Page:Memoirs of Vidocq, Volume 3.djvu/62

CHAPTER XXXV.

The newsmongers of mishaps—The echo of the street of Jerusalem and the circumjacent places—Nothing but "Vidocq"—The Athenians and Aristides—Ostracism and shells—The cat's paw-I create robbers—The two Guillotins—The cloaca of Desnoyers—Chaos and creation—Monsieur Double-croche and the chicken-coop—A genteel appearance—The supreme bon ton—War with the greenhorns—Le Cadran bleu de la Canaille—A well-compacted society—The Orientalists and the Argonauts—The mutton of the salt-marshes—The cat's tail—The quids and the Chabut—Riboulet and Manon la Blonde—The triumphal entry—The little black father—Two ballads—Hospitality—The college friend—The Children of the Sun.

I ask pardon of the reader for having expatiated at so much length on my own tribulations and the petty spite of my agents: I could well desire to have spared him a chapter which only concerns my reputation; but, before I proceeded, I was anxious to show that it is not adways right to give ear to the tales of enemies. What have not the spies, the robbers, and the pickpockets endeavoured by every means in their power, as well as many others, to get me dismissed from the police?

"Such a one is grabbed," said a knight of the post to his wife, on returning at evening to his lair.

"Impossible!"

"No, by heaven 'tis as I tell you."

"By whom?"

"Why need you ask T by that ——— Vidocq."

Two of those gossips so numerous on the pavé of Paris meet;—

"Have you heard the news? Poor Harrison is at La Force."

"Monsieur, you are joking."

"I wish it was a joke; he was just ready to receive a quantity of merchandise. I should have had my