an historical mystery-第35章

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State　suppressed　the　function　of　the　directors　of　juries；　which　united
many　enormous　powers。　In　relation　to　the　discovery　of　delinquencies
and　their　prosecution　the　director　of　the　jury　was；　in　fact；　agent　of
police；　public　prosecutor；　municipal　judge；　and　the　court　itself。　His
proceedings　and　his　indictments　were；　however；　submitted　for　signature
to　a　commissioner　of　the　executive　power　and　to　the　verdict　of　eight
jurymen；　before　whom　he　laid　the　facts　of　the　case；　and　who　examined
the　witnesses　and　the　accused　and　rendered　the　preliminary　verdict；
called　the　indictment。　The　director　was；　however；　in　a　position　to
exercise　such　influence　over　the　jurymen；　who　met　in　his　private
office；　that　they　could　not　well　avoid　agreeing　with　him。　These
jurymen　were　called　the　jury　of　indictment。　There　were　others　who
formed　the　juries　of　the　criminal　tribunals　whose　duty　it　was　to　judge
the　accused；　these　were　called；　in　contradistinction　to　the　jury　of
indictment；　the　judgment　jury。　The　criminal　tribunal；　to　which
Napoleon　afterwards　gave　the　name　of　criminal　court；　was　composed　of
one　President　or　chief　justice；　four　judges；　the　public　prosecutor；
and　a　government　commissioner。

Nevertheless；　from　1799　to　1806　there　were　special　courts　（so…called）
which　judged　without　juries　certain　misdemeanors　in　certain
departments；　these　were　composed　of　judges　taken　from　the　civil　courts
and　formed　into　a　special　court。　This　conflict　of　special　justice　and
criminal　justice　gave　rise　to　questions　of　competence　which　came
before　the　courts　of　appeal。　If　the　department　of　the　Aube　had　had　a
special　court；　the　verdict　on　the　outrage　committed　on　a　senator　of
the　Empire　would　no　doubt　have　been　referred　to　it；　but　this　tranquil
department　had　never　needed　unusual　jurisdiction。　Grevin　therefore
despatched　the　sub…lieutenant　to　Troyes　to　bring　the　director　of　the
jury　of　that　town。　The　emissary　went　at　full　gallop；　and　soon　returned
in　a　post…carriage　with　the　all…powerful　magistrate。

The　director　of　the　Troyes　jury　was　formerly　secretary　of　one　of　the
committees　of　the　Convention；　a　friend　of　Malin；　to　whom　he　owed　his
present　place。　This　magistrate；　named　Lechesneau；　had　helped　Malin；　as
Grevin　had　done；　in　his　work　on　the　Code　during　the　Convention。　Malin
in　return　recommended　him　to　Cambaceres；　who　appointed　him　attorney…
general　for　Italy。　Unfortunately　for　him；　Lechesneau　had　a　liaison
with　a　great　lady　in　Turin；　and　Napoleon　removed　him　to　avoid　a
criminal　trial　threatened　by　the　husband。　Lechesneau；　bound　in
gratitude　to　Malin；　felt　the　importance　of　this　attack　upon　his
patron；　and　brought　with　him　a　captain　of　gendarmerie　and　twelve　men。

Before　starting　he　laid　his　plans　with　the　prefect；　who　was　unable　at
that　late　hour；　it　being　after　dark；　to　use　the　telegraph。　They
therefore　sent　a　mounted　messenger　to　Paris　to　notify　the　minister　of
police；　the　chief　justice　and　the　Emperor　of　this　extraordinary　crime。
In　the　salon　of　Gondreville；　Lechesneau　found　Mesdames　Marion　and
Grevin；　Violette；　the　senator's　valet；　and　the　justice　of　peace　with
his　clerk。　The　chateau　had　already　been　examined；　the　justice；
assisted　by　Grevin；　had　carefully　collected　the　first　testimony。　The
first　thing　that　struck　him　was　the　obvious　intention　shown　in　the
choice　of　the　day　and　hour　for　the　attack。　The　hour　prevented　an
immediate　search　for　proofs　and　traces。　At　this　season　it　was　nearly
dark　by　half…past　five；　the　hour　at　which　Violette　gave　the　alarm；　and
darkness　often　means　impunity　to　evil…doers。　The　choice　of　a　holiday；
when　most　persons　had　gone　to　the　masquerade　at　Arcis；　and　the　senator
was　comparatively　alone　in　the　house；　showed　an　obvious　intention　to
get　rid　of　witnesses。

〃Let　us　do　justice　to　the　intelligence　of　the　prefecture　of　police；〃
said　Lechesneau；　〃they　have　never　ceased　to　warn　us　to　be　on　our　guard
against　the　nobles　at　Cinq…Cygne；　they　have　always　declared　that
sooner　or　later　those　people　would　play　us　some　dangerous　trick。〃

Sure　of　the　active　co…operation　of　the　prefect　of　the　Aube；　who　sent
messengers　to　all　the　surrounding　prefectures　asking　them　to　search
for　the　five　abductors　and　the　senator；　Lechesneau　began　his　work　by
verifying　the　first　facts。　This　was　soon　done　by　the　help　of　two　such
legal　heads　as　those　of　Grevin　and　the　justice　of　peace。　The　latter；
named　Pigoult；　formerly　head…clerk　in　the　office　where　Malin　and
Grevin　had　first　studied　law　in　Paris；　was　soon　after　appointed　judge
of　the　municipal　court　at　Arcis。　In　relation　to　Michu；　Lechesneau　knew
of　the　threats　the　man　had　made　about　the　sale　of　Gondreville　to
Marion；　and　the　danger　Malin　had　escaped　in　his　own　park　from　Michu's
gun。　These　two　facts；　one　being　the　consequence　of　the　other；　were　no
doubt　the　precursors　of　the　present　successful　attack；　and　they
pointed　so　obviously　to　the　late　bailiff　as　the　instigator　of　the
outrage　that　Grevin；　his　wife；　Violette；　and　Madame　Marion　declared
that　they　had　recognized　among　the　five　masked　men　one　who　exactly
resembled　Michu。　The　color　of　the　hair　and　whiskers　and　the　thick…set
figure　of　the　man　made　the　mask　he　wore　useless。　Besides；　who　but
Michu　could　have　opened　the　iron　gates　of　the　park　with　a　key？　The
present　bailiff　and　his　wife；　now　returned　from　the　masquerade；
deposed　to　have　locked　both　gates　before　leaving　the　pavilion。　The
gates　when　examined　showed　no　sign　of　being　forced。

〃When　we　turned　him　off　he　must　have　taken　some　duplicate　keys　with
him；〃　remarked　Grevin。　〃No　doubt　he　has　been　meditating　a　desperate
step；　for　he　has　lately　sold　his　whole　property；　and　he　received　the
money　for　it　in　my　office　day　before　yesterday。〃

〃The　others　have　followed　his　lead！〃　exclaimed　Lechesneau；　struck　with
the　circumstances。　〃He　has　been　their　evil　genius。〃

Moreover；　who　could　know　as　well　as　the　Messieurs　de　Simeuse　the　ins
and　outs　of　the　chateau。　None　of　the　assailants　seemed　to　have
blundered　in　their　search；　they　had　gone　through　the　house　in　a
confident　way　which　showed　that　they　knew　what　they　wanted　to　find　and
where　to　find　it。　The　locks　of　none　of　the　opened　closets　had　been
forced；　therefore　the　delinquents　had　keys。　Strange　to　say；　however；
nothing　had　been　taken；　the　motive；　therefore；　was　not　robbery。　More
than　all；　when　Violette　had　followed　the　tracks　of　the　horses　as　far
as　the　/rond…point/；　he　had　found　the　countess；　evidently　on　guard；　at
the　pavilion。　From　such　a　combination　of　facts　and　depositions　arose　a
presumption　as　to　the　guilt　of　the　Messieurs　de　Simeuse；　d'Hauteserre；
and　Michu；　which　would　have　been　strong　to　unprejudiced　minds；　and　to
the　director　of　the　jury　had　the　force　of　certainty。　What　were　they
likely　to　do　to　the　future　Comte　de　Gondreville？　Did　they　mean　to
force　him　to　make　over　the　estate　for　which　Michu　declared　in　1799　he
had　the　money　to　pay？

But　there　was　another　aspect　of　the　cast　to　the　knowing　criminal
lawyer。　He　asked　himself　what　could　be　the　object　of　the　careful
search　made　of　the　chateau。　If　revenge　were　at　the　bottom　of　the
matter；　the　assailants　would　have　killed　the　senator。　Perhaps　he　had
been　killed　and　buried。　The　abduction；　however；　seemed　to　point　to
imprisonment。　But　why　keep　their　victim　imprisoned　after　searching　the
castle？　It　was　folly　to　suppose　that　the　abduction　of　a　dignitary　of
the　Empire　could　long　remain　secret。　The　publicity　of　the　matter　would
prevent　any　benefit　from　it。

To　these　suggestions　Pigoult　replied　that　justice　was　never　able　to
make　out　all　the　motives　of　scoundrels。　In　every　criminal　case　there
were　obscurities；　he　said；　between　the　judge　and　the　guilty　person；
conscience　had　depths　into　which　no　human　mind　could　enter　unless　by
the　confession　of　the　criminal。

Grevin　and　Lechesneau　nodded　their　assent；　without；　however；　relaxing
their　determination　to　see　to　the　bottom　of　the　present　mystery。

〃The　Emperor　pardoned　those　young　men；〃　said　Pigoult　to　Grevin。　〃He
removed　their　names　from　the　list　of　/emigres/；　though　they　certainly
took　part　in　that　last　conspiracy　against　him。〃

Lechesneau　make　no　delay　in　sending　his　whole　force　of　gendarmerie　to
the　forest　and　to　the　valley　of　Cinq…Cygne；　telling　Gigue