The Châtelet Apprentice Read Free Page B

slenderness without detracting from his air of authority and dignity. Nicolas felt the beginnings of panic, but he remembered what he had been taught at school and controlled his trembling hands. Sartine was now fanning himself with the letter, examining his visitor inquisitively. The minutes seemed unending.
    â€˜What is your name?’ he asked suddenly.
    â€˜Nicolas Le Floch, at your service, Monsieur.’
    â€˜At my service, at my service … That remains to be seen.Your godfather gives a very favourable account of you. You can ride, you are a skilled swordsman, you have a basic knowledge of the law … These are considerable attainments for a notary’s clerk.’
    Hands on hips, he slowly began to walk around Nicolas, who blushed at this inspection and its accompanying snorts and chuckles of laughter.
    â€˜Yes, yes, indeed, upon my word, it may well be true …’ continued the Lieutenant General.
    Sartine examined the letter thoughtfully, then went up to the fireplace and threw it in. It flared up with a yellow flame.
    â€˜May we depend on you, Monsieur? No, don’t reply. You don’t know what this will mean for you. I have plans for you and Ranreuil is handing you to me. Do you understand? No, you understand nothing, nothing at all.’
    He went behind his desk and sat down, pinched his nose, then examined Nicolas once more, who was sweltering as he stood with his back to the roaring fire.
    â€˜Monsieur, you are very young and I am taking a considerable risk by speaking to you as openly as I do. The King’s police needs honest people and I myself need faithful servants who will blindly obey me. Do you follow me?’
    Nicolas was careful not to agree.
    â€˜Ah! I see you are quick to understand.’
    Sartine went towards the casement window and seemed fascinated by what he saw.
    â€˜So much cleaning-up to do …’ he mumbled. ‘With meagre means at our disposal. No more, no less. Don’t you agree?’
    Nicolas had turned to face the Lieutenant General.
    â€˜You will need to improve your knowledge of the law,Monsieur. You will devote some hours each day to this, as a form of diversion. You will have to work hard, indeed you will.’
    He hurried across to his desk and grabbed a sheet of paper. He motioned to Nicolas to sit down in the great red damask armchair.
    â€˜Write. I want to see whether you have a good hand.’
    Nicolas, frightened out of his wits, concentrated as best he could. Sartine thought for a few moments, removed a small gold snuff-box from his coat pocket and took out a pinch of snuff which he delicately placed on the back of his hand. He sniffed first with one nostril and then the other, closed his eyes in contentment and sneezed loudly, sending black particles flying all around him and onto Nicolas, who withstood the storm. The Lieutenant gasped with pleasure as he blew his nose.
    â€˜Come, write: “Monsieur, I think it appropriate for the King’s service and my own that as from today you should take as your personal secretary Nicolas Le Floch, to be paid from my account. I should be obliged if you would provide him with board and lodging and submit a detailed account of his work to me.” Take down the address: “To M. Lardin, Commissioner of Police at the Châtelet, at his residence, Rue des Blancs-Manteaux .”’
    Then, swiftly taking hold of the letter, he held it up to his face and examined it.
    â€˜So, a somewhat bastard hand, yes, somewhat bastard,’ he declared, laughing. ‘But it will do for a beginner. It has flourish, it has movement.’
    He returned to the armchair that Nicolas had vacated, signed the missive, sanded it, folded it, lit a piece of wax from embersleft in a brass pot, rubbed it over the paper and impressed his seal on it, all in the twinkling of an eye.
    â€˜Monsieur, the functions I wish you to perform with Commissioner Lardin require integrity. Do you know