File No. 113

changel, so highly recommended by Fanferlot the Squirrel, Prosper

d resumed his habitual comp

a suspicious expression, or any sign of g

was lik

ition, had not his heavy breathing, and the beads of perspiration

mmissary went to receive orders from higher authorities, he enter

restaurant near by for his breakfast, which he ate with

o transact business daily with the commissary of police, curiously watched

de of strong ma

e to be left to his own devices.

e door, he at once got up; but, before going out, he re

all varieties of flowers. He stopped and bought a bunch of violet

o you, my po

by this mark of in

, but 'tis a long time

tre, Prosper kept his head out of the window, at the same time smilingly complaining at

, "I never felt so great

red-faced man, received this remark wi

derst

rmalities of the commitment, Prosper replied with hau

upon his flushed cheek. In an instant he had recovered his stony calmness, and stood up motionless, with his arms raised in the air so that the rough

for the intervention of a middle-aged man of rather distinguished appearance, who

per brought in by the bailiffs; he stepped forward, and seemed about

that this man kept his eyes fastened upon him. Did he know

o a chief, was no less a personage than M. Lec

f his boots, saying that a knife might be concealed in them.

ve done

shier was taken to a narrow cell; the heavily barred door was swun

glass, that the accused is like a miserable insect under the microscope of an

feelings, and, dropping his mask of impassibility, burst into a flood of

ns and curses. He dashed himself against th

was not the man

tleman had ardent passion

is desires were repressed, imprisoned in his low estate, like an athlete in a strait-jacket, seeing around hi

al princes, and found that at the starting

eded? By force of energy,

to imitate a

manners; and so strictly did he conform to the rules of decorum, that he was regarded as a model of propriety by those who knew him, and had

this: imprisoned for ro

at, guilty or innocent, a man once suspected is as in

ggling? What benefit was a triumph

found him lying on his pallet, with his f

a state of frenzy into one of stupefying despair, and vainly did he endeavor to clear his confused

g to count the hours by, as they slowly dragged on, but the measured

leep, which was more wearisome than refreshing; from w

is time for you to appear bef

without stopping to repair

on,

emarked, as the

in having your case brou

as r

y and excessive severity, M. Patrigent possessed in an eminent degree all the qu

earying patience, which nothing could discourage. He would cheerfully devote years to the examination of a case; he was even now engaged o

they brought the endless lawsuits, hal

were taking Prosper; and they we

emen, down a narrow flight of steps, across a kind of cellar,

galley, upon which opened many

y cashier stopped before on

ere your fate w

of deep commiseration, Prosper c

her side of this door was a man upon

d the door-knob, and was about to e

u must sit down here, and wait till yo

ed, and his keeper to

lugubrious than this gallery

nt use. This bench has for the last ten years been daily occupied by all the

lery with one door opening on the galleys, the other on the scaffold. This place was vulgarly and pith

was almost entirely occupied. Beside him, so close as to touch his

a judge of instruction, stood groups

vy boots, tramping along the flagstones, could be heard a woman's stifled sobs, and looking around

ld open and shut, and a baili

eling as if another five minutes' stay among these wretched creatures would make him deathly sick, w

er Ber

knowing how, found himself in the

the one in which he now found himself had a window directly opp

the gallery, was of a very ordi

green paper, and on the floor was a

was seated the judge, facing those who entered, so that his face remained in the sha

le, sat a clerk writing, the indi

trated upon the arbiter of his fate, and as he closely examined his face h

whiskers, lit up by a pair of bright, intelligent eyes, and a kindl

t," he said

for he had expected to be treated with harsh contempt. He loo

rned toward the

now, Sigault;

?" he then asked,

Prosper

ld are

hirty the 5th

your pr

as-cashier in M. A

followed attentively his every movement, began to be hopeful, saying to himself t

ooked for, M. Patrigent

do yo

four years. Before that time I lived

were yo

n the Departmen

r parent

years ago; my fath

live in

with my sister, who married one of

fe of a man when home memories encourage and console him; there are also moments when he would

prisoner's emotion, when

ather's calling

nals; then he was employed on the Southern Canal, wit

air around, so that, although his head was apparently ave

cused of having robbed M. Fauvel of th

with the terrible idea of this accusation; and yet, uttered as it was in this formal, brief

to answer?" a

, monsieur; I swear

to assist you to the extent of my ability in proving your inno

not understand this dreadful business mys

e interr

umstances that prevent suspicion from falling upon anyone

monsi

innocent, therefore the guil

remained

ge, "any cause for believing

preserved a r

for reflection. Listen to the reading of your examina

pe was gone. He heard nothing of what Sigault re

dge's office, so that the kee

eur," said the man, "but don't be d

hen he returned to his cell; but his hea

e would prove his innocence; and he had not had time to do so. He repro

rily exclaimed, "to ca

an examination, bu

the Criminal Code, which says, "Every suspected person

se like this, with no evidence or material proof, that

alid proofs are needed. These weapons M. Patrigent was busily preparing. If Prosper had remained a little longer i

er th

is turn, and answered the call

r: now, as he entered the judge's room, he seemed irritated. Reflection, which usuall

carcely been addressed to him before his impetuous temper gaine

reminding him of what was due to himself, no matter w

stion answered. Prosper's examination had been a mere formality, the stating and proving a fact. Now it related to collecti

ay confine yourself to answering my questions. Did

sons which should have made me hes

reas

He was intimate with an unprincipled set. Once he was mixed up with one of my clients, M. de Clameran, in a scandalous gamb

he banker continue

dge, "that you were very imprudent, if not culpa

of my family; he spent all of his evenings with us, and was the bosom friend of my eldest son Lucien. One day, he sudd

ting his brows when he thought he had discove

he young lady have been the caus

as astonished that he did not ask for her hand. My niece would be a good match for any man, and he should

no motive for your

always supposed that Prosper was led astray by a young man

ho is this

e, intelligent young man, somewhat wild,

rs at the bottom of an alread

point. You are sure that the theft was

sure, m

ys kept y

n; and, whenever I left it at home, I put

the evening of

secre

t t

e mine, the key is of no importance. In the first place, one is obliged to know the word upon which

r told this w

h what word the safe had been closed. Prosper would change it when he chose, and

ten it on the d

nged the day before; and i

t wa

y," said the banke

t wrote dow

ur: were you at home the e

d; when I returned home, about one o'clock, my

ant of the amount o

hat a small sum had been left there over-night; I stated this fact to the

ng depended upon this one fact, that the banker was unaware of the three hundred and fifty thousand francs being in t

he banker thought that he would relieve

ccessful man: I may be calumniated: three hundred and fifty thousand francs is a fortune capable of tempting even a rich man. I would be obliged if you would have t

ufficient,

standing of the banker, and knew almost as

and then escorted him to the door of

ft the room, Sigault

e said; "if the cashier is shrewd and fi

udge, "but let us hear the ot

e call for number four was Lu

hat he was very fond of Prosper, was once very intimate with him, and had always regar

ed Prosper to commit a theft. He knew he played cards, but not to the extent th

s cousin Madele

arry her, knowing that my father would not oppose their marriage. I have always attributed the discontinu

pon Prosper's past life, but did not apparently reveal any e

his deposition

. The poor fellow was in a pitiable state

ve, and being jeered at for his cowardice in giving up the note, he felt great

as well as he could, wh

ly declared that he was the cashier's friend, and that

hen his assertions, these were deprived of any value b

bank successively defiled in the judge's office;

ed. He said he knew that Prosper had speculated on the Bourse thr

ay was exhausted. But the task of M. Patrigent was not yet finished

and bring Fan

eague on the gallery, he thought it his duty to treat him to a drink; and the

id the judge, when he entered bowing and scr

ed a double play that might be discovered at any moment; to manage at once the cause of just

he said, to excuse himself, "

d avoiding what was to be left unsaid. Thus he gave the history of Cavaillon's letter, which he handed to the judge; but he did not breathe a word of Madelein

conviction of M. Patr

ghted that the judge was on the wrong track, thinking that his own glory would thereby be the greater when he disc

the judge dismissed Fanferlot, t

"do not lose sight of the girl Gypsy; she must kno

smiled c

ut that, monsieur; the

. Patrigent continued to busy himself with the case, and

e same time, puzzling and attractive. It seemed to be surrounded b

this day he examined Mme. Gypsy, recalled Cavaillon, and sent ag

s summoned, only tw

osper to bring the money from the

as M. Raoul

from daily increasing; and on the ensuing Monday, five days after the robbery, M