roubert fifteen, he must have had
some purpose known to himself only; and that the lawsuit, if undertaken,
would strike the public as an act of ingratitude;" and so forth. Letting
Birotteau go before them to the staircase, the lawyer detained Madame de
Listomere a moment to entreat her, if she valued her own peace of mind,
not to involve herself in the matter.

But that evening the poor vicar, suffering the torments of a man under
sentence of death who awaits in the condemned cell at Bicetre the result
of his appeal for mercy, could not refrain from telling his assembled
friends the result of his visit to the lawyer.

"I don't know a single pettifogger in Tours," said Monsieur de
Bourbonne, "except that Radical lawyer, who would be willing to take
the case,--unless for the purpose of losing it; I don't advise you to
undertake it."

"Then it is infamous!" cried the navel lieutenant. "I myself will take
the abbe to the Radical--"

"Go at night," said Monsieur de Bourbonne, interrupting him.

"Why?"

"I have just learned that the Abbe Troubert is appointed vicar-general
in place of the other man, who died yesterday."

"I don't care a fig for the Abbe Troubert."

Unfortunately the Baron de Listomere (a man thirty-six years of age) did
not see the sign Monsieur de Bourbonne made him to be cautious in what
he said, motioning as he did so to a friend of Troubert, a councillor of
the Prefecture, who was present. The lieutenant therefore continued:--

"If the Abbe Troubert is a scoundrel--"

"Oh," said Monsieur de Bourbonne, cutting him short, "why bring Monsieur
Troubert into a matter which doesn't concern him?"

"Not concern him?" cried the baron; "isn't he enjoying the use of the
Abbe Birotteau's household property? I remember that when I called on
the Abbe Chapeloud I noticed two valuable pictures. Say that they are
worth ten thousand francs; do you suppose that Monsieur Birotteau
meant to give ten thousand francs for living two years with that Gamard
woman,--not to speak of the library and furniture, which are worth as
much more?"

The Abbe Birotteau opened his eyes at hearing he had once possessed so
enormous a fortune.

The baron, getting warmer than ever, went on to say: "By Jove! there's
that Monsieur Salmon, formerly an expert at the Museum in Paris; he is
down here on a visit to his mother-in-law. I'll go and see him this very
evening with the Abbe Birotteau and ask him to look at those pictures
and e