an historical mystery-第38章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


under　the　Code；　the　penalty　is　death；〃　replied　the　justice。

〃Death！〃　cried　Madame　d'Hauteserre；　fainting　away。

The　abbe　now　came　in　with　his　sister；　who　stopped　to　speak　to
Catherine　and　Madame　Durieu。

〃We　haven't　even　seen　your　cursed　senator！〃　said　Michu。

〃Madame　Marion；　Madame　Grevin；　Monsieur　Grevin；　the　senator's　valet；
and　Violette　all　tell　another　tale；〃　replied　Pigoult；　with　the　sour
smile　of　magisterial　conviction。

〃I　don't　understand　a　thing　about　it；〃　said　Michu；　dumbfounded　by　his
reply；　and　beginning　now　to　believe　that　his　masters　and　himself　were
entangled　in　some　plot　which　had　been　laid　against　them。

Just　then　the　party　from　the　stables　returned。　Laurence　went　up　to
Madame　d'Hauteserre；　who　recovered　her　senses　enough　to　say：　〃The
penalty　is　death！〃

〃Death！〃　repeated　Laurence；　looking　at　the　four　gentlemen。

The　word　excited　a　general　terror；　of　which　Giguet；　formerly
instructed　by　Corentin；　took　immediate　advantage。

〃Everything　can　be　arranged；〃　he　said；　drawing　the　Marquis　de　Simeuse
into　a　corner　of　the　dining…room。　〃Perhaps　after　all　it　is　nothing　but
a　joke；　you've　been　a　soldier　and　soldiers　understand　each　other。　Tell
me；　what　have　you　really　done　with　the　senator？　If　you　have　killed　him
why；　that's　the　end　of　it！　But　if　you　have　only　locked　him　up；
release　him；　for　you　see　for　yourself　your　game　is　balked。　Do　this　and
I　am　certain　the　director　of　the　jury　and　the　senator　himself　will
drop　the　matter。〃

〃We　know　absolutely　nothing　about　it；〃　said　the　marquis。

〃If　you　take　that　tone　the　matter　is　likely　to　go　far；〃　replied　the
lieutenant。

〃Dear　cousin；〃　said　the　Marquis　de　Simeuse；　〃we　are　forced　to　go　to
prison；　but　do　not　be　uneasy；　we　shall　return　in　a　few　hours；　for
there　is　some　misunderstanding　in　all　this　which　can　be　explained。〃

〃I　hope　so；　for　your　sakes；　gentlemen；〃　said　the　magistrate；　signing
to　the　gendarmes　to　remove　the　four　gentlemen；　Michu；　and　Gothard。
〃Don't　take　them　to　Troyes；　keep　them　in　your　guardhouse　at　Arcis；〃　he
said　to　the　lieutenant；　〃they　must　be　present　to…morrow；　at　daybreak；
when　we　compare　the　shoes　of　their　horses　with　the　hoof…prints　in　the
park。〃

Lechesneau　and　Pigoult　did　not　follow　until　they　had　closely
questioned　Catherine；　Monsieur　and　Madame　d'Hauteserre；　and　Laurence。
The　Durieus；　Catherine；　and　Marthe　declared　they　had　only　seen　their
masters　at　breakfast…time；　Monsieur　d'Hauteserre　said　he　had　seen　them
at　three　o'clock。

When；　at　midnight；　Laurence　found　herself　alone　with　Monsieur　and
Madame　d'Hauteserre；　the　abbe　and　his　sister；　and　without　the　four
young　men　who　for　the　last　eighteen　months　had　been　the　life　of　the
chateau　and　the　love　and　joy　of　her　own　life；　she　fell　into　a　gloomy
silence　which　no　one　present　dared　to　break。　No　affliction　was　ever
deeper　or　more　complete　than　hers。　At　last　a　deep　sigh　broke　the
stillness；　and　all　eyes　turned　towards　the　sound。

Marthe；　forgotten　in　a　corner；　rose；　exclaiming；　〃Death！　They　will
kill　them　in　spite　of　their　innocence！〃

〃Mademoiselle；　what　is　the　matter　with　you？〃　said　the　abbe。

Laurence　left　the　room　without　replying。　She　needed　solitude　to
recover　strength　in　presence　of　this　terrible　unforeseen　disaster。



CHAPTER　XV

DOUBTS　AND　FEARS　OF　COUNSEL

At　a　distance　of　thirty…four　years；　during　which　three　great
revolutions　have　taken　place；　none　but　elderly　persons　can　recall　the
immense　excitement　produced　in　Europe　by　the　abduction　of　a　senator　of
the　French　Empire。　No　trial；　if　we　except　that　of　Trumeaux；　the　grocer
of　the　Place　Saint…Michel；　and　that　of　the　widow　Morin；　under　the
Empire；　those　of　Fualdes　and　de　Castaing；　under　the　Restoration；　those
of　Madame　Lafarge　and　Fieschi；　under　the　present　government；　ever
roused　so　much　curiosity　or　so　deep　an　interest　as　that　of　the　four
young　men　accused　of　abducting　Malin。　Such　an　attack　against　a　member
of　his　Senate　excited　the　wrath　of　the　Emperor；　who　was　told　of　the
arrest　of　the　delinquents　almost　at　the　moment　when　he　first　heard　of
the　crime　and　the　negative　results　of　the　inquiries。　The　forest；
searched　throughout；　the　department　of　the　Aube；　ransacked　from　end　to
end；　gave　not　the　slightest　indication　of　the　passage　of　the　Comte　de
Gondreville　nor　of　his　imprisonment。　Napoleon　sent　for　the　chief
justice；　who；　after　obtaining　certain　information　from　the　ministry　of
police；　explained　to　his　Majesty　the　position　of　Malin　in　regard　to
the　Simeuse　brothers　and　the　Gondreville　estate。　The　Emperor；　at　that
time　pre…occupied　with　serious　matters；　considered　the　affair
explained　by　these　anterior　facts。

〃Those　young　men　are　fools；〃　he　said。　〃A　lawyer　like　Malin　will　escape
any　deed　they　may　force　him　to　sign　under　violence。　Watch　those
nobles；　and　discover　the　means　they　take　to　set　the　Comte　de
Gondreville　at　liberty。〃

He　ordered　the　affair　to　be　conducted　with　the　utmost　celerity；
regarding　it　as　an　attack　on　his　own　institutions；　a　fatal　example　of
resistance　to　the　results　of　the　Revolution；　an　effort　to　open　the
great　question　of　the　sales　of　〃national　property；〃　and　a　hindrance　to
that　fusion　of　parties　which　was　the　constant　object　of　his　home
policy。　Besides　all　this；　he　thought　himself　tricked　by　these　young
nobles；　who　had　given　him　their　promise　to　live　peaceably。

〃Fouche's　prediction　has　come　true；〃　he　cried；　remembering　the　words
uttered　two　years　earlier　by　his　present　minister　of　police；　who　said
them　under　the　impressions　conveyed　to　him　by　Corentin's　report　as　to
the　character　and　designs　of　Mademoiselle　de　Cinq…Cygne。

It　is　impossible　for　persons　living　under　a　constitutional　government；
where　no　one　really　cares　for　that　cold　and　thankless；　blind；　deaf
Thing　called　public　interest；　to　imagine　the　zeal　which　a　mere　word　of
the　Emperor　was　able　to　inspire　in　his　political　or　administrative
machine。　That　powerful　will　seemed　to　impress　itself　as　much　upon
things　as　upon　men。　His　decision　once　uttered；　the　Emperor；　overtaken
by　the　coalition　of　1806；　forgot　the　whole　matter。　He　thought　only　of
new　battles　to　fight；　and　his　mind　was　occupied　in　massing　his
regiments　to　strike　the　great　blow　at　the　heart　of　the　Prussian
monarchy。　His　desire　for　prompt　justice　in　the　present　case　found
powerful　assistance　in　the　great　uncertainty　which　affected　the
position　of　all　magistrates　of　the　Empire。　Just　at　this　time
Cambaceres；　as　arch…chancellor；　and　Regnier；　chief　justice；　were
preparing　to　organize　/tribunaux　de　premiere　instance/　（lower　civil
courts）；　imperial　courts；　and　a　court　of　appeal　or　supreme　court。　They
were　agitating　the　question　of　a　legal　garb　or　costume；　to　which
Napoleon　attached；　and　very　justly；　so　much　importance　in　all　official
stations；　and　they　were　also　inquiring　into　the　character　of　the
persons　composing　the　magistracy。　Naturally；　therefore；　the　officials
of　the　department　of　the　Aube　considered　they　could　have　no　better
recommendation　than　to　give　proofs　of　their　zeal　in　the　matter　of　the
abduction　of　the　Comte　de　Gondreville。　Napoleon's　suppositions　became
certainties　to　these　courtiers　and　also　to　the　populace。

Peace　still　reigned　on　the　continent；　admiration　for　the　Emperor　was
unanimous　in　France；　he　cajoled　all　interests；　persons；　vanities；　and
things；　in　short；　everything；　even　memories。　This　attack；　therefore；
directed　against　his　senator；　seemed　in　the　eyes　of　all　an　assault
upon　the　public　welfare。　The　luckless　and　innocent　gentlemen　were　the
objects　of　general　opprobrium。　A　few　nobles　living　quietly　on　their
estates　deplored　the　affair　among　themselves　but　dared　not　open　their
lips；　in　fact；　how　was　it　possible　for　them　to　oppose　the　current　of
public　opinion。　Throughout　the　department　the　deaths　of　the　eleven
persons　killed　by　the　Simeuse　brothers　in　1792　from　the　windows　of　the
hotel　Cinq…Cygne　were　brought　up　against　them。　It　was　feared　that
other　returned　and　now　emboldened　/emigres/　might　follow　this　example
of　violence　against　those　who　had　bought　their　estates　from　the
〃national　domain；〃　as　a　method　of　protesting　against　what　they　might
call　an　unjust　spoliation。

The　unfortunate　young　nobles　were　therefore　considered　as　robbers；
brigands；　m