derues-第18章

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er；　and　said　I　should　not　leave　her　without　obtaining　a　deed　in　proof　of　our　recent　arrangements。　　She　refused　at　first；　saying　it　was　unnecessary；　as　she　would　so　soon　return；　but　I　insisted　strongly。　　I　told　her　I　had　already　com　promised　myself　by　telling　Monsieur　de　Lamotte　that　she　was　at　Versailles；　endeavouring　to　procure　an　appointment　for　her　son；　that　since　she　had　been　compelled　to　come　to　Lyons；　the　same　person　might　take　her　elsewhere；　so　that　she　might　disappear　any　day；　might　leave　France　without　leaving　any　trace；　without　any　written　acknowledgment　of　her　own　dishonour；　and　that　when　all　these　falsehoods　were　discovered；　I　should　appear　in　the　light　of　an　accomplice。　　I　said　also　that；　as　she　had　unfortunately　lodged　in　my　house　in　Paris；　and　had　requested　me　to　remove　her　son　from　his　school；　explanations　would　be　required　from　me；　and　perhaps　I　should　be　accused　of　this　double　disappearance。　　Finally；　I　declared　that　if　she　did　not　give　me　some　proofs　of　her　existence；　willingly　or　unwillingly；　I　would　go　at　once　to　a　magistrate。　　My　firmness　made　her　reflect。　　'My　good　Monsieur　Derues；'　she　said；　'I　ask　your　forgiveness　for　all　the　trouble　I　have　caused　you。　　I　will　give　you　this　deed　to…morrow；　to…day　it　is　too　late；　but　come　to　this　same　place　to…morrow；　and　you　shall　see　me　again。'　　I　hesitated；　I　confess；　to　let　her　go。　　'Ah；'　she　said；　grasping　my　hands；　'do　not　suspect　me　of　intending　to　deceive　you！　　I　swear　that　I　will　meet　you　here　at　four　o'clock。　　It　is　enough　that　I　have　ruined　myself；　and　perhaps　my　son；　without　also　entangling　you　in　my　unhappy　fate。　　Yes；　you　are　right；　this　deed　is　important；　necessary　for　you；　and　you　shall　have　it。　　But　do　not　show　yourself　here；　if　you　were　seen；　I　might　not　be　able　to　do　what　I　ought　to　do。　To…morrow　you　shall　see　me　again；　I　swear　it。'　　She　then　left　me。　The　next　day；　the　12th；　of　March；　I　was　exact　at　the　rendezvous；　and　Madame　de　Lamotte　arrived　a　moment　later。　　She　gave　me　a　deed；　authorising　her　husband　to　receive　the　arrears　of　thirty　thousand　livres　remaining　from　the　purchase…money　of　Buisson…Souef。　　I　endeavoured　again　to　express　my　opinion　of　her　conduct；　she　listened　in　silence；　as　if　my　words　affected　her　deeply。　　We　were　walking　together；　when　she　told　me　she　had　some　business　in　a　house　we　were　passing；　and　asked　me　to　wait　for　her。　　I　waited　more　than　an　hour；　and　then　discovered　that　this　house；　like　many　others　in　Lyons；　had　an　exit　in　another　street；　and　I　understood　that　Madame　de　Lamotte　had　escaped　by　this　passage；　and　that　I　might　wait　in　vain。　Concluding　that　trying　to　follow　her　would　be　useless；　and　seeing　also　that　any　remonstrance　would　be　made　in　vain；　I　returned　to　Paris；　deciding　to　say　nothing　as　yet；　and　to　conceal　the　truth　as　long　as　possible。　　I　still　had　hopes；　and　I　did　not　count　on　being　so　soon　called　on　to　defend　myself：　I　thought　that　when　I　had　to　speak；　it　would　be　as　a　friend；　and　not　as　an　accused　person。　　This；　sir；　is　the　explanation　of　my　conduct；　and　I　regret　that　this　justification；　so　easy　for　myself；　should　be　so　cruelly　painful　for　another。　　You　have　seen　the　efforts　which　I　made　to　defer　it。〃

Monsieur　de　Lamotte　had　heard　this　second　part　of　Derues'　recital　with　a　more　silent　indignation；　not　that　he　admitted　its　probability；　but　he　was　confounded　by　this　monstrous　imposture；　and；　as　it　were；　terror…stricken　by　such　profound　hypocrisy。　　His　mind　revolted　at　the　idea　of　his　wife　being　accused　of　adultery；　but　while　he　repelled　this　charge　with　decision；　he　saw　the　confirmation　of　his　secret　terrors　and　presentiments；　and　his　heart　sank　within　him　at　the　prospect　of　exploring　this　abyss　of　iniquity。　　He　was　pale；　gasping　for　breath；　as　though　he　himself　had　been　the　criminal；　while　scorching　tears　furrowed　his　cheeks。　　He　tried　to　speak；　but　his　voice　failed；　he　wanted　to　fling　back　at　Derues　the　names　of　traitor　and　assassin；　and　he　was　obliged　to　bear　in　silence　the　look　of　mingled　grief　and　pity　which　the　latter　bestowed　upon　him。

The　magistrate；　calmer；　and　master　of　his　emotions；　but　tolerably　bewildered　in　this　labyrinth　of　cleverly　connected　lies；　thought　it　desirable　to　ask　some　further　questions。

〃How；〃　said　he；　〃did　you　obtain　this　sum　of　a　hundred　thousand　livres　which　you　say　you　paid　over　to　Madame　de　Lamotte？〃

〃I　have　been　engaged　in　business　for　several　years；　and　have　acquired　some　fortune。〃

〃Nevertheless；　you　have　postponed　the　obligation　of　making　this　payment　several　times；　so　that　Monsieur　de　Lamotte　had　begun　to　feel　uneasiness　on　the　subject。　　This　was　the　chief　reason　of　his　wife's　coming　to　Paris。〃

〃One　sometimes　experiences　momentary　difficulties；　which　presently　disappear。〃

〃You　say　you　have　a　deed　given　you　at　Lyons　by　Madame　de　Lamotte；　which　you　were　to　give　to　her　husband？〃

〃It　is　here。〃

The　magistrate　examined　the　deed　carefully；　and　noted　the　name　of　the　lawyer　in　whose　office　it　had　been　drawn　up。

〃You　may　go；〃　he　said　at　last。

〃What！〃　exclaimed　Monsieur　de　Lamotte。

Derues　stopped；　but　the　magistrate　signed　to　him　to　go；　intimating；　however；　that　he　was　on　no　account　to　leave　Paris。

〃But；〃　said　Monsieur　de　Lamotte；　when　they　were　alone；　〃this　man　is　indeed　guilty。　　My　wife　has　not　betrayed　me！　　She！forget　her　duties　as　a　wife！　she　was　virtue　incarnate！　　Ah！　I　assure　you　these　terrible　calumnies　are　invented　to　conceal　double　crime！　　I　throw　myself　at　your　feet；I　implore　your　justice！〃

〃Rise；　monsieur。　　This　is　only　a　preliminary　examination；　and　I　confess　that；　so　far；　he　comes　well　out　of　it；　for　imagination　can　hardly　understand　such　a　depth　of　deceit。　　I　watched　him　closely　the　whole　time；　and　I　could　discover　no　sign　of　alarm；　no　contradiction；　in　either　face　or　language；　if　guilty；　he　must　be　the　greatest　hypocrite　that　ever　existed。　　But　I　shall　neglect　nothing：　if　a　criminal　is　allowed　to　flatter　himself　with　impunity；　he　frequently　forgets　to　be　prudent；　and　I　have　seen　many　betray　themselves　when　they　thought　they　had　nothing　to　fear。　　Patience；　and　trust　to　the　justice　of　both　God　and　man。〃

Several　days　passed；　and　Derues　flattered　him　self　the　danger　was　over：　his　every　action　mean　while　was　most　carefully　watched；　but　so　that　he　remained　unaware　of　the　surveillance。　　A　police　officer　named　Mutel；　distinguished　for　activity　and　intelligence　beyond　his　fellows；　was　charged　with　collecting　information　and　following　any　trail。　　All　his　bloodhounds　were　in　action；　and　hunted　Paris　thoroughly；　but　could　trace　nothing　bearing　on　the　fate　of　Madame　de　Lamotte　and　her　son。　　Mutel；　however；　soon　discovered　that　in　the　rue　Saint　Victor；　Derues　had　failedthree　successive　times；　that　he　had　been　pursued　by　numerous　creditors；　and　been　often　near　imprisonment　for　debt；　and　that　in　1771　he　had　been　publicly　accused　of　incendiarism。　　He　reported　on　these　various　circumstances；　and　then　went　himself　to　Derues'　abode；　where　he　obtained　no　results。　　Madame　Derues　declared　that　she　knew　nothing　whatever；　and　the　police；　having　vainly　searched　the　whole　house；　had　to　retire。　　Derues　himself　was　absent；　when　he　returned　he　found　another　order　to　appear　before　the　magistrate。

His　first　success　had　encouraged　him。　　He　appeared　before　the　magistrate　accompanied　by　a　lawyer　and　full　of　confidence；　complaining　loudly　that　the　police；　in　searching　during　his　absence；　had　offended　against　the　rights　of　a　domiciled　burgess；　and　ought　to　have　awaited　his　return。　　Affecting　a　just　indignation　at　Monsieur　de　Lamotte's　conduct　towards　him；　he　presented　a　demand　that　the　latter　should　be　declared　a　calumniator；　and　should　pay　damages　for　the　injury　caused　to　his　reputation。　　But　this　time　his　effrontery　and　audacity　were　of　little　avail；　the　magistrate　easily　detected　him　in　flagrant　lies。　　He　declared　at　first　that　he　had　paid　the　hundred　thousand　livres　with　his　own　money　but　when　reminded　of　his　various　bankruptcies；　the　claims　of　his　creditors；　and　the　judgments　obtained　against　him　as　an　insolvent　debtor；　he　made　a　complete　volte…face；　and　declared　he　had　borrowed　the　money　from　an　advocate　named　Duclos；　to　whom　he　had　given　a　bond　in　presence　of　a　notary。　　In　spite　of　all　his　protestations；　the　magistrate　committed　him　to　solitary　confinement　at　Fort　l'Eveque。

As　yet；　nothing　was　publicly　known；　but　vague　reports　and　gossip；　carried　from　shop　to　shop；　circulated　among　the　people；　and　began　to　reach　the　higher　classes　of　society。　　The　infallible　instinct　which　is　aroused　among　the　masses　is　truly　marvellous；　a　great　crime　is　committed；　which　seems　at　first　likely　to　defeat　justice；　and　the　public　conscience　is　aroused。　　Long　before　the　tortuous　folds　which　envelop　the　mystery　can　be　penetrated；　while　it　is　still　sunk　in　profound　obscurity；　the　voice　of　the　nation；　like　an　excited　hive；　buzzes　around　the　secret；　though　the　magistrates　doubt；　the　public　curiosity　fixes　itself；　and　never　leaves　go；　if　the　criminal's　hiding…place　is　changed；　it　follows　the　track；　points　it　out；　descries　it　in　the　gloom。　　This　is　what　happened　on　the　news　of　Derues'　arrest。　　The　affair　was　everywhere　discussed；　although　the　information　was　incomplete；　reports　inexact；　and　no　real　publicity　to　be　obtained。　　The　romance　which　Derues　had　invented　by　way　of　defence；　and　which　became　known　as　well　as　Monsieur　de　Lamotte's　accusation；　obtained　no　credence　whatever；　on　the　contrary；　all　the　reports　to　his　discredit　were　eagerly　adopted。　　As　yet；　no　crime　could　be　traced；　but　the　public　presentiment　divined　an　atrocious　one。　　Have　we　not　often　seen　similar　agitations？　　The　names　of　Bastide；　of　Castaing；　of　Papavoine；　had　hardly　been　pronounced　before　they　completely　absorbed　all　the　public　attention；　and　this　had　to　be　satisfied；　light　had　to　be　thrown　on　the　darkness：　society　demanded　vengeance。

Derues　felt　some　alarm　in　his　dungeon；　but　his　presence　of　mind　and　his　dissimulation　in　no　wise　deserted　him；　and　he　swore　afresh　every　day　to　the　truth　of　his　statements。　　But　his　last　false　assertion　turned　against　him：　the　bond　for　a　hundred　thousand　livres　which　he　professed　to　have　given　to　Duclos　was　a　counterfeit　which　Duclos　had　annulled　by　a　sort　of　counter　declaration　made　the　same　day。　　Another　circumstance；　intended　to　ensure　his　safety；　only　redoubled　suspicion。　　On　April　8th；　notes　payable　to　order　to　the　amount　of　seventy…eight　thousand　livres；　were　received　by　Monsieur　de　Lamotte's　lawyer；　as　if　coming　from　Madame　de　Lamotte。　　It　appeared　extraordinary　that　these　notes；　which　arrived　in　an　ordinary　stamped　envelope；　should　not　be　accompanied　by　any　letter　of　advice；　and　suspicion　attached　to　Madame　Derues；　who　hitherto　had　remained　unnoticed。　　An　inquiry　as　to　where　the　packet　had　been　posted　soon　revealed　the　office；　distinguished　by　a　letter　of　the　alphabet；　and　the　postmaster　described　a　servant…maid　who　had　brought　the　letter　and　paid　for　it。　　The　description　resembled　the　Derues'　servant；　and　this　girl；　much　alarmed；　acknowledged；　after　a　great　deal　of　hesitation；　that　she　had　posted　the　letter　in　obedience　to　her　mistress's　orders。　　Whereupon　Madame　Derues　was　sent　as　a　prisoner　to　Fort　l'Eveque；　and　her　husband　transferred　to　the　Grand…Chatelet。　　On　being　interrogated；　she　at　length　owned　that　she　had　sent　these　notes　to　Monsieur　de　Lamotte's　lawyer；　and　that　her　husban