an historical mystery-第41节

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the　jury；　the　commissary　of　the　government；　and　the　public　prosecutor；
who；　after　a　statement　made　to　them　by　Malin；　arrested　Marthe；　while
she　was　still　in　bed　at　the　Durieu's　house　in　the　suburbs。
Mademoiselle　de　Cinq…Cygne；　who　was　only　at　liberty　under　bail；　was
also　snatched　from　one　of　the　few　hours　of　slumber　she　had　been　able
to　obtain　at　rare　intervals　in　the　course　of　her　ceaseless　anxiety；
and　taken　to　the　prefecture　to　undergo　an　examination。　An　order　to
keep　the　accused　from　holding　any　communication　with　each　other　or
with　their　counsel　was　sent　to　the　prison。　At　ten　o'clock　the　crowd
which　assembled　around　the　courtroom　were　informed　that　the　trial　was
postponed　until　one　o'clock　in　the　afternoon　of　the　same　day。

This　change　of　hour；　following　on　the　news　of　the　senator's
deliverance；　Marthe's　arrest；　and　that　of　Mademoiselle　de　Cinq…Cygne；
together　with　the　denial　of　the　right　to　communicate　with　the
prisoners　carried　terror　to　the　hotel　de　Chargeboeuf。　The　whole　town
and　the　spectators　who　had　come　to　Troyes　to　be　present　at　the　trial；
the　short…hand　writers　for　the　daily　journals；　even　the　populace　were
in　a　ferment　which　can　readily　be　imagined。　The　Abbe　Goujet　came　at
ten　o'clock　to　see　Monsieur　and　Madame　d'Hauteserre　and　the　counsel
for　the　defence；　who　were　breakfastingas　well　as　they　could　under
the　circumstances。　The　abbe　took　Bordin　and　Monsieur　Grandville　apart；
told　them　what　Marthe　had　confided　to　him　the　day　before；　and　gave
them　the　fragment　of　the　letter　she　had　received。　The　two　lawyers
exchanged　a　look；　after　which　Bordin　said　to　the　abbe：　〃Not　a　word　of
all　this！　The　case　is　lost；　but　at　any　rate　let　us　show　a　firm　front。〃

Marthe　was　not　strong　enough　to　evade　the　cross…questioning　of　the
director　of　the　jury　and　the　public　prosecutor。　Moreover　the　proof
against　her　was　too　overwhelming。　Lechesneau　had　sent　for　the　under
crust　of　the　last　loaf　of　bread　she　had　carried　to　the　cavern；　also
for　the　empty　bottles　and　various　other　articles。　During　the　senator's
long　hours　of　captivity　he　had　formed　conjectures　in　his　own　mind　and
had　looked　for　indications　which　might　put　him　on　the　track　of　his
enemies。　These　he　now　communicated　to　the　authorities。　Michu's
farmhouse；　lately　built；　had；　he　supposed；　a　new　oven；　the　tiles　or
bricks　on　which　the　bread　was　baked　would　show　their　jointed　lines　on
the　bottom　of　the　loaves；　and　thus　afford　a　proof　that　the　bread
supplied　to　him　was　baked　on　that　particular　oven。　So　with　the　wine
brought　in　bottles　sealed　with　green　wax；　which　would　probably　be
found　identical　with　other　bottles　in　Michu's　cellar。　These　shrewd
observations；　which　Malin　imparted　to　the　justice　of　peace；　who　made
the　first　examination　（taking　Marthe　with　him）；　led　to　the　results
foreseen　by　the　senator。

Marthe；　deceived　by　the　apparent　friendliness　of　Lechesneau　and　the
public　prosecutor；　who　assured　her　that　complete　confession　could
alone　save　her　husband's　life；　admitted　that　the　cavern　where　the
senator　had　been　hidden　was　known　only　to　her　husband　and　the
Messieurs　de　Simeuse　and　d'Hauteserre；　and　that　she　herself　had　taken
provisions　to　the　senator　on　three　separate　occasions　at　midnight。

Laurence；　questioned　about　the　cavern；　was　forced　to　acknowledge　that
Michu　had　discovered　it　and　had　shown　it　to　her　at　the　time　when　the
four　young　men　evaded　the　police　and　were　hidden　in　it。

As　soon　as　these　preliminary　examinations　were　ended；　the　jury；
lawyers；　and　audience　were　notified　that　the　trial　would　be　resumed。
At　three　o'clock　the　president　opened　the　session　by　announcing　that
the　case　would　be　continued　under　a　new　aspect。　He　exhibited　to　Michu
three　bottles　of　wine　and　asked　him　if　he　recognized　them　as　bottles
from　his　own　cellar；　showing　him　at　the　same　time　the　identity　between
the　green　wax　on　two　empty　bottles　with　the　green　wax　on　a　full　bottle
taken　from　his　cellar　that　morning　by　the　justice　of　peace　in　presence
of　his　wife。　Michu　refused　to　recognize　anything　as　his　own。　But　these
proofs　for　the　prosecution　were　understood　by　the　jurors；　to　whom　the
president　explained　that　the　empty　bottles　were　found　in　the　place
where　the　senator　was　imprisoned。

Each　prisoner　was　questioned　as　to　the　cavern　or　cellar　beneath　the
ruins　of　the　old　monastery。　It　was　proved　by　all　witnesses　for　the
prosecution；　and　also　for　the　defence；　that　the　existence　of　this
hiding…place　discovered　by　Michu　was　known　only　to　him　and　his　wife；
and　to　Laurence　and　the　four　gentlemen。　We　may　judge　of　the　effect　in
the　courtroom　when　the　public　prosecutor　made　known　the　fact　that　this
cavern；　known　only　to　the　accused　and　to　their　two　witnesses；　was　the
place　where　the　senator　had　been　imprisoned。

Marthe　was　summoned。　Her　appearance　caused　much　excitement　among　the
spectators　and　keen　anxiety　to　the　prisoners。　Monsieur　de　Grandville
rose　to　protest　against　the　testimony　of　a　wife　against　her　husband。
The　public　prosecutor　replied　that　Marthe　by　her　own　confession　was　an
accomplice　in　the　outrage；　that　she　had　neither　sworn　nor　testified；
and　was　to　be　heard　solely　in　the　interests　of　truth。

〃We　need　only　submit　her　preliminary　examination　to　the　jury；〃
remarked　the　president；　who　now　ordered　the　clerk　of　the　court　to　read
the　said　testimony　aloud。

〃Do　you　now　confirm　your　own　statement？〃　said　the　president；
addressing　Marthe。

Michu　looked　at　his　wife；　and　Marthe；　who　saw　her　fatal　error；　fainted
away　and　fell　to　the　floor。　It　may　be　truly　said　that　a　thunderbolt
had　fallen　upon　the　prisoners　and　their　counsel。

〃I　never　wrote　to　my　wife　from　prison；　and　I　know　none　of　the　persons
employed　there；〃　said　Michu。

Bordin　passed　to　him　the　fragments　of　the　letter　Marthe　had　received。
Michu　gave　but　one　glance　at　it。　〃My　writing　has　been　imitated；〃　he
said。

〃Denial　is　your　last　resource；〃　said　the　public　prosecutor。

The　senator　was　introduced　into　the　courtroom　with　all　the　ceremonies
due　to　his　position。　His　entrance　was　like　a　stage　scene。　Malin　（now
called　Comte　de　Gondreville；　without　regard　to　the　feelings　of　the
late　owners　of　the　property）　was　requested　by　the　president　to　look　at
the　prisoners；　and　did　so　with　great　attention　and　for　a　long　time。　He
stated　that　the　clothing　of　his　abductors　was　exactly　like　that　worn
by　the　four　gentlemen；　but　he　declared　that　the　trouble　of　his　mind
had　been　such　that　he　could　not　be　positive　that　the　accused　were
really　the　guilty　parties。

〃More　than　that；〃　he　said；　〃it　is　my　conviction　that　these　four
gentlemen　had　nothing　to　do　with　it。　The　hands　that　blindfolded　me　in
the　forest　were　coarse　and　rough。　I　should　rather　suppose；〃　he　added；
looking　at　Michu；　〃that　my　old　enemy　took　charge　of　that　duty；　but　I
beg　the　gentlemen　of　the　jury　not　to　give　too　much　weight　to　this
remark。　My　suspicions　are　very　slight；　and　I　feel　no　certainty
whateverfor　this　reason。　The　two　men　who　seized　me　put　me　on
horseback　behind　the　man　who　blindfolded　me；　and　whose　hair　was　red
like　Michu's。　However　singular　you　may　consider　the　observation　I　am
about　to　make；　it　is　necessary　to　make　it　because　it　is　the　ground　of
an　opinion　favorable　to　the　accusedwho；　I　hope；　will　not　feel
offended　by　it。　Fastened　to　the　man's　back　I　would　naturally　have　been
affected　by　his　odoryet　I　did　not　perceive　that　which　is　peculiar　to
Michu。　As　to　the　person　who　brought　me　provisions　on　three　several
occasions；　I　am　certain　it　was　Marthe；　the　wife　of　Michu。　I　recognized
her　the　first　time　she　came　by　a　ring　she　always　wore；　which　she　had
forgotten　to　remove。　The　Court　and　jury　will　please　allow　for　the
contradictions　which　appear　in　the　facts　I　have　stated；　which　I　myself
am　wholly　unable　to　reconcile。〃

A　murmur　of　approval　followed　this　testimony。　Bordin　asked　permission
of　the　Court　to　address　a　few　questions　to　the　witness。

〃Does　the　senator　think　that　his　abduction　was　due　to　other　causes
than　the　interests　respecting　property　which　the　prosecution
attributes　to　the　prisoners？〃

〃I　do；〃　replied　the　senator；　〃but　I　am　wholly　ignorant　of　what　the
real　motives　were；　for　during　a　captivity　of　twenty　days　I　saw　and
heard　no　one。〃

〃Do　you　think；〃　said　the　public　prosecutor；　〃that　your　chateau　at
Gondreville　contains　information；　title…deeds；　or　other　papers　of
value　which　would　induce　a　search　on　the　part　of　the　Messieurs　de
Simeuse？〃

〃I　do　not　think　so；〃　replied　Malin；　〃I　believe　those　gentlemen　to　be
incapable　of　attempting　to　get　possession　of　such　papers　by　violence。
They　had　only　to　ask　me　for　them　to　obtain　them。〃

〃You　burned　certain　papers　in　the　park；　did　you　not？〃　said　Monsieur　de
Gondreville；　abruptly。

Malin　looked　at　Grevin。　After　exchanging　a　rapid　glance　with　the
notary；　which　Bordin　intercepted；　he　replied　that　he　had　not　burned
any　papers。　The　public　prosecutor　having　asked　him　to　describe　the
ambush　to　which　he　had　so　nearly　fallen　a　victim　two　years　earlier；
the　senator　replied　that　he　had　seen　Michu　watching　him　from　the　fork
of　a　tree。　This　answer；　which　agreed　with　Grevin's　testimony；　produced
a　great　impression。

The　four　gentlemen　remained　impassible　during　the　examination　of　their
enemy；　who　seemed　determined　to　over