and murder had been committed. Europe, detecting a packet of soft
consistency, betraying the contents to be banknotes, under her mistress'
pillow, proceeded at once to "lay her out," as she said.

"Go and tell monsieur, Asie!--Oh, to die before she knew that she had
seven millions! Gobseck was poor madame's uncle!" said she.

Europe's stratagem was understood by Paccard. As soon as Asie's back
was turned, Europe opened the packet, on which the hapless courtesan had
written: "To be delivered to Monsieur Lucien de Rubempre."

Seven hundred and fifty thousand-franc notes shone in the eyes of
Prudence Servien, who exclaimed:

"Won't we be happy and honest for the rest of our lives!"

Paccard made no objection. His instincts as a thief were stronger than
his attachment to _Trompe-la-Mort_.

"Durut is dead," he said at length; "my shoulder is still a proof before
letters. Let us be off together; divide the money, so as not to have all
our eggs in one basket, and then get married."

"But where can we hide?" said Prudence.

"In Paris," replied Paccard.

Prudence and Paccard went off at once, with the promptitude of two
honest folks transformed into robbers.

"My child," said Carlos to Asie, as soon as she had said three words,
"find some letter of Esther's while I write a formal will, and then take
the copy and the letter to Girard; but he must be quick. The will must
be under Esther's pillow before the lawyers affix the seals here."

And he wrote out the following will:--

"Never having loved any one on earth but Monsieur Lucien Chardon
de Rubempre, and being resolved to end my life rather than relapse
into vice and the life of infamy from which he rescued me, I give
and bequeath to the said Lucien Chardon de Rubempre all I may
possess at the time of my decease, on condition of his founding a
mass in perpetuity in the parish church of Saint-Roch for the
repose of her who gave him her all, to her last thought.

"ESTHER GOBSECK."

"That is quite in her style," thought _Trompe-la-Mort_.

By seven in the evening this document, written and sealed, was placed by
Asie under Esther's bolster.

"Jacques," said she, flying upstairs again, "just as I came out of the
room justice marched in----"

"The justice of the peace you mean?"

"No, my son. The justice of the peace was there, but he had gendarmes
with him. The public prosecutor and the examining ju