the village rector-第13章

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by　day；　had　dispersed　forever　the　weary　dulness　of　her　life。

Perhaps；　however；　closer；　more　perceptive　or　sceptical　observers　were
needed　than　those　who　frequented　the　hotel　Graslin；　to　detect　the
barbaric　grandeur；　the　plebeian　force　of　the　People　which　lay　deep…
hidden　in　her　soul。　If　sometimes　her　friends　surprised　her　in　a　torpor
of　meditation　either　gloomy　or　merely　pensive；　they　knew　she　bore　upon
her　heart　the　miseries　of　others；　and　had　doubtless　that　morning　been
initiated　in　some　fresh　sorrow；　or　had　penetrated　to　some　haunt　where
vices　terrify　the　soul　with　their　candor。

The　viscount；　now　promoted　to　be　/procureur…general/；　would
occasionally　blame　her　for　certain　unintelligent　acts　of　charity　by
which；　as　he　knew　from　his　secret　police…reports；　she　had　given
encouragement　to　criminal　schemes。

〃If　you　ever　want　money　for　any　of　your　paupers；　let　me　be　a　sharer　in
your　good　deeds；〃　said　old　Grossetete；　taking　Veronique's　hand。

〃Ah！〃　she　replied　with　a　sigh；　〃it　is　impossible　to　make　everybody
rich。〃

At　the　beginning　of　this　year　an　event　occurred　which　was　destined　to
change　the　whole　interior　life　of　this　woman　and　to　transform　the
splendid　expression　of　her　countenance　into　something　far　more
interesting　in　the　eyes　of　painters。

Becoming　uneasy　about　his　health；　Graslin；　to　his　wife's　despair；　no
longer　desired　to　live　on　the　ground…floor。　He　returned　to　the
conjugal　chamber　and　allowed　himself　to　be　nursed。　The　news　soon
spread　throughout　Limoges　that　Madame　Graslin　was　pregnant。　Her
sadness；　mingled　with　joy；　struck　the　minds　of　her　friends；　who　then
for　the　first　time　perceived　that　in　spite　of　her　virtues　she　had　been
happy　in　the　fact　of　living　separate　from　her　husband。　Perhaps　she　had
hoped　for　some　better　fate　ever　since　the　time　when；　as　it　was　known；
the　attorney…general　had　declined　to　marry　the　richest　heiress　in　the
place；　in　order　to　keep　his　loyalty　to　her。

From　this　suggestion　there　grew　up　in　the　minds　of　the　profound
politicians　who　played　their　whist　at　the　hotel　Graslin　a　belief　that
the　viscount　and　the　young　wife　had　based　certain　hopes　on　the　ill…
health　of　the　banker　which　were　now　frustrated。　The　great　agitations
which　marked　this　period　of　Veronique's　life；　the　anxieties　which　a
first　childbirth　causes　in　every　woman；　and　which；　it　is　said；
threatens　special　danger　when　she　is　past　her　first　youth；　made　her
friends　more　attentive　than　ever　to　her；　they　vied　with　each　other　in
showing　her　those　little　kindnesses　which　proved　how　warm　and　solid
their　affection　really　was。



V

TASCHERON

It　was　in　this　year　that　Limoges　witnessed　a　terrible　event　and　the
singular　drama　of　the　Tascheron　trial；　in　which　the　young　Vicomte　de
Grandville　displayed　the　talents　which　afterwards　made　him　/procureur…
general/。

An　old　man　living　in　a　lonely　house　in　the　suburb　of　Saint…Etienne　was
murdered。　A　large　fruit…garden　lay　between　the　road　and　the　house；
which　was　also　separated　from　the　adjoining　fields　by　a　pleasure…
garden；　at　the　farther　end　of　which　were　several　old　and　disused
greenhouses。　In　front　of　the　house　a　rapid　slope　to　the　river　bank
gave　a　view　of　the　Vienne。　The　courtyard；　which　also　sloped　downward；
ended　at　a　little　wall；　from　which　small　columns　rose　at　equal
distances　united　by　a　railing；　more；　however；　for　ornament　than
protection；　for　the　bars　of　the　railing　were　of　painted　wood。

The　old　man；　named　Pingret；　noted　for　his　avarice；　lived　with　a　single
woman…servant；　a　country…girl　who　did　all　the　work　of　the　house。　He
himself　took　care　of　his　espaliers；　trimmed　his　trees；　gathered　his
fruit；　and　sent　it　to　Limoges　for　sale；　together　with　early
vegetables；　in　the　raising　of　which　he　excelled。

The　niece　of　this　old　man；　and　his　sole　heiress；　married　to　a
gentleman　of　small　means　living　in　Limoges；　a　Madame　des　Vanneaulx；
had　again　and　again　urged　her　uncle　to　hire　a　man　to　protect　the
house；　pointing　out　to　him　that　he　would　thus　obtain　the　profits　of
certain　uncultivated　ground　where　he　now　grew　nothing　but　clover。　But
the　old　man　steadily　refused。　More　than　once　a　discussion　on　the
subject　had　cut　into　the　whist…playing　of　Limoges。　A　few　shrewd　heads
declared　that　the　old　miser　buried　his　gold　in　that　clover…field。

〃If　I　were　Madame　des　Vanneaulx；〃　said　a　wit；　〃I　shouldn't　torment　my
uncle　about　it；　if　somebody　murders　him；　why；　let　him　be　murdered！　I
should　inherit　the　money。〃

Madame　des　Vanneaulx；　however；　wanted　to　keep　her　uncle；　after　the
manner　of　the　managers　of　the　Italian　Opera；　who　entreat　their　popular
tenor　to　wrap　up　his　throat；　and　give　him　their　cloak　if　he　happens　to
have　forgotten　his　own。　She　had　sent　old　Pingret　a　fine　English
mastiff；　which　Jeanne　Malassis；　the　servant…woman　brought　back　the
next　day　saying：

〃Your　uncle　doesn't　want　another　mouth　to　feed。〃

The　result　proved　how　well…founded　were　the　niece's　fears。　Pingret　was
murdered　on　a　dark　night；　in　the　middle　of　his　clover…field；　where　he
may　have　been　adding　a　few　coins　to　a　buried　pot　of　gold。　The　servant…
woman；　awakened　by　the　struggle；　had　the　courage　to　go　to　the
assistance　of　the　old　miser；　and　the　murderer　was　under　the　necessity
of　killing　her　to　suppress　her　testimony。　This　necessity；　which
frequently　causes　murderers　to　increase　the　number　of　their　victims；
is　an　evil　produced　by　the　fear　of　the　death　penalty。

This　double　murder　was　attended　by　curious　circumstances　which　told　as
much　for　the　prosecution　as　for　the　defence。　After　the　neighbors　had
missed　seeing　the　little　old　Pingret　and　his　maid　for　a　whole　morning
and　had　gazed　at　his　house　through　the　wooden　railings　as　they　passed
it；　and　seen　that；　contrary　to　custom；　the　doors　and　windows　were
still　closed；　an　excitement　began　in　the　Faubourg　Saint…Etienne　which
presently　reached　the　rue　de　la　Cloche；　where　Madame　des　Vanneaulx
resided。

The　niece　was　always　in　expectation　of　some　such　catastrophe；　and　she
at　once　notified　the　officers　of　the　law；　who　went　to　the　house　and
broke　in　the　gate。　They　soon　discovered　in　a　clover　patch　four　holes；
and　near　two　of　these　holes　lay　the　fragments　of　earthenware　pots；
which　had　doubtless　been　full　of　gold　the　night　before。　In　the　other
two　holes；　scarcely　covered　up；　were　the　bodies　of　old　Pingret　and
Jeanne　Malassis；　who　had　been　buried　with　their　clothes　on。　The　poor
girl　had　run　to　her　master's　assistance　in　her　night…gown；　with　bare
feet。

While　the　/procureur…du…roi/；　the　commissary　of　police；　and　the
examining　magistrate　were　gathering　all　particulars　for　the　basis　of
their　action；　the　luckless　des　Vanneaulx　picked　up　the　broken　pots　and
calculated　from　their　capacity　the　sum　lost。　The　magistrates　admitted
the　correctness　of　their　calculations　and　entered　the　sum　stolen　on
their　records　as；　in　all　probability；　a　thousand　gold　coins　to　each
pot。　But　were　these　coins　forty…eight　or　forty；　twenty…four　or　twenty
francs　in　value？　All　expectant　heirs　in　Limoges　sympathized　with　the
des　Vanneaulx。　The　Limousin　imagination　was　greatly　stirred　by　the
spectacle　of　the　broken　pots。　As　for　old　Pingret；　who　often　sold
vegetables　himself　in　the　market；　lived　on　bread　and　onions；　never
spent　more　than　three　hundred　francs　a　year；　obliged　and　disobliged　no
one；　and　had　never　done　one　atom　of　good　in　the　suburb　of　Saint…
Etienne　where　he　lived；　his　death　did　not　excite　the　slightest　regret。
Poor　Jeanne　Malassis'　heroism；　which　the　old　miser；　had　she　saved　him；
would　certainly　not　have　rewarded；　was　thought　rash；　the　number　of
souls　who　admired　it　was　small　in　comparison　with　those　who　said：　〃For
my　part；　I　should　have　stayed　in　my　bed。〃

The　police　found　neither　pen　nor　ink　wherewith　to　write　their　report
in　the　bare；　dilapidated；　cold；　and　dismal　house。　Observing　persons
and　the　heir　might　then　have　noticed　a　curious　inconsistency　which　may
be　seen　in　certain　misers。　The　dread　the　little　old　man　had　of　the
slightest　outlay　showed　itself　in　the　non…repaired　roof　which　opened
its　sides　to　the　light　and　the　rain　and　snow；　in　the　cracks　of　the
walls；　in　the　rotten　doors　ready　to　fall　at　the　slightest　shock；　in
the　windows；　where　the　broken　glass　was　replaced　by　pa