Page:Memoirs of Vidocq, Volume 3.djvu/17

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MEMOIRS OF VIDOCQ.

CHAPTER XXXII.


M. de Sartines and M. Lenoir—The thieves before the Revolution—The occupation of a lieutenant-general of police—Formerly and now—The dumb pupils of the abbé Sicard and the cutpurses—The death of Cartouche—Robbers formerly agents of police—The voluntary enrolments and colonial battalions—The hump-backed made straight, and the lame made to walk—The celebrated Flambard and the beautiful Jewess—History of a chauffeur become spy; his advancement in the Parisian national guard—It is compatible to be a patriot and a prigger—I trip Gaffré—The best friends in the world—I mistrust myself—Two hours at Saint-Roch—I have no eyes in my pocket—An old man in an embarrassment—The spoils of the faithful—Thief and spy two trades too many—The danger of passing before a corps de garde—Another trip for Gaffré—Goupil takes me for a dentist—An attitude.


I know not what species of individuals they were whom MM. de Sartines and Lenoir employed to constitute the police, but I know very well that under their administration thieves were privileged, and there were a great number of them in Paris. Monsieur the lieutenant-general took little care about checking their enterprises, that was not his business; he was not sorry to know them, and from time to time, when he found them to be clever, he amused himself with them.

If a stranger of distinction came to the capital, M. the lieutenant-general soon set the most expert robbers to work upon him, and an honourable recompense was promised to him amongst them who should be sufficiently skilful to rob him of his watch or any valuable trinket.

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