Page:Memoirs of Vidocq, Volume 2.djvu/257

 Spectacles, who now honour the Bagne at Brest with their distinguished presence, were his associates; and they committed together those robberies which led to their imprisonment for life. Noel, whose talents as a musician, and in his quality of teacher of the piano-forte, got access to all the rich houses, took impressions of the keys which Fossard then fabricated. It was an art in which he defied Georget and all the locksmiths in the world to surpass him; however complicated the lock, however ingenious and difficult the secret, nothing resisted the efforts of his skill.

It may be easily conceived what advantage he made of such a pernicious talent; being, moreover, a man who could insinuate himself into the company of honest persons, and then dupe them. Besides, he was a close and frigid character, to which he added courage and perseverance. His comrades regarded him as the prince of thieves; and, in fact, amongst the "tip-top cracksmen" (grinches de la haute pegrepègre [sic]), that is, in the aristocracy of robbers, I never knew but Cognard, Pontis, Comte de St Hélène, and Jossas (mentioned in the first volume of these Memoirs), who were at all comparable with him.

After I had reinstated him at the Bagne, Fossard often attempted to escape. Some liberated prisoners who have lately seen him, have assured me that he only longs for liberty, that he may avenge himself on me. They say, he has threatened to kill me. If the accomplishment of this kind intention depended solely on him, I am sure he would keep his word, if it were only to give a proof of his intrepidity. Two circumstances that have been told me, will give some idea of the man.

One day Fossard was about to commit a robbery in an apartment on the second story: his comrades, who were watching without, were stupid enough to allow the proprietor to ascend the staircase; and he, on putting the key into the door, opened it, went through several rooms, and on getting to an inner closet, saw