The Mysteries of Paris, vol 2 | Page 7

kill that unfortunate woman. We reprint that article:--
"M---, bailiff, having writ out for a cabinet-maker in the Rue de la Lune,
was seen by the latter from the house windows. He called out to his
wife.--'I am lost, for there they come to arrest me!' His wife heard this,
and fastened the door, while her husband hid him self in the loft. The
bailiff called in a locksmith. The wife's room door was forced, and they
found the woman had hanged herself! The sight of the corpse did not
delay or prevent the officer hunting for the husband. 'I arrest you.' 'I
have no money.' 'To prison, then.' 'Very well, let me give my wife
good-bye.' 'That be hanged, like she is herself. She's dead.' What can
you complain of, M---? we only print your own words, which minutely
and blackly paint this frightful picture."
This same paper quotes three or four hundred facts, of which the
following is a fair sample:--
"On collection of a 300 franc debt a warrant-officer charged 964 francs!
The debtor, a workman with five children, lay seven months in prison."
For two reasons, the present writer quotes from "Le Pauvre Jacques,"
firstly, to show that the chapter just read falls below reality; and again,
to prove that, if merely in a philanthropic point of view, the
maintenance of such a state of things (the exorbitance of extras,
illegally extorted by public servants,) often paralyzes the most generous
intentions. For instance, with 1,000 francs there might be three or four
honest though unfortunate workmen restored to their families from a
prison whither petty debts of 250 or 500 francs had driven them; but
these sums being tripled by a shameful exaggeration of costs, the most
charitable persons often recoil from doing a good deed at the thought of

two-thirds of their bounty merely going to sheriffs and their officers.
And yet, there are few hardships more worthy of relief than those
befalling such unfortunate people as we speak of.]
"Gracious heaven!" cried Louise; "I thought it was only thirteen
hundred francs in all! But, sir, we will very soon pay you the remainder;
this is a pretty good sum on account--is it not, father?"
"Soon!--very well; bring the money to the office, and we will then let
your father go. Come, let's be off."
"You will take him away?"
"At once. This is on account. When the rest is paid, he will be free. Go
on, Bourdin; let us get out of this."
"Mercy! mercy!" shrieked Louise.
"Oh, what a row! here it is--the old game over again: it is enough to
make one sweat in the depth of winter--on my honor!" said the bailiff,
in a brutal tone. Then advancing toward Morel, he continued: "If you
don't come along at once, I will take you by the collar, and bundle you
down. This wind-up is beastly!"
"Oh, poor father! when I had hoped to save you!" said Louise,
overwhelmed.
"No, no! hope nothing for me! Heaven is not just!" cried the lapidary,
in a voice of deep despair, and stamping his feet with rage.
"Peace! heaven is just! There is Providence for honest men!" said a soft,
yet manly voice.
The same instant Rudolph appeared at the door of the little recess, from
whence he had, unseen, witnessed the greater part of the scenes we
have just related. He was very pale, and deeply moved. At this sudden
interposition, the bailiffs drew back with surprise; while Morel and his
daughter stared at the prince vacantly. Taking from his pocket a small

parcel of folded bank notes, Rudolph selected three, and giving them to
Malicorne, said to him: "Here are two thousand five hundred francs;
give back to this girl the money you have just received from her."
More and more surprised, the bailiff took the notes hesitatingly,
examined them very suspiciously, turning them over and over, and
finally pocketed them. But as his alarm and surprise began to subside,
so did his natural coarseness return, and eying Rudolph from head to
foot with an impertinent stare, he exclaimed, "Your notes are good; but
how came the likes of you with so large a sum? I hope, at least, it is
your own!" added he.
Rudolph was very humbly dressed, and covered with dust--thanks to
his stay in Pipelet's loft.
"I have bidden you restore that gold to the young girl," answered
Rudolph, in a sharp, stern voice.
"Bid me! Who gives you the right to order me?" cried the bailiff,
advancing toward Rudolph, in a threatening manner.
"The gold! the gold!" said the prince, seizing the fellow's wrist so
violently that he winced under the iron hold, and cried out,
"Oh, you hurt me! Hands off!"
"Restore the gold! you are paid. Take yourself off,