derues-第25节

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〃I　do　not　know　her。〃

〃But　I　know　you；　and　know　you　well。　　It　was　you　who　hired　this　cellar　under　the　name　of　Ducoudray。〃

Derues　shrugged　his　shoulders　and　answered　bitterly

〃I　can　understand　a　man　being　condemned　to　the　torture　if　he　is　guilty；　but　that　in　order　to　accomplish　one's　mission　as　accuser；　and　to　discover　a　criminal；　false　witnesses　who　can　give　no　evidence　should　be　brought　a　hundred　leagues；　that　the　rabble　should　be　roused　up；　that　divers　faces　and　imaginary　names　should　be　bestowed　on　an　innocent　man；　in　order　to　turn　a　movement　of　surprise　or　an　indignant　gesture　to　his　disadvantage；　all　this　is　iniquitous；　and　goes　beyond　the　right　of　judgment　bestowed　upon　men　by　God。　　I　do　not　know　this　woman；　and　no　matter　what　she　says　or　does；　I　shall　say　no　more。〃

Neither　the　skill　nor　threats　of　the　police　officer　could　shake　this　resolution。　　It　was　to　no　purpose　that　the　widow　Masson　repeated　and　asseverated　that　she　recognised　him　as　her　tenant　Ducoudray；　and　that　he　had　had　a　large　case　of　wine　taken　down　into　the　cellar；　Derues　folded　his　arms；　and　remained　as　motionless　as　if　he　had　been　blind　and　deaf。

The　walls　were　sounded；　the　stones　composing　them　carefully　examined；　the　floor　pierced　in　several　places；　but　nothing　unusual　was　discovered。

Would　they　have　to　give　it　up？　　Already　the　officer　was　making　signs　to　this　effect；　when　the　man　who　had　remained　at　first　below　with　Monsieur　de　Lamotte；　and　who；　standing　in　shadow；　had　carefully　watched　Derues　when　he　was　brought　down；　came　forward；　and　pointing　to　the　recess　under　the　stairs；　said

〃Examine　this　corner。　　The　prisoner　glanced　involuntarily　in　this　direction　when　he　came　down；　I　have　watched　him；　and　it　is　the　only　sign　he　has　given。　　I　was　the　only　person　who　could　see　him；　and　he　did　not　see　me。　　He　is　very　clever；　but　one　can't　be　for　ever　on　one's　guard；　and　may　the　devil　take　me　if　I　haven't　scented　the　hiding…place。〃

〃Wretch！〃　said　Derues　to　himself；　〃then　you　have　had　your　hand　on　me　for　a　whole　hour；　and　amused　yourself　by　prolonging　my　agony！　　Oh！　I　ought　to　have　known　it；　I　have　found　my　master。　　Never　mind；　you　shall　learn　nothing　from　my　face；　nor　yet　from　the　decaying　body　you　will　find；　worms　and　poison　can　only　have　left　an　unrecognisable　corpse。〃

An　iron　rod　sunk　into　the　ground；　encountered　a　hard　substance　some　four　feet　below。　　Two　men　set　to　work；　and　dug　with　energy。　　Every　eye　was　fixed　upon　this　trench　increasing　in　depth　with　every　shovelful　of　earth　which　the　two　labourers　cast　aside。　　Monsieur　de　Lamotte　was　nearly　fainting；　and　his　emotion　impressed　everyone　except　Derues。　　At　length　the　silence　was　broken　by　the　spades　striking　heavily　on　wood；　and　the　noise　made　everyone　shudder。　　The　chest　was　uncovered　and　hoisted　out　of　the　trench；　it　was　opened；　and　the　body　of　a　woman　was　seen；　clad　only　in　a　chemise；　with　a　red　and　white　headband；　face　downwards。　　The　body　was　turned　over；　and　Monsieur　de　Lamotte　recognised　his　wife；　not　yet　disfigured。

The　feeling　of　horror　was　so　great　that　no　one　spoke　or　uttered　a　sound。　　Derues；　occupied　in　considering　the　few　chances　which　remained　to　him；　had　not　observed　that；　by　the　officer's　order；　one　of　the　guards　had　left　the　cellar　before　the　men　began　to　dig。　Everybody　had　drawn　back　both　from　the　corpse　and　the　murderer；　who　alone　had　not　moved；　and　who　was　repeating　prayers。　　The　flame　of　the　torches　placed　on　the　ground　cast　a　reddish　light　on　this　silent　and　terrible　scene。

Derues　started　and　turned　round　on　hearing　a　terrified　cry　behind　him。　　His　wife　had　just　been　brought　to　the　cellar。　　The　commissioner　seized　her　with　one　hand；　and　taking　a　torch　in　the　other；　compelled　her　to　look　down　on　the　body。

〃It　is　Madame　de　Lamotte！〃　she　exclaimed。

〃Yes；　yes；〃　she　answered；　overwhelmed　with　terror；〃　yes；　I　recognise　her！〃

Unable　to　support　the　sight　any　longer；　she　grew　pale　and　fainted　away。　　She　and　her　husband　were　removed　separately。　　One　would　have　supposed　the　discovery　was　already　known　outside；　for　the　people　showered　curses　and　cries　of　〃Assassin！〃　and　〃Poisoner！〃　on　the　carriage　which　conveyed　Derues。　　He　remained　silent　during　the　drive；　but　before　re…entering　his　dungeon；　he　said

〃I　must　have　been　mad　when　I　sought　to　hide　the　death　and　burial　of　Madame　de　Lamotte　from　public　knowledge。　　It　is　the　only　sin　I　have　committed；　and；　innocent　of　aught　else；　I　resign　myself　as　a　Christian　to　the　judgment　of　God。〃

It　was　the　only　line　of　defence　which　remained　open　to　him；　and　he　clung　to　it；　with　the　hope　of　imposing　on　the　magistrates　by　redoubled　hypocrisy　and　pious　observances。　　But　all　this　laboriously　constructed　scaffolding　of　lies　was　shaken　to　its　base　and　fell　away　piece　by　piece。　　Every　moment　brought　fresh　and　overwhelming　revelations。　　He　professed　that　Madame　de　Lamotte　had　died　suddenly　in　his　house；　and　that；　fearing　suspicion；　he　had　buried　her　secretly。　　But　the　doctors　called　on　to　examine　the　body　declared　that　she　had　been　poisoned　with　corrosive　sublimate　and　opium。　　The　pretended　payment　was　clearly　an　odious　imposture；　the　receipt　a　forgery！　　Then；　like　a　threatening　spectre；　arose　another　question；　to　which　he　found　no　reply；　and　his　own　invention　turned　against　him。

Why；　knowing　his　mother　was　no　more；　had　he　taken　young　de　Lamotte　to　Versailles？　　What　had　become　of　the　youth？　　What　had　befallen；　him？　Once　on　the　track；　the　cooper　with　whom　he　had　lodged　on　the　12th　of　February　was　soon　discovered；　and　an　Act　of　Parliament　ordered　the　exhumation　of　the　corpse　buried　under　the　name　of　Beaupre；　which　the　cooper　identified　by　a　shirt　which　he　had　given　for　the　burial。　Derues；　confounded　by　the　evidence；　asserted　that　the　youth　died　of　indigestion　and　venereal　disease。　　But　the　doctors　again　declared　the　presence　of　corrosive　sublimate　and　opium。　　All　this　evidence　of　guilt　he　met　with　assumed　resignation；　lamenting　incessantly　for　Edouard；　whom　he　declared　he　had　loved　as　his　own　son。　　〃Alas！〃　he　said；　〃I　see　that　poor　boy　every　night！　　But　it　softens　my　grief　to　know　that　he　was　not　deprived　of　the　last　consolations　of　religion！　God；　who　sees　me；　and　who　knows　my　innocence；　will　enlighten　the　magistrates；　and　my　honour　will　be　vindicated。〃

The　evidence　being　complete；　Derues　was　condemned　by　sentence　of　the　Chatelet；　pronounced　April　30th；　and　confirmed　by　Parliament；　May　5th。　　We　give　the　decree　as　it　is　found　in　the　archives：

〃This　Court　having　considered　the　trial　held　before　the　Provost　of　Paris；　or　his　Deputy…Lieutenant　at　the　Chatelet；　for　the　satisfaction　of　the　aforesaid　Deputy　at　the　aforesaid　Chatelet；　at　the　request　of　the　Deputy　of　the　King's　Attorney　General　at　the　aforesaid　Court；　summoner　and　plaintiff；　against　Antoine…Francois　Derues；　and　Marie…Louise　Nicolais；　his　wife；　defendants　and　accused；　prisoners　in　the　prisons　of　the　Conciergerie　of　the　Palace　at　Paris；　who　have　appealed　from　the　sentence　given　at　the　aforesaid　trial；　the　thirtieth　day　of　April　1777；　by　which　the　aforesaid　Antoine…Francois　Derues　has　been　declared　duly　attainted　and　convicted　of　attempting　unlawfully　to　appropriate　without　payment；　the　estate　of　Buissony　Souef；　belonging　to　the　Sieur　and　Dame　de　Saint　Faust　de　Lamotte；　from　whom　he　had　bought　the　said　estate　by　private　contract　on　the　twenty…second　day　of　December　1775；　and　also　of　having　unworthily　abused　the　hospitality　shown　by　him　since　the　sixteenth　day　of　December　last　towards　the　aforesaid　Dame　de　Lamotte；　who　arrived　in　Paris　on　the　aforesaid　day　in　order　to　conclude　with　him　the　bargain　agreed　on　in　December　1775；　and　who；　for　this　purpose；　and　at　his　request；　lodged　with　her　son　in　the　house　of　the　said　Derues；　who　of　premeditated　design　poisoned　the　said　Dame　de　Lamotte；　whether　by　a　medicine　composed　and　prepared　by　him　on　the　thirtieth　day　of　January　last；　or　by　the　beverages　and　drinks　administered　by　him　after　the　aforesaid　medicine　（he　having　taken　the　precaution　to　send　his　servant　into　the　country　for　two　or　three　days；　and　to　keep　away　strangers　from　the　room　where　the　said　Dame　de　Lamotte　was　lying）；　from　the　effects　of　which　poison　the　said　Dame　de　Lamotte　died　on　the　night　of　the　said　thirty…first　day　of　January　last；　also　of　having　kept　her　demise　secret；　and　of　having　himself　enclosed　in　a　chest　the　body　of　the　said　Dame　de　Lamotte；　which　he　then　caused　to　be　secretly　transported　to　a　cellar　in　the　rue　de　la　Mortellerie　hired　by　him　for　this　purpose；　under　the　assumed　name　of　Ducoudray；　wherein　he　buried　it　himself；　or　caused　it　to　be　buried；　also　of　having　persuaded　the　son　of　the　above　Dame　de　Lamotte　（who；　with　his　mother；　had　lodged　in　his　house　from　the　time　of　their　arrival　in　Paris　until　the　fifteenth　day　of　January；　last；and　who　had　then　been　placed　in　a　school　that　the　aforesaid　Dame　de　Lamotte　was　at　Versailles　and　desired　him　to　join　her　there；　and；　under　this　pretence；　of　having　conducted　the　said　younger　Sieur　de　Lamotte；　the　twelfth　day　of　February　（after　having　given　him　some　chocolate）；　to　the　aforesaid　town　of　Versailles；　to　a　lodging　hired　at　a　cooper's；　and　of　having　there　wilfully　poisoned　him；　either　in　the　chocolate　taken　by　the　said　younger　Sieur　de　Lamotte　before　starting；　or　in　beverages　and　medicaments　which　the　said　Derues