Part 2 Chapter 411.docx
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Part 2 Chapter 411.docx
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Part2Chapter411
Part2Chapter41
TheTrialThecountrywillrememberthiscelebratedtrialforalongtimetocome.Interestintheaccusedreachedfeverpitch;thiswasbecausehiscrimewasastonishingandyetnotatrocious.Evenifithadbeen,theyoungmanwassohandsome!
Hisgreatdestinyabruptlycutshortheightenedthepityfeltforhim.Willhebecondemned?
thewomenwouldaskthemenoftheiracquaintanceandonecouldseethemgrowpaleastheyawaitedthereply.
SAINTE-BEUVEAtlengththedaydawnedsodreadedbyMadamedeRenalandMathilde.
Thestrangeappearanceofthetownincreasedtheirterror,anddidnotleaveevenFouque'sstoutheartunmoved.ThewholeProvincehadswarmedintoBesancontowitnessthetrialofthisromanticcase.
Forsomedayspasttherehadnotbeenabedtobehadintheinns.ThePresidentoftheAssizeCourtwasassailedwithrequestsforcardsofadmission;alltheladiesofthetownwishedtobepresentatthetrial;Julien'sportraitwashawkedthroughthestreets,etc.,etc.
MathildewaskeepinginreserveforthissuprememomentaletterwrittenthroughoutinthehandoftheLordBishopof——.ThisPrelate,whocontrolledtheChurchinFranceandappointedBishops,deignedtoaskfortheacquittalofJulien.Ontheeveofthetrial,Mathildetookthislettertotheall-powerfulVicar-General.
Atthecloseoftheinterview,asshewasleavingtheroominafloodoftears:
'Ianswerfortheverdictofthejury,'M.deFrilairtoldher,emergingatlengthfromhisdiplomaticreserve,andalmostshowingsignsofemotionhimself.'Amongthetwelvepersonschargedwiththedutyoffindingwhetheryourprotege'scrimeisproven,andespeciallywhethertherewaspremeditation,Inumbersixfriendsdevotedtomywelfare,andIhavegiventhemtounderstandthatitrestedwiththemtoraisemetotheepiscopate.BarondeValenod,whomIhavemadeMayorofVerrieres,hasentirecontrolovertwoofhissubordinates,MM.deMoirodanddeCholin.Totellthetruth,chancehasgivenus,fordealingwiththisaffair,twojurorswhoareextremelydisaffected;but,althoughUltra-Liberals,theyloyallyobeymyordersongreatoccasions,andIhavesentwordaskingthemtovotewithM.Valenod.Ilearnthatasixthjuroroftheindustrialclass,animmenselyrichandgarrulousLiberal,issecretlyhopingforacontractfromtheMinistryofWar,andnodoubthewouldnotwishtovexme.IhavelethimknowthatM.Valenodhasmylastword.'
'AndwhoisthisM.Valenod?
'saidMathilde,anxiously.
'Ifyouknewhim,youwouldhavenodoubtofoursuccess.Heisaboldspeaker,impudent,coarse,amanmadetobetheleaderoffools.
1814raisedhimfrompenury,andIamgoingtomakehimaPrefect.Heiscapableofthrashingtheotherjurorsiftheyrefusetovoteashewishes.'
Mathildewassomewhatreassured.
Therewasanotherdiscussioninstoreforherthatevening.Inordernottoprolongapainfulscene,theoutcomeofwhichappearedtohimcertain,Julienwasdeterminednottoopenhismouth.
'Mycounselwillspeak,thatisquitesufficient,'hesaidtoMathilde.'Asitis,Ishallbealltoolongexposedasaspectacletomyenemies.TheseprovincialsareshockedbytherapidadvancementwhichIowetoyou,and,believeme,thereisnotoneofthemthatdoesnotwishformyconviction,exceptthathewillcrylikeafoolwhenIamledtothescaffold.'
'Theywishtoseeyouhumiliated,itisonlytootrue,'repliedMathilde,'butIdonotbelievethattheyarecruel.MypresenceinBesanconandthespectacleofmygriefhaveinterestedallthewomen;yourhandsomefacewilldotherest.Ifyousaybutonewordbeforeyourjudges,thewholecourtwillbeonyourside,'etc.,etc.
Thefollowingmorningatnineo'clock,whenJuliencamedownfromhisprisontoenterthegreathalloftheLawCourts,itwaswiththeutmostdifficultythatthegendarmessucceededinclearingapassagethroughtheimmensecrowdthatpackedthecourtyard.Julienhadsleptwell,hewasquitecalm,andfeltnoothersentimentthanoneofphilosophicalpietytowardsthiscrowdofenviouspersonswho,withoutcruelty,werereadytoapplaudhissentenceofdeath.Hewasquitesurprisedwhen,havingbeendetainedformorethanaquarterofanhouramongthecrowd,hewasobligedtoadmitthathispresencewasinspiringatenderpityintheassembly.Hedidnothearasingleunpleasantremark.'Theseprovincialsarelessevil-mindedthanIsupposed,'hesaidtohimself.
Onenteringthecourt,hewasstruckbytheeleganceofthearchitecture.Itwaspuregothic,withanumberofcharminglittlepillarscarvedinstonewiththemostperfectfinish.HeimaginedhimselfinEngland.
Butpresentlyhiswholeattentionwasabsorbedintwelveorfifteenprettywomenwho,seatedoppositethedock,filledthethreegalleriesabovethebenchandthejurybox.Onturningroundtowardsthepublicseats,hesawthatthecirculargallerywhichoverhungthewellofthecourtwasfilledwithwomen;mostofthemwereyoungandseemedtohimextremelypretty;theireyeswerebrightandfullofinterest.Intherestofthecourt,thecrowdwasenormous;peoplewerestrugglingatthedoors,andthesentrieswereunabletopreservesilence.
WhenalltheeyesthatwerelookingforJulienbecameawareofhispresence,onseeinghimtakehisplaceontheslightlyraisedbenchreservedfortheprisoner,hewasgreetedwithamurmurofastonishmentandtenderinterest.
Onewouldhavesaidthatmorningthathewasnotyettwenty;hewasdressedquitesimply,butwithaperfectgrace;hishairandbrowwerecharming;Mathildehadinsistedonpresidinginpersonoverhistoilet.
Hispallorwasintense.Assoonashehadtakenhisseatonthebench,heheardpeoplesayonallsides:
'Lord,howyoungheis!
…''Butheisaboy.''Heisfarbetterlookingthanhisportrait.'
'Prisoner,'saidthegendarmeseatedonhisright,'doyouseethosesixladieswhoareonthatbalcony?
'Thegendarmepointedtoalittlegallerywhichjuttedoutabovetheamphitheatreinwhichthejurywasplaced.
'ThatisthePrefect'slady,'thegendarmecontinued;'nexttoher,MadamelaMarquisedeM——;thatonelovesyoudearly.Iheardherspeaktotheexaminingmagistrate.NexttoherisMadameDerville.'
'MadameDerville,'exclaimedJulien,andavividblushsuffusedhisbrow.'Whensheleavesthecourt,'hethought,'shewillwritetoMadamedeRenal.'HeknewnothingofMadamedeRenal'sarrivalatBesancon.
Thewitnesseswerequicklyheard.Atthefirstwordsofthespeechfortheprosecutionmadebythecounselfortheprosecution,twooftheladiesseatedonthelittlebalconyburstintotears.'MadameDervilleisnotsoeasilymoved,'thoughtJulien.Henoticed,however,thatshewasextremelyflushed.
ThecounselfortheprosecutionwaslabouringanemotionalpointinbadFrenchaboutthebarbarityofthecrimethathadbeencommitted;JuliennoticedthatMadameDerville'sneighboursshowedsignsofstrongdisapproval.Severalofthejury,evidentlyfriendsoftheseladies,spoketothemandseemedtoreassurethem.'Thatcanonlybeagoodsign,'thoughtJulien.
Untilthenhehadfelthimselfpenetratedbyanunmixedcontemptforallthemenwhoweretakingpartinthistrial.Theinsipideloquenceofthecounselfortheprosecutionincreasedthissenseofdisgust.ButgraduallytheserenenessofJulien'sheartmeltedbeforethemarksofinterestofwhichhewasplainlytheobject.
Hewaspleasedwiththefirmexpressionofhiscounsel.'Nofinelanguage,'hemurmuredtohimashestooduptospeak.
'AlltheemphasisstolenfromBossuet,whichhasbeendisplayedagainstyou,hashelpedyourcase,'saidthecounsel.Andindeed,hehadnotbeenspeakingforfiveminutesbeforealmostalltheladieshadtheirhandkerchiefsintheirhands.Thecounsel,encouragedbythis,addressedthejuryinextremelystronglanguage.Julienshuddered,hefeltthathewasonthepointofburstingintotears.'GreatGod!
Whatwillmyenemiessay?
'
Hewasabouttoyieldtotheemotionthatwasoverpoweringhim,when,fortunatelyforhimself,hecaughtaninsolentglancefromM.
Valenod.
'Thatwretch'seyesareablaze,'hesaidtohimself;'whatatriumphforthatvilenature!
Hadmycrimeledtothisalone,Ishouldbeboundtoabhorit.HeavenknowswhathewillsayofmetoMadamedeRenal!
'
Thisthoughtobliteratedalltherest.Shortlyafterwards,Julienwasrecalledtohimselfbysoundsofapprovalfromthepublic.Hiscounselhadjustconcludedhisspeech.Julienrememberedthatitwasthecorrectthingtoshakehandswithhim.Thetimehadpassedquickly.
Refreshmentswerebroughttocounselandprisoner.ItwasonlythenthatJulienwasstruckbyacuriouscircumstance:
noneofthewomenhadleftthecourtfordinner.
'Faith,Iamdyingofhunger,'saidhiscounsel,'andyou?
'
'Iamalso,'repliedJulien.
'Look,thereisthePrefect'sladygettingherdinner,too,'hiscounselsaidtohim,pointingtothelittlebalcony.'Cheerup,everythingisgoingwell.'Thetrialwasresumed.
AsthePresidentwassummingup,midnightstruck.Hewasobligedtopause;amidthesilenceoftheuniversalanxiety,theechoingnotesoftheclockfilledthecourt.
'Herebeginsthelastdayofmylife,'thoughtJulien.Presentlyhefelthimselfinflamedbytheideaofduty.Hehadkepthisemotionincheckuntilthen,andmaintainedhisdeterminationnottospeak;butwhenthePresidentoftheAssizesaskedhimifhehadanythingtosay,herose.HesawinfrontofhimtheeyesofMadameDerville,which,inthelamp-light,seemedtoshinewithastrangebrilliance.'Canshebecrying,byanychance,'hewondered.
'GentlemenoftheJury,'MyhorrorofthecontemptwhichIbelievedthatIcouldendureatthemomentofmydeath,impelsmetospeak.Gentlem
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