He soon recognised that a shrewd man must always keep the law on his side.

And this is what he devised without consulting anyone, even the lawyer, whose suspicions he was afraid of arousing.

He knew how to turn his mother round his finger.
One fine morning he took her to a notary and made her sign a deed of sale.

Provided she were left the hovel in the Impasse Saint-Mittre, Adelaide would have sold all Plassans.

Besides, Pierre assured her an annual income of six hundred francs, and made the most solemn promises to watch over his brother and sister.