VI.
"The hospital in Sauveterre," says the guide book, "is, in spite ofits limited size, one of the best institutions of the kind in thedepartment. The chapel and the new additions were built at the expenseof the Countess de Maupaison, the widow of one of the ministers of LouisPhilippe."
But what the guide book does not say is, that the hospital was endowedwith three free beds for pregnant women, by Mrs. Seneschal, or that thetwo wings on both sides of the great entrance-gate have also been builtby her liberality. One of these wings, the one on the right, is usedby the janitor, a fine-looking old man, who formerly was beadle at thecathedral, and who loves to think of the happy days when he added to thesplendor of the church by his magnificent presence, his red uniform, hisgold bandelaire, his halbert, and his gold-headed cane.
This janitor was, on Sunday morning, a little before eight o'clock,smoking his pipe in the yard, when he saw Dr. Seignebos coming in. Thedoctor was walking faster than usual, his hat over his face, and hishands thrust deep into his pockets, evident signs of a storm. Instead ofcoming, as he did every day before making the rounds, into the officeof the sister-druggist, he went straight up to the room of the ladysuperior. There, after the usual salutations, he said,--
"They have no doubt brought you, my sister, last night, a patient, anidiot, called Cocoleu?"
"Yes, doctor."
"Where has he been put?"
"The mayor saw him himself put into the little room opposite the linenroom."
"And how did he behave?"
"Perfectly well: the sister who kept the watch did not hear him stir."
"Thanks, my sister!" said Dr. Seignebos.
He was already in the door, when the lady superior recalled him.
"Are you going to see the poor man, doctor?" she asked.
"Yes, my sister; why?"
"Because you cannot see him."
"I cannot?"
"No. The commonwealth attorney has sent us orders not to let any one,except the sister who nurses him, come near Cocoleu,--no one, doctor,not even the physician, a case of urgency, of course, excepted."
Dr. Seignebos smiled ironically. Then he said, laughing scornfully,--
"Ah, these are your orders, are they? Well, I tell you that I do notmind them in the least. Who can prevent me from seeing my patient?Tell me that! Let the commonwealth attorney give his orders in hiscourt-house as much as he chooses: that is all right. But in myhospital! My sister, I am going to Cocoleu's room."
"Doctor, you cannot go there. There is a gendarme at the door."
"A gendarme?"
"Yes, he came this morning with the strictest orders."
For a moment the doctor was overcome. Then he suddenly broke out withunusual violence, and a voice that made the windows shake,--
"This is unheard of! This is an abominable abuse of power! I'll have myrights, and justice shall be done me, if I have to go to Thiers!"
Then he rushed out without ceremony, crossed the yard, and disappearedlike an arrow, in the direction of the court-house. At that very momentM. Daubigeon was getting up, feeling badly because he had had a bad,sleepless night, thanks to this unfortunate affair of M. de Boiscoran,which troubled him sorely; for he was almost of M. Galpin's opinion. Invain he recalled Jacques's noble character, his well-known uprightness,his keen sense of honor, the evidence was so strong, so overwhelming!He wanted to doubt; but experience told him that a man's past isno guarantee for his future. And, besides, like many great criminallawyers, he thought, what he would never have ventured to say openly,that some great criminals act while they are under the influence of akind of vertigo, and that this explains the stupidity of certain crimescommitted by men of superior intelligence.
Since his return from Boiscoran, he had kept close in his house; and hehad just made up his mind not to leave the house that day, when some onerang his bell furiously. A moment later Dr. Seignebos fell into the roomlike a bombshell.
"I know what brings you, doctor," said M. Daubigeon. "You come aboutthat order I have given concerning Cocoleu."
"Yes, indeed, sir! That order is an insult."
"I have been asked to give it as a matter of necessity, by M. Galpin."
"And why did you not refuse? You alone are responsible for it in myeyes. You are commonwealth attorney, consequently the head of the bar,and superior to M. Galpin."
M. Daubigeon shook his head and said,--
"There you are mistaken, doctor. The magistrate in such a case isindependent of myself and of the court. He is not even bound to obey theattorney-general, who can make suggestions to him, but cannot give himorders. M. Galpin, in his capacity as examining magistrate, has hisindependent jurisdiction, and is armed with almost unlimited power. Noone in the world can say so well as an examining magistrate what thepoet calls,--
"'Such is my will, such are my orders, and my will is sufficient.'
"'Hoc volo, hoc jubeo, sit pro ratione voluntas.'"
For once Dr. Seignebos seemed to be convinced by M. Daubigeon's words.He said,--
"Then, M. Galpin has even the right to deprive a sick man of hisphysician's assistance."
"If he assumes the responsibility, yes. But he does not mean to go sofar. He was, on the contrary, about to ask you, although it is Sunday,to come and be present at a second examination of Cocoleu. I amsurprised that you have not received his note, and that you did not meethim at the hospital."
"Well, I am going at once."
And he went back hurriedly, and was glad he had done so; for at the doorof the hospital he came face to face against M. Galpin, who was justcoming in, accompanied by his faithful clerk, Mechinet.
"You came just in time, doctor," began the magistrate, with his usualsolemnity.
But, short and rapid as the doctor's walk had been, it had givenhim time to reflect, and to grow cool. Instead of breaking out intorecriminations, he replied in a tone of mock politeness,--
"Yes, I know. It is that poor devil to whom you have given a gendarmefor a nurse. Let us go up: I am at your service."
The room in which Cocoleu had been put was large, whitewashed, andempty, except that a bed, a table and two chairs, stood about. The bedwas no doubt a good one; but the idiot had taken off the mattress andthe blankets, and lain down in his clothes on the straw bed. Thus themagistrate and the physician found him as they entered. He rose at theirappearance; but, when he saw the gendarme, he uttered a cry, and triedto hide under the bed. M. Galpin ordered the gendarme to pull him outagain. Then he walked up to him, and said,--
"Don't be afraid, Cocoleu. We want to do you no harm; only you mustanswer our questions. Do you recollect what happened the other night atValpinson?"
Cocoleu laughed,--the laugh of an idiot,--but he made no reply. Andthen, for a whole hour, begging, threatening, and promising by turns,the magistrate tried in vain to obtain one word from him. Not eventhe name of the Countess Claudieuse had the slightest effect. At last,utterly out of patience, he said,--
"Let us go. The wretch is worse than a brute."
"Was he any better," asked the doctor, "when he denounced M. deBoiscoran?"
But the magistrate pretended not to hear; and, when they were about toleave the room, he said to the doctor,--
"You know that I expect your report, doctor?"
"In forty-eight hours I shall have the honor to hand it to you," repliedthe latter.
But as he went off, he said half aloud,--
"And that report is going to give you some trouble, my good man."
The report was ready then, and his reason for not giving it in, wasthat he thought, the longer he could delay it, the more chance he wouldprobably have to defeat the plan of the prosecution.
"As I mean to keep it two days longer," he thought on his way home, "whyshould I not show it to this Paris lawyer who has come down with themarchioness? Nothing can prevent me, as far as I see, since that poorGalpin, in his utter confusion, has forgotten to put me under oath."
But he paused. According to the l
aws of medical jurisprudence, had hethe right, or not, to communicate a paper belonging to the case to thecounsel of the accused? This question troubled him; for, althoughhe boasted that he did not believe in God, he believed firmly inprofessional duty, and would have allowed himself to be cut in piecesrather than break its laws.
"But I have clearly the right to do so," he growled. "I can only bebound by my oath. The authorities are clear on that subject. I have inmy favor the decisions of the Court of Appeals of 27 November, and 27December, 1828; those of the 13th June, 1835; of the 3d May, 1844; ofthe 26th June, 1866."
The result of this mediation was, that, as soon as he had breakfasted,he put his report in his pocket, and went by side streets to M. deChandore's house. The marchioness and the two aunts were still atchurch, where they had thought it best to show themselves; and there wasno one in the sitting-room but Dionysia, the old baron, and M. Folgat.The old gentleman was very much surprised to see the doctor. The latterwas his family physician, it is true; but, except in cases of sickness,the two never saw each other, their political opinions were so verydifferent.
"If you see me here," said the physician, still in the door, "it issimply because, upon my honor and my conscience, I believe M. Boiscoranis innocent."
Dionysia would have liked to embrace the doctor for these words of his;and with the greatest eagerness she pushed a large easy-chair towardshim, and said in her sweetest voice,--
"Pray sit down, my dear doctor."
"Thanks," he answered bruskly. "I am very much obliged to you." Thenturning to M. Folgat, he said, according to his odd notion,--
"I am convinced that M. Boiscoran is the victim of his republicanopinions which he has so boldly professed; for, baron, your futureson-in-law is a republican."
Grandpapa Chandore did not move. If they had come and told him Jacqueshad been a member of the Commune, he would not have been any more moved.Dionysia loved Jacques. That was enough for him.
"Well," the doctor went on, "I am a Radical, I, M."--
"Folgat," supplied the young lawyer.
"Yes, M. Folgat, I am a Radical; and it is my duty to defend a man whosepolitical opinions so closely resemble mine. I come, therefore, to showyou my medical report, if you can make any use of it in your defence ofM. Boiscoran, or suggest to me any ideas."
"Ah!" exclaimed the young man. "That is a very valuable service."
"But let us understand each other," said the physician earnestly. "If Ispeak of listening to your suggestions, I take it for granted that theyare based upon facts. If I had a son, and he was to die on the scaffoldI would not use the slightest falsehood to save him."
He had, meanwhile, drawn the report from a pocket in his long coat, andnow put in on the table with these words,--
"I shall call for it again to-morrow morning. In the meantime you canthink it over. I should like, however, to point out to you the mainpoint, the culminating point, if I may say so."
At all events he was "saying so" with much hesitation, and lookingfixedly at Dionysia as if to make her understand that he would like herto leave the room. Seeing that she did not take the hint, he added,--
"A medical and legal discussion would hardly interest the young lady."
"Why, sir, why, should I not be deeply, passionately, interested in anything that regards the man who is to be my husband?"
"Because ladies are generally very sensational," said the doctoruncivilly, "very sensitive."
"Don't think so, doctor. For Jacques's sake, I promise you I will showyou quite masculine energy."
The doctor knew Dionysia well enough to see that she did not mean to go:so he growled,--
"As you like it."
Then, turning again to M. Folgat, he said,--
"You know there were two shots fired at Count Claudieuse. One, which hithim in the side, nearly missed him; the other, which struck his shoulderand his neck, hit well."
"I know," said the advocate.
"The difference in the effect shows that the two shots were fired fromdifferent distances, the second much nearer than the first."
"I know, I know!"
"Excuse me. If I refer to these details, it is because they areimportant. When I was sent for in the middle of the night to come andsee Count Claudieuse, I at once set to work extracting the particlesof lead that had lodged in his flesh. While I was thus busy, M. Galpinarrived. I expected he would ask me to show him the shot: but no, he didnot think of it; he was too full of his own ideas. He thought only ofthe culprit, of _his_ culprit. I did not recall to him the A B C of hisprofession: that was none of my business. The physician has to obey thedirections of justice, but not to anticipate them."
"Well, then?"
"Then M. Galpin went off to Boiscoran, and I completed my work. I haveextracted fifty-seven shot from the count's wound in the side, and ahundred and nine from the wound on the shoulder and the neck; and, whenI had done that, do you know what I found out?"
He paused, waiting to see the effect of his words; and, when everybody'sattention seemed to him fully roused, he went on,--
"I found out that the shot in the two wounds was not alike."
M. de Chandore and M. Folgat exclaimed at one time,--
"Oh!"
"The shot that was first fired," continued Dr. Seignebos, "and whichhas touched the side, is the very smallest sized 'dust.' That in theshoulder, on the other hand, is quite large sized, such as I think isused in shooting hares. However, I have some samples."
And with these words, he opened a piece of white paper, in which wereten or twelve pieces of lead, stained with coagulated blood, and showingat once a considerable difference in size. M. Folgat looked puzzled.
"Could there have been two murderers?" he asked half aloud.
"I rather think," said M. de Chandore, "that the murderer had, likemany sportsmen, one barrel ready for birds, and another for hares orrabbits."
"At all events, this fact puts all premeditation out of question. A mandoes not load his gun with small-shot in order to commit murder."
Dr. Seignebos thought he had said enough about it, and was rising totake leave, when M. de Chandore asked him how Count Claudieuse wasdoing.
"He is not doing well," replied the doctor. "The removal, in spite ofall possible precautions, has worn him out completely; for he is here inSauveterre since yesterday, in a house which M. Seneschal has rented forhim provisionally. He has been delirious all night through; and, when Icame to see him this morning, I do not think he knew me."
"And the countess?" asked Dionysia.
"The countess, madam, is quite as sick as her husband, and, if she hadlistened to me, she would have gone to bed, too. But she is a womanof uncommon energy, who derives from her affection for her husband analmost incomprehensible power of resistance. As to Cocoleu," he added,standing already near the door, "an examination of his mental conditionmight produce results which no one seems to expect now. But we will talkof that hereafter. And now, I must bid you all good-by."
"Well?" asked Dionysia and M. de Chandore, as soon as they had heard thestreet door close behind Dr. Seignebos.
But M. Folgat's enthusiasm had cooled off very rapidly.
"Before giving an opinion," he said cautiously, "I must study the reportof this estimable doctor."
Unfortunately, the report contained nothing that the doctor had notmentioned. In vain did the young advocate try all the afternoon tofind something in it that might be useful for the defence. There werearguments in it, to be sure, which might be very valuable when the trialshould come on, but nothing that could be used to make the prosecutiongive up the case.
The whole house was, therefore, cruelly disappointed and dejected, when,about five o'clock, old Anthony came in from Boiscoran. He looked verysad, and said,--
"I have been relieved of my duties. At two o'clock M. Galpin cameto take off the seals. He was accompanied by his clerk Mechinet, andbrought Master Jacques with him, who was guarded by two gendarmes incitizen's clothes. When the room was opene
d, that unlucky man Galpinasked Master Jacques if those were the clothes which he wore the nightof the fire, his boots, his gun, and the water in which he washed hishands. When he had acknowledged every thing, the water was carefullypoured into a bottle, which they sealed, and handed to one of thegendarmes. Then they put master's clothes in a large trunk, his gun,several parcels of cartridge, and some other articles, which themagistrate said were needed for the trial. That trunk was sealed likethe bottle, and put on the carriage; then that man Galpin went off, andtold me that I was free."
"And Jacques," Dionysia asked eagerly,--"how did he look?"
"Master, madam, laughed contemptuously."
"Did you speak to him?" asked M. Folgat.
"Oh, no, sir! M. Galpin would not allow me."
"And did you have time to look at the gun?"
"I could but just glance at the lock."
"And what did you see?"
The brow of the old servant grew still darker, as he replied sadly,--
"I saw that I had done well to keep silent. The lock is black. Mastermust have used his gun since I cleaned it."
Grandpapa Chandore and M. Folgat exchanged looks of distress. One morehope was lost.
"Now," said the young lawyer, "tell me how M. de Boiscoran usuallycharged his gun."
"He used cartridges, sir, of course. They sent him, I think, twothousand with the gun,--some for balls, some with large shot, and otherswith shot of every size. At this season, when hunting is prohibited,master could shoot nothing but rabbits, or those little birds, you know,which come to our marshes: so he always loaded one barrel with tolerablylarge shot, and the other with small-shot."
But he stopped suddenly, shocked at the impression which his statementseemed to produce. Dionysia cried,--
"That is terrible! Every thing is against us!"
M. Folgat did not give her time to say any more. He asked,--
"My dear Anthony, did M. Galpin take all of your master's cartridgesaway with him?"
"Oh, no! certainly not."
"Well, you must instantly go back to Boiscoran, and bring me three orfour cartridges of every number of shot."
"All right," said the old man. "I'll be back in a short time."
He started immediately; and, thanks to his great promptness, hereappeared at seven o'clock, at the moment when the family got up fromdinner, and put a large package of cartridges on the table.
M. de Chandore and M. Folgat had quickly opened some of them; and,after a few failures, they found two numbers of shot which seemed tocorrespond exactly to the samples left them by the doctor.
"There is an incomprehensible fatality in all this," said the oldgentleman in an undertone.
The young lawyer, also, looked discouraged.
"It is madness," he said, "to try to establish M. de Boiscoran'sinnocence without having first communicated with him."
"And if you could do so to-morrow?" asked Dionysia.
"Then, madam, he might give us the key to this mystery, which we are invain trying to solve; or, at least, he might tell us the way to find itall out. But that is not to be thought of. M. de Boiscoran is held inclose confinement, and you may rest assured M. Galpin will see to itthat no communication is held with his prisoner."
"Who knows?" said the young girl.
And immediately she drew M. de Chandore aside into one of the littlecard-rooms adjoining the parlor, and asked him,--
"Grandpapa, am I rich?"
Never in her life had she thought of that, and she was to a certainextent utterly ignorant of the value of money.
"Yes, you are rich, my child," replied the old gentleman.
"How much do I have?"
"You have in your own right, as coming to you from your poor father andfrom your mother, twenty-five thousand francs a year, or a capital ofabout five hundred and fifty thousand francs."
"And is that a good deal?"
"It is so much, that you are one of the richest heiresses of thedistrict; but you have, besides, considerable expectations."
Dionysia was so preoccupied, that she did not even protest. She went onasking,--
"What do they call here to be well off?"
"That depends, my child. If you will tell me"--
She interrupted him, putting down her foot impatiently, saying,--
"Nothing. Please answer me!"
"Well, in our little town, an income of eight hundred or a thousandfrancs makes anybody very well off."
"Let us say a thousand."
"Well, a thousand would make a man very comfortable."
"And what capital would produce such an income?"
"At five per cent, it would take twenty thousand francs."
"That is to say, about the income of a year."
"Exactly."
"Never mind. I presume that is quite a large sum, and it would be ratherdifficult for you, grandpapa, to get it together by to-morrow morning?"
"Not at all. I have that much in railway coupon-bonds; and they are justas good as current money."
"Ah! Do you mean to say, that, if I gave anybody twenty thousand francsin such bonds, it would be just the same to him as if I gave him twentythousand francs in bank-notes?"
"Just so."
Dionysia smiled. She thought she saw light. Then she went on,--
"If that is so, I must beg you, grandpapa, to give me twenty thousandfrancs in coupon-bonds."
The old gentleman started.
"You are joking," he said. "What do you want with so much money? You aresurely joking."
"Not at all. I have never in my life been more serious," replied theyoung girl in a tone of voice which could not be mistaken. "I beseechyou, grandpapa, if you love me, give me these twenty thousand francsthis evening, right now. You hesitate? O God! You may kill me if yourefuse."
No, M. de Chandore was hesitating no longer.
"Since you will have it so," he said, "I am going up stairs to get it."
She clapped her hands with joy.
"That's it," she said. "Make haste and dress; for I have to go out, andyou must go with me."
Then going up to her aunts and the marchioness, she said to them,--
"I hope you will excuse me, if I leave you; but I must go out."
"At this hour?" cried Aunt Elizabeth. "Where are you going?"
"To my dressmakers, the Misses Mechinet. I want a dress."
"Great God!" cried Aunt Adelaide, "the child is losing her mind!"
"I assure you I am not, aunt."
"Then let me go with you."
"Thank you, no. I shall go alone; that is to say, alone with deargrandpapa."
And as M. de Chandore came back, his pockets full of bonds, his hat onhis head, and his cane in his hand, she carried him off, saying,--
"Come, quick, dear grandpapa, we are in a great hurry."