At dawn, when the first rays of the morning sun illuminate the waves on the Seine, Paris, which has been quiet all night, opens its hazy sleepy eyes and stretches out comfortably and leisurely.

The windows on the side of the street were pushed open one after another, and from time to time there would be a few sounds of wives calling for lazy husbands to get up with their children. As men and women get up, the newly planted plane trees on both sides of the street are showing their green and stretching their waists in the sun, bringing a touch of spring vitality to this brick and stone city.

A low-key carriage slowly drove out of the eastern suburbs of Paris, and in the carriage, except for an English gentleman, the other two were native French friends, who were talking about the scenery of Paris that was about to unfold before his eyes.

Soon the carriage came to the banks of the Seine, where the sparkling surface reflected the growing figures of the people on the streets along the river. While London also has the River Thames, the vibrancy of the Seine is very different from the majestic Notre Dame Cathedral on the other side of the river.

Perhaps it is influenced by the literature of both countries, the same rivers, the same churches, but sunny Paris always brings more heat than rainy London.

As the streets grew more and more crowded, the city finally began to show its true face to guests from all over London.

Seeing Samson's anxious appearance, Arthur smiled and relieved him, "All right, Mr. Vidocq, I believe that Samson is a good man. He doesn't like to kill, but he does his job, fulfilling his duty as an instrument of the law. ”

The streets are lined with a variety of small shops, from bakeries to perfume shops, bookstores to antique shops, each with its own story.

Samson said: "My father is just an ordinary person, he just does things according to the habits of his life, he is not a good person or a bad person, and he has never seen much of the world in his life. Like me, he doesn't know what socializing is all about. ”

Samson replied honestly, "Sir, about 360 or so." ”

But he was not in the mood to play a guessing game with Arthur today, and instead revealed the mystery directly to the guests.

In the spring when hormones are high, the market in Paris is simply hard to find.

Everyone present at the time saw it, and the handsome face was still so peaceful and noble, and there was no distortion or anger to be seen. My father was suddenly paralyzed with fright, but I was able to hold him by my side.

Among the fruits and vegetables, Alexandre Dumas highly recommends asparagus.

Alexandre Dumas went further and asked, "What about ...... Do death row inmates still feel uncomfortable after being beheaded? ”

Although he was getting older, Vidocq's physique was still the same, and Arthur shook the hand of the head of the security department who was as strong as an ox, and came up and joked: "Mr. Vidocq, long time no see." I'm ashamed to say that I wanted to recruit you to Scotland Yard in the first place. But what I didn't expect was that you are now in a secure position at the Grand Paris Police Department, and I am out of London. ”

Samson looked at the amiable English gentleman and said frankly, "I thought about it, I once wanted to join the army, be a soldier, and then become a general. But my father told me that there was a lot of stereotype in society about the people who did what we did, and that it was difficult for me to succeed in the army, so I eventually retreated. However, there is nothing wrong with being an executioner. My father told me at the time that at least our family has had this responsibility for generations, and so far no one has come out to criticize us. ”

There are indeed many topics in Mr. Samson that can be used as talking points.

Seeing this, Vidocq quipped, "Samson is a good man, but eating with him always makes people feel weird." He was not very good at dealing with social situations, and the profession of executioner dictated that his range of activities was quite narrow, and he could only wander between work and family, which was a French tradition. And their family's profession of executioner is already the fifth generation. ”

Waiting, who was sitting in the café waiting for customers, saw a few familiar figures walking down the carriage outside the store, and the legendary 55-year-old detective greeted his friend who was sitting next to him and pushed open the door of the café to greet him.

The waiters were busy shuttling between the tables and chairs, and they were preparing everything for the first guests who arrived today.

Hawkers start their day in the dappled shadows of the cobblestone paths, pushing carts full of fresh vegetables and fruits, selling them along the streets, and the sound is full of life.

Vidocq saw that Samson seemed to be really angry, so he changed the topic at the right time: "Arthur, Alexander, haven't you two introduced me to this gentleman next to you?" Samson shared his legendary experience, and I was also intrigued by the story of this gentleman. ”

Samson took a sip of his coffee and nodded, "Yes, sir." His face twitched, his eyes still rolled, and his entire head seemed to be in flames. However, there was an exception. It was 1793, when I was my father's assistant. We were ordered to be hanged by Louis XVI, and our whole family embraced His Majesty, but they forced us to do so.

And in the perfume shop, various scents are intertwined. When the ladies and ladies of grace and grace went out and saw the shopkeeper chasing the thief, they either covered their mouths and whispered God, or they stopped and stared at the funny scene with smiling eyes.

Arthur glanced at the gentleman, who was dressed in black, with a traditional French chest decoration and a gold bracelet on his hand that gave him a very heavy feeling.

Arthur smiled and replied, "Are you comforting me?" Who would want to leave the center of power if they had a choice? It's said to be cold, but everyone knows that the big guys are very forgetful. If I had lived an ordinary life in Hanover, perhaps in a few months they would have forgotten that there was such a person as me in the British administration. ”

Arthur and Alexandre Dumas looked at each other, and they said almost in unison, "Are you sure you want to listen?" ”

When Samson heard this, he was immediately a little annoyed: "Please don't be kidding, Mr. Vidocq, I'm talking about a problem left over from history!" ”

Vidocq shrugged his shoulders and said, "That's better than being ordered to quit the security department like me, right?" Worst of all, they promised me a pension of 500 francs a month, but the money was stopped after only 5 months. ”

Vidocq pouted, "Not all. ”

The enticing smell of bread in the bakery beckons passers-by to stop, and occasionally a few sneaky little guys can be seen running into the shop, picking up a piece of bread bigger than his head and running away.

The sound of newspaper turning pages and muffled conversations mingle to create a unique rhythm for the café morning.

As for the ladies, they mostly wore elaborate hats and lace fans in their hands and enjoyed breakfast with their friends. To stay in shape, most of them order a light salad or a hot soup with bread and cheese.

Dumas didn't care about Samson's profession, on the contrary, the fat man liked to ask for specific details: "May I take the liberty of asking some questions?" Mr. Samson, how many heads have you cut off so far? ”

If you're a bit craving, you might want an extra dessert after the meal. Maybe it's a piece of French mousse cake or a plate of almond cake made with cream. During this laid-back time, laughter and small talk echo in the café, where people enjoy the food and enjoy life.

As soon as Vidocq said this, it immediately caused an exclamation from Arthur's side.

Vidocq could see at a glance what Arthur was thinking, whether in London or Paris, people who worked as police detectives had this habit of speculating on the background of strangers.

"Alas......" Vidocq sighed, he beckoned Dumas and Louis and said, "Gentlemen, let's come in and have a cup of coffee, we can talk about the story slowly, anyway, I don't have much to do now, if you want, I can talk with you until the afternoon." But I had to leave in the evening because my friend and I had a party to attend. ”

Vidocq led a few people to the café and took their seats, and the friend who had come with him smiled a little excitedly when he saw the faces of the young people: "Good morning, gentlemen, I have long admired the great names of your Excellencies. ”

They order a pot of freshly brewed coffee, the aroma of which fills the air, accompanied by freshly baked croissants and hot chocolate, a Parisian tradition of starting the day.

When the hanging was complete, the overseer ordered me to show the king's head to the people present to prove its authenticity. My legs and stomach were trembling with fear, but I had to do it, and I gritted my teeth and grabbed the king's hair and lifted his head.

I saw his frightened look and tears of sorrow, so I hurriedly covered his face with my body. Because I knew that if his appearance was discovered by the authorities, our father and son would also be sent to the gallows. ”

Vidocq took off his hat and said, "Brother, your luck is much better than mine. I've heard about you from the coconut tree. This is not called out, you are called refrigerated in case of a comeback in the future. Your Excellency in London must still appreciate you, or you wouldn't have been sent to Hanover. ”

As we all know, even after a few hundred years, as long as a product is linked to aphrodisiac, its price is probably not much lower. And for the French people, who are romantic by nature, their demand for this is even stronger.

Speaking of which, Vidocq made a joke when he put his arm on Samson's shoulder and laughed, "When I was the head of the security forces, I always kept him busy. Don't blame me, Samson! ”

Samson was a little embarrassed by Vidocq, and he whispered to the distinguished guests in front of him: "Your Excellency, don't take Mr. Vidocq's words seriously, he always likes to play tricks. ”

Vidocq interjected, "Your father should have added: 'Except that those who have been beheaded will complain.'" ”

Louis also took an interest in Samson, and he cautiously asked, "How does it feel when you fix the head of a condemned prisoner in a wooden sleeve?" ”

Sparks flew in the blacksmith's shop, and the blacksmiths wielded heavy hammers to shape all kinds of iron tools, including small horseshoe nails, clothes racks and other household utensils, as well as sword embryos made by aggressive young people.

Arthur glanced through the window at the brightly colored fruits and vegetables in their cart, mainly tomatoes, asparagus, cabbage, broad beans, peas, peppers, beans, potatoes, turnips, and onions and garlic.

When Samson heard this, he immediately seemed to have met a bosom friend, and he nodded gratefully in agreement: "Yes, I and my colleagues, we are just tools, and it is the judicial system that kills them." ”

In the tailor shop, the tailors are busy tailoring clothes for customers with cloth rulers. And the craftsmen who make the hats are holding all kinds of fancy feather trinkets and carefully decorating each hat, striving to make every detail flawless.

"Let me introduce you to Monsieur Samson, a well-known executioner, or, let's put it in layman's terms, the best executioner in Paris at the moment, who has been in this business for more than forty years."

Vidocq stirred the coffee and added, "One of them belongs to Marie Antoinette, the queen of Louis XVI." ”

The best of the asparagus is the white asparagus that was the favorite of the 'Sun King' Louis XIV.

There is also a wide variety of fruits, and just a glance at them you can find seasonal fruits such as strawberries, apricots, blueberries, raspberries, and redcurrants that arrive from nearby estates. Occasionally, Arthur could see some processed apples and pears from the jars of the hawker stalls.

All in all, at first glance, it doesn't look like a nobleman, but like a local squire from some remote town, or a nouveau riche who suddenly made a windfall.

In the morning café, the most common sights are gentlemen in top hats with newspapers in hand.

The carriage traveled for a long time, and finally stopped in front of a café next to the Château de Caysay, the seat of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

At the mention of professional issues, Samson was visibly much calmer, and he confessed: "My assistant is in charge." He first shaved off the prisoner's hair, then placed a basket underneath it, and the head and body fell into it one by one. And my task is to make the preparation work fast and good. When everything was ready, I loosened the rope with the reamer, and the head of the condemned person fell to the ground. ”

In the other corner of the market, you can see the craftsmen working in earnest.

Due to its unique sweet taste and unique cultivation methods, white asparagus has always been expensive, and its price is naturally much higher than that of ordinary asparagus, so that the French often call it 'edible ivory'.

Arthur was about to push open the door of the café, and when he heard this, he couldn't help but turn his head and ask, "What's wrong with you?" ”

Through the café window, the sun shone on the white tablecloths and shiny cutlery that had been set up.

It was only then that they knew why Vidocq had brought Samson to the feast.

The French love asparagus as a vegetable not only because of its taste, but also because of their almost superstitious perception of asparagus. Because from the perspective of mimicry, they think that asparagus looks like something like that, so it must have an aphrodisiac effect.

When Arthur heard this, he couldn't help but speak: "It seems that the executioner's profession is indeed a kind of torture for people. Haven't you thought about switching careers to something else? ”

When Vidocq heard this, he became even more interested, and he picked up his coffee cup and asked, "Is there some kind of secret buried in him?" ”

Arthur picked up a napkin and wiped his mouth: "Not really, but as far as I know, he seems to have been born in Versailles." ”

(End of chapter)