File No. 113

f the most minute investigations, Pro

ays had not app

red, which he was obliged to account for; and he wrote, with a

t the condemned prisoners who were employed to serve those con

examined again

ng," the jailer in

sufferings of solitary confinement which quickly

here forever

at one o'clock, an hour when the jailer never cam

toward

aded man standing on the s

he gasped,

father

g his father was instantly succ

ails, we remember this man upon whose knees we sat when children, and who soothed our sor

ed by tender feeling, was about to

harshly r

roach me!"

The father and son were alone together, Prosper heart

her, the miserable young man seemed to b

cried. "You, you believ

eful comedy," interrupted

er; I swear it by the sa

cried M. Bertomy,

thoughts of the past, and in

ay would come when I could thank God for having taken her from m

ful silence,

moment when I need all my courage; w

norable man who has taken care of you, loaded you with benefits, and had insured you

ake, father,

e so sure of his affection, that you wrote me to hold myself in readiness to

sper in a chok

n loved Mlle. Madeleine; at l

more than ever; I have

a gesture of c

your entering upon a path of sin. You loved her: how dared you, then, without blushing, appro

et me explain by what

ge, and 'tis to his kindness that I am indebted for this interview. Do you know what mortification I suffered befor

lf, but in a helpless, hopeless

ered with pictures. In my father's house the walls were whitewashed; and there was but one arm-chair in the whole house, and that was my mother's. Our lux

face flushed crimson, but he

splay of an upstart, without being an upstart. You must support worthless women who wear satin slippers lined with swan's-down, like those I saw in your rooms, and keep servant

aw that his son was not in a cond

ssible, save the honor of our name, to prevent it from being published in the

rosper arose. So many successive blows

much have you remaining of the stolen t

unate man in a tone of hopeless resigna

our family will have to repair th

do you

thousand francs. I succeeded in collecting a hundred and forty thousand francs more. This m

oused Prosper

the kind!" he cried with

e to pay the rest. My pension is fifteen hundred francs. I can live upon fiv

's face. His features were contracted with such furious rage that

have no right for taking a step that would be a confession of guilt, and ruin me forever. Who and what convinces you of

y do m

ngers who accuse me, and myself who swear that I am innocent, you do not hesitate? Why? Is it because I am your son? Our h

gh to unsettle the firmest convictions, and

a hesitating tone, "everyt

hat I was compelled to avoid her. I became desperate, and tried to forget my sorrow in

a few minutes he started up with rene

sh in the attempt. Human justice is liable to error; although innocent, I may be convic

do you

lot. As long as I have a drop of blood in my veins, I will seek its author. And I will certainly find him; and then bi

kes you say things that y

o you know about it? Would this be the first instance in which the most shameful secrets are concealed beneath the fairest appearances? Why did Madeleine suddenly forbid me to th

e allotted to M. Bertomy had expire

emotions seemed to re

s remorse, if he had added to his already great weight of sor

ed all his paternal affection, so violently repressed. Ah, were he gu

ts severity, and his e

ngry: he had not the cruel courage. His heart was breaki

ured. "God grant you

inced his father of his innocence. But he

, and the jailer's gruff v

you to appear be

ly obeyed

a complete change had taken place within him. He walked with

walked a little ahead of the

men, he met the man with gold spectacles, who had

e said: "if you are innocent, th

ise, and was about to repl

leman?" he asked

replied the policeman with surprise. "Wh

his name

g that he wants to know, without its ever being told to him. If you had had him, instead of that smooth-tongued imbecile Fanferlot, y

until the first

ne, sometimes quite young, and then an octogenarian: why, not seldom he even deceives me. I begin to talk to a stranger, paf! the first thing I know, it is M. Lecoq! Anybody on the f

r his praises of M. Lecoq, had not the si

ing on the wooden bench: the judge,

er of human nature, had contrived the i

and the son, accused of theft, an affecting scene would take place,

, while all his nerves were vibrating with terrible emotions: h

ier's bearing; resolute without obstin

aid, "have y

onsieur, I had nothi

you forget that sincerity and repentance are the first

indulgence

looked vexe

u what had become of the three h

hook his

sieur, I would not be

eded; but, with a man so thoroughly master of himself, there was

sist in accus

r someo

he alone knew the word. Had he

think o

l you what interest y

nvinced of the facts he was about to s

pairing wretched man, and was nonplussed by s

he said, in a vexed tone, "how much

t necessary to stop to

ces made it necessary for me to preserve the greatest ord

d you obt

and francs, as my salary, and share of the profits. By speculating in stocks, I gained eight thousand francs. The

ct, and could be easily pr

t you th

ul de L

and could not be found; so, for the time being, M.

of the formal order of M. Fauvel, you drew the money from the Bank of Fra

y even, for him to have his money early in the morning. He will testify to t

ameran is a fr

t repelled by him; but he is th

racking his brain to imagine what could have occurred between M

e: "how did you spend the eveni

to Vesinet, M. de Lagors's country seat, to carry him fifteen hundred francs w

that M. de Lagors

id not know that h

u go when you

and dined at a resta

d t

r hesi

Rue Chaptal, dressed yourself, and attended a soiree given by one of those women who style themselves dramatic artistes, a

right,

avy playing

etim

e you not connected in some way with a scandalous adventur

testify, having w

And did you not play baccarat at Wils

nsieur, only e

rning you paid a note

mons

u had four hundred in your purse when you were arrested. So that a

discountenance

ossessed by the law, he wondered how in so short a time

correct, monsieur

ning before you had so little that you were

bonds I had, about three thousand francs; besides, I took

the questions put to him, and M. Patrigent

tions; then why did you write this note to one of y

osper's eyes dropped before t

he stammere

to screen

accused of a robbery, has every fault, every weakness he h

t justice would not excuse this scandalous defiance of public morality. A man who respects himself so little as

nsi

is, whom you permit to bear the

knew her. She was born at Oporto, and c

has never been a governess,

but M. Patrigent shrugged his shoulders, and bega

born at Paris in 1840, daughter of James Chocareille, und

now that the judge was reading him this report t

her for one year are lost. At the age of seventeen she is hired as a servant by a grocer on the Rue St. Denis, named Dombas, and remains there thr

Prosper's face to observe th

ined in Lisbon, and what she did while she remained there, is not reported. But in 1861 she returned to Paris, and was se

you, monsieur,

led Gypsy, upon her release from prison, but we meet her again six months later, having made the acquaintance of a travelling agent named Caldas, who became infatuated with

, mons

blicly swore that he would kill his rival if he ever found him. The current report afterward was, that he committed suicide. He certainly

if to give Prosper time for re

made your companion, the woman

the wrong track, owing to Fanf

wounded to the quick; but he remained impassible. Of all the judge said to him his mind dw

igent, "you will confess that t

that, monsieur, fo

papers. "During December you paid her dressmaker, Van Klopen, for two walking dresses, nine hundred

y, but nevertheless I was not

shrugged hi

you will also say that it was not for this girl's sa

the cause of my ceasing to

oung lady whom you confidently expected to marry, and who

cannot reveal," answere

st he had discovered a vulnerabl

Madeleine b

ilent, and se

ell you that this circumstance is one

, on this subject I am co

tice will not be satisfied

ited for an ans

during the last year, spent fifty thousand francs. Your resources are at an end, and your cr

hought it might last as lon

would draw f

be here! I should never have been such a fool

restrain a smile of sat

ast, but telegrams travel faster. A French thief can be arrested in London within forty-eight hours after his description has been telegraphed. Even America is no longer a refuge. You remained prudently and wisely, saying to yourself, 'I will ma

been content with three hundred and fifty thousand francs; I should have waite

always conven

d in deep thought

is one detail I forgot to mention

, if you

money must have seen me tie up the bundle, and put it away in th

return to your cell; and once more I advise you to

osper because he wished to immediately

t this Antonin the man who was excused from testifying because

, mons

doe h

l that he was taken to the h

to-day, this very hour. Take your pe

s Hospital; but the cabman, urged by the promise of a large

e able to answe

that, although the man suffered horribly from

e, "I wish to examine him, and desire that no

monsieur; his room contains four bed

ittle weazened man in black, with a portfolio und

ur comes to see me abo

cise

the sick-bed while Sigault arran

re that he was named Antonin Poche, was forty years

ou well enough to clearly ans

nly, mo

he Bank of France for the three hundred an

mons

id you return w

en five o'clock

n you handed him the notes? Now, do not

ackages; then he put them in the safe; and then-it seems to me-and

t, forgetting his knee, he half started up,

what you say?"

emn tone seemed to

hesitation, "I would bet my h

. He had been frightened. He already imagined himself in di

oduced; and when they retired

important piec