an historical mystery-第40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！


were　in　the　house　at　three　o'clock　（the　exact　hour　at　which　the　attack
was　made）；　who　are　our　witnesses？　Marthe；　the　wife　of　one　of　the
accused；　the　Durieus；　and　Catherine；　your　own　servants；　and　Monsieur
and　Madame　d'Hauteserre；　father　and　mother　of　two　of　the　accused。　Such
testimony　is　valueless；　the　law　does　not　admit　it　against　you；　and
commonsense　rejects　it　when　given　in　your　favor。　If；　on　the　other
hand；　you　were　to　say　you　went　to　the　forest　to　recover　eleven　hundred
thousand　francs　in　gold；　you　would　send　the　accused　to　the　galleys　as
robbers。　Judge；　jury；　audience；　and　the　whole　of　France　would　believe
that　you　took　that　gold　from　Gondreville；　and　abducted　the　senator
that　you　might　ransack　his　house。　The　accusation　as　it　now　stands　is
not　wholly　clear；　but　tell　the　truth　about　the　matter　and　it　would
become　as　plain　as　day；　the　jury　would　declare　that　the　robbery
explained　the　mysterious　features；for　in　these　days；　you　must
remember；　a　royalist　means　a　thief。　This　very　case　is　welcomed　as　a
legitimate　political　vengeance。　The　prisoners　are　now　in　danger　of　the
death　penalty；　but　that　is　not　dishonoring　under　some　circumstances。
Whereas；　if　they　can　be　proved　to　have　stolen　money；　which　can　never
be　made　to　seem　excusable；　you　lose　all　benefit　of　whatever　interest
may　attach　to　persons　condemned　to　death　for　other　crimes。　If；　at　the
first；　you　had　shown　the　hiding…places　of　the　treasure；　the　plan　of
the　forest；　the　tubes　in　which　the　gold　was　buried；　and　the　gold
itself；　as　an　explanation　of　your　day's　work；　it　is　possible　you　might
have　been　believed　by　an　impartial　magistrate；　but　as　it　is　we　must　be
silent。　God　grant　that　none　of　the　prisoners　may　reveal　the　truth　and
compromise　the　defence；　if　they　do；　we　must　rely　on　our　cross…
examinations。〃

Laurence　wrung　her　hands　in　despair　and　raised　her　eyes　to　heaven　with
a　despondent　look；　for　she　saw　at　last　in　all　its　depths　the　gulf　into
which　her　cousins　had　fallen。　The　marquis　and　the　young　lawyer　agreed
with　the　dreadful　view　of　Bordin。　Old　d'Hauteserre　wept。

〃Ah！　why　did　they　not　listen　to　the　Abbe　Goujet　and　fly！〃　cried　Madame
d'Hauteserre；　exasperated。

〃If　they　could　have　escaped；　and　you　prevented　them；〃　said　Bordin；
〃you　have　killed　them　yourselves。　Judgment　by　default　gains　time；　time
enables　the　innocent　to　clear　themselves。　This　is　the　most　mysterious
case　I　have　ever　known　in　my　life；　in　the　course　of　which　I　have
certainly　seen　and　known　many　strange　things。〃

〃It　is　inexplicable　to　every　one；　even　to　us；〃　said　Monsieur　de
Grandville。　〃If　the　prisoners　are　innocent　some　one　else　has　committed
the　crime。　Five　persons　do　not　come　to　a　place　as　if　by　enchantment；
obtain　five　horses　shod　precisely　like　those　of　the　accused；　imitate
the　appearance　of　some　of　them；　and　put　Malin　apparently　underground
for　the　sole　purpose　of　casting　suspicion　on　Michu　and　the　four
gentlemen。　The　unknown　guilty　parties　must　have　had　some　strong　reason
for　wearing　the　skin；　as　it　were；　of　five　innocent　men。　To　discover
them；　even　to　get　upon　their　traces；　we　need　as　much　power　as　the
government　itself；　as　many　agents　and　as　many　eyes　as　there　are
townships　in　a　radius　of　fifty　miles。〃

〃The　thing　is　impossible；〃　said　Bordin。　〃There's　no　use　thinking　of
it。　Since　society　invented　law　it　has　never　found　a　way　to　give　an
innocent　prisoner　an　equal　chance　against　a　magistrate　who　is　pre…
disposed　against　him。　Law　is　not　bilateral。　The　defence；　without　spies
or　police；　cannot　call　social　power　to　the　rescue　of　its　innocent
clients。　Innocence　has　nothing　on　her　side　but　reason；　and　reasoning
which　may　strike　a　judge　is　often　powerless　on　the　narrow　minds　of
jurymen。　The　whole　department　is　against　you。　The　eight　jurors　who
have　signed　the　indictment　are　each　and　all　purchasers　of　national
domain。　Among　the　trial　jurors　we　are　certain　to　have　some　who　have
either　sold　or　bought　the　same　property。　In　short；　we　can　get　nothing
but　a　Malin　jury。　You　must　therefore　set　up　a　consistent　defence；　hold
fast　to　it；　and　perish　in　your　innocence。　You　will　certainly　be
condemned。　But　there's　a　court　of　appeal；　we　will　go　there　and　try　to
remain　there　as　long　as　possible。　If　in　the　mean　time　we　can　collect
proofs　in　your　favor　you　must　apply　for　pardon。　That's　the　anatomy　of
the　business；　and　my　advice。　If　we　triumph　（for　everything　is　possible
in　law）　it　will　be　a　miracle；　but　your　advocate　Monsieur　de　Grandville
is　the　most　likely　man　among　all　I　know　to　produce　that　miracle；　and
I'll　do　my　best　to　help　him。〃

〃The　senator　has　the　key　to　the　mystery；〃　said　Monsieur　de　Grandville；
〃for　a　man　knows　his　enemies　and　why　they　are　so。　Here　we　find　him
leaving　Paris　at　the　close　of　the　winter；　coming　to　Gondreville　alone；
shutting　himself　up　with　his　notary；　and　delivering　himself　over；　as
one　might　say；　to　five　men　who　seize　him。〃

〃Certainly；〃　said　Bordin；　〃his　conduct　seems　inexplicable。　But　how
could　we；　in　the　face　of　a　hostile　community；　become　accusers　when　we
ourselves　are　the　accused？　We　should　need　the　help　and　good…will　of
the　government　and　a　thousand　times　more　proof　than　is　wanted　in
ordinary　circumstances。　I　am　convinced　there　was　premeditation；　and
subtle　premeditation；　on　the　part　of　our　mysterious　adversaries；　who
must　have　known　the　situation　of　Michu　and　the　Messieurs　de　Simeuse
towards　Malin。　Not　to　utter　one　word；　not　to　steal　one　thing！
remarkable　prudence！　I　see　something　very　different　from　ordinary
evil…doers　behind　those　masks。　But　what　would　be　the　use　of　saying　so
to　the　sort　of　jurors　we　shall　have　to　face？〃

This　insight　into　hidden　matters　which　gives　such　power　to　certain
lawyers　and　certain　magistrates　astonished　and　confounded　Laurence；
her　heart　was　wrung　by　that　inexorable　logic。

〃Out　of　every　hundred　criminal　cases；〃　continued　Bordin；　〃there　are
not　ten　where　the　law　really　lays　bare　the　truth　to　its　full　extent；
and　there　is　perhaps　a　good　third　in　which　the　truth　is　never　brought
to　light　at　all。　Yours　is　one　of　those　cases　which　are　inexplicable　to
all　parties；　to　accused　and　accusers；　to　the　law　and　to　the　public。　As
for　the　Emperor；　he　has　other　fish　to　fry　than　to　consider　the　case　of
these　gentlemen；　supposing　even　that　they　had　not　conspired　against
him。　But　who　the　devil　/is/　Malin's　enemy？　and　what　has　really　been
done　with　him？〃

Bordin　and　Monsieur　de　Grandville　looked　at　each　other；　they　seemed　in
doubt　as　to　Laurence's　veracity。　This　evident　suspicion　was　the　most
cutting　of　all　the　many　pangs　the　girl　had　suffered　in　the　affair；　and
she　turned　upon　the　lawyers　a　look　which　effectually　put　an　end　to
their　distrust。

The　next　day　the　indictment　was　handed　over　to　the　defence；　and　the
lawyers　were　then　enabled　to　communicate　with　the　prisoners。　Bordin
informed　the　family　that　the　six　accused　men　were　〃well　supported；〃
using　a　professional　term。

〃Monsieur　de　Grandville　will　defend　Michu；〃　said　Bordin。

〃Michu！〃　exclaimed　the　Marquis　de　Chargeboeuf；　amazed　at　the　change。

〃He　is　the　pivot　of　the　affairthe　danger　lies　there；〃　replied　the
old　lawyer。

〃If　he　is　more　in　danger　than　the　others；　I　think　that　is　just；〃　cried
Laurence。

〃We　see　certain　chances；〃　said　Monsieur　de　Grandville；　〃and　we　shall
study　them　carefully。　If　we　are　able　to　save　these　gentlemen　it　will
be　because　Monsieur　d'Hauteserre　ordered　Michu　to　repair　one　of　the
stone　posts　in　the　covered　way；　and　also　because　a　wolf　has　been　seen
in　the　forest；　in　a　criminal　court　everything　depends　on　discussions；
and　discussions　often　turn　on　trivial　matters　which　then　become　of
immense　importance。〃

Laurence　sank　into　that　inward　dejection　which　humiliates　the　soul　of
all　thoughtful　and　energetic　persons　when　the　uselessness　of　thought
and　action　is　made　manifest　to　them。　It　was　no　longer　a　matter　of
overthrowing　a　usurper；　or　of　coming　to　the　help　of　devoted　friends；
fanatical　sympathies　wrapped　in　a　shroud　of　mystery。　She　now　saw　all
social　forces　full…armed　against　her　cousins　and　herself。　There　was　no
taking　a　prison　by　assault　with　her　own　hands；　no　deliverance　of
prisoners　from　the　midst　of　a　hostile　population　and　beneath　the　eyes
of　a　watchful　police。　So