juana-第14节

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hands。　A　quiver　of　joy　passed　over　him　as　he　saw　that　no　blood　stains

were　on　them；　the　hemorrhage　from　his　victim's　body　was　no　doubt

inward。



But　all　this　took　time。　When　at　last　he　mounted　the　stairs　to　Juana's

room　he　was　calm　and　collected；　and　able　to　reflect　on　his　position；

which　resolved　itself　into　two　ideas：　to　leave　the　house；　and　get　to

the　wharves。　He　did　not　THINK　these　ideas；　he　SAW　them　written　in

fiery　letters　on　the　darkness。　Once　at　the　wharves　he　could　hide　all

day；　return　at　night　for　his　treasure；　then　conceal　himself；　like　a

rat；　in　the　hold　of　some　vessel　and　escape　without　any　one　suspecting

his　whereabouts。　But　to　do　all　this；　money；　gold；　was　his　first

necessity；and　he　did　not　possess　one　penny。



The　maid　brought　a　light　to　show　him　up。



〃Felicie；〃　he　said；　〃don't　you　hear　a　noise　in　the　street；　shouts；

cries？　Go　and　see　what　it　means；　and　come　and　tell　me。〃



His　wife；　in　her　white　dressing…gown；　was　sitting　at　a　table；　reading

aloud　to　Francisque　and　Juan　from　a　Spanish　Cervantes；　while　the　boys

followed　her　pronunciation　of　the　words　from　the　text。　They　all　three

stopped　and　looked　at　Diard；　who　stood　in　the　doorway　with　his　hands

in　his　pockets；　overcome；　perhaps；　by　finding　himself　in　this　calm

scene；　so　softly　lighted；　so　beautiful　with　the　faces　of　his　wife　and

children。　It　was　a　living　picture　of　the　Virgin　between　her　son　and

John。



〃Juana；　I　have　something　to　say　to　you。〃



〃What　has　happened？〃　she　asked；　instantly　perceiving　from　the　livid

paleness　of　her　husband　that　the　misfortune　she　had　daily　expected　was

upon　them。



〃Oh；　nothing；　but　I　want　to　speak　to　youto　you；　alone。〃



And　he　glanced　at　his　sons。



〃My　dears；　go　to　your　room；　and　go　to　bed；〃　said　Juana；　〃say　your

prayers　without　me。〃



The　boys　left　the　room　in　silence；　with　the　incurious　obedience　of

well…trained　children。



〃My　dear　Juana；〃　said　Diard；　in　a　coaxing　voice；　〃I　left　you　with　very

little　money；　and　I　regret　it　now。　Listen　to　me；　since　I　relieved　you

of　the　care　of　our　income　by　giving　you　an　allowance；　have　you　not；

like　other　women；　laid　something　by？〃



〃No；〃　replied　Juana；　〃I　have　nothing。　In　making　that　allowance　you　did

not　reckon　the　costs　of　the　children's　education。　I　don't　say　that　to

reproach　you；　my　friend；　only　to　explain　my　want　of　money。　All　that

you　gave　me　went　to　pay　masters　and〃



〃Enough！〃　cried　Diard；　violently。　〃Thunder　of　heaven！　every　instant　is

precious！　Where　are　your　jewels？〃



〃You　know　very　well　I　have　never　worn　any。〃



〃Then　there's　not　a　sou　to　be　had　here！〃　cried　Diard；　frantically。



〃Why　do　you　shout　in　that　way？〃　she　asked。



〃Juana；〃　he　replied；　〃I　have　killed　a　man。〃



Juana　sprang　to　the　door　of　her　children's　room　and　closed　it；　then

she　returned。



〃Your　sons　must　hear　nothing；〃　she　said。　〃With　whom　have　you　fought？〃



〃Montefiore；〃　he　replied。



〃Ah！〃　she　said　with　a　sigh；　〃the　only　man　you　had　the　right　to　kill。〃



〃There　were　many　reasons　why　he　should　die　by　my　hand。　But　I　can't

lose　timeMoney；　money！　for　God's　sake；　money！　I　may　be　pursued。　We

did　not　fight。　II　killed　him。〃



〃Killed　him！〃　she　cried；　〃how？〃



〃Why；　as　one　kills　anything。　He　stole　my　whole　fortune　and　I　took　it

back；　that's　all。　Juana；　now　that　everything　is　quiet　you　must　go　down

to　that　heap　of　stonesyou　know　the　heap　by　the　garden　walland　get

that　money；　since　you　haven't　any　in　the　house。〃



〃The　money　that　you　stole？〃　said　Juana。



〃What　does　that　matter　to　you？　Have　you　any　money　to　give　me？　I　tell

you　I　must　get　away。　They　are　on　my　traces。〃



〃Who？〃



〃The　people；　the　police。〃



Juana　left　the　room；　but　returned　immediately。



〃Here；〃　she　said；　holding　out　to　him　at　arm's　length　a　jewel；　〃that　is

Dona　Lagounia's　cross。　There　are　four　rubies　in　it；　of　great　value；　I

have　been　told。　Take　it　and　gogo！〃



〃Felicie　hasn't　come　back；〃　he　cried；　with　a　sudden　thought。　〃Can　she

have　been　arrested？〃



Juana　laid　the　cross　on　the　table；　and　sprang　to　the　windows　that

looked　on　the　street。　There　she　saw；　in　the　moonlight；　a　file　of

soldiers　posting　themselves　in　deepest　silence　along　the　wall　of　the

house。　She　turned；　affecting　to　be　calm；　and　said　to　her　husband：



〃You　have　not　a　minute　to　lose；　you　must　escape　through　the　garden。

Here　is　the　key　of　the　little　gate。〃



As　a　precaution　she　turned　to　the　other　windows；　looking　on　the

garden。　In　the　shadow　of　the　trees　she　saw　the　gleam　of　the　silver

lace　on　the　hats　of　a　body　of　gendarmes；　and　she　heard　the　distant

mutterings　of　a　crowd　of　persons　whom　sentinels　were　holding　back　at

the　end　of　the　streets　up　which　curiosity　had　drawn　them。　Diard　had；

in　truth；　been　seen　to　enter　his　house　by　persons　at　their　windows；

and　on　their　information　and　that　of　the　frightened　maid…servant；　who

was　arrested；　the　troops　and　the　people　had　blocked　the　two　streets

which　led　to　the　house。　A　dozen　gendarmes；　returning　from　the　theatre；

had　climbed　the　walls　of　the　garden；　and　guarded　all　exit　in　that

direction。



〃Monsieur；〃　said　Juana；　〃you　cannot　escape。　The　whole　town　is　here。〃



Diard　ran　from　window　to　window　with　the　useless　activity　of　a　captive

bird　striking　against　the　panes　to　escape。　Juana　stood　silent　and

thoughtful。



〃Juana；　dear　Juana；　help　me！　give　me；　for　pity's　sake；　some　advice。〃



〃Yes；〃　said　Juana；　〃I　will；　and　I　will　save　you。〃



〃Ah！　you　are　always　my　good　angel。〃



Juana　left　the　room　and　returned　immediately；　holding　out　to　Diard；

with　averted　head；　one　of　his　own　pistols。　Diard　did　not　take　it。

Juana　heard　the　entrance　of　the　soldiers　into　the　courtyard；　where

they　laid　down　the　body　of　the　murdered　man　to　confront　the　assassin

with　the　sight　of　it。　She　turned　round　and　saw　Diard　white　and　livid。

The　man　was　nearly　fainting；　and　tried　to　sit　down。



〃Your　children　implore　you；〃　she　said；　putting　the　pistol　beneath　his

hand。



〃Butmy　good　Juana；　my　little　Juana；　do　you　thinkJuana！　is　it　so

pressing？I　want　to　kiss　you。〃



The　gendarmes　were　mounting　the　staircase。　Juana　grasped　the　pistol；

aimed　it　at　Diard；　holding　him；　in　spite　of　his　cries；　by　the　throat；

then　she　blew　his　brains　out　and　flung　the　weapon　on　the　ground。



At　that　instant　the　door　was　opened　violently。　The　public　prosecutor；

followed　by　an　examining　judge；　a　doctor；　a　sheriff；　and　a　posse　of

gendarmes；　all　the　representatives；　in　short；　of　human　justice；

entered　the　room。



〃What　do　you　want？〃　asked　Juana。



〃Is　that　Monsieur　Diard？〃　said　the　prosecutor；　pointing　to　the　dead

body　bent　double　on　the　floor。



〃Yes；　monsieur。〃



〃Your　gown　is　covered　with　blood；　madame。〃



〃Do　you　not　see　why？〃　replied　Juana。



She　went　to　the　little　table　and　sat　down；　taking　up　the　volume　of

Cervantes；　she　was　pale；　with　a　nervous　agitation　which　she

nevertheless　controlled；　keeping　it　wholly　inward。



〃Leave　the　room；〃　said　the　prosecutor　to　the　gendarmes。



Then　he　signed　to　the　examining　judge　and　the　doctor　to　remain。



〃Madame；　under　the　circumstances；　we　can　only　congratulate　you　on　the

death　of　your　husband；〃　he　said。　〃At　least　he　has　died　as　a　soldier

should；　whatever　crime　his　passions　may　have　led　him　to　commit。　His

act　renders　negatory　that　of　justice。　But　however　we　may　desire　to

spare　you　at　such　a　moment；　the　law　requires　that　we　should　make　an

exact　report　of　all　violent　deaths。　You　will　permit　us　to　do　our

duty？〃



〃May　I　go　and　change　my　dress？〃　she　asked；　laying　down　the　volume。



〃Yes；　madame；　but　you　must　bring　it　back　to　us。　The　doctor　may　need

it。〃



〃It　would　be　too　painful　for　madame　to　see　me　operate；〃　said　the

doctor；　understanding　the　suspicions　of　the　prosecutor。　〃Messieurs；〃

he　added；　〃I　hope　you　will　allow　her　to　remain　in　the　next　room。〃



The　magistrates　approved　the　request　of　the　merciful　physician；　and

Felicie　was　permitted　to　attend　her　mistress。　The　judge　and　the

prosecutor　talked　together　in　a　low　voice。　Officers　of　the　law　are

very　unfortunate　in　being　forced　to　suspect　all；　and　to　imagine　evil

everywhere。　By　dint　of　supposing　wicked　intentions；　and　of

comprehending　them；　in　order　to　reach　the　truth　hidden　under　so　many

contradictory　actions；　it　is　impossible　that　the　exercise　of　their

dreadful　functions　should　not；　in　the　long　run；　dry　up　at　their　source

the　generous　emotions　they　are　constrained　to　repress。　If　the

sensibilities　of　the　surgeon　who　probes　into　the　mysteries　of　the

human　body　end　by　growing　callous；　what　becomes　of　those　of　the　judge

who　is　incessantly　compelled　to　search　the　inner　folds　of　the　soul？

Martyrs　to　their　mission；　magistrates　are　all　their　lives　in　mourning

for　their　lost　illusions；　crime　weighs　no　less　heavily　on　them　than　on

the　criminal。　An　old　man　seated　on　the　bench　is　venerable；　but　a　young

judge　makes　a　thoughtful　person　shudder。　The　examining　judge　in　this

case　was　young