Caught In The Net | Page 9

back
directly."
All that Daddy Tantaine had desired was executed with the greatest

rapidity, and he and the grocer parted on the best terms, and the
tradesman watched his visitor's departure, perfectly satisfied that he had
been assisting a police officer who had deemed it fit to assume a
disguise. Daddy Tantaine cared little what he thought, and, gaining the
Place de Petit Pont, stopped and gazed around as if he was waiting for
some one. Twice he walked round it in vain; but in his third circuit he
came to a halt with an exclamation of satisfaction, for he had seen the
person of whom he had been in search, who was a detestable looking
youth of about eighteen years of age, though so thin and stunted that he
hardly appeared to be fifteen.
The lad was leaning against the wall of the Quay St. Michel, openly
asking alms, but keeping a sharp lookout for the police. At the first
glance it was easy to detect in him the hideous outgrowth of the great
city, the regular young rough of Paris, who, at eight years of age,
smokes the butt ends of cigars picked up at the tavern doors and gets
tipsy on coarse spirits. He had a thin crop of sandy hair, his complexion
was dull and colorless, and a sneer curled the corners of his mouth,
which had a thick, hanging underlip, and his eyes had an expression in
them of revolting cynicism. His dress was tattered and dirty, and he had
rolled up the sleeve of his right arm, exhibiting a deformed limb,
sufficiently repulsive to excite the pity of the passers by. He was
repeating a monotonous whine, in which the words "poor workman,
arm destroyed by machinery, aged mother to support," occurred
continually.
Daddy Tantaine walked straight up to the youth, and with a sound cuff
sent his hat flying.
The lad turned sharply round, evidently in a terrible rage; but,
recognizing his assailant, shrank back, and muttered to himself,
"Landed!" In an instant he restored his arm to its originally healthy
condition, and, picking up his cap, replaced it on his head, and humbly
waited for fresh orders.
"Is this the way you execute your errands?" asked Daddy Tantaine,
snarling.

"What errands? I have heard of none!"
"Never you mind that. Did not M. Mascarin, on my recommendation,
put you in the way of earning your livelihood? and did you not promise
to give up begging?"
"Beg pardon, guv'nor, I meant to be on the square, but I didn't like to
waste time while I was a-waiting. I don't like a-being idle and I have
copped seven browns."
"Toto Chupin," said the old man, with great severity, "you will
certainly come to a bad end. But come, give your report. What have
you seen?"
During this conversation they were walking slowly along the quay, and
had passed the Hotel Dieu.
"Well, guv'nor," replied the young rogue, "I just saw what you said I
should. At four sharp, a carriage drove into the Place, and pulled up
bang opposite the wigmaker's. Dash me, if it weren't a swell turnout!--
horse, coachman, and all, in real slap-up style. It waited so long that I
thought it had taken root there."
"Come, get on! Was there any one inside?"
"I should think there was! I twigged him at once, by the description you
gave me. I never see a cove togged out as he was,--tall hat, light
sit-down-upons, and a short coat--wasn't it cut short! but in really
bang-up style. To be certain, I went right up to him, for it was getting
dark, and had a good look at him. He had got out of the trap, and was
marching up and down the pavement, with an unlighted cigar stuck in
his mouth. I took a match, and said, 'Have a light, my noble swell?' and
hanged if he didn't give me ten centimes! My! ain't he ugly!--short,
shrivelled up, and knock-kneed, with a glass in his eye, and altogether
precious like a monkey."
Daddy Tantaine began to grow impatient with all this rigmarole.
"Come, tell me what took place," said he angrily.

"Precious little. The young swell didn't seem to care about dirtying his
trotter-cases; he kept slashing about with his cane, and staring at all the
gals. What an ass that masher is! Wouldn't I have liked to have punched
his head! If you ever want to hide him, daddy, please think of yours
truly. He wouldn't stand up to me for five minutes."
"Go on, my lad; go on."
"Well, we had waited half an hour, when all at once a woman came
sharp round the corner, and stops before the masher. Wasn't she a fine
gal! and hadn't she a pair of sparklers! but