to the Hableur. He was shown into an adjoining room, and the two rogues were sent for from a neighbouring wine-shop. When they were introduced to the young man, they thought he must have been sent by Piednoir, and they asked him if he had brought the ten thousand francs demanded.

"You shall have them," was the reply, "if you will give me the key to a mystery which I am determined to unravel.”

The rogues were taken aback at the tone assumed by the young man, and began to consider whether it would not be necessary to put him out of the way. Henri de Candas, for it was he, saw his danger. "I do not belong to the police," he hastened to say. "Here is my

ard."

Poil aux Pattes, who had come in with the Ogress to see what was going on, took the card, and great was the surprise of La Juanita when he read aloud, "The Marquis of Candas."

"Marquis of Candas," repeated La Juanita, with a voice hoarse with emotion. And she stared at the young man.

"People of quality don't come to our house with good intentions," observed Poil aux Pattes. "I will soon put him out of the way."

"Miserable!" interpolated Juanita, in a hoarse whisper. "It is my son!" And, dragging Henri into her own room, she questioned him regarding his father.

"Do you know him?" inquired Henri.

"Alas! only too well. But where is he?"

"In Paris, madame.”

"Ah! Candas is in Paris! And you-what brings you into this den? Tell me; you have nothing to fear."

“Well, then, madame, if you wish to know, I come to watch M. de Candas. He has an appointment with the two men I was just now speaking to. If you will manage that I can overhear what they have to say, I will reward you liberally.

La Juanita was only too happy to accede to the young man's wishes,

and arrangements were made by which both should hear what was going forward. She had had one surprise that day, and she was destined to have another, when, on the arrival of the two visitors, she at once recognised from her hiding-place the ex-tutor of her husband in the one, and her ex-lover, Stephen de Dion, of Homburg, in the other. Henri, on his side, blushed with indignation at seeing his supposed father and M. Locinet so perfectly at home among rogues. The interview was interrupted by some acolytes bringing in a lady in a fainting condition, and whom they were robbing of her rings, earrings, watch, and the contents of her pockets. Piednoir and Figasse were horror-struck at what was going on, for they at once recognised the Duchess of Candas. La Juanita, on her side, also recognised the general's wife, who had been her rival at Homburg. The duchess, gradually recovering herself, explained that she had gone on a charitable mission close by, and had been intercepted between the house and her carriage by bandits. Piednoir and Figasse interfering in her behalf only exasperated the suspicions of the rogues, who resolved upon removing all traces of the robbery by putting the lady to death. Henri would have rushed to her rescue, but La Juanita restrained him. Piednoir and Figasse had, in the mean time, grappled with Loupart and the Hableur, who drew their knives, but two pistols fired simultaneously laid them low upon the tiled flooring. Poil aux Pattes and the other bandits were threatened with the same fate if they did not make themselves scarce, and, seeing how well armed their antagonists were, they judged that discretion in such a case would be the better part of valour. The sound of fire-arms had, however, alarmed the neighbourhood, and Piednoir and Figasse, having accomplished the object they had in view, hastened to transport the terrified duchess to her carriage.

La Juanita guessed at the state of matters, amidst the tumult, with the unerring instinct of a woman that has been wronged. Stephen, she felt certain, had assassinated her husband, in order to usurp his name and fortune. She communicated her impressions to Henri, who had long entertained the conviction that there was a mystery in the matter, and who only sought for proofs. La Juanita promised that sooner or later the enigma should be solved, but he must preserve a strict silence. The young man promised to do so, if she would only come and see him at the Hôtel Candas. She engaged to do so. Half an hour afterwards Loupart and Le Hableur were stowed away in two old empty wine-casks, and rolled to the bottom of the Seine.

IV. THE Veiled Lady.

When Henri de Candas related the events of the evening to the aged steward, the good old man only saw in them a series of fortunate coincidences, whilst the duchess was quite satisfied with her husband's explanation, that he and his friend Locinet had gone from motives of curiosity to visit the low places of the Cité, disguised as mariners. At all events, it was not desirable that a scene as fatal as it had been compromising to all parties should be bruited abroad, so a strict silence was observed upon the subject. During their residence at the Hôtel Candas a close and friendly intimacy had been kept up with the family of Villa-Renald, who were distantly related to Madame de Candas. Mademoiselle de Villa