the village rector-第27节

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rich　do　not　pay　so　generously　for　a　lost　cause。〃

〃Monsieur；〃　said　Denise；　〃I　cannot　obey　you。〃

〃Then　the　money　is　not　yours？〃　said　the　lawyer。

〃You　are　mistaken；〃　she　replied；　looking　at　Monsieur　Bonnet　as　if　to
know　whether　God　would　be　angry　at　the　lie。

The　rector　kept　his　eyes　lowered。

〃Well；　then；〃　said　the　lawyer；　taking　one　note　of　five　hundred　francs
and　offering　the　other　to　the　rector；　〃I　will　share　it　with　the　poor。
Now；　Denise；　change　this　one；　which　is　really　mine；〃　he　went　on；
giving　her　the　note；　〃for　your　velvet　ribbon　and　your　gold　cross。　I
will　hang　the　cross　above　my　mantel　to　remind　me　of　the　best　and
purest　young　girl's　heart　I　have　ever　known　in　my　whole　experience　as
a　lawyer。〃

〃I　will　give　it　to　you　without　selling　it；〃　cried　Denise；　taking　off
her　/jeannette/　and　offering　it　to　him。

〃Monsieur；〃　said　the　rector；　〃I　accept　the　five　hundred　francs　to　pay
for　the　exhumation　of　the　poor　lad's　body　and　its　transportation　to
Montegnac。　God　has　no　doubt　pardoned　him；　and　Jean　will　rise　with　my
flock　on　that　last　day　when　the　righteous　and　the　repentant　will　be
called　together　to　the　right　hand　of　the　Father。〃

〃So　be　it；〃　replied　the　lawyer。

He　took　Denise　by　the　hand　and　drew　her　toward　him　to　kiss　her
forehead；　but　the　action　had　another　motive。

〃My　child；〃　he　whispered；　〃no　one　in　Montegnac　has　five…hundred…franc
notes；　they　are　rare　even　at　Limoges；　where　they　are　only　taken　at　a
discount。　This　money　has　been　given　to　you；　you　will　not　tell　me　by
whom；　and　I　don't　ask　you；　but　listen　to　me：　if　you　have　anything　more
to　do　in　this　town　relating　to　your　poor　brother；　take　care！　You　and
Monsieur　Bonnet　and　your　brother　Louis　will　be　followed　by　police…
spies。　Your　family　is　known　to　have　left　Montegnac；　and　as　soon　as　you
are　seen　here　you　will　be　watched　and　surrounded　before　you　are　aware
of　it。〃

〃Alas！〃　she　said。　〃I　have　nothing　more　to　do　here。〃

〃She　is　cautious；〃　thought　the　lawyer；　as　he　parted　from　her。
〃However；　she　is　warned；　and　I　hope　she　will　get　safely　off。〃

*****

During　this　last　week　in　September；　when　the　weather　was　as　warm　as　in
summer；　the　bishop　gave　a　dinner　to　the　authorities　of　the　place。
Among　the　guests　were　the　/procureur…du…roi/　and　the　attorney…general。
Some　lively　discussions　prolonged　the　party　till　a　late　hour。　The
company　played　whist　and　backgammon；　a　favorite　game　with　the　clergy。
Toward　eleven　o'clock　the　/procureur…du…roi/　walked　out　upon　the　upper
terrace。　From　the　spot　where　he　stood　he　saw　a　light　on　that　island　to
which；　on　a　certain　evening；　the　attention　of　the　bishop　and　the　Abbe
Gabriel　had　been　drawn；Veronique's　〃Ile　de　France；〃and　the　gleam
recalled　to　the　/procureur's/　mind　the　unexplained　mysteries　of　the
Tascheron　crime。　Then；　reflecting　that　there　could　be　no　legitimate
reason　for　a　fire　on　that　lonely　island　in　the　river　at　that　time　of
night；　an　idea；　which　had　already　struck　the　bishop　and　the　secretary；
darted　into　his　mind　with　the　suddenness　and　brilliancy　of　the　flame
itself　which　was　shining　in　the　distance。

〃We　have　all　been　fools！〃　he　cried；　〃but　this　will　give　us　the
accomplices。〃

He　returned　to　the　salon；　sought　out　Monsieur　de　Grandville；　said　a
few　words　in　his　ear；　after　which　they　both　took　leave。　But　the　Abbe
de　Rastignac　accompanied　them　politely　to　the　door；　he　watched　them　as
they　departed；　saw　them　go　to　the　terrace；　noticed　the　fire　on　the
island；　and　thought　to　himself；　〃She　is　lost！〃

The　emissaries　of　the　law　got　there　too　late。　Denise　and　Louis；　whom
Jean　had　taught　to　dive；　were　actually　on　the　bank　of　the　river　at　a
spot　named　to　them　by　Jean；　but　Louis　Tascheron　had　already　dived　four
times；　bringing　up　each　time　a　bundle　containing　twenty　thousand
francs'　worth　of　gold。　The　first　sum　was　wrapped　in　a　foulard
handkerchief　knotted　by　the　four　corners。　This　handkerchief；　from
which　the　water　was　instantly　wrung；　was　thrown　into　a　great　fire　of
drift　wood　already　lighted。　Denise　did　not　leave　the　fire　until　she
saw　every　particle　of　the　handkerchief　consumed。　The　second　sum　was
wrapped　in　a　shawl；　the　third　in　a　cambric　handkerchief；　these
wrappings　were　instantly　burned　like　the　foulard。

Just　as　Denise　was　throwing　the　wrapping　of　the　fourth　and　last
package　into　the　fire　the　gendarmes；　accompanied　by　the　commissary　of
police；　seized　that　incriminating　article；　which　Denise　let　them　take
without　manifesting　the　least　emotion。　It　was　a　handkerchief；　on
which；　in　spite　of　its　soaking　in　the　river；　traces　of　blood　could
still　be　seen。　When　questioned　as　to　what　she　was　doing　there；　Denise
said　she　was　taking　the　stolen　gold　from　the　river　according　to　her
brother's　instructions。　The　commissary　asked　her　why　she　was　burning
certain　articles；　she　said　she　was　obeying　her　brother's　last
directions。　When　asked　what　those　articles　were　she　boldly　answered；
without　attempting　to　deceive：　〃A　foulard；　a　shawl；　a　cambric
handkerchief；　and　the　handkerchief　now　captured。〃　The　latter　had
belonged　to　her　brother。

This　discovery　and　its　attendant　circumstances　made　a　great　stir　in
Limoges。　The　shawl；　more　especially；　confirmed　the　belief　that
Tascheron　had　committed　this　crime　in　the　interests　of　some　love
affair。

〃He　protects　that　woman　after　his　death；〃　said　one　lady；　hearing　of
these　last　discoveries；　rendered　harmless　by　the　criminal's
precautions。

〃There　may　be　some　husband　in　Limoges　who　will　miss　his　foulard；〃　said
the　/procureur…du…roi/；　with　a　laugh；　〃but　he　will　not　dare　speak　of
it。〃

〃These　matters　of　dress　are　really　so　compromising；〃　said　old　Madame
Perret；　〃that　I　shall　make　a　search　through　my　wardrobe　this　very
evening。〃

〃Whose　pretty　little　footmarks　could　he　have　taken　such　pains　to
efface　while　he　left　his　own？〃　said　Monsieur　de　Grandville。

〃Pooh！　I　dare　say　she　was　an　ugly　woman；〃　said　the　/procureur…du…roi/。

〃She　has　paid　dearly　for　her　sin；〃　observed　the　Abbe　de　Grancour。

〃Do　you　know　what　this　affair　shows？〃　cried　Monsieur　de　Grandville。
〃It　shows　what　women　have　lost　by　the　Revolution；　which　has　levelled
all　social　ranks。　Passions　of　this　kind　are　no　longer　met　with　except
in　men　who　still　feel　an　enormous　distance　between　themselves　and
their　mistresses。〃

〃You　saddle　love　with　many　vanities；〃　remarked　the　Abbe　Dutheil。

〃What　does　Madame　Graslin　think？〃　asked　the　prefect。

〃What　do　you　expect　her　to　think？〃　said　Monsieur　de　Grandville。　〃Her
child　was　born；　as　she　predicted　to　me；　on　the　morning　of　the
execution；　she　has　not　seen　any　one　since　then；　for　she　is　dangerously
ill。〃

A　scene　took　place　in　another　salon　in　Limoges　which　was　almost
comical。　The　friends　of　the　des　Vanneaulx　came　to　congratulate　them　on
the　recovery　of　their　property。

〃Yes；　but　they　ought　to　have　pardoned　that　poor　man；〃　said　Madame　des
Vanneaulx。　〃Love；　and　not　greed；　made　him　steal　the　money；　he　was
neither　vicious　nor　wicked。〃

〃He　was　full　of　consideration　for　us；〃　said　Monsieur　des　Vanneaulx；
〃and　if　I　knew　where　his　family　had　gone　I　would　do　something　for
them。　They　are　very　worthy　people；　those　Tascherons。〃



X

THIRD　PHASE　OF　VERONIQUE'S　LIFE

When　Madame　Graslin　recovered　from　the　long　illness　that　followed　the
birth　of　her　child；　which　was　not　till　the　close　of　1829；　an　illness
which　forced　her　to　keep　her　bed　and　remain　in　absolute　retirement；
she　heard　her　husband　talking　of　an　important　piece　of　business　he　was
anxious　to　concede。　The　ducal　house　of　Navarreins　had　offered　for　sale
the　forest　of　Montegnac　and　the　uncultivated　lands　around　it。

Graslin　had　never　yet　executed　the　clause　in　his　marriage　contract
with　his　wife　which　obliged　him　to　invest　his　wife's　fortune　in　lands；
up　to　this　time　he　had　preferred　to　employ　the　money　in　his　bank；
where　he　had　fully　doubled　it。　He　now　began　to　speak　of　this
investment。　Hearing　him　discuss　it　Veronique　appeared　to　remember　the
name　of　Montegnac；　and　asked　her　husband　to　fulfil　his　engagement
about　her　property　by　purchasing　these　lands。　Monsieur　Graslin　then
proposed　to　see　the　rector；　Monsieur　Bonnet；　and　inquire　of　him　about
the　estate；　which　the　Duc　de　Navarreins　was　desirous　of　selling
because　he　foresaw　the　struggle　which　the　Prince　de　Polignac　was
forcing　on　between　liberalism　and　the　house　of　Bourbon；　and　he　augured
ill　of　it；　in　fact；　the　duke　was　one　of　the　boldest　opposers　of　the
/coup…d'Etat/。

The　duke　had　sent　his　agent　to　Limoges　to　negotiate　the　matter；
telling　him　to　accept　any　good　sum　of　money；　for　he　remembered　the
Revolution　of　1789　too　well　not　to　profit　by　the　lessons　it　had　taught
the　aristocracy。　This　agent　had　now　been　a　month　laying　siege　to
Graslin；　the　shrewdest　and　wariest　business　head　in　the　Limousin；the
only　man；　he　was　told　by　practical　persons；　who　was　able　to　purchase
so　large　a　property　and　pay　for　it　on　the　spot。　The　Abbe　Dutheil　wrote
a　line　to　Monsieur　Bonnet；　who　came　to　Limoges　at　once；　and　was　taken
to　the　hotel　Graslin。

Veronique　determined　to　ask　the　rector　to　dinner；　but　the　banker　would
not　let　him　go　up　to　his　wife's　apartment　until　he　had　talked　to　him
in　his　office　for　over　an　hour　and　obtained　such　information　as　fully
satisfied　him；　and　made