Gerfaut -- Volume 4

hich had been adopted by the Baroness for the suppers which were given by her husband at the close of his hunting parties; she dispensed with appearing at table on those days; perhaps sh

ated in those rather boisterous repasts, and that they felt a certain grati

sy laughter, and jests of all kinds by way of accompaniment. His head became every moment more and more excited by the libations destined to refresh his throat, and his neighbors, without his perceiving the conspiracy, thought it would be good fun to put a Parisian dandy under the table. Howev

s countenance; but a quiet observer would soon have discerned that these violent efforts at good-humor and bantering concealed some terrible suffering. From time to time, in the midst of a sentence or a laugh, he would suddenly stop, the muscles of his face would twitch as if the spring which set them in motion had broken; his expression became sombre and savage; he sank back in his chair motionless, a stranger to all that surrounded him, and gave himself up to some mysterious thought aga

t of his thoughts and to study the symptoms with deep attention. Gerfaut, for it was he, showed

about sixty years of age, with gray hair and rosy cheeks, "I ran toward the new clearing to wait fo

the other end of the table, "defend

een questioned, "I do not pretend to have your skill. I ne

peaker, who, on account of nearsightedness, had shot a cow, taking it for a buck. The

ts did you get out of

nd imposing air. "Up to this time, we can form only very vague conjectures as to the road that Lambernier to

ad taken no part in the conversat

said he, suddenly, to

moment, and then lowered his eyes, as i

lprit, and there is no fear he wil

s come up at the next s

which was half filled, upon t

rtnight with a lot of fellows whom I do not know from Adam! That is one of the agreeable things supplied by constitutional government. The French have to be judged by their peers! Of what use is it to pa

ile peeling an apple, interrupted his song, to the great relief of a hound who l

you fast on Fridays, go to mass in your parish, and occasionally kill cows for bucks; I esteem

ive opinion. However, without pretending to proclaim in too absolute a manner the superiority of the old system over the new, I am in a certain sense of Monsieur de Carrier's opinion. In my position, I am better able than any other person to study the advantages and disadvantages of a jury, and I am forced to admit that if the advantages are real, the disadvantages are none th

ersation. We are truly a joyous crowd; look at Bergenheim opposite us; he looks like Macbeth in the presence of Banquo's ghost; here is my friend Gerfaut drinking water with a profoundly s

e jeu; le

s seuls

roared out in a lugubrious voice. Noisy shouts, rapping of knives upon tum

rosecutor, in a joking tone, "it seems to m

d at him with an

e asked; "if so, I will sustain my point. Only

as he poured out a glass of wine. "Courage! you improvise better than Berry

glass with the recklessness that had characterized his drinking for some time, but, strangely enough, the libation,

place; this will be proved by a witness, and will be established by evidence in a most indisputable manner. His presence will thus be explained without its being interpreted in any way against him. Second, the public prosecutor has admitted that the carrying of a weapon which Lambernier may have been in the habit of using in his regular trade could not be used as an argument against him, and for that same reason could not be used as an argument in favor of premeditat

claimed several

rried his hand to his pocket, and suddenly withdrew it, as he felt the wor

ist, "about ten inches long, more o

eally seems as if you had witnessed the crime. In that case you will be called out as a wit

ust have come from Timbuctoo to u

deposition," said the magistrate, whose increasing drunkenn

ng to state;

long breath, as if the

said Gerfaut to himse

pon which anxie

little altercation with Lambernier a few days ago, and, but for my good

imposed numberless circumlocutions and concealments which ended by making his story rather unintellig

the 'whole empire. Give me something to drink! Notary, you are the only man here who has any reg

hey brought to his mind what the carpenter

looking at Marillac as if he wis

io caro'; you deceive yourselves if you think you are going to make me blab. No, indeed! I a

ations, paid no attention to the strange attitude of the master of the house, or, like Monsieur de Camier, attributed it to the influence of wine. The conversation continued its noisy course, interrupted every few moments by the startling vagaries of some guest more animatedly excited than the rest, for, at the end of a repast where sobriety has not reigned, each one is disposed to impose

le, "it really is a pity, gentlemen, to listen to your conversation. One could imagine nothing more commo

t. I am thirsting for an artistic conversati

hirsty," said the notary, fi

continued in a languishing voice as he gaz

rsation: 'Knowest thou the land

t familiar with Mignon's song; and, beginning to laugh m

settled

of a lamb that presents his head to the but

bid adieu to this sterile country and sail away to a land where the blue sky is reflected in the blue sea? Venice! the Rialto, the Bridge of Sighs, Saint Mark

do you not drink i

I scorn love in a nightcap; I a

n moonlight evenings, bearded husbands, and all that sort of thing-I woul

e him drink any more," sa

eur le Vicomte de Gerfaut, a native of Gascony, a roue by profession, a star of the first magnitude in literature, is afflicted by nature with a stomach which has nothing in common with that of an ostrich; he has need to use the greatest care. So we ha

I hope," sa

never confided their secret to anybody, and who selfishly keep their poetry to themselves. It is a very simple thing to be a poet, provided you feel the indescriba

," said M. de Camier, lou

k. Besides the word drunk is not civil; if you h

ng glance around him, as if he were seeking some one upon whom to vent h

at he lies, and I call him a misantrophe, a vagabond, an academician!" he concluded, with a lou

le here is Bergenheim, who has not taken very much wine, and yet looks as if

more loudly than ever, and

o am drunk. Very well! I defy you all; who among you wishes to argue with me? Will you discuss

public prosecutor, who was aroused from his stup

ruption, "that I should improvise a discourse upon the death pe

tory!" they all ex

his hands with a radiant air. "Would you like a tale from the Middle Ages? a fairy, an eastern, a

by all means," said a

you like it to be la

an

xclaimed th

nch, he is French. You sh

if to gather his scattered ideas. After a few moments' reflection, he raised

said he, in a low voice as if

one of the party, more

rder not to make you wait, I have chosen one which is already well known. My story is to be called 'The husban

scretion. Fortunately, the Baron had paid no attention to his words; but Gerfaut was frightened at his friend's jabbering, and threw him a glance of the most threatening advice to be prudent. Marillac vaguely unders

nd in such a way that he will not see anything in i

ng and talking," replied Gerfaut, in an anxious voice. "Ho

artist; "what do you take me for? I swear to you that I will

several, who were amused by the in

friend's warnings. "The scene takes place in a little court in Germany-Eh!" said he, lo

tory," said the public prosecutor, disposed to play the

derstand that nothing is more elastic than a German court; the story-teller can introduce there whoever he likes; I may bring in

nued raising his eyes in such a way that nothing but the whites coul

slowly in the mysterious alley on t

Pole, then?" inter

! Do not interrupt me," excla

right. Si

oor," said sever

ghs and wrung her soft, warm hands, and a wh

and?'" asked the public prosecutor, with

en you and me? I will continue: And he saw this pensive, weeping woman pass in the distance, and he said to the Prince: 'Borinski, a bit of root in which my foot caught h

terrible bore," interrupted Gerfaut brusquely. "Ge

he last few minutes had lent an attentive ear to the artist's st

. "I like the palanquin in the court of Germany. That is probably

withering glance, but, with the obstinacy of drunk

day that his name is Boleslas, Boleslas Matalowski. There is no more connection between him and my friend Octave than there is between my other f

nd come with me," said he, lowering his voice as he leaned toward the headstrong story-teller and took him by the arm, trying to make

vent me from speaking because you know that I tell a story better than you, and that I make an impressi

ten!" replied Octave, who, as he bent over h

g into a loud laugh. "Poets all," said he, "be reassured and rejoice. You shall have your story, in spite of those envious serpents. But first give me something to drink, for my throat is like

gain by the arm and tried to fascinate him by his steady gaze. But he obtained no response

rink, Boleslas-Marinski

is heating apparatu

rfaut's lips. He suddenly leaned over, and taking, from among sever

gs; "you are an angel. Rest easy, your love affairs will run

his mouth remained half open as if his lips were petrified, his eyes grew large and assumed a haggard expression; the hand he

ymptoms with unutterable anxiety; but in spite of his fright, h

oving his neighbor from the table, "that glass of water h

" open his bed and help me carry him to it; Monsieur de Bergenheim,

Marillac's side, as he remained motionless in his chair. The repeated bathing of his temples wi

his finger into the artist's glass, in which a part of the water remained, and then touched his tongue. Only the notary notic

f this Monsieur de Gerfaut had taken anything but water during the evening, I should say that he was the drunker of the two; or that, if they

ed the Baron angrily, "

attention to the Baron's agitation. "The devil! the safe thing to do is to give him an

of the table to the other, "who has been poisoned? I am the public prosecutor, I am the only one here who has any power to start

aimed Bergenheim, in a thundering voice, as he seiz

and he received two or three shakings. Suddenly the Baron stopped, and struck his forehead wit

am very sorry. We really have all taken too much wine. I beg your p

his room. The public prosecutor, whose ideas had been somewhat mixed before, was now comple

, for the prosecutor, half suffocated with indignation and intoxication, could no longe

his head with a

erstand only in extreme cases; but the Baron is the one who astonished me most. Did you notice how he shook our friend who has just fallen on the floor? As to the Baron pretending that he was drunk and thus excusing himself, I do not be

me," stammered the weak voice of the magistrate, who, after try