Beswater District, in the living room of Arthur's House.

Alexandre Dumas, Arthur, and Vidocq sat at the living room table.

Arthur poured tea for Vidocq as he listened quietly to the story of the world's best criminal investigator.

"I'm not as legendary as everyone thinks, and since you've read my published Memoirs, you should know that I've been an out-and-out bastard since I was five or six years old.

Of course, this has more or less something to do with my own brother. Our family owned a bakery in Ostend, and my brother and I used to steal money from the store when we were kids.

When my father found out about this, he sent my brother to an apprenticeship in a tailor's shop in Lille, but I escaped because of my young age and my mother's intercession.

But instead of repenting, I intensified it. I couldn't steal the money from the store, so I stole the family's silver tableware, and played a double reed with my fox friends and dogs, pretending to kidnap myself to find the family for ransom.

But my parents found out about it, and I was in prison for the first time, and if memory serves, I should have been in prison for two weeks. ”

When Arthur heard this, he couldn't help but quip: "Mr. Vidocq, you must be glad that you were born in France, if it were with us, you would have to be exiled to Australia even if you can't go to the gallows." ”

Vidocq laughed and said, "Exile to Australia? In that case, maybe it will really be what I wanted. I was a thirteen or fourteen-year-old bastard, and I had stolen two thousand francs from my house and was bent on going to America. As a result, before he left France, he was cheated of all the money on his body. During that time, I had to feed on the pygmy and cannibal who pretended to be West Indian in the circus. ”

Arthur asked, "How did you leave the circus and go to Paris?" ”

Hearing this, Vidocq was a little embarrassed but vaguely felt a little proud, he raised his eyebrows and smiled: "It's a shame to say, but it's been so many years, and it's an interesting story to think about it now." I was kicked out of the circus because I had a relationship with the director's wife.

It was a beautiful young lady, and she was kind enough to take me in when I had nothing to eat. Looking back now, among the women I have met in my life, perhaps she is the only one who is genuinely good to me.

As for the others, such as the Parisian actress, or the wife who came to me to marry me without knowing that I was pregnant with someone else's child, although we had a happy time. But when I was down, they all left me. ”

Arthur took a sip of tea and said, "Although I may upset you by saying this, I think that formal dating and being a lover are two completely different concepts. The former requires a material basis, while the latter is not responsible for either of them, so just get together and play. If the circus lady were married to you, you'd probably feel the same way you would be for her as an actress would be for her wife. ”

Vidocq leaned back in his chair and clung a rusk in his mouth, and he laughed loudly: "Young man, don't you think life is boring if you have to make things so straightforward?" ”

Arthur smiled and nodded, "I do feel this way occasionally. ”

Vidocq took off his hat and put it on the side of the table: "But seeing things straightforwardly is indeed one of the indispensable qualities of a good detective. Some time ago, I was in Paris to investigate a theft case where the company's money was missing, do you know how I solved the case? ”

Arthur smiled and said, "If you are not stingy with advice, I would love to hear your opinion on this kind of case." ”

Vidocq began: "When I got to the company, I first asked the people involved in the payment, and then I pointed to a 45-year-old bookkeeper and said that this woman was the criminal.

None of the people present at the time believed me, but after a follow-up investigation, it turned out that I was right. We found a large amount of money and jewelry of unknown origin in the bookkeeper's house. ”

When Arthur heard this, he couldn't help but be curious: "Just by knowing a few people involved in the case, can you make a judgment?" How exactly do you see that? ”

Vidocq patted his thigh and laughed, "I don't see it, I smell it." As I had told you about my early years, I understood from the circus lady that a woman who smelled of precious perfume at nine o'clock in the morning must be for some man. And if the woman has a lover, then this lover is her motive for stealing money.

The facts also proved this, the reason why the company's female bookkeeper wanted to steal the company's property was all to support a lazy and lazy little white face. ”

When Arthur heard this, he couldn't help laughing and said, "Aren't you living better than me?" In that case, why do you write in your book as if you don't understand anything? ”

Vidocq plucked his ears with his little finger: "No way, if I don't write it, how will my "Memoirs" be sold?" Do you want me to point at the readers' noses in the book and scold - you selfish guys, even the underwear and underwear have been seen through by me?

Please, writing a book, it's not really a case, so you have to leave some room for everyone to fantasize. In this way, they gain a sense of security and satisfaction, and I can also make a lot of money, and everyone has a bright future. ”

Arthur had thought that the French police figure would be a serious man, but after contact, he realized that Mr. Vidocq was obviously much easier to get along with than he had imagined.

But think about it, how can a guy who can eat both black and white in France be a person who doesn't eat the fireworks of the world with a shelf?

Of course, Arthur didn't dare to believe Vidocq's words.

After all, he hasn't forgotten how the other party got started, this is a ruthless person who did not hesitate to use the former underworld brothers to submit his name to the Grand Paris Police Department in order to get rid of the hanging.

If Arthur remembers correctly, Vidocq was personally involved in 811 arrests in his first year at the helm of the Paris Criminal Investigation Bureau. On average, at least two brothers were sacrificed every day, and this efficiency in handling cases was enough to show Vidocq's social and detective skills.

François Vidocq was certainly not a bad guy in the absolute sense of the word, but he wasn't a good guy either. Thankfully, Arthur was the same person.

Perhaps, as Vidocq said, having two faces is also one of the necessary qualities to be able to do intelligence work?

Arthur and Vidocq were talking happily, when suddenly, Dumas, who was sitting in the chair opposite from him reading Hugo's letters, suddenly raised his eyebrows and asked, "Mr. Vidocq, you and Mr. Hugo also mean?" Want to persuade me to return home? ”

Vidocq leaned back in his chair and said, "I'm not going to give you any advice, it's up to you whether you go back or not." As you should know, after the death of Louis XVIII, Marc Duprais was appointed director of the Grand Paris Police Department, and I have been suppressed by the department, so I resigned in anger.

After the July Revolution, if it weren't for the repeated invitations of the new director, I would not have been willing to come back to the world. You've been away from the police and the power circles for so long, so I don't know what the attitude of the top brawls towards you.

But since Hugo dared to persuade you to go back, it was probably because he had received some rumors, right? If you find his words credible and are not used to spending time in London, then you might as well consider returning to Paris. ”

When Dumas heard this, he looked at the letter in his hand again, and after hesitation, he solemnly replied: "Of course I desire to return to the land of France, but I don't think it should be now. I've just agreed a one-year contribution deal with a literary magazine in London, and if I leave now, I'll be in default. ”

When Vidocq heard this, he said with regret: "Is that so? That would be a shame. I can understand you, though. Writers, as soon as you start writing, you can't put down your pen until you finish writing. The same is true of Honoré. ”

After that, he took out a book from the small bag he was carrying and put it on the table: "I didn't bring you any gifts this time." I simply brought you a copy of Honoré's just-published masterpiece to satisfy your cravings, which can be regarded as so that you will not be too lonely in a foreign country, at least you can see the literature of your hometown. By the way, this new book contains stories based on me. ”

Arthur stared at the cover of the book, and although he didn't know much French, he had no problem simply spelling his name.

Author: Honoré de Balzac

As for the title of the book, although Arthur couldn't understand it, he guessed that it was mostly "The Human Comedy".

(End of chapter)