an historical mystery-第32章

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had　told　him　to　carry　the　plaster。

〃Why　did　neither　you　nor　Gothard　take　the　justice　of　peace　and　the
forester　to　the　stone　post　and　show　them　your　work？〃　said　the　public
prosecutor；　addressing　Michu。

〃Because；〃　replied　the　man；　〃I　didn't　believe　there　was　any　serious
accusation　against　us。〃

All　the　prisoners　except　Gothard　were　now　removed　from　the　courtroom。
When　Gothard　was　left　alone　the　president　adjured　him　to　speak　the
truth　for　his　own　sake；　pointing　out　that　his　pretended　idiocy　had
come　to　an　end；　none　of　the　jurors　believed　him　imbecile；　if　he
refused　to　answer　the　court　he　ran　the　risk　of　serious　penalty；
whereas　by　telling　the　truth　at　once　he　would　probably　be　released。
Gothard　wept；　hesitated；　and　finally　ended　by　saying　that　Michu　had
told　him　to　carry　several　sacks　of　plaster；　but　that　each　time　he　had
met　him　near　the　farm。　He　was　asked　how　many　sacks　he　had　carried。

〃Three；〃　he　replied。

An　argument　hereupon　ensued　as　to　whether　the　three　sacks　included　the
one　which　Gothard　was　carrying　at　the　time　of　the　arrest　（which
reduced　the　number　of　the　other　sacks　to　two）　or　whether　there　were
three　without　the　last。　The　debate　ended　in　favor　of　the　first
proposition；　the　jury　considering　that　only　two　sacks　had　been　used。
They　appeared　to　have　a　foregone　conviction　on　that　point；　but　Bordin
and　Monsieur　de　Grandville　judged　it　best　to　surfeit　them　with
plaster；　and　weary　them　so　thoroughly　with　the　argument　that　they
would　no　longer　comprehend　the　question。　Monsieur　de　Grandville　made
it　appear　that　experts　ought　to　have　been　sent　to　examine　the　stone
posts。

〃The　director　of　the　jury；〃　he　said；　〃has　contented　himself　with
merely　visiting　the　place；　less　for　the　purpose　of　making　a　careful
examination　than　to　trap　Michu　in　a　lie；　this；　in　our　opinion；　was　a
failure　of　duty；　but　the　blunder　is　to　our　advantage。〃

On　this　the　Court　appointed　experts　to　examine　the　posts　and　see　if
one　of　them　had　been　really　mended　and　reset。　The　public　prosecutor；
on　his　side；　endeavored　to　make　capital　of　the　affair　before　the
experts　could　testify。

〃You　seem　to　have　chosen；〃　he　said　to　Michu；　who　was　now　brought　back
into　the　courtroom；　〃an　hour　when　the　daylight　was　waning；　from　half…
past　five　to　half…past　six　o'clock；　to　mend　this　post　and　to　cement　it
all　alone。〃

〃Monsieur　d'Hauteserre　had　blamed　me　for　not　doing　it；〃　replied　Michu。

〃But；〃　said　the　prosecutor；　〃if　you　used　that　plaster　on　the　post　you
must　have　had　a　trough　and　a　trowel。　Now；　if　you　went　to　the　chateau
to　tell　Monsieur　d'Hauteserre　that　you　had　done　the　work；　how　do　you
explain　the　fact　that　Gothard　was　bringing　you　more　plaster。　You　must
have　passed　your　farm　on　your　way　to　the　chateau；　and　you　would
naturally　have　left　your　tools　at　home　and　stopped　Gothard。〃

This　overwhelming　argument　produced　a　painful　silence　in　the
courtroom。

〃Come；〃　said　the　prosecutor；　〃you　had　better　admit　at　once　that　what
you　buried　was　/not　a　stone　post/。〃

〃Do　you　think　it　was　the　senator？〃　said　Michu；　sarcastically。

Monsieur　de　Grandville　hereupon　demanded　that　the　public　prosecutor
should　explain　his　meaning。　Michu　was　accused　of　abduction　and　the
concealment　of　a　person；　but　not　of　murder。　Such　an　insinuation　was　a
serious　matter。　The　code　of　Brumaire；　year　IV。；　forbade　the　public
prosecutor　from　presenting　any　fresh　count　at　the　trial；　he　must　keep
within　the　indictment　or　the　proceedings　would　be　annulled。

The　public　prosecutor　replied　that　Michu；　the　person　chiefly　concerned
in　the　abduction　and　who；　in　the　interests　of　his　masters；　had　taken
the　responsibility　on　his　own　shoulders；　might　have　thought　it
necessary　to　plaster　up　the　entrance　of　the　hiding…place；　still
undiscovered；　where　the　senator　was　now　immured。

Pressed　with　questions；　hampered　by　the　presence　of　Gothard；　and
brought　into　contradiction　with　himself；　Michu　struck　his　fist　upon
the　edge　of　the　dock　with　a　resounding　blow　and　said：　〃I　have　had
nothing　whatever　to　do　with　the　abduction　of　the　senator。　I　hope　and
believe　his　enemies　have　merely　imprisoned　him；　when　he　reappears
you'll　find　out　that　the　plaster　was　put　to　no　such　use。〃

〃Good！〃　said　de　Grandville；　addressing　the　public　prosecutor；　〃you
have　done　more　for　my　client's　cause　than　anything　I　could　have　said。〃

The　first　day's　session　ended　with　this　bold　declaration；　which
surprised　the　judges　and　gave　an　advantage　to　the　defence。　The　lawyers
of　the　town　and　Bordin　himself　congratulated　the　young　advocate。　The
prosecutor；　uneasy　at　the　assertion；　feared　that　he　had　fallen　into
some　trap；　in　fact　he　was　really　caught　in　a　snare　that　was　cleverly
set　for　him　by　the　defence　and　admirably　played　off　by　Gothard。　The
wits　of　the　town　declared　that　he　had　white…washed　the　affair　and
splashed　his　own　cause；　and　had　made　the　accused　as　white　as　the
plaster　itself。　France　is　the　domain　of　satire；　which　reigns　supreme
in　our　land；　Frenchmen　jest　on　a　scaffold；　at　the　Beresina；　at　the
barricades；　and　some　will　doubtless　appear　with　a　quirk　upon　their
lips　at　the　grand　assizes　of　the　Last　Judgment。



CHAPTER　XVIII

TRIAL　CONTINUED：　CRUEL　VICISSITUDES

On　the　morrow　the　witnesses　for　the　prosecution　were　examined；Madame
Marion；　Madame　Grevin；　Grevin　himself；　the　senator's　valet；　and
Violette；　whose　testimony　can　readily　be　imagined　from　the　facts
already　told。　They　all　identified　the　five　prisoners；　with　more　or
less　hesitation　as　to　the　four　gentlemen；　but　with　absolute　certainty
as　to　Michu。　Beauvisage　repeated　Robert　d'Hauteserre's　speech　when　he
met　them　at　daybreak　in　the　park。　The　peasant　who　had　bought　Monsieur
d'Hauteserre's　calf　testified　to　overhearing　that　of　Mademoiselle　de
Cinq…Cygne。　The　experts；　who　had　compared　the　hoof…prints　with　the
shoes　on　the　horses　ridden　by　the　five　prisoners　and　found　them
absolutely　alike；　confirmed　their　previous　depositions。　This　point　was
naturally　one　of　vehement　contention　between　Monsieur　de　Grandville
and　the　prosecuting　officer。　The　defence　called　the　blacksmith　at
Cinq…Cygne　and　succeeded　in　proving　that　he　had　sold　several
horseshoes　of　the　same　pattern　to　strangers　who　were　not　known　in　the
place。　The　blacksmith　declared；　moreover；　that　he　was　in　the　habit　of
shoeing　in　this　particular　manner　not　only　the　horses　of　the　chateau
de　Cinq…Cygne；　but　those　from　other　places　in　the　canton。　It　was　also
proved　that　the　horse　which　Michu　habitually　rode　was　always　shod　at
Troyes；　and　the　mark　of　that　shoe　was　not　among　the　hoof…prints　found
in　the　park。

〃Michu's　double　was　not　aware　of　this　circumstance；　or　he　would　have
provided　for　it；〃　said　Monsieur　de　Grandville；　looking　at　the　jury。
〃Neither　has　the　prosecution　shown　what　horses　our　clients　rode。〃

He　ridiculed　the　testimony　of　Violette　so　far　as　it　concerned　a
recognition　of　the　horses；　seen　from　a　long　distance；　from　behind；　and
after　dusk。　Still；　in　spite　of　all　his　efforts；　the　body　of　the
evidence　was　against　Michu；　and　the　prosecutor；　judge；　jury；　and
audience　were　impressed　with　a　feeling　（as　the　lawyers　for　the　defence
had　foreseen）　that　the　guilt　of　the　servant　carried　with　it　that　of
the　masters。　So　the　vital　interest　centred　on　all　that　concerned
Michu。　His　bearing　was　noble。　He　showed　in　his　answers　the　sagacity
with　which　nature　had　endowed　him；　and　the　public；　seeing　him　on　his
mettle；　recognized　his　superiority。　And　yet；　strange　to　say；　the　more
they　understood　him　the　more　certainty　they　felt　that　he　was　the
instigator　of　the　outrage。

The　witnesses　for　the　defence；　always　less　important　in　the　eyes　of　a
jury　and　of　the　law　than　the　witnesses　for　the　prosecution；　seemed　to
testify　as　in　duty　bound；　and　were　listened　to　with　that　allowance。　In
the　first　place　neither　Marthe；　nor　Monsieur　and　Madame　d'Hauteserre
took　the　oath。　Catherine　and　the　Durieus；　in　their　capacity　as
servants；　did　not　take　it。　Monsieur　d'Hauteserre　stated　that　he　had
ordered　Michu　to　replace　and　mend　the　stone　post　which　had　been　thrown
down。　The　deposition　of　the　experts　sent　to　examine　the　fence；　which
was　now　read；　confirmed　his　testimony；　but　they　helped　the　prosecution
by　declaring　they　could　not　fix　the　exact　time　at　which　the　repairs
had　been　made；　it　might　have　been　several　weeks　or　no　more　than　twenty
days。

The　appearance　of　Mademoiselle　de　Cinq…Cygne　excited　the　liveliest
curiosity；　but　the　sight　of　her　cousins　in　the　prisoners'　dock　after
three　weeks'　separation　affected　her　so　much　that　her　emotions　gave
the　audience　an　impression　of　guilt。　She　felt　an　overwhelming　desire
to　stand　beside　the　twins；　and　was　obliged；　as　she　afterwards
admitted；　to　use　all　her　strength　to　repress　the　longing　that　came
into　her　mind　to　kill　the　prosecutor　so　as　to　stand　in　the　eyes　of　the
world　as　a　criminal　beside　them。　She　testified；　with　simplicity；　that
riding　from　Cinq…Cygne　and　seeing　smoke　in　the　park　of　Gondreville；
she　had　supposed　there　was　a　fire；　at　first　she　thought　they　were　burning
weeds　or　brush；　〃but　later；〃　she　added；　〃I　observed　a　circumstance
which　I　offer　to　the　attention　of　the　Court。　I　found　in　the　frogging
of　my　habit　and　in　the　folds　of　my　collar　small　fragments　of　what
appeared　to　be　burned　paper　which　were　floating　in　the　air。〃

〃Was　there　much　smoke？〃　asked　Bordin。

〃Yes；〃　replied　Mademoiselle　de　Cinq…Cygne；　〃I　feared　a　conflagration。〃

〃This　is　enough　to　change　the　whole　inquiry；〃　remarked　Bordin。　〃I
request　the　Court　to　order　an　immediate　examination　of　that　region　of
the　park　where　the　fire　occurred。〃

The　president　ordered　the　inquiry。

Grevin；　recalled　by　the　defence　and　questioned　on　this　circumstance；
declared　he　knew　nothing　about　it。　But　Bordin　and　he　exchanged　looks
which　mutually　enlightened　them。

〃The　gist　of　the　case　is　there；〃　thought　the　old　notary。

〃They've　laid　their　finger　on　it；〃　thought　the　notary。

But　each　shrewd　head　considered　the　following　up　of　this　point
useless。　Bordin　reflected　that　Grevin　would　be　silent　as　the　grave；
and　Grevin　congratulated　himself　that　every　sign　of　the　fire　had　been
effaced。

To　settle　this　point；　which　seemed　a　mere　accessory　to　the　trial　and
somewhat　puerile　（but　which　is　really　essential　in　the　justification
which　history　owes　to　these　young　men）；　the　experts　and　Pigoult；　who
were　despatched　by　the　president　to　examine　the　park；　reported　that
they　could　find　no　traces　of　a　bonfire。

Bordin　summoned　two　laborers；　who　testified　to　having　dug　over；　under
the　direction　of　the　forester；　a　tract　of　ground　in　the　park　where　the
grass　had　been　burned；　but　they　declared　they　had　not　observed　the
nature　of　the　ashes　they　had　buried。

The　forester；　recalled　by　the　defence；　said　he　had　received　from　the
senator　himself；　as　he　was　passing　the　chateau　of　Gondreville　on　his
way　to　the　masquerade　at　Arcis；　an　order　to　dig　over　that　particular
piece　of　ground　which　the　senator　had　remarked　as　needing　it。

〃Had　papers；　or　herbage　been　burned　there？〃

〃I　could　not　say。　I　saw　nothing　that　made　me　think　that　papers　had
been　burned　there；〃　replied　the　forester。

〃At　any　rate；〃　said　Bordin；　〃if；　as　it　appears；　a　fire　was　kindled　on
that　piece　of　ground　some　one　brought　to　the　spot　whatever　was　burned
there。〃

T