the brotherhood of consolation-第19节

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　　　　coaches　conveying　government　funds；　and　levied　tribute　on　those
　　　　who　bought　the　confiscated　property　of　/emigres/　at　the　West。　When
　　　　the　Thermidorian　reaction　began；　after　the　fall　of　Robespierre；
　　　　other　companies　of　royalists；　chiefly　young　nobles　who　had　not
　　　　emigrated；　were　formed　at　the　South　and　East　under　various　names；
　　　　such　as　〃The　Avengers；〃　and　〃The　Company　of　Jehu；〃　who　stopped　the
　　　　diligences　containing　government　money；　which　they　transmitted　to
　　　　Brittany　and　La　Vendee　for　the　support　of　the　royalist　troops。
　　　　They　regarded　this　as　legitimate　warfare；　and　were　scrupulous　not
　　　　to　touch　private　property。　When　captured；　however；　they　were　tried
　　　　and　executed　as　highwaymen。TR。

〃Between　Mortagne　and　Rennes；　and　even　beyond；　as　far　as　the　banks　of
the　Loire；　nocturnal　expeditions　were　organized；　which　attacked；
especially　in　Normandy；　the　holders　of　property　bought　from　the
National　domain。＇*＇　These　armed　bands　sent　terror　throughout　those
regions。　I　am　not　misleading　you　when　I　ask　you　to　observe　that　in
certain　departments　the　action　of　the　laws　was　for　a　long　time
paralyzed。

＇*＇　The　National　domain　was　the　name　given　to　the　confiscated　property
　　　　of　the　/emigres/；　which　was　sold　from　time　to　time　at　auction　to
　　　　the　highest　bidder。TR。

〃These　last　echoes　of　the　civil　war　made　much　less　noise　than　you
would　imagine；　accustomed　as　we　are　now　to　the　frightful　publicity
given　by　the　press　to　every　trial；　even　the　least　important；　whether
political　or　individual。　The　system　of　the　Imperial　government　was
that　of　all　absolute　governments。　The　censor　allowed　nothing　to　be
published　in　the　matter　of　politics　except　accomplished　facts；　and
those　were　travestied。　If　you　will　take　the　trouble　to　look　through
files　of　the　'Moniteur'　and　the　other　newspapers　of　that　time；　even
those　of　the　West；　you　will　not　find　a　word　about　the　four　or　five
criminal　trials　which　cost　the　lives　of　sixty　or　eighty　'brigands。'
The　term　/brigands/；　applied　during　the　revolutionary　period　to　the
Vendeans；　Chouans；　and　all　those　who　took　up　arms　for　the　house　of
Bourbon；　was　afterwards　continued　judicially　under　the　Empire　against
all　royalists　accused　of　plots。　To　some　ardent　and　loyal　natures　the
emperor　and　his　government　were　the　enemy；　any　form　of　warfare　against
them　was　legitimate。　I　am　only　explaining　to　you　these　opinions；　not
justifying　them。

〃Now；〃　he　said；　after　one　of　those　pauses　which　are　necessary　in　such
long　narratives；　〃if　you　realize　how　these　royalists；　ruined　by　the
civil　war　of　1793；　were　dominated　by　violent　passions；　and　how　some
exceptional　natures　（like　that　of　Madame　de　la　Chanterie's　son…in…law
and　his　friend）　were　eaten　up　with　desires　of　all　kinds；　you　may　be
able　to　understand　how　it　was　that　the　acts　of　brigandage　which　their
political　views　justified　when　employed　against　the　government　in　the
service　of　the　good　cause；　might　in　some　cases　be　committed　for
personal　ends。

〃The　younger　of　the　two　men　had　been　for　some　time　employed　in
collecting　the　scattered　fragments　of　Chouannerie；　and　was　holding
them　ready　to　act　at　an　opportune　moment。　There　came　a　terrible　crisis
in　the　Emperor's　career　when；　shut　up　in　the　island　of　Lobau；　he
seemed　about　to　give　way　under　the　combined　and　simultaneous　attack　of
England　and　Austria。　This　was　the　moment　for　the　Chouan　uprising；　but
just　as　it　was　about　to　take　place；　the　victory　of　Wagram　rendered　the
conspiracy　in　the　provinces　powerless。

〃This　expectation　of　exciting　civil　war　in　Brittany；　La　Vendee；　and
part　of　Normandy；　coincided　in　time　with　the　final　wreck　of　the
baron's　fortune；　and　this　wreck；　coming　at　this　time；　led　him　to
undertake　an　expedition　to　capture　funds　of　the　government　which　he
might　apply　to　the　liquidation　of　the　claims　upon　his　property。　But
his　wife　and　friend　refused　to　take　part　in　applying　to　private
interests　the　money　taken　by　armed　force　from　the　Receiver's　offices
and　the　couriers　and　post…carriages　of　the　government；money　taken；
as　they　thought；　justifiably　by　the　rules　of　war　to　pay　the　regiments
of　'refractories'　and　Chouans；　and　purchase　the　arms　and　ammunition
with　which　to　equip　them。　At　last；　after　an　angry　discussion　in　which
the　young　leader；　supported　by　the　wife；　positively　refused　to　hand
over　to　the　husband　a　portion　of　the　large　sum　of　money　which　the
young　leader　had　seized　for　the　benefit　of　the　royal　armies　from　the
treasury　of　the　West；　the　baron　suddenly　and　mysteriously　disappeared；
to　avoid　arrest　for　debt；　having　no　means　left　by　which　to　ward　it
off。　Poor　Madame　de　la　Chanterie　was　wholly　ignorant　of　these　facts；
but　even　they　are　nothing　to　the　plot　still　hidden　behind　these
preliminary　facts。

〃It　is　too　late　to…night；〃　said　Monsieur　Alain；　looking　at　his　little
clock；　〃to　go　on　with　my　narrative；　which　would　take　me；　in　any　case；
a　long　time　to　finish　in　my　own　words。　Old　Bordin；　my　friend；　whose
management　of　the　famous　Simeuse　case　had　won　him　much　credit　in　the
royalist　party；　and　who　pleaded　in　the　well…known　criminal　affair
called　that　of　the　Chauffeurs　de　Mortagne；　gave　me；　after　I　was
installed　in　this　house；　two　legal　papers　relating　to　the　terrible
history　of　Madame　de　la　Chanterie　and　her　daughter。　I　kept　them
because　Bordin　died　soon　after；　before　I　had　a　chance　to　return　them。
You　shall　read　them。　You　will　find　the　facts　much　more　succinctly
stated　than　I　could　state　them。　Those　facts　are　so　numerous　that　I
should　only　lose　myself　in　the　details　and　confuse　them；　whereas　in
those　papers　you　have　them　in　a　legal　summary。　To…morrow；　if　you　come
to　me；　I　will　finish　telling　you　all　that　relates　to　Madame　de　la
Chanterie；　for　you　will　then　know　the　general　facts　so　thoroughly　that
I　can　end　the　whole　story　in　a　few　words。〃



IX

THE　LEGAL　STATEMENT

Monsieur　Alain　placed　the　papers；　yellowed　by　time；　in　Godefroid's
hand；　the　latter；　bidding　the　old　man　good…night；　carried　them　off　to
his　room；　where　he　read；　before　he　slept；　the　following　document：

THE　INDICTMENT

Court　of　Criminal　and　Special　Justice　for　the　Department　of　the　Orne

　　The　attorney…general　to　the　Imperial　Court　of　Caen；　appointed　to
　　fulfil　his　functions　before　the　Special　Criminal　Court　established
　　by　imperial　decree　under　date　September；　1809；　and　sitting　at
　　Alencon；　states　to　the　Imperial　Court　the　following　facts　which
　　have　appeared　under　the　above　procedure。

　　The　plot　of　a　company　of　brigands；　evidently　long　planned　with
　　consummate　care；　and　connected　with　a　scheme　for　inciting　the
　　Western　departments　to　revolt；　has　shown　itself　in　certain
　　attempts　against　the　private　property　of　citizens；　but　more
　　especially　in　an　armed　attack　and　robbery　committed　on　the　mail…
　　coach　which　transported；　May　；　18；　the　money　in　the　treasury
　　at　Caen　to　the　Treasury　of　France。　This　attack；　which　recalls　the
　　deplorable　incidents　of　a　civil　war　now　happily　extinguished；
　　manifests　a　spirit　of　wickedness　which　the　political　passions　of
　　the　present　day　do　not　justify。

　　Let　us　pass　to　the　facts。　The　plot　is　complicated；　the　details　are
　　numerous。　The　investigation　has　lasted　one　year；　but　the　evidence；
　　which　has　followed　the　crime　step　by　step；　has　thrown　the　clearest
　　light　on　its　preparation；　execution；　and　results。

　　The　conception　of　the　plot　was　formed　by　one　Charles…Amedee…Louis…
　　Joseph　Rifoel；　calling　himself　Chevalier　du　Vissard；　born　at　the
　　Vissard；　district　of　Saint…Mexme；　near　Ernee；　and　a　former　leader
　　of　the　rebels。

　　This　criminal；　whom　H。M。　the　Emperor　and　King　pardoned　at　the　time
　　of　the　general　pacification；　and　who　has　profited　by　the
　　sovereign's　magnanimity　to　commit　other　crimes；　has　already　paid
　　on　the　scaffold　the　penalty　of　his　many　misdeeds；　but　it　is
　　necessary　to　recall　some　of　his　actions；　because　his　influence　was
　　great　on　the　guilty　persons　now　before　the　court；　and　he　is
　　closely　connected　with　the　facts　of　his　case。

　　This　dangerous　agitator；　concealed；　according　to　the　usual　custom
　　of　the　rebels；　under　the　name　of　Pierrot；　went　from　place　to　place
　　throughout　the　departments　of　the　West　gathering　together　the
　　elements　of　rebellion；　but　his　chief　resort　was　the　chateau　of
　　Saint…Savin；　the　residence　of　a　Madame　Lechantre　and　her　daughter；
　　a　Madame　Bryond；　situated　in　the　district　of　Saint…Savin；
　　arrondissement　of　Mortagne。　Several　of　the　most　horrible　events　of
　　the　rebellion　of　1799　are　connected　with　this　strategic　point。
　　Here　a　bearer　of　despatches　was　murdered；　his　carriage　pillaged　by
　　the　brigands　under　command　of　a　woman；　assisted　by　the　notorious
　　Marche…a…Terre。　Brigandage　appeared　to　be　endemic　in　that
　　locality。

　　An　intimacy；　which　we　shall　not　attempt　to　characterize；　existed
　　for　more　than　a　year　between　the　woman　Bryond　and　the　said　Rifoel。

　　It　was　in　this　district　that　an　interview　took　place；　in　April；
　　1808；　between　Rifoel　and　a　certain　Boislaurier；　a　leader　known　by
　　the　name　of　August　in　the　baneful　rebellions　of　the　West；　who
　　instigated　the　affair　now　before　the　court。

　　The　somewhat　obscure　point　of　the　relations　between　these　two
　　leaders　is