the countess of saint geran- 第9部分

Conciergerie　of　the　Palace　of　Justice。



Whether　owing　to　these　occurrences；　or　to　grounds　for　suspicion

before　mentioned；　certain　reports　spread　in　the　Bourbonnais　embodying

some　of　the　real　facts；　portions　of　them　reached　the　ears　of　the

count　and　countess；　but　they　had　only　the　effect　of　renewing　their

grief　without　furnishing　a　clue　to　the　truth。



Meanwhile；　the　count　went　to　take　the　waters　at　Vichy。　　The　countess

and　Madame　de　Bouille　followed　him；　and　there　they　chanced　to

encounter　Louise　Goillard；　the　midwife。　　This　woman　renewed　her

acquaintance　with　the　house；　and　in　particular　often　visited　the

Marchioness　de　Bouille。　　One　day　the　countess；　unexpectedly　entering

the　marchioness's　room；　found　them　both　conversing　in　an　undertone。

They　stopped　talking　immediately；　and　appeared　disconcerted。



The　countess　noticed　this　without　attaching　any　importance　to　it；　and

asked　the　subject　of　their　conversation。



〃Oh；　nothing；〃　said　the　marchioness。



〃But　what　is　it？〃　insisted　the　countess；　seeing　that　she　blushed。



The　marchioness；　no　longer　able　to　evade　the　question；　and　feeling

her　difficulties　increase；　replied



〃Dame　Louise　is　praising　my　brother　for　bearing　no　ill…will　to　her。〃



〃Why？〃　said　the　countess；　turning　to　the　midwife；〃why　should　you

fear　any　ill…will　on　the　part　of　my　husband？〃



〃I　was　afraid；〃　said　Louise　Goillard　awkwardly；　〃that　he　might　have

taken　a　dislike　to　me　on　account　of　all　that　happened　when　you

expected　to　be　confined。〃



The　obscurity　of　these　words　and　embarrassment　of　the　two　women

produced　a　lively　effect　upon　the　countess；　but　she　controlled

herself　and　let　the　subject　drop。　　Her　agitation；　however；　did　not

escape　the　notice　of　the　marchioness；　who　the　next　day　had　horses　put

to　her　coach　and　retired　to　hey　estate　of　Lavoine。　　This　clumsy

proceeding　strengthened　suspicion。



The　first　determination　of　the　countess　was　to　arrest　Louise

Goillard；　but　she　saw　that　in　so　serious　a　matter　every　step　must　be

taken　with　precaution。　　She　consulted　the　count　and　the　countess

dowager。　　They　quietly　summoned　the　midwife；　to　question　her　without

any　preliminaries。　　She　prevaricated　and　contradicted　herself　over

and　over　again；　moreover；　her　state　of　terror　alone　sufficed　to

convict　her　of　a　crime。　　They　handed　her　over　to　the　law；　and　the

Count　de　Saint…Geran　filed　an　information　before　the　vice…seneschal

of　Moulins。



The　midwife　underwent　a　first　interrogatory。　　She　confessed　the　truth

of　the　accouchement；　but　she　added　that　the　countess　had　given　birth

to　a　still…born　daughter；　which　she　had　buried　under　a　stone　near　the

step　of　the　barn　in　the　back　yard。　　The　judge；　accompanied　by　a

physician　and　a　surgeon；　repaired　to　the　place；　where　he　found

neither　stone；　nor　foetus；　nor　any　indications　of　an　interment。　　They

searched　unsuccessfully　in　other　places。



When　the　dowager　countess　heard　this　statement；　she　demanded　that

this　horrible　woman　should　be　put　on　her　trial。　　The　civil

lieutenant；　in　the　absence　of　the　criminal　lieutenant；　commenced　the

proceedings。



In　a　second　interrogation；　Louise　Goillard　positively　declared　that

the　countess　had　never　been　confined；



In　a　third；　that　she　had　been　delivered　of　a　mole；



In　a　fourth；　that　she　had　been　confined　of　a　male　infant；　which

Baulieu　had　carried　away　in　a　basket；



And　in　a　fifth；　in　which　she　answered　from　the　dock；　she　maintained

that　her　evidence　of　the　countess's　accouchement　had　been　extorted

from　her　by　violence。　　She　made　no　charges　against　either　Madame　de

Bouille　or　the　Marquis　de　Saint　Maixent。　　On　the　other　hand；　no

sooner　was　she　under　lock　and　key　than　she　despatched　her　son

Guillemin　to　the　marchioness　to　inform　her　that　she　was　arrested。

The　marchioness　recognised　how　threatening　things　were；　and　was　in　a

state　of　consternation；　she　immediately　sent　the　sieur　de　la

Foresterie；　her　steward；　to　the　lieutenant…general；　her　counsel；

a　mortal　enemy　of　the　count；　that　he　might　advise　her　in　this

conjuncture；　and　suggest　a　means　for　helping　the　matron　without

appearing　openly　in　the　matter。　　The　lieutenant's　advice　was　to　quash

the　proceedings　and　obtain　an　injunction　against　the　continuance　of

the　preliminaries　to　the　action。　　The　marchioness　spent　a　large　sum

of　money；　and　obtained　this　injunction；　but　it　was　immediately

reversed；　and　the　bar　to　the　suit　removed。



La　Foresterie　was　then　ordered　to　pass　to　Riom；　where　the　sisters

Quinet　lived；　and　to　bribe　them　heavily　to　secrecy。　　The　elder　one；

on　leaving　the　marchioness's　service；　had　shaken　her　fist　in　her

face；　feeling　secure　with　the　secrets　in　her　knowledge；　and　told　her

that　she　would　repent　having　dismissed　her　and　her　sister；　and　that

she　would　make　a　clean　breast　of　the　whole　affair；　even　were　she　to

be　hung　first。　　These　girls　then　sent　word　that　they　wished　to　enter

her　service　again；　that　the　countess　had　promised　them　handsome　terms

if　they　would　speak；　and　that　they　had　even　been　questioned　in　her

name　by　a　Capuchin　superior；　but　that　they　said　nothing；　in　order　to

give　time　to　prepare　an　answer　for　them。　　The　marchioness　found

herself　obliged　to　take　back　the　girls；　she　kept　the　younger；　and

married　the　elder　to　Delisle；　her　house　steward。　　But　la　Foresterie；

finding　himself　in　this　network　of　intrigue；　grew　disgusted　at

serving　such　a　mistress；　and　left　her　house。　　The　marchioness　told

him　on　his　departure　that　if　he　were　so　indiscreet　as　to　repeat　a

word　of　what　he　had　learned　from　the　Quinet　girls；　she　would　punish

him　with　a　hundred　poniard　stabs　from　her　major…domo　Delisle。　　Having

thus　fortified　her　position；　she　thought　herself　secure　against　any

hostile　steps；　but　it　happened　that　a　certain　prudent　Berger；

gentleman　and　page　to　the　Marquis　de　Saint…Maixent；　who　enjoyed　his

master's　confidence　and　went　to　see　him　in　the　Conciergerie；　where　he

was　imprisoned；　threw　some　strange　light　on　this　affair。　　His　master

had　narrated　to　him　all　the　particulars　of　the　accouchement　of　the

countess　and　of　the　abduction　of　the　child。



〃I　am　astonished；　my　lord；〃　replied　the　page；　〃that　having　so　many

dangerous　affairs　on　hand；　you　did　not　relieve　your　conscience　of

this　one。〃



〃I　intend；〃　replied　the　marquis；　〃to　restore　this　child　to　his

father：　I　have　been　ordered　to　do　so　by　a　Capuchin　to　whom　I

confessed　having　carried　off　from　the　midst　of　the　family；　without

their　knowing　it；　a　grandson　of　a　marshal　of　France　and　son　of　a

governor　of　a　province。〃



The　marquis　had　at　that　time　permission　to　go　out　from　prison

occasionally　on　his　parole。　　This　will　not　surprise　anyone　acquainted

with　the　ideas　which　prevailed　at　that　period　on　the　honour　of　a

nobleman；　even　the　greatest　criminal。　　The　marquis；　profiting　by　this

facility；　took　the　page　to　see　a　child　of　about　seven　years　of　age；

fair　and　with　a　beautiful　countenance。



〃Page；〃　said　he；　〃look　well　at　this　child；　so　that　you　may　know　him

again　when　I　shall　send　you　to　inquire　about　him。〃



He　then　informed　him　that　this　was　the　Count　de　Saint…Geran's　son

whom　he　had　carried　away。



Information　of　these　matters　coming　to　the　ears　of　justice；　decisive

proofs　were　hoped　for；　but　this　happened　just　when　other　criminal

informations　were　lodged　against　the　marquis；　which　left　him　helpless

to　prevent　the　exposure　of　his　crimes。　　Police　officers　were

despatched　in　all　haste　to　the　Conciergerie；　they　were　stopped　by　the

gaolers；　who　told　them　that　the　marquis；　feeling　ill；　was　engaged

with　a　priest　who　was　administering　the　sacraments；　to　him。　　As　they

insisted　on　seeing　him；　the　warders　approached　the　cell：　the　priest

came　out；　crying　that　persons　must　be　sought　to　whom　the　sick　man　had

a　secret　to　reveal；　that　he　was　in　a　desperate　state；　and　said　he　had

just　poisoned　himself；　all　entered　the　cell。



M。　de　Saint…Maixent　was　writhing　on　a　pallet；　in　a　pitiable

condition；　sometimes　shrieking　like　a　wild　beast；　sometimes

stammering　disconnected　words。　　All　that　the　officers　could　hear　was



〃Monsieur　le　Comte　。　　。　　。　　call　。　　。　　。　　the　Countess　。　　。　　。　　de

Saint…Geran　。　　。　　。　　let　them　come。　　。　　。　　。〃　　The　officers　earnestly

begged　him　to　try　to　be　more　explicit。



The　marquis　had　another　fit；　when　he　opened　his　eyes；　he　said



〃Send　for　the　countess　。　　。　　。　　let　them　forgive　me　。　　。　　。　　I　wish

to　tell　them　everything。〃　　The　police　officers　asked　him　to　speak；

one　even　told　him　that　the　count　was　there。　　The　marquis　feebly

murmured



〃I　am　going　to　tell　you〃　　Then　he　gave　a　loud　cry　and　fell　back

dead。



It　thus　seemed　as　if　fate　took　pains　to　close　every　mouth　from　which

the　truth　might　escape。　　Still；　this　avowal　of　a　deathbed　revelation

to　be　made　to　the　Count　de　Saint…Geran　and　the　deposition　of　the

priest　who　had　administered　the　last　sacraments　formed　a　strong　link

in　the　chain　of　evidence。



The　judge　of　first　instruction；　collecting　all　the　information　he　had

got；　made　a　report　the　weight　of　which　was　overwhelming。　　The

carters；　the　nurse；　the　domestic　servants；　all　gave　accounts

consistent　with　each　other；　the　route　and　the　various　adventures　of

the　child　were　plainly　detailed；　from　its　birth　till　its　arrival　at

the　village　of　Descoutoux。



Justice；　thus　tracing　crime　to　its　sources；　had　no　option　but　to

issue　a　warrant　for　the　arrest　of　the　Marchioness　de　Bouilie；　but　it

seems　probable　that　it　was　not　served　owing　to　the　strenuous　efforts

of　the　Count　de　Saint…Geran；　who　could　not　bring　himself　to　ruin　his

sister；　seeing　that　her　dishonour　would　have　been　reflected　on　him。

The　marchioness　hid　her　remorse　in　solitude；　and　appeared　again　no

more。　　She　died　shortly　after；　carrying　the　weight　of　her　secret　till

she　drew　her　last　breath。



The　judge　of　Moulins　at　length　pronounced　sentence　on　the　midwife；

whom　he　declared　arraigned　and　convicted　of　having　suppressed　the

child　born　to　the　countess；　fo