"We have not the honor of your acquaintance, Madame," replied the officer in charge of the squadron; "but we are certain you have in your carriage the wretch¹ who yesterday set fire to the principal hotel in Villefranche"; then, eyeing me closely: "she answers the description, Madame, we are not in error - ; have the kindness to surrender her to us and to inform us how a person as respectable as you appear to be could have such a woman in your keeping."

 

"Why, 'tis very readily accounted for," replied Dubois with yet greater insolence², "and, I declare, I'll neither hide her from you nor take her side in the matter if 'tis certain she is guilty of the horrible crime you speak of. I too was staying at that hotel in Villefranche, I left in the midst of all the commotion³ and as I am getting into my coach, this girl runs up, begs my compassion⁴, says she has just lost everything in the fire, and implores⁵ me to take her with me to Lyon where she hopes to be able to find a place. Far less attentive⁶ to my reason than to my heart's promptings, I acquiesced⁷, consented to fetch her along; once in the carriage she offered herself as my servant; once again imprudence led me to agree to everything and I have been taking her to Dauphine where I have my properties and family: 'tis a lesson, assuredly, I presently recognize with utmost clarity all of pity's shortcomings; I shall not again be guilty of them. There she is, gentlemen, there she is; God forbid that I should be interested in such a monster, I abandon her to the law's severest penalties, and, I beseech⁸ you, take every step to prevent it from being known that I committed the unfortunate mistake of lending an instant's credence⁹ to a single word she uttered."

 

I wished to defend myself, I wanted to denounce the true villain¹⁰; my speeches were interpreted as calumniatory recriminations to which Dubois opposed nothing but a contemptuous smile. O fatal effects of misery¹¹ and biased¹² prepossession, of wealth and of insolence! Were it thinkable that a woman who had herself called Madame la Baronne de Fulconis, who proclaimed a high degree and displayed opulence¹³, who asserted she owned extensive holdings and arrogated¹⁴ a family to herself; were it to be conceived that such a personage could be guilty of a crime wherefrom she did not appear to have the slightest thing to gain? And, on the other hand, did not everything condemn¹⁵ me? I was unprotected, I was poor, 'twas a very sure thing I'd done a fell deed.

 

The squadron officer read me the catalogue of Bertrand's deposed¹⁶ charges. 'Twas she had accused me; I'd set the inn afire to pillage¹⁷ her with greater ease, and she'd been robbed indeed to her last penny; I'd flung her infant into the flames in order that, blinded by the despair with which this event would overwhelm her, she'd forget all else and give not a thought to my maneuvers¹⁸; and, furthermore, Bertrand had added, I was a girl of suspect virtue¹⁹ and bad habits who had escaped the gallows²⁰ at Grenoble and whom she had only taken in charge, very foolishly, thanks to the excessive kindness she had shown a young man from her own district, my lover, no doubt. I had publicly and in broad daylight solicited²¹ monks²³ in Lyon: in one word, there was nothing the unworthy creature had not exploited in order to seal my doom²⁴, nothing that calumny²⁵ whetted²⁶ by despair had not invented in order to besmirch²⁷ me. Upon the woman's insistence²⁸, a juridical examination had been conducted on the premises²⁹. The fire had begun in a hayloft into which several persons had taken oath I had entered the evening of that fatal day, and that was true. Searching for a water closet to which I had not been very clearly directed by a maid I had consulted, I had entered this loft³⁰ having failed to locate the sought after place, and there I had remained long enough to make what I was accused of plausible³¹, or at least to furnish probabilities of its truth; and 'tis well known: in this day and age those are proofs. And so, do what I could to defend myself, the officer's single response was to ready his manacles.

 

"But, Monsieur," I expostulated before allowing him to put me in irons, "if I robbed my traveling companion at Villefranche, the money ought to be found upon my person; search me."

 

This ingenuous³² defense³³ merely excited laughter; I was assured I'd not been alone, that they were certain I had accomplices³⁴ to whom, as I fled, I had transferred the stolen funds. Then the malicious³⁵ Dubois, who knew of the brand which to my misfortune Rodin had burned upon my flesh long ago, in one instant Dubois put all sympathy to rout³⁶.

 

"Monsieur," said she to the officer, "so many mistakes are committed every day in affairs of this sort that you will forgive me for the idea that occurs to me: if this girl is guilty of the atrocity³⁷ she is accused of it is surely not her first; the character required to execute crimes of this variety is not attained³⁸ in a night: and so I beg you to examine this girl, Monsieur... were you to find, by chance, something upon her wretched body... but if nothing denounces her, allow me to defend and protect her."#p#分页标题#e#

 

The officer agreed to the verification... it was about to be carried out...

 

"One moment, Monsieur," said I, "stay; this search is to no purpose; Madame knows full well I bear the frightful³⁹ mark; she also knows very well what misfortune caused it to be put on me: this subterfuge⁴⁰ of hers is the crowning horror which will, together with all the rest, be revealed at Themis' own temple. Lead me away, Messieurs: here are my hands, load them with chains; only Crime blushes to carry them, stricken Virtue is made to groan⁴¹ thereby⁴², but is not terrified."

 

"Truth to tell," quoth Dubois, "I'd never have dreamt my idea would have such success; but as this creature repays my kindness by insidious⁴³ inculpations, I am willing to return with her if you deem it necessary."

 

"There's no need whatsoever⁴⁴ to do so, Madame la Baronne," rejoined the officer, "this girl is our quarry⁴⁵: her avowals, the mark branded on her body, it all condemns⁴⁶ her; we need no one else, and we beg your pardon a thousand times over for having caused you this protracted⁴⁷ inconvenience."

 

I was handcuffed immediately, flung upon the crupper of one of the constables⁴⁸' mounts, and Dubois went off, not before she had completed her insults by giving a few crowns to my guards, which generously bestowed⁴⁹ silver was to aid me during my melancholy⁵⁰ sojourn⁵¹ while awaiting trial.

 

O Virtue! I cried when I perceived myself brought to this dreadful humiliation⁵²; couldst thou suffer a more penetrating⁵³ outrage⁵⁴? Were it possible that Crime might dare affront⁵⁵ thee and vanquish⁵⁶ thee with so much insolence and impunity⁵⁷!

 

We were soon come to Lyon; upon arrival I was cast into the keep reserved for criminals and there I was inscribed⁵⁸ as an arsonist⁵⁹, harlot, child-murderer, and thief.

 

Seven persons had been burned to death in the hotel; I had myself thought I might be; I had been on the verge⁶⁰ of perishing; but she who had been the cause of this horror was eluding⁶¹ the law's vigilance and Heaven's justice: she was triumphant⁶², she was flying on to new crimes whereas, innocent and unlucky, I had naught⁶³ for prospect⁶⁴ but dishonor, castigation⁶⁵, and death.

 

For such a long time habituated to calumny, injustice⁶⁶, and wretchedness; destined⁶⁷, since childhood, to acquit⁶⁸ myself of not a single virtuous⁶⁹ deed or feel a single righteous sentiment without suffering instant retribution therefor, my anguish⁷⁰ was rather mute and blunted than rending⁷¹, and I shed fewer tears than I might have supposed... however, as 'tis instinctive⁷² in the distressed⁷³ creature to seek after every possible device to extricate⁷⁴ himself from the chasm⁷⁵ into which his ill-fortune has plunged⁷⁶ him, Father Antonin came to my mind; whatever the mediocre⁷⁷ relief I could hope from him, I did not deny to myself I was anxious to see him: I asked for him, he appeared. He had not been informed of by whom he was desired; he affected⁷⁸ not to recognize me; whereupon I told the turn-key that it was indeed possible he had forgotten me, having been my confessor only when I was very young, but, I continued, it was as my soul's director I solicited a private interview with him. 'Twas agreed by both parties. As soon as I was alone with this holy man I cast myself at his knees, rained tears upon them and besought⁷⁹ him to save me from my cruel situation; I proved my innocence⁸⁰ to him; I did not conceal⁸¹ that the culpable⁸² proposals he had made me some days before had provoked my young companion's enmity, and presently, said I, she accused me out of spite. The monk²² listened attentively⁸³.

 

"Therese," said he when I was done, "don't lose control of yourself as you customarily do when someone contradicts your damnable prejudices; you notice to what a pass they've brought you, and you can at present readily convince yourself that it's a hundred times better to be a rascal⁸⁴ and happy than well-behaved and unprosperous; your case is as bad as it possibly could be, dear girl, there's nothing to be gained by hiding the fact from you: this Dubois you speak of, having the largest benefits to reap from your doom, will unquestionably labor⁸⁵ behind the scene to ruin you: Bertrand will accuse you, all appearances stand against you, and, these days, appearances are sufficient grounds for decreeing the death sentence: you are, hence, lost, 'tis plain: one single means might save you: I get on well with the bailiff, he has considerable influence with this city's magistrature⁸⁶; I'm going to tell him you are my niece, and that by this title I am claiming you: he'll dismiss the entire business: I'll ask to send you back to my family; I'll have you taken away, but 'twill be to our monastery⁸⁷ and incarceration⁸⁸ there, whence you'll never emerge... and there, why conceal it? you, Therese, will be the bounden slave of my caprices, you'll sate⁸⁹ them all without a murmur⁹⁰; as well, you will submit yourself to my colleagues: in a word, you will be as utterly⁹¹ mine as the most subordinated of victims... you heed⁹² me: the task is hard; you know what are the passions of libertines⁹³ of our variety; so make up your mind, and make me prompt answer."#p#分页标题#e#

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