the crime of sylvestre bonnard-第42章

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〃Madame；〃　I　said　to　her；　〃we　have　both　come　to　place　ourselves　under　your　protection。　　And；　first　of　all；　we　are　going　to　ask　you　to　give　us　some　superor　to　give　Jeanne　some；　at　least；　for　a　moment　ago；　in　the　carriage；　she　fainted　from　weakness。　　As　for　myself；　I　could　not　eat　a　bite　at　this　late　hour　without　passing　a　night　of　agony　in　consequence。　　I　hope　that　Monsieur　de　Gabry　is　well。〃

〃Oh；　he　is　here！〃　she　said。

And　she　called　him　immediately。

〃Come　in　here；　Paul！　　Come　and　see　Monsieur　Bonnard　and　Mademoiselle　Alexandre。〃

He　came。　　It　was　a　pleasure　for　me　to　see　his　frank　broad　face；　and　to　press　his　strong　square　hand。　　Then　we　went；　all　four　of　us；　into　the　dining…room；　and　while　some　cold　meat　was　being　cut　for　Jeannewhich　she　never　touched　notwithstandingI　related　our　adventure。　　Paul　de　Gabry　asked　me　permission　to　smoke　his　pipe；　after　which　he　listened　to　me　in　silence。　　When　I　had　finished　my　recital　he　scratched　the　short；　stiff　beard　upon　his　chin；　and　uttered　a　tremendous　〃Sacrebleu！〃　　But；　seeing　Jeanne　stare　at　each　of　us　in　turn；　with　a　frightened　look　in　her　face；　he　added：

〃We　will　talk　about　this　matter　to…morrow　morning。　　Come　into　my　study　for　a　moment；　I　have　an　old　book　to　show　you　that　I　want　you　to　tell　me　something　about。〃

I　followed　him　into　his　study；　where　the　steel　of　guns　and　hunting　knives；　suspended　against　the　dark　hangings；　glimmered　in　the　lamp…　light。　　There；　pulling　me　down　beside　him　upon　a　leather…covered　sofa；　he　exclaimed；

〃What　have　you　done？　　Great　God！　　Do　you　know　what　you　have　done？　Corruption　of　a　minor；　abduction；　kidnapping！　　You　have　got　yourself　into　a　nice　mess！　　You　have　simply　rendered　yourself　liable　to　a　sentence　of　imprisonment　of　not　less　than　five　nor　more　than　ten　years。〃

〃Mercy　on　us！〃　I　cried；　〃ten　years　imprisonment　for　having　saved　an　innocent　child。〃

〃That　is　the　law！〃　answered　Monsieur　de　Gabry。　　〃You　see；　my　dear　Monsieur　Bonnard；　I　happen　to　know　the　Code　pretty　wellnot　because　I　ever　studied　law　as　a　profession；　but　because；　as　mayor　of　Lusance；　I　was　obliged　to　teach　myself　something　about　it　in　order　to　be　able　to　give　information　to　my　subordinates。　　Mouche　is　a　rascal；　that　woman　Prefere　is　a　vile　hussy；　and　you　are　a。。。Well！　I　really　cannot　find　a　word　strong　enough　to　signify　what　you　are！〃

After　opening　his　bookcase；　where　dog…collars；　riding…whips；　stirrups；　spurs；　cigar…boxes；　and　a　few　books　of　reference　were　indiscriminately　stowed　away；　he　took　out　of　it　a　copy　of　the　Code；　and　began　to　turn　over　the　leaves。

〃'CRIMES　AND　MISDEMEANOURS'。。。'SEQUESTRATION　OF　PERSONS'that　is　not　your　case。。。。　　'ABDUCTION　OF　MINORS'here　we　are。。。。'ARTICLE　354'：'Whosever　shall；　either　by　fraud　or　violence；　have　abducted　or　have　caused　to　be　abducted　any　minor　or　minors；　or　shall　have　enticed　them；　or　turned　them　away　from；　or　forcibly　removed　them；　or　shall　have　caused　them　to　be　enticed；　or　turned　away　from　or　forcibly　removed　from　the　places　in　which　they　have　been　placed　by　those　to　whose　authority　or　direction　they　have　been　submitted　or　confided；　shall　be　liable　to　the　penalty　of　imprisonment。　　See　PENAL　CODE；　21　and　28。'　　Here　is　21：'The　term　of　imprisonment　shall　not　be　less　than　five　years。'　28。　'The　sentence　of　imprisonment　shall　be　considered　as　involving　a　loss　of　civil　rights。'　　Now　all　that　is　very　plain；　is　it　not；　Monsieur　Bonnard？〃

〃Perfectly　plain。〃

〃Now　let　us　go　on：　　'ARTICLE　356'：'In　case　the　abductor　be　under　the　age　of　21　years　at　the　time　of　the　offense；　he　shall　only　be　punished　with'。。。But　we　certainly　cannot　invoke　this　artice　in　your　favour。　　'ARTICLE　357：'：'In　case　the　abductor　shall　have　married　the　girl　by　him　abducted；　he　can　only　be　prosecuted　at　the　insistence　of　such　persons　as；　according　to　the　Civil　Code；　may　have　the　right　to　demand　that　the　marriage　shall　be　declared　null；　nor　can　he　be　condemned　until　after　the　nullity　of　the　marriage　shall　have　been　pronounced。'　　I　do　not　know　whether　it　is　a　part　of　your　plans　to　marry　Mademoiselle　Alexandre！　　You　can　see　that　the　code　is　good…　natured　about　it；　it　leaves　you　one　door　of　escape。　　But　noI　ought　not　to　joke　with　you；　because　really　you　have　put　yourself　in　a　very　unfortunate　position！　　And　how　could　a　man　like　you　imagine　that　here　in　Paris；　in　the　middle　of　the　nineteenth　century；　a　young　girl　can　be　abducted　with　absolute　impunity？　　We　are　not　living　in　the　Middle　Ages　now；　and　such　things　are　no　longer　permitted　by　law。〃

〃You　need　not　imagine；〃　I　replied；　〃that　abduction　was　lawful　under　the　ancient　Code。　　You　will　find　in　Baluze　a　decree　issued　by　King　Cheldebert　at　Cologne；　either　in　593　or　594；　on　the　subject：　moreoever；　everybody　knows　that　the　famous　'Ordonance　de　Blois；'　of　May　1579；　formally　enacted　that　any　persons　convicted　of　having　suborned　any　son　or　daughter　under　the　age　of　twenty…five　years；　whether　under　promise　of　marriage　or　otherwise；　without　the　full　knowledge；　will；　or　consent　of　the　father；　mother；　and　guardians；　should　be　punished　with　death；　and　the　ordinance　adds：　'Et　pareillement　seront　punis　extraordinairement　tous　ceux　qui　auront　participe　audit　rapt；　et　qui　auront　prete　conseil；　confort；　et　aide　en　aucune　maniere　que　ce　soit。'　（And　in　like　manner　shall　be　extraordinarily　punished　all　persons　whomsoever；　who　shall　have　participated　in　the　said　abduction；　and　who　shall　have　given　thereunto　counsel；　succor；　or　aid　in　any　manner　whatsoever。）　　Those　are　the　exact；　or　very　nearly　the　exact；　terms　of　the　ordinance。　As　for　that　article　of　the　Code…Napoleon　which　you　have　just　told　me　of；　and　which　excepts　from　liability　to　prosecution　the　abductor　who　marries　the　young　girl　abducted　by　him；　it　reminds　me　that　according　to　the　laws　of　Bretagne；　forcible　abduction；　followed　by　marriage；　was　not　punished。　　But　this　usage；　which　involved　various　abuses；　was　suppressed　in　1720at　least　I　give　you　the　date　within　ten　years。　　My　memory　is　not　very　good　now；　and　the　time　is　long　passed　when　I　could　repeat　by　heart　without　even　stopping　to　take　breath；　fifteen　hundred　verses　of　Girart　de　Rousillon。

〃As　far　as　regards　the　Capitulary　of　Charlemagne；　which　fixes　the　compensation　for　abduction；　I　have　not　mentioned　it　because　I　am　sure　that　you　must　remember　it。　　So；　my　dear　Monsieur　de　Gabry；　you　see　abduction　was　considered　as　decidedly　a　punishable　offense　under　the　three　dynasties　of　Old　France。　　It　is　a　very　great　mistake　to　suppose　that　the　Middle　Ages　represent　a　period　of　social　chaos。　　You　must　remember；　on　the　contrary…〃

Monsieur　de　Gabry　here　interrupted　me：

〃So；〃　he　exclaimed；　〃you　know　of　the　Ordonnacne　de　Blois；　you　know　Baluze；　you　know　Childebert；　you　know　the　Capitulariesand　you　don't　know　anything　about　the　Code…Napoleon！〃

I　replied　that；　as　a　matter　of　fact；　I　never　had　read　the　Code；　and　he　looked　very　much　surprised。

〃And　now　do　you　understand；〃　he　asked；　〃the　extreme　gravity　of　the　action　you　have　committed？〃

I　had　not　indeed　been　yet　able　to　understand　it　fully。　　But　little　by　little；　with　the　aid　of　Monsieur　Paul's　very　sensible　explanations；　I　reached　the　conviction　at　last　that　I　should　not　be　judged　in　regard　to　my　motives；　which　were　innocent；　but　only　according　to　my　action；　which　was　punishable。　　Thereupon　I　began　to　feel　very　despondent；　and　to　utter　divers　lamentations。

〃What　am　I　to　do？〃　I　cried　out；　〃what　am　I　to　do？　　Am　I　then　irretrievably　ruined？and　have　I　also　ruined　the　poor　child　whom　I　wanted　to　save？〃

Monsieur　de　Gabry　silently　filled　his　pipe；　and　lighted　it　so　slowly　that　his　kind　broad　face　remained　for　at　least　three　or　four　minutes　glowing　red　behind　the　light；　like　a　blacksmith's　in　the　gleam　of　his　forge…fire。　　Then　he　said；

〃You　want　to　know　what　to　do？　　Why；　don't　do　anything；　my　dear　Monsieur　Bonnard！　　For　God's　sake；　and　for　your　own　sake；　don't　do　anything　at　all！　　Your　situation　is　bad　enough　as　it　is；　don't　try　to　meddle　with　it　now；　unless　you　want　to　create　new　difficulties　for　yourself。　　But　you　must　promise　me　to　sustain　me　in　any　action　that　I　may　take。　　I　shall　go　to　see　Monsieur　Mouche　the　very　first　thing　to…morrow　morning；　and　if　he　turns　out　to　be　what　I　think　he　isthat　is　to　say；　a　consummate　rascalI　shall　very　soon　find　means　of　making