the village rector-第12节

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garden；　at　the　farther　end　of　which　were　several　old　and　disused
greenhouses。　In　front　of　the　house　a　rapid　slope　to　the　river　bank
gave　a　view　of　the　Vienne。　The　courtyard；　which　also　sloped　downward；
ended　at　a　little　wall；　from　which　small　columns　rose　at　equal
distances　united　by　a　railing；　more；　however；　for　ornament　than
protection；　for　the　bars　of　the　railing　were　of　painted　wood。

The　old　man；　named　Pingret；　noted　for　his　avarice；　lived　with　a　single
woman…servant；　a　country…girl　who　did　all　the　work　of　the　house。　He
himself　took　care　of　his　espaliers；　trimmed　his　trees；　gathered　his
fruit；　and　sent　it　to　Limoges　for　sale；　together　with　early
vegetables；　in　the　raising　of　which　he　excelled。

The　niece　of　this　old　man；　and　his　sole　heiress；　married　to　a
gentleman　of　small　means　living　in　Limoges；　a　Madame　des　Vanneaulx；
had　again　and　again　urged　her　uncle　to　hire　a　man　to　protect　the
house；　pointing　out　to　him　that　he　would　thus　obtain　the　profits　of
certain　uncultivated　ground　where　he　now　grew　nothing　but　clover。　But
the　old　man　steadily　refused。　More　than　once　a　discussion　on　the
subject　had　cut　into　the　whist…playing　of　Limoges。　A　few　shrewd　heads
declared　that　the　old　miser　buried　his　gold　in　that　clover…field。

〃If　I　were　Madame　des　Vanneaulx；〃　said　a　wit；　〃I　shouldn't　torment　my
uncle　about　it；　if　somebody　murders　him；　why；　let　him　be　murdered！　I
should　inherit　the　money。〃

Madame　des　Vanneaulx；　however；　wanted　to　keep　her　uncle；　after　the
manner　of　the　managers　of　the　Italian　Opera；　who　entreat　their　popular
tenor　to　wrap　up　his　throat；　and　give　him　their　cloak　if　he　happens　to
have　forgotten　his　own。　She　had　sent　old　Pingret　a　fine　English
mastiff；　which　Jeanne　Malassis；　the　servant…woman　brought　back　the
next　day　saying：

〃Your　uncle　doesn't　want　another　mouth　to　feed。〃

The　result　proved　how　well…founded　were　the　niece's　fears。　Pingret　was
murdered　on　a　dark　night；　in　the　middle　of　his　clover…field；　where　he
may　have　been　adding　a　few　coins　to　a　buried　pot　of　gold。　The　servant…
woman；　awakened　by　the　struggle；　had　the　courage　to　go　to　the
assistance　of　the　old　miser；　and　the　murderer　was　under　the　necessity
of　killing　her　to　suppress　her　testimony。　This　necessity；　which
frequently　causes　murderers　to　increase　the　number　of　their　victims；
is　an　evil　produced　by　the　fear　of　the　death　penalty。

This　double　murder　was　attended　by　curious　circumstances　which　told　as
much　for　the　prosecution　as　for　the　defence。　After　the　neighbors　had
missed　seeing　the　little　old　Pingret　and　his　maid　for　a　whole　morning
and　had　gazed　at　his　house　through　the　wooden　railings　as　they　passed
it；　and　seen　that；　contrary　to　custom；　the　doors　and　windows　were
still　closed；　an　excitement　began　in　the　Faubourg　Saint…Etienne　which
presently　reached　the　rue　de　la　Cloche；　where　Madame　des　Vanneaulx
resided。

The　niece　was　always　in　expectation　of　some　such　catastrophe；　and　she
at　once　notified　the　officers　of　the　law；　who　went　to　the　house　and
broke　in　the　gate。　They　soon　discovered　in　a　clover　patch　four　holes；
and　near　two　of　these　holes　lay　the　fragments　of　earthenware　pots；
which　had　doubtless　been　full　of　gold　the　night　before。　In　the　other
two　holes；　scarcely　covered　up；　were　the　bodies　of　old　Pingret　and
Jeanne　Malassis；　who　had　been　buried　with　their　clothes　on。　The　poor
girl　had　run　to　her　master's　assistance　in　her　night…gown；　with　bare
feet。

While　the　/procureur…du…roi/；　the　commissary　of　police；　and　the
examining　magistrate　were　gathering　all　particulars　for　the　basis　of
their　action；　the　luckless　des　Vanneaulx　picked　up　the　broken　pots　and
calculated　from　their　capacity　the　sum　lost。　The　magistrates　admitted
the　correctness　of　their　calculations　and　entered　the　sum　stolen　on
their　records　as；　in　all　probability；　a　thousand　gold　coins　to　each
pot。　But　were　these　coins　forty…eight　or　forty；　twenty…four　or　twenty
francs　in　value？　All　expectant　heirs　in　Limoges　sympathized　with　the
des　Vanneaulx。　The　Limousin　imagination　was　greatly　stirred　by　the
spectacle　of　the　broken　pots。　As　for　old　Pingret；　who　often　sold
vegetables　himself　in　the　market；　lived　on　bread　and　onions；　never
spent　more　than　three　hundred　francs　a　year；　obliged　and　disobliged　no
one；　and　had　never　done　one　atom　of　good　in　the　suburb　of　Saint…
Etienne　where　he　lived；　his　death　did　not　excite　the　slightest　regret。
Poor　Jeanne　Malassis'　heroism；　which　the　old　miser；　had　she　saved　him；
would　certainly　not　have　rewarded；　was　thought　rash；　the　number　of
souls　who　admired　it　was　small　in　comparison　with　those　who　said：　〃For
my　part；　I　should　have　stayed　in　my　bed。〃

The　police　found　neither　pen　nor　ink　wherewith　to　write　their　report
in　the　bare；　dilapidated；　cold；　and　dismal　house。　Observing　persons
and　the　heir　might　then　have　noticed　a　curious　inconsistency　which　may
be　seen　in　certain　misers。　The　dread　the　little　old　man　had　of　the
slightest　outlay　showed　itself　in　the　non…repaired　roof　which　opened
its　sides　to　the　light　and　the　rain　and　snow；　in　the　cracks　of　the
walls；　in　the　rotten　doors　ready　to　fall　at　the　slightest　shock；　in
the　windows；　where　the　broken　glass　was　replaced　by　paper　not　even
oiled。　All　the　windows　were　without　curtains；　the　fireplaces　without
mirrors　or　andirons；　the　hearth　was　garnished　with　one　log　of　wood　and
a　few　little　sticks　almost　caked　with　the　soot　which　had　fallen　down
the　chimney。　There　were　two　rickety　chairs；　two　thin　couches；　a　few
cracked　pots　and　mended　plates；　a　one…armed　armchair；　a　dilapidated
bed；　the　curtains　of　which　time　had　embroidered　with　a　bold　hand；　a
worm…eaten　secretary　where　the　miser　kept　his　seeds；　a　pile　of　linen
thickened　by　many　darns；　and　a　heap　of　ragged　garments；　which　existed
only　by　the　will　of　their　master；　he　being　dead　they　dropped　into
shreds；　powder；　chemical　dissolution；　in　fact　I　know　not　into　what
form　of　utter　ruin；　as　soon　as　the　heir　or　the　officers　of　the　law
laid　rough　hands　upon　them；　they　disappeared　as　if　afraid　of　being
publicly　sold。

The　population　at　Limoges　was　much　concerned　for　these　worthy　des
Vanneaulx；　who　had　two　children；　and　yet；　no　sooner　did　the　law　lay
hands　upon　the　reputed　doer　of　the　crime　than　the　guilty　personage
absorbed　attention；　became　a　hero；　and　the　des　Vanneaulx　were
relegated　into　a　corner　of　the　picture。

Toward　the　end　of　March　Madame　Graslin　began　to　feel　some　of　those
pains　which　precede　a　first　confinement　and　cannot　be　concealed。　The
inquiry　as　to　the　murder　was　then　going　on；　but　the　murderer　had　not
as　yet　been　arrested。

Veronique　now　received　her　friends　in　her　bedroom；　where　they　played
whist。　For　several　days　past　Madame　Graslin　had　not　left　the　house；
and　she　seemed　to　be　tormented　by　several　of　those　caprices　attributed
to　women　in　her　condition。　Her　mother　came　to　see　her　almost　every
day；　and　the　two　women　remained　for　hours　in　consultation。

It　was　nine　o'clock；　and　the　card　tables　were　still　without　players；
for　every　one　was　talking　of　the　murder。　Monsieur　de　Grandville
entered　the　room。

〃We　have　arrested　the　murderer　of　old　Pingret；〃　he　said；　joyfully。

〃Who　is　it？〃　was　asked　on　all　sides。

〃A　porcelain　workman；　a　man　whose　character　has　always　been　excellent；
and　who　was　in　a　fair　way　to　make　his　fortune。　He　worked　in　your
husband's　old　factory；〃　added　Monsieur　de　Grandville；　turning　to
Madame　Graslin。

〃What　is　his　name？〃　asked　Veronique；　in　a　weak　voice。

〃Jean…Francois　Tascheron。〃

〃Unhappy　man！〃　she　answered。　〃Yes；　I　have　often　seen　him；　my　poor
father　recommended　him　to　my　care　as　some　one　to　be　looked　after。〃

〃He　left　the　factory　before　Sauviat's　death；〃　said　her　mother；　〃and
went　to　that　of　Messrs。　Philippart；　who　offered　him　higher　wages　But
my　daughter　is　scarcely　well　enough　for　this　exciting　conversation；〃
she　added；　calling　attention　to　Madame　Graslin；　whose　face　was　as
white　as　her　sheets。

After　that　evening　Mere　Sauviat　gave　up　her　own　home；　and　came；　in
spite　of　her　sixty…six　years；　to　stay　with　her　daughter　and　nurse　her
through　her　confinement。　She　never　left　the　room；　Madame　Graslin's
friends　found　the　old　woman　always　at　the　bed's　head　busy　with　her
eternal　knitting；brooding　over　Veronique　as　she　did　when　the　girl
had　the　small…pox；　answering　questions　for　her　and　often　refusing　to
admit　visitors。　The　maternal　and　filial　love　of　mother　and　daughter
was　so　well　known　in　Limoges　that　these　actions　of　Madame　Sauviat
caused　no　comment。

A　few　days　later；　when　the　viscount；　thinking　to　amuse　the　invalid；
began　to　relate　details　which　the　whole　town　were　eagerly　demanding
about　Jean…Francois　Tascheron；　Madame　Sauviat　again　stopped　him
hastily；　declaring　that　he　would　give　her　daughter　bad　dreams。
Veronique；　however；　looking　fixedly　at　Monsieur　de　Grandville；　asked
him　to　finish　what　he　was　saying。　Thus　her　friends；　and　she　herself；
were　the　first　to　know　the　results　of　the　preliminary　inquiry；　which
would　soon　be　made　public。　The　following　is　a　brief　epitome　of　the
facts　on　which　the　indictment　found　against　the　prisoner　was　based。

Jean…Francois　Tascheron　was　the　son　of　a　small　farmer　burdened　with　a
family；　who　lived　in　the　village　of　Montegnac。

Twenty　years　before