an historical mystery-第43章

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five　in　the　afternoon；　they　had　returned　to　the　forest。　That　was　the
basis　of　each　testimony；　any　variations　were　merely　individual
circumstances。　When　the　president　asked　the　Messieurs　de　Simeuse　why
they　had　ridden　out　so　early；　they　both　declared　that　wishing；　since
their　return；　to　buy　back　Gondreville　and　intending　to　make　an　offer
to　Malin　who　had　arrived　the　night　before；　they　had　gone　out　early
with　their　cousin　and　Michu　to　make　certain　examinations　of　the
property　on　which　to　base　their　offer。　During　that　time　the　Messieurs
d'Hauteserre；　their　cousin；　and　Gothard　had　chased　a　wolf　which　was
reported　in　the　forest　by　the　peasantry。　If　the　director　of　the　jury
had　sought　for　the　prints　of　their　horses'　feet　in　the　forest　as
carefully　as　in　the　park　of　Gondreville；　he　would　have　found　proof　of
their　presence　at　long　distances　from　the　house。

The　examination　of　the　Messieurs　d'Hauteserre　corroborated　this
testimony；　and　was　in　harmony　with　their　preliminary　dispositions。　The
necessity　of　some　reason　for　their　ride　suggested　to　each　of　them　the
excuse　of　hunting。　The　peasants　had　given　warning；　a　few　days　earlier；
of　a　wolf　in　the　forest；　and　on　that　they　had　fastened　as　a　pretext。

The　public　prosecutor；　however；　pointed　out　a　discrepancy　between　the
first　statements　of　the　Messieurs　d'Hauteserre；　in　which　they
mentioned　that　the　whole　party　hunted　together；　and　the　defence　now
made　by　the　Messieurs　de　Simeuse　that　their　purpose　on　that　day　was
the　valuation　of　the　forest。

Monsieur　de　Grandville　here　called　attention　to　the　fact　that　as　the
crime　was　not　committed　until　after　two　o'clock　in　the　afternoon；　the
prosecution　had　no　ground　to　question　their　word　when　they　stated　the
manner　in　which　they　had　employed　their　morning。

The　prosecutor　replied　that　the　prisoners　had　an　interest　in
concealing　their　preparations　for　the　abduction　of　the　senator。

The　remarkable　ability　of　the　defence　was　now　felt。　Judges；　jurors；
and　audience　became　aware　that　victory　would　be　hotly　contested。
Bordin　and　Monsieur　de　Grandville　had　studied　their　ground　and
foreseen　everything。　Innocence　is　required　to　render　a　clear　and
plausible　account　of　its　actions。　The　duty　of　the　defence　is　to
present　a　consistent　and　probable　tale　in　opposition　to　an
insufficient　and　improbable　accusation。　To　counsel　who　regard　their
client　as　innocent；　an　accusation　is　false。　The　public　examination　of
the　four　gentlemen　sufficiently　explained　the　matter　in　their　favor。
So　far　all　was　well。　But　the　examination　of　Michu　was　more　serious；
there　the　real　struggle　began。　It　was　now　clear　to　every　one　why
Monsieur　de　Grandville　had　preferred　to　take　charge　of　the　servant's
defence　rather　than　that　of　his　masters。

Michu　admitted　his　threats　against　Marion；　but　denied　that　he　had　made
them　violently。　As　for　the　ambush　in　which　he　was　supposed　to　have
watched　for　his　enemy；　he　said　he　was　merely　making　his　rounds　in　his
park；　the　senator　and　Monsieur　Grevin　might　perhaps　have　been　alarmed
at　the　sight　of　his　gun　and　have　thought　his　intentions　hostile　when
they　were　really　inoffensive。　He　called　attention　to　the　fact　that　in
the　dusk　a　man　who　was　not　in　the　habit　of　hunting　might　easily　fancy
a　gun　was　pointed　at　him；　whereas；　in　point　of　fact；　it　was　held　in
his　hand　at　half…cock。　To　explain　the　condition　of　his　clothes　when
arrested；　he　said　he　had　slipped　and　fallen　in　the　breach　on　his　way
home。　〃I　could　scarcely　see　my　way；〃　he　said；　〃and　the　loose　stones
slipped　from　under　me　as　I　climbed　the　bank。〃　As　for　the　plaster　which
Gothard　was　bringing　him；　he　replied　as　he　had　done　in　all　previous
examinations；　that　he　wanted　it　to　secure　one　of　the　stone　posts　of
the　covered　way。

The　public　prosecutor　and　the　president　asked　him　to　explain　how　he
could　have　been　at　the　top　of　the　covered　way　engaged　in　mending　a
stone　post　and　at　the　same　time　in　the　breach　of　the　moat　leading　to
the　chateau；　more　especially　as　the　justice　of　peace；　the　gendarmes
and　the　forester　all　declared　they　had　heard　him　approach　them　from
the　lower　road。　To　this　Michu　replied　that　Monsieur　d'Hauteserre　had
blamed　him　for　not　having　mended　the　post；which　he　was　anxious　to
have　finished　because　there　were　difficulties　about　that　road　with　the
township；and　he　had　therefore　gone　up　to　the　chateau　to　report　that
the　work　was　done。

Monsieur　d'Hauteserre　had；　in　fact；　put　up　a　fence　above　the　covered
way　to　prevent　the　township　from　taking　possession　of　it。　Michu　seeing
the　important　part　which　the　state　of　his　clothes　was　likely　to　play；
invented　this　subterfuge。　If；　in　law；　truth　is　often　like　falsehood；
falsehood　on　the　other　hand　has　a　very　great　resemblance　to　truth。　The
defence　and　the　prosecution　both　attached　much　importance　to　this
testimony；　which　became　one　of　the　leading　points　of　the　trial　on
account　of　the　vigor　of　the　defence　and　the　suspicions　of　the
prosecution。

Gothard；　instructed　no　doubt　by　Monsieur　de　Grandville；　for　up　to　that
time　he　had　only　wept　when　they　questioned　him；　admitted　that　Michu
had　told　him　to　carry　the　plaster。

〃Why　did　neither　you　nor　Gothard　take　the　justice　of　peace　and　the
forester　to　the　stone　post　and　show　them　your　work？〃　said　the　public
prosecutor；　addressing　Michu。

〃Because；〃　replied　the　man；　〃I　didn't　believe　there　was　any　serious
accusation　against　us。〃

All　the　prisoners　except　Gothard　were　now　removed　from　the　courtroom。
When　Gothard　was　left　alone　the　president　adjured　him　to　speak　the
truth　for　his　own　sake；　pointing　out　that　his　pretended　idiocy　had
come　to　an　end；　none　of　the　jurors　believed　him　imbecile；　if　he
refused　to　answer　the　court　he　ran　the　risk　of　serious　penalty；
whereas　by　telling　the　truth　at　once　he　would　probably　be　released。
Gothard　wept；　hesitated；　and　finally　ended　by　saying　that　Michu　had
told　him　to　carry　several　sacks　of　plaster；　but　that　each　time　he　had
met　him　near　the　farm。　He　was　asked　how　many　sacks　he　had　carried。

〃Three；〃　he　replied。

An　argument　hereupon　ensued　as　to　whether　the　three　sacks　included　the
one　which　Gothard　was　carrying　at　the　time　of　the　arrest　（which
reduced　the　number　of　the　other　sacks　to　two）　or　whether　there　were
three　without　the　last。　The　debate　ended　in　favor　of　the　first
proposition；　the　jury　considering　that　only　two　sacks　had　been　used。
They　appeared　to　have　a　foregone　conviction　on　that　point；　but　Bordin
and　Monsieur　de　Grandville　judged　it　best　to　surfeit　them　with
plaster；　and　weary　them　so　thoroughly　with　the　argument　that　they
would　no　longer　comprehend　the　question。　Monsieur　de　Grandville　made
it　appear　that　experts　ought　to　have　been　sent　to　examine　the　stone
posts。

〃The　director　of　the　jury；〃　he　said；　〃has　contented　himself　with
merely　visiting　the　place；　less　for　the　purpose　of　making　a　careful
examination　than　to　trap　Michu　in　a　lie；　this；　in　our　opinion；　was　a
failure　of　duty；　but　the　blunder　is　to　our　advantage。〃

On　this　the　Court　appointed　experts　to　examine　the　posts　and　see　if
one　of　them　had　been　really　mended　and　reset。　The　public　prosecutor；
on　his　side；　endeavored　to　make　capital　of　the　affair　before　the
experts　could　testify。

〃You　seem　to　have　chosen；〃　he　said　to　Michu；　who　was　now　brought　back
into　the　courtroom；　〃an　hour　when　the　daylight　was　waning；　from　half…
past　five　to　half…past　six　o'clock；　to　mend　this　post　and　to　cement　it
all　alone。〃

〃Monsieur　d'Hauteserre　had　blamed　me　for　not　doing　it；〃　replied　Michu。

〃But；〃　said　the　prosecutor；　〃if　you　used　that　plaster　on　the　post　you
must　have　had　a　trough　and　a　trowel。　Now；　if　you　went　to　the　chateau
to　tell　Monsieur　d'Hauteserre　that　you　had　done　the　work；　how　do　you
explain　the　fact　that　Gothard　was　bringing　you　more　plaster。　You　must
have　passed　your　farm　on　your　way　to　the　chateau；　and　you　would
naturally　have　left　your　tools　at　home　and　stopped　Gothard。〃

This　overwhelming　argument　produced　a　painful　silence　in　the
courtroom。

〃Come；〃　said　the　prosecutor；　〃you　had　better　admit　at　once　that　what
you　buried　was　/not　a　stone　post/。〃

〃Do　you　think　it　was　the　senator？〃　said　Michu；　sarcastically。

Monsieur　de　Grandville　hereupon　demanded　that　the　public　prosecutor