the collection of antiquities-第37章

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ounded　suspicions。　It　was　impossible　that　the　President　should　have　foreseen　the　arrival　of　the　Duchesse　de　Maufrigneuse　upon　the　scene；　the　return　of　the　public　prosecutor；　and　the　hasty　confabulation　of　his　learned　brethren；　so　he　had　omitted　to　trace　out　a　plan　for　du　Croisier's　guidance　in　the　event　of　the　preliminary　examination　taking　place。　Neither　of　the　pair　imagined　that　the　proceedings　would　be　hurried　on　in　this　way。　Du　Croisier　obeyed　the　summons　at　once；　he　wanted　to　know　how　M。　Camusot　was　disposed　to　act。　So　he　was　compelled　to　answer　the　questions　put　to　him。　Camusot　addressed　him　in　summary　fashion　with　the　six　following　inquiries：

〃Was　the　signature　on　the　bill　alleged　to　be　a　forgery　in　your　handwriting？Had　you　previously　done　business　with　M。　le　Comte　d'Esgrignon？Was　not　M。　le　Comte　d'Esgrignon　in　the　habit　of　drawing　upon　you；　with　or　without　advice？Did　you　not　write　a　letter　authorizing　M。　d'Esgrignon　to　rely　upon　you　at　any　time？　Had　not　Chesnel　squared　the　account　not　once；　but　many　times　already？Were　you　not　away　from　home　when　this　took　place？〃

All　these　questions　the　banker　answered　in　the　affirmative。　In　spite　of　wordy　explanations；　the　magistrate　always　brought　him　back　to　a　〃Yes〃　or　〃No。〃　When　the　questions　and　answers　alike　had　been　resumed　in　the　proces…verbal；　the　examining　magistrate　brought　out　a　final　thunderbolt。

〃Was　du　Croisier　aware　that　the　money　destined　to　meet　the　bill　had　been　deposited　with　him；　du　Croisier；　according　to　Chesnel's　declaration；　and　a　letter　of　advice　sent　by　the　said　Chesnel　to　the　Comte　d'Esgrignon；　five　days　before　the　date　of　the　bill？〃

That　last　question　frightened　du　Croisier。　He　asked　what　was　meant　by　it；　and　whether　he　was　supposed　to　be　the　defendant　and　M。　le　Comte　d'Esgrignon　the　plaintiff？　He　called　the　magistrate's　attention　to　the　fact　that　if　the　money　had　been　deposited　with　him；　there　was　no　ground　for　the　action。

〃Justice　is　seeking　information；〃　said　the　magistrate；　as　he　dismissed　the　witness；　but　not　before　he　had　taken　down　du　Croisier's　last　observation。

〃But　the　money；　sir〃

〃The　money　is　at　your　house。〃

Chesnel；　likewise　summoned；　came　forward　to　explain　the　matter。　The　truth　of　his　assertions　was　borne　out　by　Mme。　du　Croisier's　deposition。　The　Count　had　already　been　examined。　Prompted　by　Chesnel；　he　produced　du　Croisier's　first　letter；　in　which　he　begged　the　Count　to　draw　upon　him　without　the　insulting　formality　of　depositing　the　amount　beforehand。　The　Comte　d'Esgrignon　next　brought　out　a　letter　in　Chesnel's　handwriting；　by　which　the　notary　advised　him　of　the　deposit　of　a　hundred　thousand　crowns　with　M。　du　Croisier。　With　such　primary　facts　as　these　to　bring　forward　as　evidence；　the　young　Count's　innocence　was　bound　to　emerge　triumphantly　from　a　court　of　law。

Du　Croisier　went　home　from　the　court；　his　face　white　with　rage；　and　the　foam　of　repressed　fury　on　his　lips。　His　wife　was　sitting　by　the　fireside　in　the　drawing…room　at　work　upon　a　pair　of　slippers　for　him。　She　trembled　when　she　looked　into　his　face；　but　her　mind　was　made　up。

〃Madame；〃　he　stammered　out；　〃what　deposition　is　this　that　you　made　before　the　magistrate？　You　have　dishonored；　ruined；　and　betrayed　me！〃

〃I　have　saved　you；　monsieur；〃　answered　she。　〃If　some　day　you　will　have　the　honor　of　connecting　yourself　with　the　d'Esgrignons　by　marrying　your　niece　to　the　Count；　it　will　be　entirely　owing　to　my　conduct　to…　day。〃

〃A　miracle！〃　cried　he。　〃Balaam's　ass　has　spoken。　Nothing　will　astonish　me　after　this。　And　where　are　the　hundred　thousand　crowns　which　（so　M。　Camusot　tells　me）　are　here　in　my　house？〃

〃Here　they　are；〃　said　she；　pulling　out　a　bundle　of　banknotes　from　beneath　the　cushions　of　her　settee。　〃I　have　not　committed　mortal　sin　by　declaring　that　M。　Chesnel　gave　them　into　my　keeping。〃

〃While　I　was　away？〃

〃You　were　not　here。〃

〃Will　you　swear　that　to　me　on　your　salvation？〃

〃I　swear　it；〃　she　said　composedly。

〃Then　why　did　you　say　nothing　to　me　about　it？〃　demanded　he。

〃I　was　wrong　there；〃　said　his　wife；　〃but　my　mistake　was　all　for　your　good。　Your　niece　will　be　Marquise　d'Esgrignon　some　of　these　days；　and　you　will　perhaps　be　a　deputy；　if　you　behave　well　in　this　deplorable　business。　You　have　gone　too　far；　you　must　find　out　how　to　get　back　again。〃

Du　Croisier；　under　stress　of　painful　agitation；　strode　up　and　down　his　drawing…room；　while　his　wife；　in　no　less　agitation；　awaited　the　result　of　this　exercise。　Du　Croisier　at　length　rang　the　bell。

〃I　am　not　at　home　to　any　one　to…night；〃　he　said；　when　the　man　appeared；　〃shut　the　gates；　and　if　any　one　calls；　tell　them　that　your　mistress　and　I　have　gone　into　the　country。　We　shall　start　directly　after　dinner；　and　dinner　must　be　half　an　hour　earlier　than　usual。〃



The　great　news　was　discussed　that　evening　in　every　drawing…room；　little　shopkeepers；　working　folk；　beggars；　the　noblesse；　the　merchant　classthe　whole　town；　in　short；　was　talking　of　the　Comte　d'Esgrignon's　arrest　on　a　charge　of　forgery。　The　Comte　d'Esgrignon　would　be　tried　in　the　Assize　Court；　he　would　be　condemned　and　branded。　Most　of　those　who　cared　for　the　honor　of　the　family　denied　the　fact。　At　nightfall　Chesnel　went　to　Mme。　Camusot　and　escorted　the　stranger　to　the　Hotel　d'Esgrignon。　Poor　Mlle。　Armande　was　expecting　him；　she　led　the　fair　Duchess　to　her　own　room；　which　she　had　given　up　to　her；　for　his　lordship　the　Bishop　occupied　Victurnien's　chamber；　and；　left　alone　with　her　guest；　the　noble　woman　glanced　at　the　Duchess　with　most　piteous　eyes。

〃You　owed　help；　indeed；　madame；　to　the　poor　boy　who　ruined　himself　for　your　sake；〃　she　said；　〃the　boy　to　whom　we　are　all　of　us　sacrificing　ourselves。〃

The　Duchess　had　already　made　a　woman's　survey　of　Mlle。　d'Esgrignon's　room；　the　cold；　bare；　comfortless　chamber；　that　might　have　been　a　nun's　cell；　was　like　a　picture　of　the　life　of　the　heroic　woman　before　her。　The　Duchess　saw　it　allpast；　present；　and　futurewith　rising　emotion；　felt　the　incongruity　of　her　presence；　and　could　not　keep　back　the　falling　tears　that　made　answer　for　her。

But　in　Mlle。　Armande　the　Christian　overcame　Victurnien's　aunt。　〃Ah；　I　was　wrong；　forgive　me；　Mme。　la　Duchesse；　you　did　not　know　how　poor　we　were；　and　my　nephew　was　incapable　of　the　admission。　And　besides；　now　that　I　see　you；　I　can　understand　alleven　the　crime！〃

And　Mlle。　Armande；　withered　and　thin　and　white；　but　beautiful　as　those　tall　austere　slender　figures　which　German　art　alone　can　paint；　had　tears　too　in　her　eyes。

〃Do　not　fear；　dear　angel；〃　the　Duchess　said　at　last；　〃he　is　safe。〃

〃Yes；　but　honor？and　his　career？　Chesnel　told　me；　the　King　knows　the　truth。〃

〃We　will　think　of　a　way　of　repairing　the　evil；〃　said　the　Duchess。

Mlle。　Armande　went　downstairs　to　the　salon；　and　found　the　Collection　of　Antiquities　complete　to　a　man。　Every　one　of　them　had　come；　partly　to　do　honor　to　the　Bishop；　partly　to　rally　round　the　Marquis；　but　Chesnel；　posted　in　the　antechamber；　warned　each　new　arrival　to　say　no　word　of　the　affair；　that　the　aged　Marquis　might　never　know　that　such　a　thing　had　been。　The　loyal　Frank　was　quite　capable　of　killing　his　son　or　du　Croisier；　for　either　the　one　or　the　other　must　have　been　guilty　of　death　in　his　eyes。　It　chanced；　strangely　enough；　that　he　talked　more　of　Victurnien　than　usual；　he　was　glad　that　his　son　had　gone　back　to　Paris。　The　King　would　give　Victurnien　a　place　before　very　long；　the　King　was　interesting　himself　at　last　in　the　d'Esgrignons。　And　his　friends；　their　hearts　dead　within　them；　praised　Victurnien's　conduct　to　the　skies。　Mlle。　Armande　prepared　the　way　for　her　nephew's　sudden　appearance　among　them　by　remarking　to　her　brother　that　Victurnien　would　be　sure　to　come　to　see　them；　and　that　he　must　be　even　then　on　his　way。

〃Bah！〃　said　the　Marquis；　standing　with　his　back　to　the　hearth；　〃if　he　is　doing　well　where　he　is；　he　ought　to　stay　there；　and　not　be　thinking　of　the　joy　it　would　give　his　old　father　to　see　him　again。　The　King's　service　has　the　first　claim。〃

Scarcely　one　of　those　present　heard　the　words　without　a　shudder。　Justice　might　give　over　a　d'Esgrignon　to　the　executioner's　branding　iron。　There　was　a　dreadful　pause。　The　old　Marquise　de　Casteran　could　not　keep　back　a　tear　that　stole　down　over　her　rouge；　and　turned　h