she stands accused(她是被告)-第58章
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illness； hastened to visit the widow。 The widow invited him to dinner。
The day after that he dined with her again； and they were seen walking
together。 Their intimacy seemed to grow daily。 But the friendship of
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Mme Lacoste for Meilhan did not end there。 Not very many days after
the death of Lacoste Meilhan met the Mayor of Riguepeu； M。 Sabazan；
and conducted him in a mysterious manner into his schoolroom。 Telling
the Mayor that he knew him to be a man of discretion； he confided in him
that the Veuve Lacoste intended giving him （Meilhan） a bill on one
Castera。 Did the Mayor know Castera to be all right？ The Mayor
replied that a bill on Castera was as good as gold itself。 Meilhan said that
Mme Lacoste had assured him this was but the beginning of what she
meant to do for him。
Meilhan wrote to Castera； who called on him。 The schoolmaster told
Castera that in return for 2000 francs which she had borrowed from him
Mme Lacoste had given him a note for 1772 francs； which was due from
Castera to Henri Lacoste as part inheritance from a brother。 Meilhan
showed Castera the original note； which was to be renewed in Meilhan's
favour。 The accusation dwelt on the different versions regarding his
possession of the note given by Meilhan to the Mayor and to Castera。
Meilhan was demonstrably lying to conceal Mme Lacoste's liberality。
Some little time after this Meilhan invited the Mayor a second time
into the schoolroom； and told him that Mme Lacoste meant to assure him
of a life annuity of 400 francs； and had asked him to prepare the necessary
document for her to sign。 But there was another proposition。 If
Meilhan would return the note for 1772 francs owing by Castera she
would make the annuity up to 500。 What； asked Meilhan； would M。 le
Maire do in his place？ The Mayor replied that in Meilhan's place he
would keep the Castera note and be content with the 400 annuity。 Then
Meilhan asked the Mayor to draw up for him a specimen of the document
necessary for creating the annuity。 This M。 Sabazan did at once； and
gave the draft to Meilhan。
Some days later still Meilhan told M。 Sabazan that Mme Lacoste did
not wish to use the form of document suggested by the Mayor； but had
written one herself。 Meilhan showed the Mayor the widow's document；
and begged him to read it to see if it was in proper form。 Sabazan read
the document。 It created an annuity of 400 francs； payable yearly in the
month of August。 The Mayor did not know actually if the deed was in
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the writing of Mme Lacoste。 He did not know her fist。 But he could be
certain that it was not in Meilhan's hand。
This deed was later shown by Meilhan to the cure of Riguepeu； who
saw at least that the deed was not in Meilhan's writing。 He noticed that it
showed some mistakes； and that the signature of the Widow Lacoste began
with the word ‘‘Euphemie。''
In the month of August Meilhan was met coming out of Mme
Lacoste's by the Mayor。 Jingling money in his pocket； the schoolmaster
told the Mayor he had just drawn the first payment of his annuity。 Later
Meilhan bragged to the cure of Basais that he was made for life。 He took
a handful of louis from his pocket； and told the priest that this was his
daily allowance。
‘‘Whence；'' demanded the acte d'accusation； ‘‘came all those riches； if
they were not the price of his share in the crime？''
But the good offices of Mme Lacoste towards Meilhan did not end
with the giving of money。 In the month of August Meilhan was chased
from his lodgings by his landlord； Lescure； on suspicion of having had
intimate relations with the landlord's wife。 The intervention of the Mayor
was ineffective in bringing about a reconciliation between Meilhan and
Lescure。 Meilhan begged Mme Lacoste to intercede； and where the
Mayor had failed she succeeded。
While Mme Lacoste was thus smothering Meilhan with kindnesses she
was longing herself to make the most of the fortune which had come to her。
From the first days of her widowhood she was constantly writing letters
which Mme Lescure carried for her。 Euphemie had already begun to talk
of remarriage。 Her choice was already made。 ‘‘If I marry again；'' she
said； a few days after the death of Lacoste； ‘‘I won't take anybody but M。
Henri Berens； of Tarbes。 He was my first love。''
The accusation told of Euphemie's departure for Tarbes； where almost
her first caller was this M。 Henri Berens。 The next day she gave up the
lodgings rented by her late husband； to establish herself in rich apartments
owned by one Fourcade； which she furnished sumptuously。 The
accusation dwelt on her purchase of horses and a carriage and on her
luxurious way of living。 It also brought forward some small incidents
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illustrative of her distaste for the memory of her late husband。 It dealt
with information supplied by her landlord which indicated that her
conscience was troubled。 Twice M。 Fourcade found her trembling； as
with fear。 On his asking her what was the matter she replied； ‘‘I was
thinking of my husbandif he saw me in a place furnished like this！''
（It need hardly be pointed out； considering the sour and avaricious
ways of her late husband； that Euphemie need not have been conscience…
stricken with his murder to have trembled over her lavish expenditure of
his fortune。 But the point is typical of the trivialities with which the acte
d'accusation was padded out。）
The accusation claimed that a young man had several times been seen
leaving Euphemie's apartments at midnight； and spoke of protests made by
Mme Fourcade。 Euphemie declared herself indifferent to public opinion。
Public opinion； however； beginning to rise against her； Euphemie had
need to resort to lying in order to explain her husband's death。 To some
she repeated the story of the onion…garlic…and…beans meal； adding that； in
spite of his indigestion； he had eaten gluttonously later in the day。 To
others she attributed his illness to two indigestible repasts made at the fair。
To others again she said Lacoste had died of a hernia； forced out by his
efforts to vomit。 She was even accused of saying that the doctor had
attributed the death to this cause。 This； said the indictment； was a lie。
Dr Lasmolles declared that he had questioned Lacoste about the supposed
hernia； and that the old man denied having any such thing。
What had brought about Lacoste's fatal illness was the wine Meilhan
had made him drink a
