become　a　bourgeois　like　Thuillier；　like　Minard；　and　so　many　others。
  But　he　had　a　waking　of　which　he　did　not　dream。　He　found　Fortune
  standing　before　him；　and　emptying　her　gilded　horns　of　plenty　at　his
  feet　in　the　person　of　Madame　Cardinal。　He　had　always　had　a　liking　for
  the　woman；　and　had　promised　her　for　a　year　past　the　necessary　sum　to
  buy　a　donkey　and　a　little　cart；　so　that　she　could　carry　on　her
  business　on　a　large　scale；　and　go　from　Paris　to　the　suburbs。　Madame
  Cardinal；　widow　of　a　porter　in　the　corn…market；　had　an　only　daughter；
  whose　beauty　Cerizet　had　heard　of　from　some　of　the　mother's　cronies。
  Olympe　Cardinal　was　about　thirteen　years　of　age　at　the　time；　1837；
  when　Cerizet　began　his　system　of　loans　in　the　quarter；　and　with　a　view
  to　an　infamous　libertinism；　he　had　paid　great　attention　to　the　mother；
  whom　he　rescued　from　utter　misery；　hoping　to　make　Olympe　his　mistress。
  But　suddenly；　in　1838；　the　girl　left　her　mother；　and　〃made　her　life；〃
  to　use　an　expression　by　which　the　lower　classes　in　Paris　describe　the
  abuse　of　the　most　precious　gifts　of　nature　and　youth。
  To　look　for　a　girl　in　Paris　is　to　look　for　a　smelt　in　the　Seine；
  nothing　but　chance　can　throw　her　into　the　net。　The　chance　came。　Mere
  Cardinal；　who　to　entertain　a　neighbor　had　taken　her　to　the　Bobino
  theatre；　recognized　in　the　leading　lady　her　own　daughter；　whom　the
  first　comedian　had　held　under　his　control　for　three　years。　The　mother；
  gratified　at　first　at　beholding　her　daughter　in　a　fine　gown　of　gold
  brocade；　her　hair　dressed　like　that　of　a　duchess；　and　wearing　open…
  worked　stockings；　satin　shoes；　and　receiving　the　plaudits　of　the
  audience；　ended　by　screaming　out　from　her　seat　in　the　gallery：
  〃You　shall　soon　hear　of　me；　murderer　of　your　own　mother！　I'll　know
  whether　miserable　strolling…players　have　the　right　to　come　and　debauch
  young　girls　of　sixteen！〃
  She　waited　at　the　stage…door　to　capture　her　daughter；　but　the　first
  comedian　and　the　leading　lady　had　no　doubt　jumped　across　the
  footlights　and　left　the　theatre　with　the　audience；　instead　of　issuing
  by　the　stage…door；　where　Madame　Cardinal　and　her　crony；　Mere
  Mahoudeau；　made　an　infernal　rumpus；　which　two　municipal　guards　were
  called　upon　to　pacify。　Those　august　personages；　before　whom　the　two
  women　lowered　the　diapason　of　their　voices；　called　the　mother's
  attention　to　the　fact　that　the　girl　was　of　legitimate　theatrical　age；
  and　that　instead　of　screaming　at　the　door　after　the　director；　she
  could　summon　him　before　the　justice…of…peace；　or　the　police…court；
  whichever　she　pleased。
  The　next　day　Madame　Cardinal　intended　to　consult　Cerizet；　in　view　of
  the　fact　that　he　was　a　clerk　in　the　office　of　the　justice…of…peace；
  but；　before　reaching　his　lair　in　the　rue　des　Poules；　she　was　met　by
  the　porter　of　a　house　in　which　an　uncle　of　hers；　a　certain　Toupillier；
  was　living；　who　told　her　that　the　old　man　hadn't　probably　two　days　to
  live；　being　then　in　the　last　extremity。
  〃Well；　how　do　you　expect　me　to　help　it？〃　replied　the　widow　Cardinal。
  〃We　count　on　you；　my　dear　Madame　Cardinal；　we　know　you　won't　forget
  the　good　advice　we'll　give　you。　Here's　the　thing。　Lately；　your　poor
  uncle；　not　being　able　to　stir　round；　has　trusted　me　to　go　and　collect
  the　rents　of　his　house；　rue　Notre…Dame　de　Nazareth；　and　the　arrears　of
  his　dividends　at　the　Treasury；　which　come　to　eighteen　hundred　francs。〃
  By　this　time　the　widow　Cardinal's　eyes　were　becoming　fixed　instead　of
  wandering。
  〃Yes；　my　dear；〃　continued　Perrache；　a　hump…backed　little　concierge；
  〃and；　seeing　that　you　are　the　only　person　who　ever　thinks　about　him；
  and　that　you　come　and　see　him　sometimes；　and　bring　him　fish；　perhaps
  he　may　make　a　bequest　in　your　favor。　My　wife；　who　has　been　nursing　him
  for　the　last　few　days　since　he　has　been　so　ill；　spoke　to　him　of　you；
  but　he　wouldn't　have　you　told　about　his　illness。　But　now；　don't　you
  see；　it　is　high　time　you　should　show　yourself　there。　It　is　pretty　nigh
  two　months　since　he　has　been　able　to　attend　to　business。〃
  〃You　may　well　think；　you　old　thief；〃　replied　Madame　Cardinal；　hurrying
  at　top　speed　toward　the　rue　Honore…Chevalier；　where　her　uncle　lived　in
  a　wretched　garret；　〃that　the　hair　would　grow　on　my　hand　before　I　could
  ever　imagine　that。　What！　my　uncle　Toupillier　rich！　the　old　pauper　of
  the　church　of　Saint…Sulpice！〃
  〃Ah！〃　returned　the　porter；　〃but　he　fed　well。　He　went　to　bed　every
  night　with　his　best　friend；　a　big　bottle　of　Roussillon。　My　wife　has
  tasted　it；　though　he　told　us　it　was　common　stuff。　The　wine…merchant　in
  the　rue　des　Canettes　supplies　it　to　him。〃
  〃Don't　say　a　word　about　all　this；〃　said　the　widow；　when　she　parted
  from　the　man　who　had　given　her　the　information。　〃I'll　take　care　and
  remember　youif　anything　comes　of　it。〃
  Toupillier；　former　drum…major　in　the　French　Guards；　had　been　for　the
  two　years　preceding　1789　in　the　service　of　the　Church　as　beadle　of
  Saint…Sulpice。　The　Revolution　deprived　him　of　that　post；　and　he　then
  dropped　down　into　a　state　of　abject　misery。　He　was　even　obliged　to
  take　to　the　profession　of　model；　for　he　ENJOYED；　as　they　say；　a　fine
  physique。　When　public　worship　was　restored；　he　took　up　his　beadle's
  staff　once　more；　but　in　1816　he　was　dismissed；　as　much　on　account　of
  his　immorality　as　for　his　political　opinions。　Nevertheless；　he　was
  allowed　to　stay　about　the　door　of　the　church　and　distribute　the　holy
  water。　Later；　an　unfortunate　affair；　which　we　shall　presently　mention；
  made　him　lose　even　that　position；　but；　still　finding　means　to　keep　to
  the　sanctuary；　he　obtained　permission　to　be　allowed　as　a　pauper　in　the
  porch。　At　this　period　of　life；　being　then　seventy…two　years　of　age；　he
  made　himself　ninety…six；　and　began　the　profession　of　centenarian。
  In　all　Paris　it　was　impossible　to　find　another　such　beard　and　head　of
  hair　as　Toupillier's。　As　he　walked　he　appeared　bent　double；　he　held　a
  stick　in　his　shaking　hand；a　hand　that　was　covered　with　lichen；　like
  a　granite　rock；　and　with　the　other　he　held　out　the　classic　hat　with　a
  broad　brim；　filthy　and　battered；　into　which；　however；　there　fell
  abundant　alms。　His　legs　were　swathed　in　rags　and　bandages；　and　his
  feet　shuffled　along　in　miserable　overshoes　of　woven　mat…weed；　inside
  of　which　he　had　fastened　excellent　cork　soles。　He　washed　his　face　with
  certain　compounds；　which　gave　it　an　appearance　of　forms　of　illness；
  and　he　played　the　senility　of　a　centenarian　to　the　life。　He　reckoned
  himself　a　hundred　years　old　in　1830；　at　which　time　his　actual　age　was
  eighty；　he　was　the　head　of　the　paupers　of　Saint…Sulpice；　the　master　of
  the　place；　and　all　those　who　came　to　beg　under　the　arcades　of　the
  church；　safe　from　the　persecutions　of　the　police　and　beneath　the
  protection　of　the　beadle　and　the　giver　of　holy　water；　were　forced　to
  pay　him　a　sort　of　tithe。
  When　a　new　heir；　a　bridegroom；　or　some　godfather　left　the　church；
  saying；　〃Here；　this　is　for　all　of　you；　don't　torment　any　of　my　party；〃
  Toupillier；　appointed　by　the　beadle　to　receive　these　alms；　pocketed
  three…fourths；　and　distributed　only　the　remaining　quarter　among　his
  henchmen；　whose　tribute　amounted　to　a　sou　a　day。　Money　and　wine　were
  his　last　two　passions；　but　he　regulated　the　latter　and　gave　himself　up
  to　the　former；　with　neglecting　his　personal　comfort。　He　drank　at　night
  only；　after　his　dinner；　and　for　twenty　years　he　slept　in　the　arms　of
  drunkenness；　his　last　mistress。
  In　the　early　morning　he　was　at　his　post　with　all　his　faculties。　From
  then　until　his　dinner；　which　he　took　at　Pere　Lathuile's　（made　famous
  by　Charlet）；　he　gnawed　crusts　of　bread　by　way　of　nourishment；　and　he
  gnawed　them　artistically；　with　an　air　of　resignation　which　earned　him
  abundant　alms。　The　beadle　and　the　giver　of　holy　water；　with　whom　he
  may　have　had　some　private　understanding；　would　say　of　him：
  〃He　is　one　of　the　worthy　poor　of　the　church；　he　used　to　know　the
  rector　Languet；　who　built　Saint…Sulpice；　he　was　for　twenty　years
  beadle　of　the　church　before　the　Revolution；　and　he　is　now　over　a
  hundred　years　old。〃
  This　little　biography；　well　known　to　all　the　pious　attendants　of　the
  church；　was；　of　course；　the　best　of　his　advertisements；　and　no　hat　was
  so　well　lined　as　his。　He　bought　his　house　in　1826；　and　began　to　invest
  his　money　in　the　Funds　in　1830。　From　the　value　of　the　two　investments
  he　must　have　made　something　like　six　thousand　francs　a　year；　and
  probably　turned　them　over　by　usury；　after　Cerizet's　own　fashion；　for
  the　sum　he　paid　for　the　house　was　forty　thousand　francs；　while　his
  investment　in　1830　was　forty…eight　thousand　more。　His　niece；　deceived
  by　the　old　man　as　much　as　he　deceived　the　functionaries　and　the　pious
  souls　of　the　church；　believed　him　the　most　miserable　of　paupers；　and
  when　she　had　any　fish　that　were　spoiling　she　sometimes　took　them　to
  the　aged　beggar。
  Consequently；　she　now　felt　it　her　right　to　get　what　she　could　in
  return　for　her　pity　and　her　liberality　to　an　uncle　who　was　likely　to
  have　a　crowd　of　collateral　heirs；　she　herself　being　the　third　and　last
  Toupillier　daughter。　She　had　four　brothers；　and　her　father；　a　porter
  with　a　hand…cart；　had　told　her；　in　her　childhood；　of　three　aunts　and
  four　uncles；　who　all　led　an　existence　of　the　baser　sort。
  After　inspecting　the　sick　man；　she　went；　at　ful