the brotherhood of consolation-第24节

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　　men　upon　the　mail…coaches　bearing　the　moneys　of　the　government；
　　and　the　levying　of　a　heavy　tribute　from　the　purchasers　of　the
　　National　domain；　a　tax　he　enforced　by　means　of　tortures　invented
　　by　him　which　carried　terror　through　five　departments。　He　then
　　demanded　that　a　sum　of　three　hundred　thousand　francs　derived　from
　　these　plunderings　be　paid　to　him　for　the　liquidation　of　his　debts。

　　When　he　met　with　resistance　on　the　part　of　his　wife　and　Rifoel；
　　and　saw　the　contempt　his　proposal　inspired　in　upright　minds　who
　　were　acting　only　from　party　spirit；　he　determined　to　bring　them
　　both　under　the　rigor　of　the　law　in　the　next　occasion　of　their
　　committing　a　crime。

　　He　disappeared；　and　returned　to　Paris；　taking　with　him　all
　　information　as　to　the　then　condition　of　the　departments　of　the
　　West。

　　The　brothers　Chaussard　and　Vauthier　were；　as　the　chancellor　knows；
　　Bryond's　correspondents。

　　As　soon　as　the　attack　was　made　on　the　diligence　from　Caen；　Bryond
　　returned　secretly　and　in　disguise；　under　the　name　of　Le　Marchand。
　　He　put　himself　into　secret　communication　with　the　prefect　and　the
　　magistrates。　What　was　the　result？　Never　was　any　conspiracy；　in
　　which　a　great　number　of　persons　took　part；　so　rapidly　discovered
　　and　dealt　with。　Within　six　days　after　the　committal　of　the　crime
　　all　the　guilty　persons　were　followed　and　watched　with　an
　　intelligence　which　showed　the　most　accurate　knowledge　of　the
　　plans；　and　of　the　individuals　concerned　in　them。　The　immediate
　　arrest；　trial；　and　execution　of　Rifoel　and　his　accomplices　are　the
　　proof　of　this。　We　repeat；　the　chancellor　knows　even　more　than　we
　　do　on　this　subject。

　　If　ever　a　condemned　person　had　a　right　to　appeal　to　the
　　Sovereign's　mercy　it　is　Henriette　Lechantre。

　　Though　led　astray　by　love；　by　ideas　of　rebellion　which　she　sucked
　　in　with　the　milk　that　fed　her；　she　is；　most　certainly；　inexcusable
　　in　the　eyes　of　the　law；　but　in　the　eyes　of　the　most　magnanimous　of
　　emperors；　will　not　her　misfortunes；　the　infamous　betrayal　of　her
　　husband；　and　a　rash　enthusiasm　plead　for　her？

＇Hopefully　not。　What　a　ridiculous　case　for　the　defence！　Would　Rumpole
of　the　Bailey　speak　like　this？JB。＇

　　The　greatest　of　all　captains；　the　immortal　genius　which　pardoned
　　the　Prince　of　Hatzfeldt　and　is　able　to　divine　the　reasons　of　the
　　heart；　will　he　not　admit　the　fatal　power　of　love；　invincible　in
　　youth；　which　extenuates　this　crime；　great　as　it　was？

　　Twenty…two　heads　have　fallen　under　the　blade　of　the　law；　only　one
　　of　the　guilty　persons　is　now　left；　and　she　is　a　young　woman；　a
　　minor；　not　twenty　years　of　age。　Will　not　the　Emperor　Napoleon　the
　　Great　grant　her　life；　and　give　her　time　in　which　to　repent？　Is　not
　　that　to　share　the　part　of　God？

　　For　Henriette　Lechantre；　wife　of　Bryond　des　Tour…Minieres；



Her　defender；　Bordin；
Barrister　of　the　Lower　Court　of　the　Department
of　the　Seine。



This　dreadful　drama　disturbed　the　little　sleep　that　Godefroid　took。　He
dreamed　of　that　penalty　of　death　such　as　the　physician　Guillotin　has
made　it　with　a　philanthropic　object。　Through　the　hot　vapors　of　a
nightmare　he　saw　a　young　woman；　beautiful；　enthusiastic；　enduring　the
last　preparations；　drawn　in　that　fatal　tumbril；　mounting　the　scaffold；
and　crying　out；　〃Vive　le　roi！〃

Eager　to　know　the　whole；　Godefroid　rose　at　dawn；　dressed；　and　paced
his　room；　then　stood　mechanically　at　his　window　gazing　at　the　sky；
while　his　thoughts　reconstructed　this　drama　in　many　volumes。　Ever；　on
that　darksome　background　of　Chouans；　peasants；　country　gentlemen；
rebel　leaders；　spies；　and　officers　of　justice；　he　saw　the　vivid
figures　of　the　mother　and　the　daughter　detach　themselves；　the　daughter
misleading　the　mother；　the　daughter　victim　of　a　monster；　victim；　too；
of　her　passion　for　one　of　those　bold　men　whom；　later；　we　have
glorified　as　heroes；　and　to　whom　even　Godefroid's　imagination　lent　a
likeness　to　the　Charettes　and　the　Georges　Cadoudals；those　giants　of
the　struggle　between　the　Republic　and　the　Monarchy。

As　soon　as　Godefroid　heard　the　goodman　Alain　stirring　in　the　room
above　him；　he　went　there；　but　he　had　no　sooner　opened　the　door　than　he
closed　it　and　went　back　to　his　own　apartment。　The　old　man；　kneeling　by
his　chair；　was　saying　his　morning　prayer。　The　sight　of　that　whitened
head；　bowed　in　an　attitude　of　humble　reverence；　reminded　Godefroid　of
his　own　forgotten　duties；　and　he　prayed　fervently。

〃I　expected　you；〃　said　the　kind　old　man；　when　Godefroid　entered　his
room　some　fifteen　minutes　later。　〃I　got　up　earlier　than　usual；　for　I
felt　sure　you　would　be　impatient。〃

〃Madame　Henriette？〃　asked　Godefroid；　with　visible　anxiety。

〃Was　Madame's　daughter！〃　replied　Monsieur　Alain。　〃Madame's　name　is
Lechantre　de　la　Chanterie。　Under　the　Empire　none　of　the　nobiliary
titles　were　allowed；　nor　any　of　the　names　added　to　the　patronymic　or
original　names。　Therefore；　the　Baronne　des　Tours…Minieres　was　called
Madame　Bryond。　The　Marquis　d'Esgrignon　took　his　name　of　Carol　（citizen
Carol）；　later　he　was　called　the　Sieur　Carol。　The　Troisvilles　became
the　Sieurs　Guibelin。〃

〃But　what　happened？　Did　the　Emperor　pardon　her？〃

〃Alas；　no！〃　replied　Alain。　〃The　unfortunate　little　woman；　not　twenty…
one　years　old；　perished　on　the　scaffold。　After　reading　Bordin's
appeal；　the　Emperor　answered　very　much　in　these　terms：　'Why　be　so
bitter　against　the　spy？　A　spy　is　no　longer　a　man；　he　ought　not　to　have
feelings；　he　is　a　wheel　of　the　machinery；　Bryond　did　his　duty。　If
instruments　of　that　kind　were　not　what　they　are；steel　bars；and
intelligent　only　in　the　service　of　the　power　employing　them；
government　would　not　be　possible。　The　sentences　of　criminal　courts
must　be　carried　out；　or　the　judges　would　cease　to　have　confidence　in
themselves　or　in　me。　Besides；　the　women　of　the　West　must　be　taught　not
to　meddle　in　plots。　It　is　precisely　in　the　case　of　a　woman　that
justice　should　not　be　interfered　with。　There　is　no　excuse　possible　for
an　attack　on　power？'　This　was　the　substance　of　what　the　Emperor　said；
as　Bordin　repeated　it　to　me。　Learning　a　little　later　that　France　and
Russia　were　about　to　measure　swords　against　each　other；　and　that　the
Emperor　was　to　go　two　thousand　miles　from　Paris　to　attack　a　vast　and
desert　country；　Bordin　understood　the　secret　reason　of　the　Emperor's
harshness。　To　insure　tranquillity　at　the　West；　now　full　of
refractories；　Napoleon　believed　it　necessary　to　inspire　terror。　Bordin
could　do　no　more。〃

〃But　Madame　de　la　Chanterie？〃　said　Godefroid。

〃Madame　de　la　Chanterie　was　sentenced　to　twenty　years'　imprisonment；〃
replied　Alain。　〃As　she　was　already　transferred　to　Bicetre；　near　Rouen；
to　undergo　her　punishment；　nothing　was　attempted　on　her　behalf　until
every　effort　had　been　made　to　save　Henriette；　who　had　grown　dearer
than　ever　to　her　mother　during　this　time　of　anxiety。　Indeed；　if　it　had
not　been　for　Bordin's　assurance　that　he　could　obtain　Henriette's
pardon；　it　is　doubtful　if　Madame　could　have　survived　the　shock　of　the
sentence。　When　the　appeal　failed；　they　deceived　the　poor　mother。　She
saw　her　daughter　once　after　the　execution　of　the　other　prisoners；　not
knowing　that　Madame　Bryond's　respite　was　due　to　a　false　declaration　of
pregnancy；　made　to　gain　time　for　the　appeal。〃

〃Ah！　I　understand　it　all　now；〃　exclaimed　Godefroid。

〃No；　my　dear　child；　there　are　things　that　no　one　can　imagine。　Madame
thought　her　daughter　living　for　a　long　time。〃

〃How　was　that？〃

〃When　Madame　des　Tours…Minieres　learned　from　Bordin　that　her　appeal
was　rejected　and　that　nothing　could　save　her；　that　sublime　little
woman　had　the　courage　to　write　twenty　letters；　dating　them　month　by
month　after　the　time　of　her　execution；　so　as　to　make　her　poor　mother
in　her　prison　believe　she　was　alive。　In　those　letters　she　told　of　a
gradual　illness　which　would　end　in　death。　They　covered　a　period　of　two
years。　Madame　de　la　Chanterie　was　therefore　prepared　for　the　news　of
her　daughter's　death；　but　she　thought　it　a　natural　one。　She　did　not
know　until　1814　that　Henriette　had　died　on　the　scaffold。　For　two　years
Madame　was　herded　among　the　most　depraved　of　her　sex；　but　thanks　to
the　urgency　of　the　Champignelles　and　the　Beauseants　she　was；　after　the
second　year；　placed　in　a　cell　by　herself；　where　she　lived　like　a
cloistered　nun。〃

〃And　the　others？〃　asked　Godefroid。

〃The　notary　Leveille；　Herbomez；　Hiley；　Cibot；　Grenier；　Horeau；　Cabot；
Minard；　and　Mallet　were　condemned　to　death；　and　executed　the　same　day。
Pannier；　condemned　to　hard　labor　for　twenty　years；　was　branded　and
sent　to　the　galleys。　The　Chaussards　and　Vauthier　received　the　same
sentence；　but　were　pardoned　by　the　Emperor。　Melin；　Laraviniere　and
Binet；　were　condemned　to　five　years'　imprisonment。　The　woman　Bourget
to　twenty　years'　imprisonment。　Chargegrain　and　Rousseau　were
acquitted。　Those　who　escaped　were　all　condemned　to　death；　except　the
girl　Godard；　who　was　no　other；　as　you　have　probably　guessed；　than　our
poor　Manon〃

〃Manon！〃　exclaimed　Godefroid。

〃Oh！　you　don't　know　Manon　yet；〃　replied　the　kind　old　Alain。　〃That
devoted　creature；　condemned　to　twelve　years'　imprisonment；　gave
herself　up　that　she　might　take　care　of　Madame　de　la　Chanterie；　and
wait