*We  have  come  at  the  request  of  M.  Fraisier,  legal  repre-
sentative of  M.  Camusot  de  Marville,  heir  of  the  late
Pon&        "  added  the  clerk.
"The  collection  is  here  in  this  great  room,  and  in  the  bed-
room of  the  deceased,"  remarked  Fraisier.
'Tery  well,  let  us  go  into  the  next  room. — Pardon  us,  sir;
do  not  let  us  interrupt  with  your  breakfast."


Digitized  by


Google


292  COUSIN  PONS

The  invasion  struck  an  icy  chill  of  terror  into  poor
Schmucke.  Fraisier's  venomous  glances  seemed  to  possess
some  magnetic  influence  over  his  victims,  like  the  power  of  a
spider  over  a  fly.
"M.  Schmucke  understood  how  to  turn  a  will,  made  in  the
presence  of  a  notary,  to  his  own  advantage/'  he  said,  "and
he  surely  must  have  expected  some  opposition  from  the  fam-
ily. A  family  does  not  allow  itself  to  be  plundered  by  a
stranger  without  some  protest;  and  we  shall  see,  sir,  which
carries  the  day — fraud  and  corruption  or  the  rightful  heirs.
.  .  .  We  have  a  right  as  next  of  kin  to  affix  seals^  and
seals  shall  be  affixed.  I  mean  to  see  that  the  precaution  is
taken  with  the  utmost  strictness."

"Ach,  mein  Gott !  how  haf  I  offended  against  Hefn?"  cried
the  innocent  Schmucke.
"There  is  a  good  deal  of  talk  about  you  in  the  house,"  said
La  Sauvage.  ^TV^hile  you  were  asleep,  a  little  whipper-snap-
per in  a  black  suit  came  here,  a  puppy  that  said  he  was  M.
