an historical mystery-第47章

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real　motives　were；　for　during　a　captivity　of　twenty　days　I　saw　and
heard　no　one。〃

〃Do　you　think；〃　said　the　public　prosecutor；　〃that　your　chateau　at
Gondreville　contains　information；　title…deeds；　or　other　papers　of
value　which　would　induce　a　search　on　the　part　of　the　Messieurs　de
Simeuse？〃

〃I　do　not　think　so；〃　replied　Malin；　〃I　believe　those　gentlemen　to　be
incapable　of　attempting　to　get　possession　of　such　papers　by　violence。
They　had　only　to　ask　me　for　them　to　obtain　them。〃

〃You　burned　certain　papers　in　the　park；　did　you　not？〃　said　Monsieur　de
Gondreville；　abruptly。

Malin　looked　at　Grevin。　After　exchanging　a　rapid　glance　with　the
notary；　which　Bordin　intercepted；　he　replied　that　he　had　not　burned
any　papers。　The　public　prosecutor　having　asked　him　to　describe　the
ambush　to　which　he　had　so　nearly　fallen　a　victim　two　years　earlier；
the　senator　replied　that　he　had　seen　Michu　watching　him　from　the　fork
of　a　tree。　This　answer；　which　agreed　with　Grevin's　testimony；　produced
a　great　impression。

The　four　gentlemen　remained　impassible　during　the　examination　of　their
enemy；　who　seemed　determined　to　overwhelm　them　with　generosity。
Laurence　suffered　horrible　agony。　From　time　to　time　the　Marquis　de
Chargeboeuf　held　her　by　the　arm；　fearing　she　might　dart　forward　to　the
rescue。　The　Comte　de　Gondreville　retired　from　the　courtroom　and　as　he
did　so　he　bowed　to　the　four　gentlemen；　who　did　not　return　the
salutation。　This　trifling　matter　made　the　jury　indignant。

〃They　are　lost　now；〃　whispered　Bordin　to　the　Marquis　de　Chargeboeuf。

〃Alas；　yes！　and　always　through　the　nobility　of　their　sentiments；〃
replied　the　marquis。

〃My　task　is　now　only　too　easy；　gentlemen；〃　said　the　prosecutor；　rising
to　address　the　jury。

He　explained　the　use　of　the　cement　by　the　necessity　of　securing　an
iron　frame　on　which　to　fasten　a　padlock　which　held　the　iron　bar　with
which　the　gate　of　the　cavern　was　closed；　a　description　of　which　was
given　in　the　/proces…verbal/　made　that　morning　by　Pigoult。　He　put　the
falsehoods　of　the　accused　into　the　strongest　light；　and　pulverized　the
arguments　of　the　defence　with　the　new　evidence　so　miraculously
obtained。　In　1806　France　was　still　too　near　the　Supreme　Being　of　1793
to　talk　about　divine　justice；　he　therefore　spared　the　jury　all
reference　to　the　intervention　of　heaven；　but　he　said　that　earthly
justice　would　be　on　the　watch　for　the　mysterious　accomplices　who　had
set　the　senator　at　liberty；　and　he　sat　down；　confidently　awaiting　the
verdict。

The　jury　believed　there　was　a　mystery；　but　they　were　all　persuaded
that　it　came　from　the　prisoners；　who　were　probably　concealing　some
matter　of　a　private　interest　of　great　importance　to　them。

Monsieur　de　Grandville；　to　whom　a　plot　or　machination　of　some　kind　was
quite　evident；　rose；　but　he　seemed　discouraged；less；　however；　by　the
new　evidence　than　by　the　manifest　opinion　of　the　jury。　He　surpassed；
if　anything；　his　speech　of　the　previous　evening；　his　argument　was　more
compact　and　logical；　but　he　felt　his　fervor　repelled　by　the　coldness
of　the　jury；　he　spoke　ineffectually；　and　he　knew　it；a　chilling
situation　for　an　advocate。　He　called　attention　to　the　fact　that　the
release　of　the　senator；　as　if　by　magic　and　clearly　without　the　aid　of
any　of　the　accused　or　of　Marthe；　corroborated　his　previous　argument。
Yesterday　the　prisoners　could　most　surely　rely　on　acquittal；　and　if
they　had；　as　the　prosecution　claimed；　the　power　to　hold　or　to　release
the　senator；　they　certainly　would　not　have　released　him　until　after
their　acquittal。　He　endeavored　to　bring　before　the　minds　of　the　Court
and　jury　the　fact　that　mysterious　enemies；　undiscovered　as　yet；　could
alone　have　struck　the　accused　this　final　blow。

Strange　to　say；　the　only　minds　Monsieur　de　Grandville　reached　with
this　argument　were　those　of　the　public　prosecutor　and　the　judges。　The
jury　listened　perfunctorily；　the　audience；　usually　so　favorable　to
prisoners；　were　convinced　of　their　guilt。　In　a　court　of　justice　the
sentiments　of　the　crowd　do　unquestionably　weigh　upon　the　judges　and
the　jury；　and　/vice　versa/。　Seeing　this　condition　of　the　minds　about
him；　which　could　be　felt　if　not　defined；　the　counsel　uttered　his　last
words　in　a　tone　of　passionate　excitement　caused　by　his　conviction：

〃In　the　name　of　the　accused；〃　he　cried；　〃I　forgive　you　for　the　fatal
error　you　are　about　to　commit；　and　which　nothing　can　repair！　We　are
the　victims　of　some　mysterious　and　Machiavellian　power。　Marthe　Michu
was　inveigled　by　vile　perfidy。　You　will　discover　this　too　late；　when
the　evil　you　now　do　will　be　irreparable。〃

Bordin　simply　claimed　the　acquittal　of　the　prisoners　on　the　testimony
of　the　senator　himself。

The　president　summed　up　the　case　with　all　the　more　impartiality
because　it　was　evident　that　the　minds　of　the　jurors　were　already　made
up。　He　even　turned　the　scales　in　favor　of　the　prisoners　by　dwelling　on
the　senator's　evidence。　This　clemency；　however；　did　not　in　the　least
endanger　the　success　of　the　prosecution。　At　eleven　o'clock　that　night；
after　the　jury　had　replied　through　their　foreman　to　the　usual
questions；　the　Court　condemned　Michu　to　death；　the　Messieurs　de
Simeuse　to　twenty…four　years'　and　the　Messieurs　d'Hauteserre　to　ten
years；　penal　servitude　at　hard　labor。　Gothard　was　acquitted。

The　whole　audience　was　eager　to　observe　the　bearing　of　the　five　guilty
men　in　this　supreme　moment　of　their　lives。　The　four　gentlemen　looked
at　Laurence；　who　returned　them；　with　dry　eyes；　the　ardent　look　of　the
martyrs。

〃She　would　have　wept　had　we　been　acquitted；〃　said　the　younger　de
Simeuse　to　his　brother。

Never　did　convicted　men　meet　an　unjust　fate　with　serener　brows　or
countenances　more　worthy　of　their　manhood　than　these　five　victims　of　a
cruel　plot。

〃Our　counsel　has　forgiven　you；〃　said　the　eldest　de　Simeuse　to　the
Court。

*****

Madame　d'Hauteserre　fell　ill；　and　was　three　months　in　her　bed　at　the
hotel　de　Chargeboeuf。　Monsieur　d'Hauteserre　returned　patiently　to
Cinq…Cygne；　inwardly　gnawed　by　one　of　those　sorrows　of　old　age　which
have　none　of　youth's　distractions；　often　he　was　so　absent…minded　that
the　abbe；　who　watched　him；　knew　the　poor　father　was　living　over　again
the　scene　of　the　fatal　verdict。　Marthe　passed　away　from　all　blame；　she
died　three　weeks　after　the　condemnation　of　her　husband；　confiding　her
son　to　Laurence；　in　whose　arms　she　died。

The　trial　once　over；　political　events　of　the　utmost　importance　effaced
even　the　memory　of　it；　and　nothing　further　was　discovered。　Society　is
like　the　ocean；　it　returns　to　its　level　and　its　specious　calmness
after　a　disaster；　effacing　all　traces　of　it　in　the　tide　of　its　eager
interests。

Without　her　natural　firmness　of　mind　and　her　knowledge　of　her　cousins'
innocence；　Laurence　would　have　succumbed；　but　she　gave　fresh　proof　of
the　grandeur　of　her　character；　she　astonished　Monsieur　de　Grandville
and　Bordin　by　the　apparent　serenity　which　these　terrible　misfortunes
called　forth　in　her　noble　soul。　She　nursed　Madame　d'Hauteserre　and
went　daily　to　the　prison；　saying　openly　that　she　would　marry　one　of
the　cousins　when　they　were　taken　to　the　galleys。

〃To　the　galleys！〃　cried　Bordin；　〃Mademoiselle！　our　first　endeavor　must
be　to　wring　their　pardon　from　the　Emperor。〃

〃Their　pardon！/from　a　Bonaparte/？〃　cried　Laurence　in　horror。

The　spectacles　of　the　old　lawyer　jumped　from　his　nose；　he　caught　them
as　they　fell　and　looked　at　the　young　girl　who　was　now　indeed　a　woman；
he　understood　her　character　at　last　in　all　its　bearings；　then　he　took
the　arm　of　the　Marquis　de　Chargeboeuf；　saying：

〃Monsieur　le　Marquis；　let　us　go　to　Paris　instantly　and　save　them
without　her！〃

The　appeal　of　the　Messieurs　de　Simeuse　and　d'Hauteserre　and　that　of
Michu　was　the　first　case　to　be　brought　before　the　new　court。　Its
decision　was　fortunately　delayed　by　the　ceremonies　attending　its
installation。



CHAPTER　XIX

THE　EMPEROR'S　BIVOUAC

Towards　the　end　of　September；　after　three　sessions　of　the　Court　of
Appeals　in　which　the　lawyers　for　the　defence　pleaded；　and　the
attorney…general　Merlin　himself　spoke　for　the　prosecution；　the　appeal
was　rejected。　The　Imperial　Court　of　Paris　was　by　this　time　instituted。
Monsieur　de　Grandville