the collection of antiquities-第32节

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〃Dear　M。　Blondet；　never　mind　your　flowers；〃　said　Mme。　Camusot。　〃YOU　are　concerned；　you　and　your　hopes；　and　your　son's　marriage　with　Mlle。　Blandureau。　You　are　duped　by　the　President。〃

〃Bah！〃　said　old　Blondet；　with　an　incredulous　air。

〃Yes；〃　retorted　she。　〃If　you　cultivated　people　a　little　more　and　your　flowers　a　little　less；　you　would　know　that　the　dowry　and　the　hopes　you　have　sown；　and　watered；　and　tilled；　and　weeded　are　on　the　point　of　being　gathered　now　by　cunning　hands。〃

〃Madame！〃

〃Oh；　nobody　in　the　town　will　have　the　courage　to　fly　in　the　President's　face　and　warn　you。　I；　however；　do　not　belong　to　the　town；　and；　thanks　to　this　obliging　young　man；　I　shall　soon　be　going　back　to　Paris；　so　I　can　inform　you　that　Chesnel's　successor　has　made　formal　proposals　for　Mlle。　Claire　Blandureau's　hand　on　behalf　of　young　du　Ronceret；　who　is　to　have　fifty　thousand　crowns　from　his　parents。　As　for　Fabien；　he　has　made　up　his　mind　to　receive　a　call　to　the　bar；　so　as　to　gain　an　appointment　as　judge。〃

Old　Blondet　dropped　the　flower…pot　which　he　had　brought　out　for　the　Duchess　to　see。

〃Oh；　my　cactus！　Oh；　my　son！　and　Mlle。　Blandureau！　。　。　。　Look　here！　the　cactus　flower　is　broken　to　pieces。〃

〃No；〃　Mme。　Camusot　answered；　laughing；　〃everything　can　be　put　right。　If　you　have　a　mind　to　see　your　son　a　judge　in　another　month；　we　will　tell　you　how　you　must　set　to　work〃

〃Step　this　way；　sir；　and　you　will　see　my　pelargoniums；　an　enchanting　sight　while　they　are　in　flower〃　Then　he　added　to　Mme。　Camusot；　〃Why　did　you　speak　of　these　matters　while　your　cousin　was　present。〃

〃All　depends　upon　him；〃　riposted　Mme。　Camusot。　〃Your　son's　appointment　is　lost　for　ever　if　you　let　fall　a　word　about　this　young　man。〃

〃Bah！〃

〃The　young　man　is　a　flower〃

〃Ah！〃

〃He　is　the　Duchesse　de　Maufrigneuse；　sent　here　by　His　Majesty　to　save　young　d'Esgrignon；　whom　they　arrested　yesterday　on　a　charge　of　forgery　brought　against　him　by　du　Croisier。　Mme。　la　Duchesse　has　authority　from　the　Keeper　of　the　Seals；　he　will　ratify　any　promises　that　she　makes　to　us〃

〃My　cactus　is　all　right！〃　exclaimed　Blondet；　peering　at　his　precious　plant。〃Go　on；　I　am　listening。〃

〃Take　counsel　with　Camusot　and　Michu　to　hush　up　the　affair　as　soon　as　possible；　and　your　son　will　get　the　appointment。　It　will　come　in　time　enough　to　baffle　du　Ronceret's　underhand　dealings　with　the　Blandureaus。　Your　son　will　be　something　better　than　assistant　judge；　he　will　have　M。　Camusot's　post　within　the　year。　The　public　prosecutor　will　be　here　today。　M。　Sauvager　will　be　obliged　to　resign；　I　expect；　after　his　conduct　in　this　affair。　At　the　court　my　husband　will　show　you　documents　which　completely　exonerate　the　Count　and　prove　that　the　forgery　was　a　trap　of　du　Croisier's　own　setting。〃

Old　Blondet　went　into　the　Olympic　circus　where　his　six　thousand　pelargoniums　stood；　and　made　his　bow　to　the　Duchess。

〃Monsieur；〃　said　he；　〃if　your　wishes　do　not　exceed　the　law；　this　thing　may　be　done。〃

〃Monsieur；〃　returned　the　Duchess；　〃send　in　your　resignation　to　M。　Chesnel　to…morrow；　and　I　will　promise　you　that　your　son　shall　be　appointed　within　the　week；　but　you　must　not　resign　until　you　have　had　confirmation　of　my　promise　from　the　public　prosecutor。　You　men　of　law　will　come　to　a　better　understanding　among　yourselves。　Only　let　him　know　that　the　Duchesse　de　Maufrigneuse　had　pledged　her　word　to　you。　And　not　a　word　as　to　my　journey　hither；〃　she　added。

The　old　judge　kissed　her　hand　and　began　recklessly　to　gather　his　best　flowers　for　her。

〃Can　you　think　of　it？　Give　them　to　madame；〃　said　the　Duchess。　〃A　young　man　should　not　have　flowers　about　him　when　he　has　a　pretty　woman　on　his　arm。〃

〃Before　you　go　down　to　the　court；〃　added　Mme。　Camusot；　〃ask　Chesnel's　successor　about　those　proposals　that　he　made　in　the　name　of　M。　and　Mme。　du　Ronceret。〃

Old　Blondet；　quite　overcome　by　this　revelation　of　the　President's　duplicity；　stood　planted　on　his　feet　by　the　wicket　gate；　looking　after　the　two　women　as　they　hurried　away　through　by…streets　home　again。　The　edifice　raised　so　painfully　during　ten　years　for　his　beloved　son　was　crumbling　visibly　before　his　eyes。　Was　it　possible？　He　suspected　some　trick；　and　hurried　away　to　Chesnel's　successor。

At　half…past　nine；　before　the　court　was　sitting；　Vice…President　Blondet；　Camusot；　and　Michu　met　with　remarkable　punctuality　in　the　council　chamber。　Blondet　locked　the　door　with　some　precautions　when　Camusot　and　Michu　came　in　together。

〃Well；　Mr。　Vice…President；〃　began　Michu；　〃M。　Sauvager；　without　consulting　the　public　prosecutor；　has　issued　a　warrant　for　the　apprehension　of　one　Comte　d'Esgrignon；　in　order　to　serve　a　grudge　borne　against　him　by　one　du　Croisier；　an　enemy　of　the　King's　government。　It　is　a　regular　topsy…turvy　affair。　The　President；　for　his　part；　goes　away；　and　thereby　puts　a　stop　to　the　preliminary　examination！　And　we　know　nothing　of　the　matter。　Do　they；　by　any　chance；　mean　to　force　our　hand？〃

〃This　is　the　first　word　I　have　heard　of　it；〃　said　the　Vice…President。　He　was　furious　with　the　President　for　stealing　a　march　on　him　with　the　Blandureaus。　Chesnel's　successor；　the　du　Roncerets'　man；　had　just　fallen　into　a　snare　set　by　the　old　judge；　the　truth　was　out；　he　knew　the　secret。

〃It　is　lucky　that　we　spoke　to　you　about　the　matter；　my　dear　master；〃　said　Camusot；　〃or　you　might　have　given　up　all　hope　of　seating　your　son　on　the　bench　or　of　marrying　him　to　Mlle。　Blandureau。〃

〃But　it　is　no　question　of　my　son；　nor　of　his　marriage；〃　said　the　Vice…　President；　〃we　are　talking　of　young　Comte　d'Esgrignon。　Is　he　or　is　he　not　guilty？〃

〃It　seems　that　Chesnel　deposited　the　amount　to　meet　the　bill　with　Mme。　du　Croisier；〃　said　Michu；　〃and　a　crime　has　been　made　of　a　mere　irregularity。　According　to　the　charge；　the　Count　made　use　of　the　lower　half　of　a　letter　bearing　du　Croisier's　signature　as　a　draft　which　he　cashed　at　the　Kellers'。〃

〃An　imprudent　thing　to　do；〃　was　Camusot's　comment。

〃But　why　is　du　Croisier　proceeding　against　him　if　the　amount　was　paid　in　beforehand？〃　asked　Vice…President　Blondet。

〃He　does　not　know　that　the　money　was　deposited　with　his　wife；　or　he　pretends　that　he　does　not　know；〃　said　Camusot。

〃It　is　a　piece　of　provincial　spite；〃　said　Michu。

〃Still　it　looks　like　a　forgery　to　me；〃　said　old　Blondet。　No　passion　could　obscure　judicial　clear…sightedness　in　him。

〃Do　you　think　so？〃　returned　Camusot。　〃But；　at　the　outset；　supposing　that　the　Count　had　no　business　to　draw　upon　du　Croisier；　there　would　still　be　no　forgery　of　the　signature；　and　the　Count　believed　that　he　had　a　right　to　draw　on　Croisier　when　Chesnel　advised　him　that　the　money　had　been　placed　to　his　credit。〃

〃Well；　then；　where　is　the　forgery？〃　asked　Blondet。　〃It　is　the　intent　to　defraud　which　constitutes　forgery　in　a　civil　action。〃

〃Oh；　it　is　clear；　if　you　take　du　Croisier's　version　for　truth；　that　the　signature　was　diverted　from　its　purpose　to　obtain　a　sum　of　money　in　spite　of　du　Croisier's　contrary　injunction　to　his　bankers；〃　Camusot　answered。

〃Gentlemen；〃　said　Blondet；　〃this　seems　to　me　to　be　a　mere　triffle；　a　quibble。Suppose　you　had　the　money；　I　ought　perhaps　to　have　waited　until　I　had　your　authorization；　but　I；　Comte　d'Esgrignon；　was　pressed　for　money；　so　I　Come；　come；　your　prosecution　is　a　piece　of　revengeful　spite。　Forgery　is　defined　by　the　law　as　an　attempt　to　obtain　any　advantage　which　rightfully　belongs　to　another。　There　is　no　forgery　here；　according　to　the　letter　of　the　Roman　law；　nor　according　to　the　spirit　of　modern　jurisprudence　（always　from　the　point　of　a　civil　action；　for　we　are　not　here　concerned　with　the　falsification　of　public　or　authentic　documents）。　Between　private　individuals　the　essence　of　a　forgery　is　the　intent　to　defraud；　where　is　it　in　this　case？　In　what　times　are　we　living；　gentlemen？　Here　is　the　President　going　away　to　balk　a　preliminary　examination　which　ought　to　be　over　by　this　time！　Until　to…day　I　did　not　know　M。　le　President；　but　he　shall　have　the　benefit　of　arrears；　from　this　time　forth　he　shall　draft　his　decisions　himself。　You　must　set　about　this　affair　with　all　possible　speed；　M。　Camusot。〃

〃Yes；〃　said　Michu。　〃In　my　opinion；　instead　of　letting　the　young　man　out　on　bail；　we　ought　to　pull　him　out　of　this　mess　at　once。　Everything　turns　on　the　examination　of　du　Croisier　and　his　wife。　You　might　summons　them　to　appear　while　the　court　is　sitting；　M。　Camusot；　take　down　their　depositions　before　four　o'clock；　send　in　your　report　to…　night；　and　we　will　give　our　decision　in　the　morning　before　the　court　sits。〃

〃We　will　settle　what　course　to　pursue　while　the　barristers　are　pleading；〃　said　Vice…President　Blondet；　addressing　Camusot。

And　with　that　the　three　judges　put　on　their　robes　and　went　into　court。

At　noon　Mlle。　Armande　and　the　Bishop　reached　the　Hotel　d'Esgrignon；　Chesnel　and　M。　Couturier　were　there　to　meet　them。　There　was　a　sufficiently　short　conference　between　the　prelate　and　Mme。　du　Croisier's　director；　and　the　latter　set　out　at　once　to　visit　his　charge。

At　eleven　o'clock　that　morning　du　Croisier　received　a　summons　to　appear　in　the　examining　magistrate's　office　between　one　and　two　in　the　afternoon。　Thither　he　betook　himself；　consumed　by　well…founded　suspicions。　It　was　impossible　that　the　President　should　have　foreseen　the　arrival　of　the　Duch