Page:The fortunes of Fifi (IA fortunesoffifi00seawiala).pdf/110

 *touche's reproaches, "whose fault will it be? If you had kept an eye on Julie Campionet, this never would have happened. It was you who bought that cursed lottery ticket for Fifi, and lost me the only leading lady I ever had who didn't insist on marrying me against my will."

Here was a cud for Cartouche to chew upon: young ladies reproaching him bitterly for giving them a hundred thousand francs in cash, and happy bridegrooms reviling him because through him they secured brides. Cartouche was too stunned by it all to answer. The only thing he could do was to try to keep Duvernet's unfortunate weakness from landing him in jail. Luckily, none of his wives had any use for Duvernet, after a very short probation, and as he had no property to speak of, and the earnings of the Imperial Theater were uncertain, there was no money to be squeezed out of him. So, unless the authorities should get wind of Duvernet's matrimonial ventures, which he persisted in regarding as mere escapades, into which he was led by a stronger will than his own, he would be allowed to roam at large.

"At all events," said Cartouche, after a while, "I can make Julie Campionet behave herself as