juana-第16章

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〃Ah！〃　she　said　with　a　sigh；　〃the　only　man　you　had　the　right　to　kill。〃



〃There　were　many　reasons　why　he　should　die　by　my　hand。　But　I　can't

lose　timeMoney；　money！　for　God's　sake；　money！　I　may　be　pursued。　We

did　not　fight。　II　killed　him。〃



〃Killed　him！〃　she　cried；　〃how？〃



〃Why；　as　one　kills　anything。　He　stole　my　whole　fortune　and　I　took　it

back；　that's　all。　Juana；　now　that　everything　is　quiet　you　must　go　down

to　that　heap　of　stonesyou　know　the　heap　by　the　garden　walland　get

that　money；　since　you　haven't　any　in　the　house。〃



〃The　money　that　you　stole？〃　said　Juana。



〃What　does　that　matter　to　you？　Have　you　any　money　to　give　me？　I　tell

you　I　must　get　away。　They　are　on　my　traces。〃



〃Who？〃



〃The　people；　the　police。〃



Juana　left　the　room；　but　returned　immediately。



〃Here；〃　she　said；　holding　out　to　him　at　arm's　length　a　jewel；　〃that　is

Dona　Lagounia's　cross。　There　are　four　rubies　in　it；　of　great　value；　I

have　been　told。　Take　it　and　gogo！〃



〃Felicie　hasn't　come　back；〃　he　cried；　with　a　sudden　thought。　〃Can　she

have　been　arrested？〃



Juana　laid　the　cross　on　the　table；　and　sprang　to　the　windows　that

looked　on　the　street。　There　she　saw；　in　the　moonlight；　a　file　of

soldiers　posting　themselves　in　deepest　silence　along　the　wall　of　the

house。　She　turned；　affecting　to　be　calm；　and　said　to　her　husband：



〃You　have　not　a　minute　to　lose；　you　must　escape　through　the　garden。

Here　is　the　key　of　the　little　gate。〃



As　a　precaution　she　turned　to　the　other　windows；　looking　on　the

garden。　In　the　shadow　of　the　trees　she　saw　the　gleam　of　the　silver

lace　on　the　hats　of　a　body　of　gendarmes；　and　she　heard　the　distant

mutterings　of　a　crowd　of　persons　whom　sentinels　were　holding　back　at

the　end　of　the　streets　up　which　curiosity　had　drawn　them。　Diard　had；

in　truth；　been　seen　to　enter　his　house　by　persons　at　their　windows；

and　on　their　information　and　that　of　the　frightened　maid…servant；　who

was　arrested；　the　troops　and　the　people　had　blocked　the　two　streets

which　led　to　the　house。　A　dozen　gendarmes；　returning　from　the　theatre；

had　climbed　the　walls　of　the　garden；　and　guarded　all　exit　in　that

direction。



〃Monsieur；〃　said　Juana；　〃you　cannot　escape。　The　whole　town　is　here。〃



Diard　ran　from　window　to　window　with　the　useless　activity　of　a　captive

bird　striking　against　the　panes　to　escape。　Juana　stood　silent　and

thoughtful。



〃Juana；　dear　Juana；　help　me！　give　me；　for　pity's　sake；　some　advice。〃



〃Yes；〃　said　Juana；　〃I　will；　and　I　will　save　you。〃



〃Ah！　you　are　always　my　good　angel。〃



Juana　left　the　room　and　returned　immediately；　holding　out　to　Diard；

with　averted　head；　one　of　his　own　pistols。　Diard　did　not　take　it。

Juana　heard　the　entrance　of　the　soldiers　into　the　courtyard；　where

they　laid　down　the　body　of　the　murdered　man　to　confront　the　assassin

with　the　sight　of　it。　She　turned　round　and　saw　Diard　white　and　livid。

The　man　was　nearly　fainting；　and　tried　to　sit　down。



〃Your　children　implore　you；〃　she　said；　putting　the　pistol　beneath　his

hand。



〃Butmy　good　Juana；　my　little　Juana；　do　you　thinkJuana！　is　it　so

pressing？I　want　to　kiss　you。〃



The　gendarmes　were　mounting　the　staircase。　Juana　grasped　the　pistol；

aimed　it　at　Diard；　holding　him；　in　spite　of　his　cries；　by　the　throat；

then　she　blew　his　brains　out　and　flung　the　weapon　on　the　ground。



At　that　instant　the　door　was　opened　violently。　The　public　prosecutor；

followed　by　an　examining　judge；　a　doctor；　a　sheriff；　and　a　posse　of

gendarmes；　all　the　representatives；　in　short；　of　human　justice；

entered　the　room。



〃What　do　you　want？〃　asked　Juana。



〃Is　that　Monsieur　Diard？〃　said　the　prosecutor；　pointing　to　the　dead

body　bent　double　on　the　floor。



〃Yes；　monsieur。〃



〃Your　gown　is　covered　with　blood；　madame。〃



〃Do　you　not　see　why？〃　replied　Juana。



She　went　to　the　little　table　and　sat　down；　taking　up　the　volume　of

Cervantes；　she　was　pale；　with　a　nervous　agitation　which　she

nevertheless　controlled；　keeping　it　wholly　inward。



〃Leave　the　room；〃　said　the　prosecutor　to　the　gendarmes。



Then　he　signed　to　the　examining　judge　and　the　doctor　to　remain。



〃Madame；　under　the　circumstances；　we　can　only　congratulate　you　on　the

death　of　your　husband；〃　he　said。　〃At　least　he　has　died　as　a　soldier

should；　whatever　crime　his　passions　may　have　led　him　to　commit。　His

act　renders　negatory　that　of　justice。　But　however　we　may　desire　to

spare　you　at　such　a　moment；　the　law　requires　that　we　should　make　an

exact　report　of　all　violent　deaths。　You　will　permit　us　to　do　our

duty？〃



〃May　I　go　and　change　my　dress？〃　she　asked；　laying　down　the　volume。



〃Yes；　madame；　but　you　must　bring　it　back　to　us。　The　doctor　may　need

it。〃



〃It　would　be　too　painful　for　madame　to　see　me　operate；〃　said　the

doctor；　understanding　the　suspicions　of　the　prosecutor。　〃Messieurs；〃

he　added；　〃I　hope　you　will　allow　her　to　remain　in　the　next　room。〃



The　magistrates　approved　the　request　of　the　merciful　physician；　and

Felicie　was　permitted　to　attend　her　mistress。　The　judge　and　the

prosecutor　talked　together　in　a　low　voice。　Officers　of　the　law　are

very　unfortunate　in　being　forced　to　suspect　all；　and　to　imagine　evil

everywhere。　By　dint　of　supposing　wicked　intentions；　and　of

comprehending　them；　in　order　to　reach　the　truth　hidden　under　so　many

contradictory　actions；　it　is　impossible　that　the　exercise　of　their

dreadful　functions　should　not；　in　the　long　run；　dry　up　at　their　source

the　generous　emotions　they　are　constrained　to　repress。　If　the

sensibilities　of　the　surgeon　who　probes　into　the　mysteries　of　the

human　body　end　by　growing　callous；　what　becomes　of　those　of　the　judge

who　is　incessantly　compelled　to　search　the　inner　folds　of　the　soul？

Martyrs　to　their　mission；　magistrates　are　all　their　lives　in　mourning

for　their　lost　illusions；　crime　weighs　no　less　heavily　on　them　than　on

the　criminal。　An　old　man　seated　on　the　bench　is　venerable；　but　a　young

judge　makes　a　thoughtful　person　shudder。　The　examining　judge　in　this

case　was　young；　and　he　felt　obliged　to　say　to　the　public　prosecutor；



〃Do　you　think　that　woman　was　her　husband's　accomplice？　Ought　we　to

take　her　into　custody？　Is　it　best　to　question　her？〃



The　prosecutor　replied；　with　a　careless　shrug　of　his　shoulders；



〃Montefiore　and　Diard　were　two　well…known　scoundrels。　The　maid

evidently　knew　nothing　of　the　crime。　Better　let　the　thing　rest　there。〃



The　doctor　performed　the　autopsy；　and　dictated　his　report　to　the

sheriff。　Suddenly　he　stopped；　and　hastily　entered　the　next　room。



〃Madame〃　he　said。



Juana；　who　had　removed　her　bloody　gown；　came　towards　him。



〃It　was　you；〃　he　whispered；　stooping　to　her　ear；　〃who　killed　your

husband。〃



〃Yes；　monsieur；〃　she　replied。



The　doctor　returned　and　continued　his　dictation　as　follows；



〃And；　from　the　above　assemblage　of　facts；　it　appears　evident　that　the

said　Diard　killed　himself　voluntarily　and　by　his　own　hand。〃



〃Have　you　finished？〃　he　said　to　the　sheriff　after　a　pause。



〃Yes；〃　replied　the　writer。



The　doctor　signed　the　report。　Juana；　who　had　followed　him　into　the

room；　gave　him　one　glance；　repressing　with　difficulty　the　tears　which

for　an　instant　rose　into　her　eyes　and　moistened　them。



〃Messieurs；〃　she　said　to　the　public　prosecutor　and　the　judge；　〃I　am　a

stranger　here；　and　a　Spaniard。　I　am　ignorant　of　the　laws；　and　I　know

no　one　in　Bordeaux。　I　ask　of　you　one　kindness：　enable　me　to　obtain　a

passport　for　Spain。〃



〃One　moment！〃　cried　the　examining　judge。　〃Madame；　what　has　become　of

the　money　stolen　from　the　Marquis　de　Montefiore？〃



〃Monsieur　Diard；〃　she　replied；　〃said　something　to　me　vaguely　about　a

heap　of　stones；　under　which　he　must　have　hidden　it。〃



〃Where？〃



〃In　the　street。〃



The　two　magistrates　looked　at　each　other。　Juana　made　a　noble　gesture

and　motioned　to　the　doctor。



〃Monsieur；〃　she　said　in　his　ear；　〃can　I　be　suspected　of　some　infamous

action？　I！　The　pile　of　st