按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
beside the family at the chateau。 The porter； two gardeners； and their
wives were on the place； but their lodge was at the entrance of the
courtyards at the farther end of the avenue to Arcis； and the distance
from there to the chateau is beyond the sound of a pistol…shot。
Violette was waiting in the antechamber until the senator and Grevin
could see him on business； to arrange a matter relating to his lease。
At that moment five men； masked and gloved； who in height； manner； and
bearing strongly resembled the Simeuse and d'Hauteserre brothers and
Michu； rushed into the antechamber； seized and gagged the valet and
Violette； and fastened them to their chairs in a side room。 In spite
of the rapidity with which this was done； Violette and the servant had
time to utter one cry。 It was heard in the salon。 The two ladies
thought it a cry of fear。
〃Listen！〃 said Madame Grevin； 〃can there be robbers？〃
〃No； nonsense！〃 said Grevin； 〃only carnival cries； the masqueraders
must be coming to pay us a visit。〃
This discussion gave time for the four strangers to close the doors
towards the courtyards and to lock up Violette and the valet。 Madame
Grevin； who was rather obstinate； insisted on knowing what the noise
meant。 She rose； left the room； and came face to face with the five
masked men； who treated her as they had treated the farmer and the
valet。 Then they rushed into the salon； where the two strongest seized
and gagged Malin； and carried him off into the park； while the three
others remained behind to gag Madame Marion and Grevin and lash them
to their armchairs。 The whole affair did not take more than half an
hour。 The three unknown men； who were quickly rejoined by the two who
had carried off the senator； then proceeded to ransack the chateau
from cellar to garret。 They opened all closets and doors； and sounded
the walls； until five o'clock they were absolute masters of the place。
By that time the valet had managed to loosen with his teeth the rope
that bound Violette。 Violette； able then to get the gag from his
mouth； began to shout for help。 Hearing the shouts the five men
withdrew to the gardens； where they mounted horses closely resembling
those at Cinq…Cygne and rode away； but not so rapidly that Violette
was unable to catch sight of them。 After releasing the valet； the two
ladies； and the notary； Violette mounted his pony and rode after help。
When he reached the pavilion he was amazed to see the gates open and
Mademoiselle de Cinq…Cygne apparently on the watch。
Directly after the young countess had ridden off； Violette was
overtaken by Grevin and the forester of the township of Gondreville；
who had taken horses from the stables at the chateau。 The porter's
wife was on her way to summon the gendarmerie from Arcis。 Violette at
once informed Grevin of his meeting with Laurence and the sudden
flight of the daring girl； whose strong and decided character was
known to all of them。
〃She was keeping watch；〃 said Violette。
〃Is it possible that those Cinq…Cygne people have done this thing？〃
cried Grevin。
〃Do you mean to say you didn't recognize that stout Michu？〃 exclaimed
Violette。 〃It was he who attacked me； I knew his fist。 Besides； they
rode the Cinq…Cygne horses。〃
Noticing the hoof…marks on the sand of the /rond…point/ and along the
park road the notary stationed the forester at the gateway to see to
the preservation of these precious traces until the justice of peace
of Arcis （for whom he now sent Violette） could take note of them。 He
himself returned hastily to the chateau； where the lieutenant and sub…
lieutenant of the Imperial gendarmerie at Arcis had arrived；
accompanied by four men and a corporal。 The lieutenant was the same
man whose head Francois Michu had broken two years earlier； and who
had heard from Corentin the name of his mischievous assailant。 This
man； whose name was Giguet （his brother was in the army； and became
one of the finest colonels of artillery）； was an extremely able
officer of gendarmerie。 Later he commanded the squadron of the Aube。
The sub…lieutenant； named Welff； had formerly driven Corentin from
Cinq…Cygne to the pavilion； and from the pavilion to Troyes。 On the
way； the spy had fully informed him as to what he called the trickery
of Laurence and Michu。 The two officers were therefore well inclined
to show； and did show； great eagerness against the family at Cinq…
Cygne。
CHAPTER XIII
THE CODE OF BRUMAIRE； YEAR IV。
Malin and Grevin had both； the latter working for the former； taken
part in the construction of the Code called that of Brumaire； year
IV。； the judicial work of the National Convention； so…called； and
promulgated by the Directory。 Grevin knew its provisions thoroughly；
and was able to apply them in this affair with terrible celerity；
under a theory； now converted into a certainty； of the guilt of Michu
and the Messieurs de Simeuse and d'Hauteserre。 No one in these days；
unless it be some antiquated magistrates； will remember this system of
justice； which Napoleon was even then overthrowing by the promulgation
of his own Codes； and by the institution of his magistracy under the
form in which it now rules France。
The Code of Brumaire； year IV。； gave to the director of the jury of
the department the duty of discovering； indicting； and prosecuting the
persons guilty of the delinquency committed at Gondreville。 Remark； by
the way； that the Convention had eliminated from its judicial
vocabulary the word 〃crime〃； /delinquencies/ and /misdemeanors/ were
alone admitted； and these were punished with fines； imprisonment； and
penalties 〃afflictive or infamous。〃 Death was an afflictive
punishment。 But the penalty of death was to be done away with after
the restoration of peace； and twenty…four years of hard labor were to
take its place。 Thus the Convention estimated twenty…four years of
hard labor as the equivalent of death。 What therefore can be said for
a code which inflicts the punishment of hard labor for life？ The
system then in process of preparation by the Napoleonic Council of
State suppressed the function of the directors of juries； which united
many enormous powers。 In relation to the discovery of delinquencies
and their prosecution the director of the jury was； in fact； agent of
police； public prosecutor； municipal judge； and the court itself。 His
proceedings and his indictments were； however； submitted for signature
to a commissioner of the executive power and to the verdict of eight
jurymen； before whom he laid the facts of the case； and who examined
the witnesses and the accused and rendered the preliminary verdict；
called the indictment。 The director was； however； in a position to
exercise such influence over the jurymen； who met in his private
office； that they could not well avoid agreeing with him。 These
jurymen were called the jury of indictment。 There were others who
formed the juries of the criminal tribunals whose duty it was to judge
the accused； these were called； in contradistinction to the jury of
indictment； the judgment jury。 The criminal tribunal； to which
Napoleon afterwards gave the name of criminal court； was composed of
one President or chi