My birth—Precocious disposition—I become a journeyman baker—The first theft—The false key—The accusing fowls—The stolen plate—Prison—Maternal clemency—My father's eyes opened—The finishing stroke—Departure from Arras—I seek a ship—The ship broker—The danger of idleness—The trumpet calls—M. Comus, first physician in the world—The preceptor of general Jaquot—The rope-dancers—I enter the company—Lessons of the Little Devil—The savage of the South Seas—Punch and the Theatre of Amusing Varieties—A scene of jealousy, or the serjeant in the eye—I go into the service of a quack doctor—Return to my father's house—Acquaintance with an actress—Another chace—My departure in a regiment—The rash companion—Desertion—The raw Picardy soldier and the assignats—I go over to the enemy—A flogging—I return to my old standard—A domestic robbery, and the housekeeper of an old worthy—Two duels a day—I am wounded—My father a public functionary—I join the war—Change of regiment—Residence at Arras
Joseph Lebon—The orchestra of the guillotine, and the reading of the bulletin—The aristocrat parrot—Citizeness Lebon—Address to the Sans Culottes—The apple-woman—New amours—I am imprisoned—The jailor Beaupré—The verification of the broth—M. de Bethune—I get my liberty—The sister of my liberator—I am made an officer—The quarters of St Sylvestre Capelle—The revolutionary army—The retaking of a vessel—My betrothed—A disguise—The pretended pregnancy—I marry—I am content without being beaten—Another stay at the Baudets—My emancipation
Residence at Brussels—Coffee-houses—The gastronomic gendarmes—A forger—The roving army—The baroness and the baker-boy—The disappointment—Arrival at Paris—A gay lady—Mystification
Three escapess—The Chauffeurs—The suicide—The interrogatory—Vidocq accused of assassination—Sent back on a complaint—Fresh escape—Departure for Ostend—The smugglers—Vidocq retaken
The departure of the chain—Captain Viez and his lieutenant Thierry—The complaint of the galley-slaves—The visit from Paris—Humanity of the galley-serjeants—They encourage plundering—The loaf converted into a portmanteau—Useless attempt to escape—The Bagne at Brest—The benedictions
I see Francine again—My re-establishment In the prison of Douai—Am I, or am I not, Duval?—The magistrates embarrassed—I confess that I am Vidocq—Another residence at Bicêtre—I find captain Labbre there—Departure for Toulon—Jossas, the famous robber—His interview with a great lady—A tempest on the Rhone—The marquis of St Armand—The executioner of the Bagne—The plunderers of the wardrobe—A family of Chauffeurs
Father Mathieu—I enter on a new line of business—Ruin of my establishment—I am supposed to be paralyzed in my limbs—I am assistant major—Ecce Homo, or the psalm-seller—A disguise—Stop him! he is a fugitive convict—I am added to the double chain—The kindness of the commissary—I tell him a made-up tale—My best contrived escape—The lady of the town and the burial—I know not what—Critical situation—A band of robbers—I detect a thief—I get my dismissal—I promise secrecy
