The Man with the Lead Stomach Read Online Free PDF

or rather to the entourageof the Dauphin. Foolishly – because one should not speak of death to royalty – Madame Adélaïde was informed of the vicomte’s suicide and quickly gave in to the Comte de Ruissec’s entreaties. Without weighing her words she gave me some recommendations, which I pretended to take as orders, though in fact she is not entitled to give me any. However, it is difficult to deny her wishes and I need to deal carefully with a family that has her support. Nevertheless …’
    ‘Nevertheless, sir?’
    ‘I’m thinking aloud here, Nicolas. Nevertheless …’ The tone was again warm and frank, the Lieutenant General’s usual way of speaking to Nicolas. ‘Nevertheless, on behalf of the King, I am also responsible for law and order in Paris, which is no easy task. Too strict an application of the rules could lead to trouble. The wise thing to do would be to make the body presentable, send for a priest and a coffin, and spread the word that the young man mortally wounded himself while cleaning a firearm. The funeral Mass would take place, the princess be obeyed, the parents grief-stricken but their reputation intact, and I would have no more problems, having satisfied all concerned. Can I in all conscience act in such a way? What is your feeling? I trust your judgement, even if you are sometimes overhasty and your imagination runs away with you.’
    ‘Sir, we must give the matter careful thought. We are accountable to both the ideal of law with justice and of wisdom with prudence.’
    Sartine nodded approval of this carefully worded preamble.
    ‘Since you do me the honour of asking my opinion I feel it appropriate, given the current state of the investigation, to sumup our dilemma. We know that suicide is an act that offends against the divine order, a misfortune that visits opprobrium on an honourable family. The body we see before us is not that of a man of the people, not a pauper driven to this extreme by hardship . Here we have a gentleman, a young man of good education, who knows perfectly well what his actions will mean for his parents and close relatives, and who without further reflection performs the irrevocable deed without offering his family any means of escaping the shame. Do you not find it strange that he did not write to you, as many do, in order to avoid any difficulties after their death? 10 All he left was this.’
    He picked up the sheet of paper on the desk and handed it to Sartine.
    ‘Lastly, sir, I have to say that it will be very difficult to keep the news quiet. It has already spread to the Opéra and around town; it will soon reach the Court. The princess will certainly have mentioned it and everyone will repeat her words. A dozen or so people have already been informed: police officers, servants and neighbours. No one will be able to stop the rumour and uncertainty will only make it grow. It will be a godsend for the hawkers of handbills.’
    Monsieur de Sartine was rhythmically tapping the wooden floor with his foot.
    ‘Very well put, but where does it get us and how will all your meanderings extricate us from this maze? What do you suggest?’
    ‘I think, sir, that without divulging any details and without dismissing the idea of an accident or a fit of madness, we should have the vicomte’s body taken to the Basse-Geôle 11 in theChâtelet to be opened up and examined in the greatest secrecy. That will in the first instance allow us to gain some time.’
    ‘And in a few days we’ll be back in the same position but with a scandal blown up out of all proportion. Not to mention the task you’ve presumably left me of informing the Comte de Ruissec that I’m going to hand over his son’s body to the medics. For goodness’ sake give me a more convincing argument.’
    ‘Sir, I do not think you have taken in the full implications of my proposal. If I am suggesting that the Vicomte de Ruissec’s body should be opened up it’s precisely in order to preserve his memory