an historical mystery-第34章

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thousand　francs；　the　party；　emboldened　by　success；　took　a　more　direct
way　than　on　their　other　trips。　The　path　passed　an　opening　from　which
the　park　of　Gondreville　could　be　seen。

〃What　is　that？〃　cried　Laurence；　pointing　to　a　column　of　blue　flame。

〃A　bonfire；　I　think；〃　replied　Michu。

Laurence；　who　knew　all　the　by…ways　of　the　forest；　left　the　rest　of　the
party　and　galloped　towards　the　pavilion；　Michu's　old　home。　Though　the
building　was　closed　and　deserted；　the　iron　gates　were　open；　and　traces
of　the　recent　passage　of　several　horses　struck　Laurence　instantly。　The
column　of　blue　smoke　was　rising　from　a　field　in　what　was　called　the
English　park；　where；　as　she　supposed；　they　were　burning　brush。

〃Ah！　so　you　are　concerned　in　it；　too；　are　you；　mademoiselle？〃　cried
Violette；　who　came　out　of　the　park　at　top　speed　on　his　pony；　and
pulled　up　to　meet　Laurence。　〃But；　of　course；　it　is　only　a　carnival
joke？　They　surely　won't　kill　him？〃

〃Who？〃

〃Your　cousins　wouldn't　put　him　to　death？〃

〃Death！　whose　death？〃

〃The　senator's。〃

〃You　are　crazy；　Violette！〃

〃Well；　what　are　you　doing　here；　then？〃　he　demanded。

At　the　idea　of　a　danger　which　was　threatening　her　cousins；　Laurence
turned　her　horse　and　galloped　back　to　them；　reaching　the　ground　as　the
last　sacks　were　filled。

〃Quick；　quick！〃　she　cried。　〃I　don't　know　what　is　going　on；　but　let　us
get　back　to　Cinq…Cygne。〃

While　the　happy　party　were　employed　in　recovering　the　fortune　saved　by
the　old　marquis；　and　guarded　for　so　many　years　by　Michu；　an
extraordinary　scene　was　taking　place　in　the　chateau　of　Gondreville。

About　two　o'clock　in　the　afternoon　Malin　and　his　friend　Grevin　were
playing　chess　before　the　fire　in　the　great　salon　on　the　ground…floor。
Madame　Grevin　and　Madame　Marion　were　sitting　on　a　sofa　and　talking
together　at　a　corner　of　the　fireplace。　All　the　servants　had　gone　to
see　the　masquerade；　which　had　long　been　announced　in　the
arrondissement。　The　family　of　the　bailiff　who　had　replaced　Michu　had
gone　too。　The　senator's　valet　and　Violette　were　the　only　persons
beside　the　family　at　the　chateau。　The　porter；　two　gardeners；　and　their
wives　were　on　the　place；　but　their　lodge　was　at　the　entrance　of　the
courtyards　at　the　farther　end　of　the　avenue　to　Arcis；　and　the　distance
from　there　to　the　chateau　is　beyond　the　sound　of　a　pistol…shot。
Violette　was　waiting　in　the　antechamber　until　the　senator　and　Grevin
could　see　him　on　business；　to　arrange　a　matter　relating　to　his　lease。
At　that　moment　five　men；　masked　and　gloved；　who　in　height；　manner；　and
bearing　strongly　resembled　the　Simeuse　and　d'Hauteserre　brothers　and
Michu；　rushed　into　the　antechamber；　seized　and　gagged　the　valet　and
Violette；　and　fastened　them　to　their　chairs　in　a　side　room。　In　spite
of　the　rapidity　with　which　this　was　done；　Violette　and　the　servant　had
time　to　utter　one　cry。　It　was　heard　in　the　salon。　The　two　ladies
thought　it　a　cry　of　fear。

〃Listen！〃　said　Madame　Grevin；　〃can　there　be　robbers？〃

〃No；　nonsense！〃　said　Grevin；　〃only　carnival　cries；　the　masqueraders
must　be　coming　to　pay　us　a　visit。〃

This　discussion　gave　time　for　the　four　strangers　to　close　the　doors
towards　the　courtyards　and　to　lock　up　Violette　and　the　valet。　Madame
Grevin；　who　was　rather　obstinate；　insisted　on　knowing　what　the　noise
meant。　She　rose；　left　the　room；　and　came　face　to　face　with　the　five
masked　men；　who　treated　her　as　they　had　treated　the　farmer　and　the
valet。　Then　they　rushed　into　the　salon；　where　the　two　strongest　seized
and　gagged　Malin；　and　carried　him　off　into　the　park；　while　the　three
others　remained　behind　to　gag　Madame　Marion　and　Grevin　and　lash　them
to　their　armchairs。　The　whole　affair　did　not　take　more　than　half　an
hour。　The　three　unknown　men；　who　were　quickly　rejoined　by　the　two　who
had　carried　off　the　senator；　then　proceeded　to　ransack　the　chateau
from　cellar　to　garret。　They　opened　all　closets　and　doors；　and　sounded
the　walls；　until　five　o'clock　they　were　absolute　masters　of　the　place。
By　that　time　the　valet　had　managed　to　loosen　with　his　teeth　the　rope
that　bound　Violette。　Violette；　able　then　to　get　the　gag　from　his
mouth；　began　to　shout　for　help。　Hearing　the　shouts　the　five　men
withdrew　to　the　gardens；　where　they　mounted　horses　closely　resembling
those　at　Cinq…Cygne　and　rode　away；　but　not　so　rapidly　that　Violette
was　unable　to　catch　sight　of　them。　After　releasing　the　valet；　the　two
ladies；　and　the　notary；　Violette　mounted　his　pony　and　rode　after　help。
When　he　reached　the　pavilion　he　was　amazed　to　see　the　gates　open　and
Mademoiselle　de　Cinq…Cygne　apparently　on　the　watch。

Directly　after　the　young　countess　had　ridden　off；　Violette　was
overtaken　by　Grevin　and　the　forester　of　the　township　of　Gondreville；
who　had　taken　horses　from　the　stables　at　the　chateau。　The　porter's
wife　was　on　her　way　to　summon　the　gendarmerie　from　Arcis。　Violette　at
once　informed　Grevin　of　his　meeting　with　Laurence　and　the　sudden
flight　of　the　daring　girl；　whose　strong　and　decided　character　was
known　to　all　of　them。

〃She　was　keeping　watch；〃　said　Violette。

〃Is　it　possible　that　those　Cinq…Cygne　people　have　done　this　thing？〃
cried　Grevin。

〃Do　you　mean　to　say　you　didn't　recognize　that　stout　Michu？〃　exclaimed
Violette。　〃It　was　he　who　attacked　me；　I　knew　his　fist。　Besides；　they
rode　the　Cinq…Cygne　horses。〃

Noticing　the　hoof…marks　on　the　sand　of　the　/rond…point/　and　along　the
park　road　the　notary　stationed　the　forester　at　the　gateway　to　see　to
the　preservation　of　these　precious　traces　until　the　justice　of　peace
of　Arcis　（for　whom　he　now　sent　Violette）　could　take　note　of　them。　He
himself　returned　hastily　to　the　chateau；　where　the　lieutenant　and　sub…
lieutenant　of　the　Imperial　gendarmerie　at　Arcis　had　arrived；
accompanied　by　four　men　and　a　corporal。　The　lieutenant　was　the　same
man　whose　head　Francois　Michu　had　broken　two　years　earlier；　and　who
had　heard　from　Corentin　the　name　of　his　mischievous　assailant。　This
man；　whose　name　was　Giguet　（his　brother　was　in　the　army；　and　became
one　of　the　finest　colonels　of　artillery）；　was　an　extremely　able
officer　of　gendarmerie。　Later　he　commanded　the　squadron　of　the　Aube。
The　sub…lieutenant；　named　Welff；　had　formerly　driven　Corentin　from
Cinq…Cygne　to　the　pavilion；　and　from　the　pavilion　to　Troyes。　On　the
way；　the　spy　had　fully　informed　him　as　to　what　he　called　the　trickery
of　Laurence　and　Michu。　The　two　officers　were　therefore　well　inclined
to　show；　and　did　show；　great　eagerness　against　the　family　at　Cinq…
Cygne。



CHAPTER　XIII

THE　CODE　OF　BRUMAIRE；　YEAR　IV。

Malin　and　Grevin　had　both；　the　latter　working　for　the　former；　taken
part　in　the　construction　of　the　Code　called　that　of　Brumaire；　year
IV。；　the　judicial　work　of　the　National　Convention；　so…called；　and
promulgated　by　the　Directory。　Grevin　knew　its　provisions　thoroughly；
and　was　able　to　apply　them　in　this　affair　with　terrible　celerity；
under　a　theory；　now　converted　into　a　certainty；　of　the　guilt　of　Michu
and　the　Messieurs　de　Simeuse　and　d'Hauteserre。　No　one　in　these　days；
unless　it　be　some　antiquated　magistrates；　will　remember　this　system　of
justice；　which　Napoleon　was　even　then　overthrowing　by　the　promulgation
of　his　own　Codes；　and　by　the　institution　of　his　magistracy　under　the
form　in　which　it　now　rules　France。

The　Code　of　Brumaire；　year　IV。；　gave　to　the　director　of　the　jury　of
the　department　the　duty　of　discovering；　indicting；　and　prosecuting　the
persons　guilty　of　the　delinquency　committed　at　Gondreville。　Remark；　by
the　way；　that　the　Convention　had　eliminated　from　its　judicial
vocabulary　the　word　〃crime〃；　/delinquencies/　and　/misdemeanors/　were
alone　admitted；　and　these　were　punished　with　fines；　imprisonment；　and
penalties　〃afflictive　or　infamous。〃　Death　was　an　afflictive
punishment。　But　the　penalty　of　death　was　to　be　done　away　with　after
the　restoration　of　peace；　and　twenty…four　years　of　hard　labor　were　to
take　its　place。　Thus　the　Convention　estimated　twenty…four　years　of
hard　labor　as　the　equivalent　of　death。　What　therefore　can　be　said　for
a　code　which　inflicts　the　punishment　of　hard　labor　for　life？　The
system　then　in　process　of　preparation　by　the　Napoleonic　Council　of
State　suppressed　the　function　of　the　directors　of　juries；　which　u