Page:Memoirs of Vidocq, Volume 1.djvu/40

the Rue de Trois Visages: I paid them frequent visits. However, the actress soon obtained the exclusive privilege of my attention, and an intrigue followed, in which, disguised as a young girl, I renewed at her house some scenes from the romance of Faublas. A sudden journey to Lille with my conquest, her husband, and a very pretty little maid servant, who passed me off for her sister, proved to my father that I had soon forgotten the troubles of my first campaign. My absence was not of long continuance: three weeks had scarcely elapsed, when, from want of money, the actress refused any longer to allow me to form part of the baggage. I returned quietly to Arras, and my father was confounded at the straightforward way with which I asked his consent to enter the army. The best he could do was to comply, which he did; and the next day I was clad in the uniform of the Bourbon regiment. My height, good figure, and skill in arms, procured for me an appointment in a company of chasseurs. Some old veterans took offence at it, and I sent two to the hospital in consequence, when I soon joined them myself, on being wounded by one of their comrades. This commencement gave me notoriety, and they took a malicious pleasure in reviewing my past adventures; so that at the end of six months. Reckless,—for they bestowed that name on me,—had killed two men and fought fifteen duels. In other respects I enjoyed all the pleasures of a garrison life. I mounted guard at the cost of some good shopkeepers, whose daughters took on themselves the charge of making me as comfortable as possible. My mother added to these liberalities, and my father made me an allowance; and besides I found means to run in debt: thus I really cut a figure, and scarcely felt anything of the troubles of discipline. Once only I was sentenced to a fortnight's imprisonment because I had not answered to three summonses. I underwent my punishment in a dungeon beneath one of the bastions, where one of my comrades was shut up with me, a soldier