the kind of respite the government gave us to make friends everywhere.
Since my brother's assassination in the streets of Nîmes, I had never
entered the town; the result was, the aubergiste with whom we were
connected, seeing we would no longer come to him, was forced to come
to us, and had established a branch to his inn on the road from Bellegarde to Beaucaire, at the sign of the Pont du Gard. We had thus,
both on the side of Aigues-Mortes, Martigues, or at Bouc, a dozen places where we left our goods, and where, in case of necessity, we
concealed ourselves from the gendarmes and custom-house officers.
Smuggling is a profitable trade, when a certain degree of vigor and
intelligence is employed; as for myself, brought up in the mountains,
I had a double motive for fearing the gendarmes and custom-house
officers, as my appearance before the judges would cause an inquiry,
and an inquiry always looks back into the past. And in my past life
they might find something far more grave than the selling of smuggled
cigars, or barrels of brandy without a permit. So, preferring death to
capture, I accomplished the most astonishing deeds, which, more than
once, showed me that the too great care we take of our bodies is the only
obstacle to the success of those projects which require a rapid decision,
and vigorous and determined execution. In reality, when you have
once made a sacrifice of your life, you are no longer the equal of other men, or, rather, other men are no longer your equals; and whosoever has taken this resolution, feels his strength and resources doubled."
"Philosophy, M. Bertuccio," interrupted the count; "you have done a little of everything in your life."
"Oh, excellency."
"No, no; but philosophy at half-past ten at night is somewhat late; yet I have no other observation to make, for what you say is correct, which is more than can be said for all philosophy."
"My journeys became more and more extensive and more productive. Assunta took care of all, and our little fortune increased. One day that I was setting off on an expedition, 'Go,' said she; 'at your return I will give you a surprise.' I questioned her, but in vain; she would tell me nothing, and I departed. Our expedition lasted nearly six weeks; we had been to Lucca to take in oil, to Leghorn for English cottons, and we ran our cargo without opposition, and returned home full of joy. When I entered the house, the first thing I beheld in the center of Assunta's chamber was a cradle that might be called sumptuous compared with the rest of the furniture, and in it a baby of seven or eight months old. I uttered a cry of joy; the only moments of sadness I had known since the assassination of the procureur du roi were caused by the recollection that I had abandoned this child. For the assassination itself I had never
