Within an Inch of His Life Part 108

"We cannot tolerate such recriminations against a magistrate who has done his duty n.o.bly, and in spite of the pain it caused him. If the accused had well-founded objections to the magistrate, why did he not make them known? He cannot plead ignorance: he knows the law, he is a lawyer himself. His counsel, moreover, are men of experience."

M. Magloire replies, in his seat,--

"We were of the opinion that the accused ought to ask for a change of venue. He declined to follow our advice, being confident, as he said, that his cause was a good one."

M. Gransiere, resuming his seat,--

"The jury will judge of this plea."

P.--(To the accused.) And now are you ready to tell the truth with regard to that business which prevented you from spending the evening with your betrothed?

A.--Yes, sir. My wedding was to take place at the church in Brechy, and I had to make my arrangements with the priest about the ceremony. I had, besides, to fulfil certain religious duties. The priest at Brechy, who is a friend of mine, will tell you, that, although no day had been fixed, it had been agreed upon between us that I should come to confession on one of the evenings of the week since he insisted upon it.

The audience, which had been expecting some very exciting revelations, seemed to be much disappointed; and ironical laughter was heard in various directions.

P.--(In a severe tone of voice.) This laughter is indecent and objectionable. Sheriff, take out the persons who presume to laugh. And once more I give notice, that, at the first disturbance, I shall order the room to be cleared.

Then, turning again to the accused, he said,--

P.--Go on!

A.--I went therefore to the priest at Brechy, that evening: unluckily there was no one at home at the parsonage when I got there. I was ringing the third or fourth time in vain, when a little peasant-girl came by, who told me that she had just met the priest at the Marshalls'

Cross-roads. I thought at once I would go and meet him, and went in that direction. But I walked more than four miles without meeting him. I thought the girl must have been mistaken, and went home again.

P.--Is that your explanation?

A.--Yes.

P.--And you think it a plausible one?

A.--I have promised to say not what is plausible, but what is true.

I may confess, however, that, precisely because the explanation is so simple, I did not venture at first to give it. And yet if no crime had been committed, and I had said the day after, "Yesterday I went to see the priest at Brechy, and did not find him," who would have seen any thing unnatural in my statement?

P.--And, in order to fulfil so simple a duty, you chose a roundabout way, which is not only troublesome, but actually dangerous, right across the swamps?

A.--I chose the shortest way.

P.--Then, why were you so frightened upon meeting young Ribot at the Seille Ca.n.a.l?

A.--I was not frightened, but simply surprised, as one is apt to be when suddenly meeting a man where no one is expected. And, if I was surprised, young Ribot was not less so.

P.--You see that you hoped to meet no one?

A.--Pardon me, I did not say so. To expect is not the same as to hope.

P.--Why, then did you take such pains to explain your being there?

A.--I gave no explanations. Young Ribot first told me, laughingly, where he was going, and then I told him that I was going to Brechy.

P.--You told him, also, that you were going through the marshes to shoot birds, and, at the same time you showed him your gun?

A.--That may be. But is that any proof against me? I think just the contrary. If I had had such criminal intentions as the prosecution suggests, I should certainly have gone back after meeting people, knowing that I was exposed to great danger. But I was only going to see my friend, the priest.

P.--And for such a visit you took your gun?

A.--My land lies in the woods and marshes, and there was not a day when I did not bag a rabbit or a waterfowl. Everybody in the neighborhood will tell you that I never went out without a gun.

P.--And on your return, why did you go through the forest of Rochepommier?

A.--Because, from the place where I was on the road, it was probably the shortest way to Boiscoran. I say probably, because just then I did not think much about that. A man who is taking a walk would be very much embarra.s.sed, in the majority of cases, if he had to give a precise account why he took one road rather than another.

P.--You were seen in the forest by a woodcutter, called Gaudry?

A.--So I was told by the magistrate.

P.--That witness deposes that you were in a state of great excitement.

You were tearing leaves from the branches, you were talking loud.

A.--I certainly was very much vexed at having lost my evening, and particularly vexed at having relied on the little peasant-girl. It is quite likely that I might have exclaimed, as I walked along, "Plague upon my friend, the priest, who goes and dines in town!" or some such words.

There was a smile in the a.s.sembly, but not such as to attract the president's attention.

P.--You know that the priest of Brechy was dining out that day?

M. Magloire rose, and said,--

"It is through us, sir, that the accused has found out this fact. When he told us how he had spent the evening, we went to see the priest at Brechy, who told us how it came about that neither he nor his old servant was at the parsonage. At our request the priest has been summoned. We shall also produce another priest, who at that time pa.s.sed the Marshalls' Cross-roads, and was the one whom the little girl had seen."

Having made a sign to counsel to sit down again, the president once more turns to the accused.

P.--The woman Courtois who met you deposes that you looked very curious.

You did not speak to her: you were in great haste to escape from her.

A.--The night was much too dark for the woman to see my face. She asked me to render her a slight service, and I did so. I did not speak to her, because I had nothing to say to her. I did not leave her suddenly, but only got ahead of her, because her a.s.s walked very slowly.

At a sign from the president, the ushers raise the red cloth which cover the objects on the table.

Great curiosity is manifested by the whole audience; and all rise, and stretch their necks to see better. On the table are displayed clothes, a pair of velveteen trousers, a shooting-jacket of maroon-colored velveteen, an old straw hat, and a pair of dun-colored leather boots. By their side lie a double-barrelled gun, packages of cartridges, two bowls filled with small-shot, and, finally, a large china basin, with a dark sediment at the bottom.

P.--(Showing these objects to the accused.) Are those the clothes which you wore the evening of the crime?

A.--Yes, sir.

P.--A curious costume in which to visit a venerable ecclesiastic, and to perform religious duties.

A.--The priest at Brechy was my friend. Our intimacy will explain, even if it does not justify, the liberty I took.

P.--Do you also recognize this basin? The water has been allowed to evaporate, and the residue alone remains there on the bottom.