the village rector-第13节

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family；　who　lived　in　the　village　of　Montegnac。

Twenty　years　before　this　crime；　which　was　famous　throughout　the
Limousin；　the　canton　of　Montegnac　was　known　for　its　evil　ways。　The
saying　was　proverbial　in　Limoges　that　out　of　one　hundred　criminals　in
the　department　fifty　belonged　to　the　arrondissement　of　Montegnac。
Since　1816；　however；　two　years　after　a　priest　named　Bonnet　was　sent
there　as　rector；　it　had　lost　its　bad　reputation；　and　the　inhabitants
no　longer　sent　their　heavy　contingent　to　the　assizes。　This　change　was
widely　attributed　to　the　influence　acquired　by　the　rector；　Monsieur
Bonnet；　over　a　community　which　had　lately　been　a　hotbed　for　evil…
minded　persons　whose　actions　dishonored　the　whole　region。　The　crime　of
Jean…Francois　Tascheron　brought　back　upon　Montegnac　its　former　ill…
savor。

By　a　curious　trick　of　chance；　the　Tascherons　were　almost　the　only
family　in　this　village　community　who　had　retained　through　its　evil
period　the　old　rigid　morals　and　religious　habits　which　are　noticed　by
the　observers　of　to…day　to　be　rapidly　disappearing　throughout　the
country　districts。　This　family　had　therefore　formed　a　point　of
reliance　to　the　rector；　who　naturally　bore　it　on　his　heart。　The
Tascherons；　remarkable　for　their　uprightness；　their　union；　their　love
of　work；　had　never　given　other　than　good　examples　to　Jean…Francois。
Induced　by　the　praiseworthy　ambition　of　earning　his　living　by　a　trade；
the　lad　had　left　his　native　village；　to　the　regret　of　his　parents　and
friends；　who　greatly　loved　him；　and　had　come　to　Limoges。　During　his
two　years'　apprenticeship　in　a　porcelain　factory；　his　conduct　was
worthy　of　all　praise；　no　apparent　ill…conduct　had　led　up　to　the
horrible　crime　which　was　now　to　end　his　life。　On　the　contrary；　Jean…
Francois　Tascheron　had　given　the　time　which　other　workmen　were　in　the
habit　of　spending　in　wine…shops　and　debauchery　to　study　and　self…
improvement。

The　most　searching　and　minute　inquiry　on　the　part　of　the　provincial
authorities　（who　have　plenty　of　time　on　their　hands）　failed　to　throw
any　light　on　the　secrets　of　the　young　man's　life。　When　the　mistress　of
the　humble　lodging…house　in　which　he　lived　was　questioned　she　said　she
had　never　had　a　lodger　whose　moral　conduct　was　as　blameless。　He　was
naturally　amiable　and　gentle；　and　sometimes　gay。　About　a　year　before
the　commission　of　the　crime；　his　habits　changed：　he　slept　away　from
home　several　times　a　month　and　often　for　consecutive　nights；　but　where
she　did　not　know；　though　she　thought；　from　the　state　of　his　shoes　when
he　returned；　that　he　must　have　been　into　the　country。　She　noticed　that
although　he　appeared　to　have　left　the　town；　he　never　wore　his　heavy
boots；　but　always　a　pair　of　light　shoes。　He　shaved　before　starting；
and　put　on　clean　linen。　Hearing　this；　the　police　turned　their
attention　to　houses　of　ill…fame　and　questionable　resorts；　but　Jean…
Francois　Tascheron　was　found　to　be　wholly　unknown　among　them。　The
authorities　then　made　a　search　through　the　working…girl　and　/grisette/
class；　but　none　of　these　women　had　had　relations　with　the　accused。

A　crime　without　a　motive　is　unheard　of；　especially　in　a　young　man
whose　desire　for　education　and　whose　laudable　ambition　gave　him　higher
ideas　and　a　superior　judgment　to　that　of　other　workmen。　The　police　and
the　examining　justice；　finding　themselves　balked　in　the　above
directions；　attributed　the　murder　to　a　passion　for　gambling；　but　after
the　most　searching　inquiries　it　was　proved　that　Tascheron　never　played
cards。

At　first　Jean…Francois　entrenched　himself　in　a　system　of　flat　denials；
which；　of　course；　in　presence　of　a　jury；　would　fall　before　proof；　they
seemed　to　show　the　collusion　of　some　person　either　well　versed　in　law
or　gifted　with　an　intelligent　mind。　The　following　are　the　chief　proofs
the　prosecution　were　prepared　to　present；　and　they　are；　as　is
frequently　the　case　in　trials　for　murder；　both　important　and　trifling；
to　wit：

The　absence　of　Tascheron　during　the　night　of　the　crime；　and　his
refusal　to　say　where　he　was；　for　the　accused　did　not　offer　to　set　up
an　alibi；　a　fragment　of　his　blouse；　torn　off　by　the　servant…woman　in
the　struggle；　found　close　by　on　a　tree　to　which　the　wind　had　carried
it；　his　presence　that　evening　near　Pingret's　house；　which　was　noticed
by　passers　and　by　persons　living　in　the　neighborhood；　though　it　might
not　have　been　remembered　unless　for　the　crime；　a　false　key　made　by
Tascheron　which　fitted　the　door　opening　to　the　fields；　this　key　was
found　carefully　buried　two　feet　below　one　of　the　miser's　holes；　where
Monsieur　des　Vanneaulx；　digging　deep　to　make　sure　there　was　not
another　layer　of　treasure…pots；　chanced　to　find　it；　the　police；　after
many　researches；　found　the　different　persons　who　had　furnished
Tascheron　with　the　iron；　loaned　him　the　vice；　and　given　him　the　file；
with　which　the　key　was　presumably　made。

The　key　was　the　first　real　clue。　It　put　the　police　on　the　track　of
Tascheron；　whom　they　arrested　on　the　frontiers　of　the　department；　in　a
wood　where　he　was　awaiting　the　passage　of　a　diligence。　An　hour　later
he　would　have　started　for　America。

Besides　all　this；　and　in　spite　of　the　care　with　which　certain
footmarks　in　the　ploughed　field　and　on　the　mud　of　the　road　had　been
effaced　and　covered　up；　the　searchers　had　found　in　several　places　the
imprint　of　shoes；　which　they　carefully　measured　and　described；　and
which　were　afterwards　found　to　correspond　with　the　soles　of
Tascheron's　shoes　taken　from　his　lodgings。　This　fatal　proof　confirmed
the　statement　of　the　landlady。　The　authorities　now　attributed　the
crime　to　some　foreign　influence；　and　not　to　the　man's　personal
intention；　they　believed　he　had　accomplices；　basing　this　idea　on　the
impossibility　of　one　man　carrying　away　the　buried　money；　for　however
strong　he　might　be；　no　man　could　carry　twenty…five　thousand　francs　in
gold　to　any　distance。　If　each　pot　contained；　as　it　was　supposed　to
have　done；　about　that　sum；　this　would　have　required　four　trips　to　and
from　the　clover…patch。　Now；　a　singular　circumstance　went　far　to　prove
the　hour　at　which　the　crime　was　committed。　In　the　terror　Jeanne
Malassis　must　have　felt　on　hearing　her　master's　cries；　she　knocked
over；　as　she　rose；　the　table　at　her　bedside；　on　which　lay　her　watch；
the　only　present　the　miser　had　given　her　in　five　years。　The　mainspring
was　broken　by　the　shock；　and　the　hands　had　stopped　at　two　in　the
morning。　By　the　middle　of　March　（the　date　of　the　murder）　daylight
dawns　between　five　and　six　o'clock。　To　whatever　distance　the　gold　had
been　carried；　Tascheron　could　not　possibly；　under　any　apparent
hypothesis；　have　transported　it　alone。

The　care　with　which　some　of　the　footsteps　were　effaced；　while　others；
to　which　Tascheron's　shoes　fitted；　remained；　certainly　pointed　to　some
mysterious　assistant。　Forced　into　hypotheses；　the　authorities　once
more　attributed　the　crime　to　a　desperate　passion；　not　finding　any
trace　of　the　object　of　such　a　passion　in　the　lower　classes；　they　began
to　look　higher。　Perhaps　some　bourgeoise；　sure　of　the　discretion　of　a
man　who　had　the　face　and　bearing　of　a　hero；　had　been　drawn　into　a
romance　the　outcome　of　which　was　crime。

This　supposition　was　to　some　extent　justified　by　the　facts　of　the
murder。　The　old　man　had　been　killed　by　blows　with　a　spade；　evidently；
therefore；　the　murder　was　sudden；　unpremeditated；　fortuitous。　The
lovers　might　have　planned　the　robbery；　but　not　the　murder。　The　lover
and　the　miser；　Tascheron　and　Pingret；　each　under　the　influence　of　his
master　passion；　must　have　met　by　the　buried　hoards；　both　drawn　thither
by　the　gleaming　of　gold　on　the　utter　darkness　of　that　fatal　night。

In　order　to　obtain；　if　possible；　some　light　on　this　latter
supposition；　the　authorities　arrested　and　kept　in　solitary　confinement
a　sister　of　Jean…Francois；　to　whom　he　was　much　attached；　hoping　to
obtain　through　her　some　clue　to　the　mystery　of　her　brother's　private
life。　Denise　Tascheron　took　refuge　in　total　denial　of　any　knowledge
whatever；　which　gave　rise　to　a　suspicion　that　she　did　know　something
of　the　causes　of　the　crime；　although　in　fact　she　knew　nothing。

The　accused　himself　showed　points　of　character　that　were　rare　amongst
the　peasantry。　He　baffled　the　cleverest　police…spies　employed　against
him；　without　knowing　their　real　character。　To　the　leading　minds　of　the
magistracy　his　guilt　seemed　caused　by　the　influence　of　passion；　and
not　by　necessity　or　greed；　as　in　the　case　of　ordinary　murderers；　who
usually　pass　through　stages　of　crime　and　punishment　before　they　commit
the　supreme　deed。　Active　and　careful　search　was　made　in　following　up
this　idea；　but　the　uniform　discretion　of　the　prisoner　gave　no　clue
whatever　to　his　prosecutors。　The　plausible　theory　of　his　attachment　to
a　woman　of　the　upper　classes　having　once　been　admitted；　Jean…Francois
was　subjected　to　the　most　insidious　examination　upon　it；　but　his
caution　triumphed　over　all　the　moral　tortures　the　examining　judge
applied　to　him。　When；　making　a　final　effort；　that　official　told　him
that　the　person　for　whom　he　had　committed　the　crime　was　discovered　and
arrested；　his　face　did　not　change；　and　he　replied　ironically：

〃I　should　very　much　like　to　see　him。〃

When　the　public　were　informed　of　th