in the parlour. He was to enter directly the door was opened, and I would
come in at the same instant and point out the women he had to arrest. In
England all judicial proceedings are conducted with the utmost
punctuality, and everything went off as I had arranged. The bailiff and
his subaltern stepped into the parlour and I followed in their footsteps.
I pointed out the mother and the two sisters and then made haste to
escape, for the sight of the Charpillon, dressed in black, standing by
the hearth, made me shudder. I felt cured, certainly; but the wounds she
had given me were not yet healed, and I cannot say what might have
happened if the Circe had had the presence of mind to throw her arms
about my neck and beg for mercy.

As soon as I had seen these women in the hands of justice I fled, tasting
the sweets of vengeance, which are very great, but yet a sign of
unhappiness. The rage in which I had arrested the three procuresses, and
my terror in seeing the woman who had well-nigh killed me, shewed that I
was not really cured. To be so I must fly from them and forget them
altogether.

The next morning Goudar came and congratulated me on the bold step I had
taken, which proved, he said, that I was either cured or more in love
than ever. "I have just come from Denmark Street," he added, "and I only
saw the grandmother, who was weeping bitterly, and an attorney, whom no
doubt she was consulting."

"Then you have heard what has happened?"

"Yes, I came up a minute after you had gone and I stayed till the three
old sluts made up their minds to go with the constable. They resisted and
said he ought to leave them till the next day, when they would be able to
find someone to bail them. The two bravos drew their swords to resist the
law, but the other constable disarmed them one after the other, and the
three women were led off. The Charpillon wanted to accompany them, but it
was judged best that she should remain at liberty, in order to try and
set them free."

Goudar concluded by saying that he should go and see them in prison, and
if I felt disposed to come to an arrangement he would mediate between us.
I told him that the only arrangement I would accept was the payment of
the six thousand francs, and that they might think themselves very lucky
that I did not insist on having my interest, and thus repaying myself in
part for the sums they had cheated out of me.

A fortnight elapsed without my hearing any more of the m