an historical mystery-第35部分

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Laurence；　who　had　recovered　her　vigor　of　mind；　relied　upon　the
innocence　of　the　accused；　and　despised　the　community　too　much　to　be
frightened　by　the　stern　and　silent　disapproval　they　met　with
everywhere。　She　sustained　the　courage　of　Monsieur　and　Madame
d'Hauteserre；　all　the　while　thinking　of　the　judicial　struggle　which
was　now　being　hurried　on。　She　was；　however；　to　receive　a　blow　she
little　expected；　which；　undoubtedly；　diminished　her　courage。

In　the　midst　of　this　great　disaster；　at　the　moment　when　this　afflicted
family　were　made　to　feel　themselves；　as　it　were；　in　a　desert；　a　man
suddenly　became　exalted　in　Laurence's　eyes　and　showed　the　full　beauty
of　his　character。　The　day　after　the　indictment　was　found　by　the　jury；
and　the　prisoners　were　finally　committed　for　trial；　the　Marquis　de
Chargeboeuf　courageously　appeared；　still　in　the　same　old　caleche；　to
support　and　protect　his　young　cousin。　Foreseeing　the　haste　with　which
the　law　would　be　administered；　this　chief　of　a　great　family　had
already　gone　to　Paris　and　secured　the　services　of　the　most　able　as
well　as　the　most　honest　lawyer　of　the　old　school；　named　Bordin；　who
was　for　ten　years　counsel　of　the　nobility　in　Paris；　and　was　ultimately
succeeded　by　the　celebrated　Derville。　This　excellent　lawyer　chose　for
his　assistant　the　grandson　of　a　former　president　of　the　parliament　of
Normandy；　whose　studies　had　been　made　under　his　tuition。　This　young
lawyer；　who　was　destined　to　be　appointed　deputy…attorney…general　in
Paris　after　the　conclusion　of　the　present　trial；　became　eventually　one
of　the　most　celebrated　of　French　magistrates。　Monsieur　de　Grandville；
for　that　was　his　name；　accepted　the　defence　of　the　four　young　men；
being　glad　of　an　opportunity　to　make　his　first　appearance　as　an
advocate　with　distinction。

The　old　marquis；　alarmed　at　the　ravages　which　troubles　had　wrought　in
Laurence's　appearance；　was　charmingly　kind　and　considerate。　He　made　no
allusion　to　his　neglected　advice；　he　presented　Bordin　as　an　oracle
whose　counsel　must　be　followed　to　the　letter；　and　young　de　Grandville
as　a　defender　in　whom　the　utmost　confidence　might　be　placed。

Laurence　held　out　her　hand　to　the　kind　old　man；　and　pressed　his　with
an　eagerness　which　delighted　him。

〃You　were　right；〃　she　said。

〃Will　you　now　take　my　advice？〃　he　asked。

The　young　countess　bowed　her　head　in　assent；　as　did　Monsieur　and
Madame　d'Hauteserre。

〃Well；　then；　come　to　my　house；　it　is　in　the　middle　of　town；　close　to
the　courthouse。　You　and　your　lawyers　will　be　better　off　there　than
here；　where　you　are　crowded　and　too　far　from　the　field　of　battle。
Here；　you　would　have　to　cross　the　town　twice　a　day。〃

Laurence；　accepted；　and　the　old　man　took　her　with　Madame　d'Hauteserre
to　his　house；　which　became　the　home　of　the　Cinq…Cygne　household　and
the　lawyers　of　the　defence　during　the　whole　time　the　trial　lasted。
After　dinner；　when　the　doors　were　closed；　Bordin　made　Laurence　relate
every　circumstance　of　the　affair；　entreating　her　to　omit　nothing；　not
the　most　trifling　detail。　Though　many　of　the　facts　had　already　been
told　to　him　and　his　young　assistant　by　the　marquis　on　their　journey
from　Paris　to　Troyes；　Bordin　listened；　his　feet　on　the　fender；　without
obtruding　himself　into　the　recital。　The　young　lawyer；　however；　could
not　help　being　divided　between　his　admiration　for　Mademoiselle　de
Cinq…Cygne；　and　the　attention　he　was　bound　to　give　to　the　facts　of　his
case。

〃Is　that　really　all？〃　asked　Bordin　when　Laurence　had　related　the
events　of　the　drama　just　as　the　present　narrative　has　given　them　up　to
the　present　time。

〃Yes；〃　she　answered。

Profound　silence　reigned　for　several　minutes　in　the　salon　of　the
Chargeboeuf　mansion　where　this　scene　took　place；one　of　the　most
important　which　occur　in　life。　All　cases　are　judged　by　the　counsellors
engaged　in　them；　just　as　the　death　or　life　or　a　patient　is　foreseen　by
a　physician；　before　the　final　struggle　which　the　one　sustains　against
nature；　the　other　against　law。　Laurence；　Monsieur　and　Madame
d'Hauteserre；　and　the　marquis　sat　with　their　eyes　fixed　on　the　swarthy
and　deeply　pitted　face　of　the　old　lawyer；　who　was　now　to　pronounce　the
words　of　life　or　death。　Monsieur　d'Hauteserre　wiped　the　sweat　from　his
brow。　Laurence　looked　at　the　younger　man　and　noted　his　saddened　face。

〃Well；　my　dear　Bordin？〃　said　the　marquis　at　last；　holding　out　his
snuffbox；　from　which　the　old　lawyer　took　a　pinch　in　an　absent…minded
way。

Bordin　rubbed　the　calf　of　his　leg；　covered　with　thick　stockings　of
black　raw　silk；　for　he　always　wore　black　cloth　breeches　and　a　coat
made　somewhat　in　the　shape　of　those　which　are　now　termed　/a　la
Francaise/。　He　cast　his　shrewd　eyes　upon　his　clients　with　an　anxious
expression；　the　effect　of　which　was　icy。

〃Must　I　analyze　all　that？〃　he　said；　〃am　I　to　speak　frankly？〃

〃Yes；　go　on；　monsieur；〃　said　Laurence。

〃All　that　you　have　innocently　done　can　be　converted　into　proof　against
you；〃　said　the　old　lawyer。　〃We　cannot　save　your　friends；　we　can　only
reduce　the　penalty。　The　sale　which　you　induced　Michu　to　make　of　his
property　will　be　taken　as　evident　proof　of　your　criminal　intentions
against　the　senator。　You　sent　your　servants　to　Troyes　so　that　you
might　be　alone；　that　is　all　the　more　plausible　because　it　is　actually
true。　The　elder　d'Hauteserre　made　an　unfortunate　speech　to　Beauvisage；
which　will　be　your　ruin。　You　yourself；　mademoiselle；　made　another　in
your　own　courtyard；　which　proves　that　you　have　long　shown　ill…will　to
the　possessor　of　Gondreville。　Besides；　you　were　at　the　gate　of　the
/rond…point/；　apparently　on　the　watch；　about　the　time　when　the
abduction　took　place；　if　they　have　not　arrested　you；　it　is　solely
because　they　fear　to　bring　a　sentimental　element　into　the　affair。〃

〃The　case　cannot　be　successfully　defended；〃　said　Monsieur　de
Grandville。

〃The　less　so；〃　continued　Bordin；　〃because　we　cannot　tell　the　whole
truth。　Michu　and　the　Messieurs　de　Simeuse　and　d'Hauteserre　must　hold
to　the　assertion　that　you　merely　went　for　an　excursion　into　the　forest
and　returned　to　Cinq…Cygne　for　luncheon。　Allowing　that　we　can　show　you
were　in　the　house　at　three　o'clock　（the　exact　hour　at　which　the　attack
was　made）；　who　are　our　witnesses？　Marthe；　the　wife　of　one　of　the
accused；　the　Durieus；　and　Catherine；　your　own　servants；　and　Monsieur
and　Madame　d'Hauteserre；　father　and　mother　of　two　of　the　accused。　Such
testimony　is　valueless；　the　law　does　not　admit　it　against　you；　and
commonsense　rejects　it　when　given　in　your　favor。　If；　on　the　other
hand；　you　were　to　say　you　went　to　the　forest　to　recover　eleven　hundred
thousand　francs　in　gold；　you　would　send　the　accused　to　the　galleys　as
robbers。　Judge；　jury；　audience；　and　the　whole　of　France　would　believe
that　you　took　that　gold　from　Gondreville；　and　abducted　the　senator
that　you　might　ransack　his　house。　The　accusation　as　it　now　stands　is
not　wholly　clear；　but　tell　the　truth　about　the　matter　and　it　would
become　as　plain　as　day；　the　jury　would　declare　that　the　robbery
explained　the　mysterious　features；for　in　these　days；　you　must
remember；　a　royalist　means　a　thief。　This　very　case　is　welcomed　as　a
legitimate　political　vengeance。　The　prisoners　are　now　in　danger　of　the
death　penalty；　but　that　is　not　dishonoring　under　some　circumstances。
Whereas；　if　they　can　be　proved　to　have　stolen　money；　which　can　never
be　made　to　seem　excusable；　you　lose　all　benefit　of　whatever　interest
may　attach　to　persons　condemned　to　death　for　other　crimes。　If；　at　the
first；　you　had　shown　the　hiding…places　of　the　treasure；　the　plan　of
the　forest；　the　tubes　in　which　the　gold　was　buried；　and　the　gold
itself；　as　an　explanation　of　your　day's　work；　it　is　possible　you　might
have　been　believed　by　an　impartial　magistrate；　but　as　it　is　we　must　be
silent。　God　grant　that　none　of　the　prisoners　may　reveal　the　truth　and
compromise　the　defence；　if　they　do；　we　must　rely　on　our　cross…
examinations。〃

Laurence　wrung　her　hands　in　despair　and　raised　her　eyes　to　heaven　with
a　despondent　look；　for　she　saw　at　last　in　all　its　depths　the　gulf　into
which　her　cousins　had　fallen。　The　marquis　and　the　young　lawyer　agreed
with　the　dreadful　view　of　Bordin。　Old　d'Hauteserre　wept。

〃Ah！　why　did　they　not　listen　to　the　Abbe　Goujet　and　fly！〃　cried　Madame
d'Hauteserre；　exasperated。

〃If　they　could　have　escaped；　and　you　prevented　them；〃　said　Bordin；
〃you　have　killed　them　yourselves。　Judgment　by　default　gains　time；　time
enables　the　innocent　to　clear　themselves。　This　is　the　most　mysterious
case　I　have　ever　known　in　my　life；　in　the　course　of　which　I　have
certainly　seen　and　known　many　strange　things。〃

〃It　is　inexplicable　to　every　one；　even　to　us；〃　said　Monsieur　de
Grandville。　〃If　the　prisoners　are　innocent　some　one　else　has　committed
the　crime。　Five　persons　do　not　come　to　a　place　as　if　by　enchantment；
obtain　five　horses　shod　precisely　like　those　of　the　accused；　imitate
the　appearance　of　some　of　them；　and　put　Malin　apparently　underground
for　the　sole　purpose　of　casting　suspicion　on　Michu　and　the　four
gentlemen。　The　unknown　guilty　parties　must　have　had　some　strong　reason
for　wearing　the　skin；　as　it　were；　of　five　innocent　men。　To　discover
them；　even　to　get　upon　their　traces；　we　need　as　much　power　as　the
gov