the village rector-第65章

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came　forward；　supported　by　her　old　mother　and　the　rector；the　mother
from　whom　she　derived　her　body；　the　Church；　the　spiritual　mother　of
her　soul。　She　knelt　down　on　a　cushion；　clasped　her　hands；　and　seemed
to　collect　herself　for　a　few　moments；　as　if　to　gather　from　some　source
descending　from　heaven　the　power　to　speak。　At　this　moment　the　silence
was　almost　terrifying。　None　dared　look　at　their　neighbor。　All　eyes
were　lowered。　And　yet　the　eyes　of　Veronique；　when　she　raised　them；
encountered　those　of　the　/procureur…general/；　and　the　expression　on
that　blanched　face　brought　the　color　to　hers。

〃I　could　not　die　in　peace；〃　said　Veronique；　in　a　voice　of　deep
emotion；　〃if　I　suffered　the　false　impression　you　all　have　of　me　to
remain。　You　see　in　me　a　guilty　woman；　who　asks　your　prayers；　and　who
seeks　to　make　herself　worthy　of　pardon　by　this　public　confession　of
her　sin。　That　sin　was　so　great；　its　consequences　were　so　fatal；　that
perhaps　no　penance　can　atone　for　it。　But　the　more　humiliation　I　submit
to　here　on　earth；　the　less　I　may　have　to　dread　the　wrath　of　God　in　the
heavenly　kingdom　to　which　I　am　going。　My　father；　who　had　great
confidence　in　me；　commended　to　my　care　（now　twenty　years　ago）　a　son　of
this　parish；　in　whom　he　had　seen　a　great　desire　to　improve　himself；　an
aptitude　for　study；　and　fine　characteristics。　I　mean　the　unfortunate
Jean…Francois　Tascheron；　who　thenceforth　attached　himself　to　me　as　his
benefactress。　How　did　the　affection　I　felt　for　him　become　a　guilty
one？　I　think　myself　excused　from　explaining　this。　Perhaps　it　could　be
shown　that　the　purest　sentiments　by　which　we　act　in　this　world　were
insensibly　diverted　from　their　course　by　untold　sacrifices；　by　reasons
arising　from　our　human　frailty；　by　many　causes　which　might　appear　to
dismiss　the　evil　of　my　sin。　But　even　if　the　noblest　affections　moved
me；　was　I　less　guilty？　Rather　let　me　confess　that　I；　who　by　education；
by　position　in　the　world；　might　consider　myself　superior　to　the　youth
my　father　confided　to　me；　and　from　whom　I　was　separated　by　the　natural
delicacy　of　our　sex；I　listened；　fatally；　to　the　promptings　of　the
devil。　I　soon　found　myself　too　much　the　mother　of　that　young　man　to　be
insensible　to　his　mute　and　delicate　admiration。　He　alone；　he　first；
recognized　my　true　value。　But　perhaps　a　horrible　calculation　entered
my　mind。　I　thought　how　discreet　a　youth　would　be　who　owed　his　all　to
me；　and　whom　the　chances　of　life　had　put　so　far　away　from　me；　though
we　were　born　equals。　I　made　even　my　reputation　for　benevolence；　my
pious　occupations；　a　cloak　to　screen　my　conduct。　Alas！and　this　is
doubtless　one　of　my　greatest　sinsI　hid　my　passion　under　cover　of　the
altar。　The　most　virtuous　of　my　actionsthe　love　I　bore　my　mother；　the
acts　of　devotion　which　were　sincere　and　true　in　the　midst　of　my　wrong…
doingall；　all　were　made　to　serve　the　ends　of　a　desperate　passion；
and　were　links　in　the　chain　that　held　me。　My　poor　beloved　mother；　who
hears　me　now；　was　for　a　long　time；　ignorantly；　an　accomplice　in　my
sin。　When　her　eyes　were　opened；　too　many　dangerous　facts　existed　not
to　give　her　mother's　heart　the　strength　to　be　silent。　Silence　with　her
has　been　the　highest　virtue。　Her　love　for　her　daughter　has　gone　beyond
her　love　to　God。　Ah！　I　here　discharge　her　solemnly　from　the　heavy
burden　of　secrecy　which　she　has　borne。　She　shall　end　her　days　without
compelling　either　eyes　or　brow　to　lie。　Let　her　motherhood　stand　clear
of　blame；　let　that　noble；　sacred　old　age；　crowned　with　virtue；　shine
with　its　natural　lustre；　freed　of　that　link　which　bound　her　indirectly
to　infamy！〃

Tears　checked　the　dying　woman's　voice　for　an　instant；　Aline　gave　her
salts　to　inhale。

〃There　is　no　one　who　has　not　been　better　to　me　than　I　deserve；〃　she
went　on；〃even　the　devoted　servant　who　does　this　last　service；　she
has　feigned　ignorance　of　what　she　knew；　but　at　least　she　was　in　the
secret　of　the　penances　by　which　I　have　destroyed　the　flesh　that
sinned。　I　here　beg　pardon　of　the　world　for　the　long　deception　to　which
I　have　been　led　by　the　terrible　logic　of　society。　Jean…Francois
Tascheron　was　not　as　guilty　as　he　seemed。　Ah！　you　who　hear　me；　I
implore　you　to　remember　his　youth；　and　the　madness　excited　in　him
partly　by　the　remorse　that　seized　upon　me；　partly　by　involuntary
seductions。　More　than　that！　it　was　a　sense　of　honor；　though　a　mistaken
honor；　which　caused　the　most　awful　of　these　evils。　Neither　of　us　could
endure　our　perpetual　deceit。　He　appealed；　unhappy　man；　to　my　own　right
feeling；　he　sought　to　make　our　fatal　love　as　little　wounding　to　others
as　it　could　be。　We　meant　to　hide　ourselves　away　forever。　Thus　I　was
the　cause；　the　sole　cause；　of　his　crime。　Driven　by　necessity；　the
unhappy　man；　guilty　of　too　much　devotion　to　an　idol；　chose　from　all
evil　acts　the　one　which　might　be　hereafter　reparable。　I　knew　nothing
of　it　till　the　moment　of　execution。　At　that　moment　the　hand　of　God
threw　down　that　scaffolding　of　false　contrivancesI　heard　the　cries；
they　echo　in　my　ears！　I　divined　the　struggle；　which　I　could　not　stop；
I；　the　cause　of　it！　Tascheron　was　maddened；　I　swear　it。〃

Here　Veronique　turned　her　eyes　upon　Monsieur　de　Grandville；　and　a　sob
was　heard　to　issue　from　Denise　Tascheron's　breast。

〃He　lost　his　mind　when　he　saw　what　he　thought　his　happiness　destroyed
by　unforeseen　circumstances。　The　unhappy　man；　misled　by　his　love；　went
headlong　from　a　delinquent　act　to　crimefrom　robbery　to　a　double
murder。　He　left　my　mother's　house　an　innocent　man；　he　returned　a
guilty　one。　I　alone　knew　that　there　was　neither　premeditation　nor　any
of　the　aggravating　circumstances　on　which　he　was　sentenced　to　death。　A
hundred　times　I　thought　of　betraying　myself　to　save　him；　a　hundred
times　a　horrible　and　necessary　restraint　stopped　the　words　upon　my
lips。　Undoubtedly；　my　presence　near　the　scene　had　contributed　to　give
him　the　odious；　infamous；　ignoble　courage　of　a　murderer。　Were　it　not
for　me；　he　would　have　fled。　I　had　formed　that　soul；　trained　that　mind；
enlarged　that　heart；　I　knew　it；　he　was　incapable　of　cowardice　or
meanness。　Do　justice　to　that　involuntarily　guilty　arm；　do　justice　to
him；　whom　God；　in　his　mercy；　has　allowed　to　sleep　in　his　quiet　grave；
where　you　have　wept　for　him；　suspecting；　it　may　be；　the　extenuating
truth。　Punish；　curse　the　guilty　creature　before　you！　Horrified　by　the
crime　when　once　committed；　I　did　my　best　to　hide　my　share　in　it。
Trusted　by　my　fatherI；　who　was　childlessto　lead　a　child　to　God；　I
led　him　to　the　scaffold！　Ah！　punish　me；　curse　me；　the　hour　has　come！〃

Saying　these　words；　her　eyes　shone　with　the　stoic　pride　of　a　savage。
The　archbishop；　standing　behind　her；　and　as　if　protecting　her　with　the
pastoral　cross；　abandoned　his　impassible　demeanor　and　covered　his　eyes
with　his　right　hand。　A　muffled　cry　was　heard；　as　though　some　one　were
dying。　Two　persons；　Gerard　and　Roubaud；　received　and　carried　away　in
their　arms；　Denise　Tascheron；　unconscious。　That　sight　seemed　for　an
instant　to　quench　the　fire　in　Veronique's　eyes；　she　was　evidently
uneasy；　but　soon　her　self…control　and　serenity　of　martyrdom　resumed
their　sway。

〃You　now　know；〃　she　continued；　〃that　I　deserve　neither　praise　or
blessing　for　my　conduct　here。　I　have　led　in　sight　of　Heaven；　a　secret
life　of　bitter　penance　which　Heaven　will　estimate。　My　life　before　men
has　been　an　immense　reparation　for　the　evils　I　have　caused；　I　have
marked　my　repentance　ineffaceably　on　the　earth；　it　will　last　almost
eternally　here　below。　It　is　written　on　those　fertile　fields；　in　the
prosperous　village；　in　the　rivulets　brought　from　the　mountains　to
water　the　plain　once　barren　and　fruitless；　now　green　and　fertile。　Not
a　tree　will　be　cut　for　a　hundred　years　to　come　but　the　people　of　this
region　will　know　of　the　remorse　that　made　it　grow。　My　repentant　soul
will　still　live　here　among　you。　What　you　will　owe　to　its　efforts；　to　a
fortune　honorably　acquired；　is　the　heritage　of　its　repentance；the
repentance　of　her　who　caused　the　crime。　All　has　been　repaired　so　far
as　society　is　concerned；　but　I　am　still　responsible　for　that　life；
crushed　in　its　bud；a　life　confided　to　me　and　for　which　I　am　now
required　to　render　an　account。〃

The　flame　of　her　eyes　was　veiled　in　tears。

〃The