the village rector-第15节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



〃Then　you　think　that　he　will　certainly　be　found　guilty？〃　she　said；
lowering　her　eyelids。

〃I　am　certain　of　it；〃　he　said；　〃the　prosecution　has　a　strong　case。〃

A　slight　tremor　rustled　Madame　Graslin's　dress。

〃I　feel　cold；〃　she　said。　Taking　her　mother's　arm　she　went　to　bed。

〃She　seemed　quite　herself　this　evening；〃　said　her　friends。

The　next　day　Veronique　was　much　worse　and　kept　her　bed。　When　her
physician　expressed　surprise　at　her　condition　she　said；　smiling：

〃I　told　you　that　that　walk　would　do　me　no　good。〃

Ever　since　the　opening　of　the　trial　Tascheron's　demeanor　had　been
equally　devoid　of　hypocrisy　or　bravado。　Veronique's　physician；
intending　to　divert　his　patient's　mind；　tried　to　explain　this
demeanor；　which　the　man's　defenders　were　making　the　most　of。　The
prisoner　was　misled；　said　the　doctor；　by　the　talents　of　his　lawyer；
and　was　sure　of　acquittal；　at　times　his　face　expressed　a　hope　that　was
greater　than　that　of　merely　escaping　death。　The　antecedents　of　the　man
（who　was　only　twenty…three　years　old）　were　so　at　variance　with　the
crime　now　charged　to　him　that　his　legal　defenders　claimed　his　present
bearing　to　be　a　proof　of　innocence；　besides；　the　overwhelming
circumstantial　proofs　of　the　theory　of　the　prosecution　were　made　to
appear　so　weak　by　his　advocate　that　the　man　was　buoyed　up　by　the
lawyer's　arguments。　To　save　his　client's　life　the　lawyer　made　the　most
of　the　evident　want　of　premeditation；　hypothetically　he　admitted　the
premeditation　of　the　robbery　but　not　of　the　murders；　which　were
evidently　（no　matter　who　was　the　guilty　party）　the　result　of　two
unexpected　struggles。　Success；　the　doctor　said；　was　really　as　doubtful
for　one　side　as　for　the　other。

After　this　visit　of　her　physician　Veronique　received　that　of　the
/procureur…general/；　who　was　in　the　habit　of　coming　in　every　morning
on　his　way　to　the　court…room。

〃I　have　read　the　arguments　of　yesterday；〃　she　said　to　him；　〃and
to…day；　as　I　suppose；　the　evidence　for　the　defence　begins。　I　am　so
interested　in　that　man　that　I　should　like　to　have　him　saved。　Couldn't
you　for　once　in　your　life　forego　a　triumph？　Let　his　lawyer　beat　you。
Come；　make　me　a　present　of　the　man's　life；　and　perhaps　you　shall　have
mine　some　day。　The　able　presentation　of　the　defence　by　Tascheron's
lawyer　really　raises　a　strong　doubt；　and〃

〃Why；　you　are　quite　agitated；〃　said　the　viscount　somewhat　surprised。

〃Do　you　know　why？〃　she　answered。　〃My　husband　has　just　remarked　a　most
horrible　coincidence；　which　is　really　enough　in　the　present　state　of
my　nerves；　to　cause　my　death。　If　you　condemn　this　man　to　death　it　will
be　on　the　very　day　when　I　shall　give　birth　to　my　child。〃

〃But　I　can't　change　the　laws；〃　said　the　lawyer。

〃Ah！　you　don't　know　how　to　love；〃　she　retorted；　closing　her　eyes；　then
she　turned　her　head　on　the　pillow　and　made　him　an　imperative　sign　to
leave　the　room。

Monsieur　Graslin　pleaded　strongly　but　in　vain　with　his　fellow…jurymen
for　acquittal；　giving　a　reason　which　some　of　them　adopted；　a　reason
suggested　by　his　wife：

〃If　we　do　not　condemn　this　man　to　death；　but　allow　him　to　live；　the
des　Vanneaulx　will　in　the　end　recover　their　property。〃

This　weighty　argument　made　a　division　of　the　jury；　into　five　for
condemnation　against　seven　for　acquittal；　which　necessitated　an　appeal
to　the　court；　but　the　judge　sided　with　the　minority。　According　to　the
legal　system　of　that　day　this　action　led　to　a　verdict　of　guilty。　When
sentence　was　passed　upon　him　Tascheron　flew　into　a　fury　which　was
natural　enough　in　a　man　full　of　life　and　strength；　but　which　the　court
and　jury　and　lawyers　and　spectators　had　rarely　witnessed　in　persons
who　were　thought　to　be　unjustly　condemned。



VI

DISCUSSIONS　AND　CHRISTIAN　SOLICITUDES

In　spite　of　the　verdict；　the　drama　of　this　crime　did　not　seem　over　so
far　as　the　community　was　concerned。　So　complicated　a　case　gave　rise；
as　usually　happens　under　such　circumstances；　to　two　sets　of
diametrically　opposite　opinions　as　to　the　guilt　of　the　hero；　whom　some
declared　to　be　an　innocent　and　ill…used　victim；　and　others　the　worst
of　criminals。

The　liberals　held　for　Tascheron's　innocence；　less　from　conviction　than
for　the　satisfaction　of　opposing　the　government。

〃What　an　outrage；〃　they　said；　〃to　condemn　a　man　because　his　footprint
is　the　size　of　another　man's　footprint；　or　because　he　will　not　tell
you　where　he　spent　the　night；　as　if　all　young　men　would　not　rather　die
than　compromise　a　woman。　They　prove　he　borrowed　tools　and　bought　iron；
but　have　they　proved　he　made　that　key？　They　find　a　bit　of　blue　linen
hanging　to　the　branch　of　a　tree；　possibly　put　there　by　old　Pingret
himself　to　scare　the　crows；　though　it　happens　to　match　a　tear　in
Tascheron's　blouse。　Is　a　man's　life　to　depend　on　such　things　as　these？
Jean…Francois　denies　everything；　and　the　prosecution　has　not　produced
a　single　witness　who　saw　the　crime　or　anything　relating　to　it。〃

They　talked　over；　enlarged　upon；　and　paraphrased　the　arguments　of　the
defence。　〃Old　Pingret！　what　was　he？a　cracked　money　box！〃　said　the
strong…minded。　A　few　of　the　more　determined　progressists；　denying　the
sacred　laws　of　property；　which　the　Saint…Simonians　were　already
attacking　under　their　abstract　theories　of　political　economy；　went
further。

〃Pere　Pingret；〃　they　said；　〃was　the　real　author　of　the　crime。　By
hoarding　his　gold　that　man　robbed　the　nation。　What　enterprises　might
have　been　made　fruitful　by　his　useless　money！　He　had　barred　the　way　of
industry；　and　was　justly　punished。〃

They　pitied　the　poor　murdered　servant…woman；　but　Denise；　Tascheron's
sister；　who　resisted　the　wiles　of　lawyers　and　did　not　give　a　single
answer　at　the　trial　without　long　consideration　of　what　she　ought　to
say；　excited　the　deepest　interest。　She　became　in　their　minds　a　figure
to　be　compared　（though　in　another　sense）　with　Jeannie　Deans；　whose
piety；　grace；　modesty　and　beauty　she　possessed。

Francois　Tascheron　continued；　therefore；　to　excite　the　curiosity　of
not　only　all　the　town　but　all　the　department；　and　a　few　romantic　women
openly　testified　their　admiration　for　him。

〃If　there　is　really　in　all　this　a　love　for　some　woman　high　above　him；〃
they　said；　〃then　he　is　surely　no　ordinary　man；　and　you　will　see　that
he　will　die　well。〃

The　question；　〃Will　he　speak　out；will　he　not　speak？〃　gave　rise　to
many　a　bet。

Since　the　burst　of　rage　with　which　Tascheron　received　his　sentence；
and　which　was　so　violent　that　it　might　have　been　fatal　to　persons
about　him　in　the　court…room　if　the　gendarmes　had　not　been　there　to
master　him；　the　condemned　man　threatened　all　who　came　near　him　with
the　fury　of　a　wild　beast；　so　that　the　jailers　were　obliged　to　put　him
into　a　straight…jacket；　as　much　to　protect　his　life　as　their　own　from
the　effects　of　his　anger。　Prevented　by　that　controlling　power　from
doing　violence；　Tascheron　gave　vent　to　his　despair　by　convulsive　jerks
which　horrified　his　guardians；　and　by　words　and　looks　which　the
middle…ages　would　have　attributed　to　demoniacal　possession。　He　was　so
young　that　many　women　thought　pitifully　of　a　life　so　full　of　passion
about　to　be　cut　off　forever。　〃The　Last　Day　of　a　Condemned　Man；〃　that
mournful　elegy；　that　useless　plea　against　the　penalty　of　death　（the
mainstay　of　society！）；　which　had　lately　been　published；　as　if
expressly　to　meet　this　case；　was　the　topic　of　all　conversations。

But；　above　all；　in　the　mind　of　every　one；　stood　that　invisible　unknown
woman；　her　feet　in　blood；　raised　aloft　by　the　trial　as　it　were　on　a
pedestal；torn；　no　doubt；　by　horrible　inward　anguish　and　condemned　to
absolute　silence　within　her　home。　Who　was　this　Medea　whom　the　public
well…nigh　admired；the　woman　with　that　impenetrable　brow；　that　white
breast　covering　a　heart　of　steel？　Perhaps　she　was　the　sister　or　the
cousin　or　the　daughter　or　the　wife　of　this　one　or　of　that　one　among
them！　Alarm　seemed　to　creep　into　the　bosom　of　families。　As　Napoleon
finely　said；　it　is　especially　in　the　domain　of　the　imagination　that
the　power　of　the　Unknown　is　immeasurable。

As　for　the　hundred　thousand　francs　stolen　from　Monsieur　and　Madame　des
Vanneaulx　no　efforts　of　the　police　could　find　them；　and　the　obstinate
silence　of　the　criminal　gave　no　clue。　Monsieur　de　Grandville　tried　the
common　means　of　holding　out　hopes　of　commutation　of　the　sentence　in
case　of　confession；　but　when　he　went　to　see　the　prisoner　and　suggest
it　the　latter　received　him　with　such　furious　cries　and　epileptic
contortions；　such　rage　at　being　powerless　to　take　him　by　the　throat；
that　he　could　do　nothing。

The　law　could　only　look　to　the　influence　of　the　Church　at　the　last
moment。　The　des　Vanneaulx　had　frequently　consulted　with　the　Abbe
Pascal；　chaplain　of　the　prison。　This　priest　was　not　without　the
faculty　of　making　prisoners　listen　to　him；　and　he　religiously　braved
Tascheron's　violence；　trying　to　get　in　a　few　words　amid　the　storms　of
that　powerful　nature　in　convulsion。　But　this　struggle　of　spiritual
fatherhood　against　the　hurricane　of　unchained　passions；　overcame　the
poor　abbe　completely。

〃The　man　has　had　his　paradise　here　below；〃　said　the　old　man；　in　his
gentle　voice。

Little　Madame　des　Vanneaulx　consulted　her　friends　as　to　whether　she
ought　to　try　a　visit　herself　to　the　c