she stands accused(她是被告)-第32节
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in investigation by the Procureur； there was much play with some
mysterious papers found a good time after the first discovery half…burned
in the fireplace of the Prince's bedroom； there was a lot put forward to
support the idea of suicide； but the blunt truth of the affair is that the
Prince de Conde was murdered； and that the murder was hushed up as
much as possible。 Not； however； with complete success。 There were
few in France who gave any countenance to the theory of suicide。
The Prince； it will be remembered； had a practically disabled left arm。
It is said that he could not even remove his hat with his left hand。 The
knots in the handkerchiefs used to tie him to the espagnolette were both
complicated and tightly made。 Impossible for a one…handed man。 His
bed； which at the time of his retiring to it stood close to the alcove wall；
was a good foot and a half away from that wall in the morning。
Impossible feat also for this one…handed man。 It was the Prince's habit to
lie so much to one side of the bed that his servants had to prop the outside
edge up with folded blankets。 On the morning when his death was
discovered it was seen that the edges still were high； while the centre was
very much pressed down。 There was； in fact； a hollow in the bed's
middle such as might have been made by some one standing on it with
shoes on。 It is significant that the bedclothes were neatly turned down。
If the Prince had got up on a sudden impulse to commit suicide he is
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hardly likely； being a prince； to have attempted remaking his bed。 He
must； moreover； since he could normally get from bed only by rolling on
his side； have pressed out that heightened edge。 Manoury； the valet who
loved him； said that the bed in the morning looked more as if it had been
SMOOTHED OUT than remade。 This would tend to support the theory
of Dr Dubois。 The murderers； having suffocated the Prince； would be
likely to try effacing the effects of his struggling by the former method
rather than the latter。
But the important point of the affair； as far as this chapter on it is
concerned； is the relation of Sophie Dawes with it on the conclusion of
murder。 How deeply was she implicated？ Let us see how she acted on
hearing that there was no reply to Lecomte's knocking； and let us examine
her conduct from that moment on。
Note that the Baronne de Feucheres was the first person whom
Lecomte and the Prince's surgeon apprised of the Prince's silence。 She
rushed out of her room and made for the Prince's； not by the secret
staircase； but by the main one。 She knew； however； that the door to the
secret staircase from the Prince's room was not bolted that night。 This
knowledge was admitted for her later by the Prince's surgeon； M。 Bonnie。
She had gone up to the Prince's room by the main staircase in order to hide
the fact； an action which gives a touch of theatricality to her exhibited
concern about the Prince's silence。
The search for documents spoken of by M。 Pasquier in his letter to the
King had been carried out by Sophie in person； with the aid of her nephew
de Flassans and the Abbe Briant。 It was a thorough search； and a piece of
indecorousness which she excused on the ground of being afraid the
Prince's executors might find a will which made her the sole heir； to the
exclusion of the Duc d'Aumale。
Regarding the ‘accident' which had happened to the Prince on the 11th
of August； she said it was explained by an earlier attempt on his part to do
away with himself。 She tried to deny that she had been at Saint…Leu at
the time of the actual happening； when the fact was that she only left for
Paris some hours later。
When； some time later； the Prince's faithful valet Manoury made
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mention of the fact that the Prince had wanted to put the width of the
country between himself and his mistress； Sophie first tried to put the fear
of Louis…Philippe into the man； then； finding he was not to be silenced that
way； tried to buy him with a promise of employment。
It is beyond question that the Prince de Conde was murdered。 He
was murdered in a wing of the chateau in which he was hemmed in on all
sides by Sophie's creatures。 It is impossible that Sophie was not privy； at
the least； to the deed。 It is not beyond the bounds of probability that she
was an actual participator in the murder。
She was a violent woman； as violent and passionate as she was
determined。 Not once but many times is it on record that she physically
ill…used her elderly lover。 There was one occasion； it is said； when the
Prince suddenly came upon her in a very compromising position with a
younger man in the park of one of his chateaux。 Sophie； before the
Prince could utter a protest； cut him across the face with her riding…whip；
and finished up by thrashing him with his own cane。
Here you have the stuff； at any rate； of which your murderesses of the
violent type are made。 It is the metal out of which your Kate Websters；
your Sarah Malcolms； your Meteyards and Brownriggs fashion themselves。
It takes more than three years of scholastic self…discipline； such as Sophie
Dawes in her ambition subjected herself to； to eradicate the inborn
harridan。 The very determination which was at the back of Sophie's
efforts at self…education； that will to have her own way； would serve to
heighten the sick rage with which she would discover that her carefully
wrought plans of seven years had come to pieces。 What was it that the
Abbe Pelier de Lacroix had in ‘‘proof of the horrible assassination'' of the
Prince de Conde； but that he was prevented from placing before the
lawyers in charge of the later investigation； if not the fact that the Prince
had made a later will than the one by which Sophie inherited so greatly？
The Abbe was the Prince's chaplain。 He published a pamphlet declaring
that the Prince had made a will leaving his entire fortune to the little Duc
de Bordeaux； but that Sophie had stolen this later will。 Who likelier to be
a witness to such a will than the Prince's chaplain？
It needs no great feat of imagination to picture what the effect of such
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a discovery would be on a woman of Sophie's violent temper； or to
conceive how little the matter of taking a life especially the life of a feeble
old man she was used to bullying and mishandlingwould be allowed to
stand in the way of rescuing her large gains。 Murder of the Prince was
her only chance。 It had taken her seven years to bring him to the point of
signing that first will。 He was seventy…four years of age； enfeebled；
obstinate； and she knew of his plans to flee from her。 Even supposing
that she could prevent his flight； could she begin all over again to another
seven years of bullying and wheedlingalways with the prospect of the
old man dying before she could get him to the point again of doing as she
wished？ The very existence of the second will was a menace。 It only
needed that the would…be heirs of the Prince should hear of it； and there
would be a swoop on their part to rescue the testator from her clutches。
In the balance against 2；000；000 francs and some halfdozen castles with
their estates the only wonder is that any reasonable person； knowing the
history of Sophie Dawes； should hesitate about the value she was likely to
place on the old man's life。
The inquiry begu
