Latest / Mysteries of London Vol. II / Celebrated Crimes, Vol. 5 Part 2 La Constantin - Alexandre Dumas

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Celebrated Crimes, Vol. 5 Part 2 La Constantin - Alexandre Dumas · Mysteries of London Vol. II

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  Speaker 1: Chapter one of Celebrated Crimes, Volume five, Part two, La Consentine.
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  Speaker 1: This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
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  Speaker 1: the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please
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  Speaker 1: visit LibriVox dot org. La Concentin by Alexandre Duma, Chapter one.
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  Speaker 1: Before beginning our story, we must warn the reader that
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  Speaker 1: it will not be worth his while to make researches
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  Speaker 1: among contemporary or other records as to the personage whose
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  Speaker 1: name it bears. For in truth, neither Marie Leroux, widow
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  Speaker 1: of Jacques Constantin, nor her accomplice Claude Peregawd, was of
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  Speaker 1: sufficient importance to find a place on any list of
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  Speaker 1: great criminals. Although it is certain that they were guilty
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  Speaker 1: of the crimes with which they were charged. It may
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  Speaker 1: seem strange that what follows is more a history of
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  Speaker 1: the retribution which overtook the criminals than a circumstantial description
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  Speaker 1: of the deeds for which they were punished. But the
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  Speaker 1: crimes were so revolting and so unsuitable for discussion, that
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  Speaker 1: it was impossible for us to enter any details on
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  Speaker 1: the subject. So that what we offer in these pages
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  Speaker 1: is we confess quite openly not a full, true and
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  Speaker 1: particular account of a certain series of events leading up
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  Speaker 1: to a certain result. It is not even a picture
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  Speaker 1: wherein that result is depicted with artistic completeness. It is
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  Speaker 1: only an imperfect narrative, imperfectly rounded off. We feel sure, however,
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  Speaker 1: that the healthy minded reader will be grateful for our
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  Speaker 1: reticence and total disregard of proportion. In spite of the
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  Speaker 1: disadvantage which such a theme imposes on any writer with
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  Speaker 1: a deep sense of responsibility, we have resolved to let
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  Speaker 1: in some light on these obscure figures, for we can
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  Speaker 1: imagine no more effective way of throwing into high relief
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  Speaker 1: the low morals and deep corruption into which all classes
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  Speaker 1: of society had sunk at the termination of the factiest
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  Speaker 1: dissensions of the Frond, which formed such a fitting prelude
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  Speaker 1: to the license of the reign of the Groundoir. After
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  Speaker 1: this explanation, we shall, without further preamble, introduce the reader
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  Speaker 1: to a little tavern in Paris, situated in the Rue
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  Speaker 1: Saint Andre DEAs Ought. On an evening in November sixteen
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  Speaker 1: fifty eight, it was about seven o'clock. Three gentlemen were
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  Speaker 1: seated at one of the tables in a low smoky room.
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  Speaker 1: They had already emptied several bottles, and one of them
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  Speaker 1: seemed to have just suggested some madcap scheme to the others,
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  Speaker 1: the thought of which sent them off into shouts of laughter. Pardieu,
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  Speaker 1: said one of them, who was the first to recover
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  Speaker 1: his breath. I must say it would be an excellent trick, splendid,
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  Speaker 1: said another. And if you like, commanded Ajars, we can
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  Speaker 1: try it this very evening. All right, my worthy King's
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  Speaker 1: treasurer provided, my pretty nephew here won't be too much shocked,
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  Speaker 1: And as he spoke, Disjars gave to the youngest of
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  Speaker 1: the three a caressing touch on the cheek with the
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  Speaker 1: back of his hand. That reminds me Tsjars, said the treasurer.
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  Speaker 1: That word you have just said piques my curiosity. For
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  Speaker 1: some months now, this little fellow here, Chevalier de Morange,
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  Speaker 1: follows you about everywhere like your shadow. You never told
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  Speaker 1: us you had a nephew. Where the devil did you
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  Speaker 1: get him? The commander touched the Chevalier's knee under the table,
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  Speaker 1: and he, as if to avoid speaking, slowly filled and
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  Speaker 1: emptied his glass. A look here, said the treasurer, do
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  Speaker 1: you want to hear a few plain words such as,
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  Speaker 1: I shall rap out when God takes me to task
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  Speaker 1: about the peccadillos of my past life. I don't believe
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  Speaker 1: a word about the relationship. A nephew must be the
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  Speaker 1: son of either a brother or a sister. Now your
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  Speaker 1: only sister is an abbess, and your late brother's marriage
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  Speaker 1: was childless. There is only one way of proving the relationship,
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  Speaker 1: and that is to confess that when your brother young
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  Speaker 1: and wild, he and love met or else, Madame la passe,
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  Speaker 1: take care, treasurer Janine, no slander against my sister. Well,
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  Speaker 1: then explain you can't fool me. May I be hanged
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  Speaker 1: if I leave this place before I have dragged this
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  Speaker 1: secret out of you. Either we are friends or we
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  Speaker 1: are not. What you tell no one else you ought
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  Speaker 1: to tell me? What would you make use of my
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  Speaker 1: purse and my sword on occasion and yet have secrets
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  Speaker 1: from me? It's too bad speak or our friendship is
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  Speaker 1: at an end. I give you fair warning that I
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  Speaker 1: shall find out everything and publish it abroad to court
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  Speaker 1: and city. When I strike a trail, there's no turning
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  Speaker 1: me aside. It will be best for you to whisper
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  Speaker 1: your secret voluntarily into my ear, where it will be
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  Speaker 1: as safe as in the grave. How full of curiosity
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  Speaker 1: you are, my good friend, said de Jars, one elbow
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  Speaker 1: on the table and twirling the points of his mustache
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  Speaker 1: with his hand. But if I were to wrap my
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  Speaker 1: secret round the point of a dagger, would you not
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  Speaker 1: be too much afraid of pricking your fingers to pull
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  Speaker 1: it off? Not, I, said the King's treasurer, beginning to
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  Speaker 1: twirl his mustache. Also, the doctors have always told me
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  Speaker 1: that I am of too fool a complexion, and that
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  Speaker 1: it would do me all the good in the world
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  Speaker 1: to be bled now and then. But what would be
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  Speaker 1: an advantage to me would be dangerous to you. It's
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  Speaker 1: easy to see from your jauntest fiss that for you
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  Speaker 1: blood letting is no cure, and you would really go
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  Speaker 1: that length. You would risk a duel if I refuse
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  Speaker 1: to let you get to the bottom of my mystery. Yes,
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  Speaker 1: on my honor, Well, how is it to be, my
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  Speaker 1: dear boy, said Desjargs to the youth. We are caught,
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  Speaker 1: and may as well yield gracefully. You don't know this
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  Speaker 1: big fellow as well as I do. He is obstinacy itself.
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  Speaker 1: You can make the most obstinate donkey go on by
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  Speaker 1: pulling its tail hard enough. But when Janine gets a
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  Speaker 1: notion into his pate, not all the legions of hell
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  Speaker 1: can get it out again. Besides that, he's a skillful fencer,
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  Speaker 1: so there's nothing for it but to trust him, just
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  Speaker 1: as you like, said the young man. You know all
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  Speaker 1: my circumstances, and how important it is that my secret
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  Speaker 1: should be kept. Oh, among Janine's many vices, there are
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  Speaker 1: a few virtues, and of these discretion is the greatest,
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  Speaker 1: so that his curiosity is harmless a quarter of an hour. Hence,
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  Speaker 1: he will let himself be killed rather than reveal what
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  Speaker 1: just now. He is ready to risk his skin to
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  Speaker 1: find out whether we will or no. Janine nodded approvingly,
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  Speaker 1: refilled the glasses, and raising his to his lips, said,
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  Speaker 1: in a tone of triumph, I am listening command there. Well,
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  Speaker 1: if it must be, it must first of all, learn
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  Speaker 1: that my nephew is not my nephew at all. Go
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  Speaker 1: on that his name is not Morage. End the next
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  Speaker 1: I am not going to reveal his real name to you.
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  Speaker 1: Why not, because I don't know it myself. And no
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  Speaker 1: more does this chevalier what nonsense, No, no nonsense at all,
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  Speaker 1: but the sober truth. A few months ago the Chevalier
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  Speaker 1: came to Paris bringing me a letter of introduction from
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  Speaker 1: a German whom I used to know years ago. This
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  Speaker 1: letter requested me to look after the bearer and help
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  Speaker 1: him in his investigations. As you said just now, love
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  Speaker 1: and someone once met somewhere, and that was about all
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  Speaker 1: was known as to his origin. Naturally, the young man
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  Speaker 1: wants to cut a figure in the world and would
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  Speaker 1: like to discover the author of his existence, so that
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  Speaker 1: he may have someone at hand to pay the debts
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  Speaker 1: he is going to incur. We have brought together every
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  Speaker 1: scrap of information we could collect as to this person,
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  Speaker 1: hoping to find they're in a clue that we could
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  Speaker 1: follow up. To be quite open with you and convince
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  Speaker 1: you at the same time, how extremely prudent and discreet
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  Speaker 1: we must be. I must tell you that we think
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  Speaker 1: we have found one, and that it leads to no
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  Speaker 1: less a dignitary than a prince of the church. But
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  Speaker 1: if he should get wind of our researches too soon,
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  Speaker 1: everything would be at an end, don't you see? So
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  Speaker 1: keep your tongue between your teeth. Never fear, said Janine.
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  Speaker 1: Now that's what I call speaking out as a friend.
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  Speaker 1: Should I wish you luck, my gallant chevalier de Morange,
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  Speaker 1: and until you unearth your father, if you want a
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  Speaker 1: little money, my purse is at your service. On my word,
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  Speaker 1: de jarge, you must have been born with a call.
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  Speaker 1: There never was your equal for wonderful adventures. This one
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  Speaker 1: promises well, spicy intrigues, scandalous revelations, and jopy in the
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  Speaker 1: thick of it all. Oh, you are a lucky fellow. It's
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  Speaker 1: only a few months since you have the most splendid
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  Speaker 1: piece of good fortune sent you straight from heaven. A
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  Speaker 1: fair lady falls in love with you and makes you
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  Speaker 1: carry her off from the convent of La Roquet. But
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  Speaker 1: why do you never let anyone catch a glimpse of her?
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  Speaker 1: Are you jealous? Or is it that she is no
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  Speaker 1: such beauty after all? But old and wrinkled like that
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  Speaker 1: knave of a Mazarin. I know what I'm about, answered
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  Speaker 1: de Jarres, smiling. I have my very good reasons. The
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  Speaker 1: elopement caused a great deal of indignation, and it's not
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  Speaker 1: easy to get fanatics to listen to common sense. No,
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  Speaker 1: I am not in the least jealous. She is madly
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  Speaker 1: in love with me. Ask my nephew does he know her?
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  Speaker 1: We have no secrets from each other. The confidence between
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  Speaker 1: us is without a flaw. The fair one, believe me,
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  Speaker 1: is good to look on and is worth all the ogling,
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  Speaker 1: fan flirting baggages put together that one sees at court
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  Speaker 1: or on the balconies of the PALAISROI ha, I'll answer
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  Speaker 1: for that, isn't she morange? I am quite of your opinion,
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  Speaker 1: said the youth exchanging with the jars a singularly significant look.
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  Speaker 1: And you had better treat her well, uncle, or I
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  Speaker 1: shall play you some trick. Ah ha ha, cried Janine,
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  Speaker 1: You poor fellow, I very much fear that you are
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  Speaker 1: warming a little serpent in your bosom. Have an eye
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  Speaker 1: to this dandy with the beardless chin. But joking apart,
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  Speaker 1: my boy, are you really on good terms with the
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  Speaker 1: fair lady? Certainly I am, And you are not uneasy, Commander,
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  Speaker 1: not the least a little bit. He is quite right.
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  Speaker 1: I answer for her as for myself. You know, as
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  Speaker 1: long as he loves her, she will love him. As
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  Speaker 1: long as he is faithful, she will be faithful. Do
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  Speaker 1: you imagine that a woman who insists on her lover
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  Speaker 1: carrying her off can so easily turn away from the
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  Speaker 1: man of her choice. I know her well, I have
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  Speaker 1: had long talks with her, she and I alone. She
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  Speaker 1: is feather brained, given to pleasure entirely, without prejudices and
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  Speaker 1: those stupid scruples which spoil the lives of other women.
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  Speaker 1: But a good sort on the whole, devoted to my uncle,
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  Speaker 1: with no deception about her, but at the same time
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  Speaker 1: extremely jealous, and has no notion of letting herself be
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  Speaker 1: sacrificed to a rival if ever she finds herself deceived.
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  Speaker 1: Good Bye to prudence and reserve. And then a look
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  Speaker 1: and a touch of the commander's knee cut this panegyric short,
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  Speaker 1: to which the treasurer was listening with open eyed astonishment.
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  Speaker 1: What enthusiasm, he exclaimed, Well, and then why, then, went
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  Speaker 1: on the young man with a laugh. If my uncle
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  Speaker 1: behaves badly, I his nephew will try to make up
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  Speaker 1: for his wrongdoing. He can't blame me then, but until
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  Speaker 1: then he may be quite easy, as he well knows.
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  Speaker 1: Oh yes, And in proof of that, I am going
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  Speaker 1: to take mirage with me to night. He is young
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  Speaker 1: and inexperienced, and it will be a good lesson for
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  Speaker 1: him to see how a gallant whose amorous intrigues did
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  Speaker 1: not begin yesterday sets about getting even with a coquette.
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  Speaker 1: He can turn it to account later on my word,
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  Speaker 1: said Janine. My notion is that he is in no
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  Speaker 1: great need of a teacher. However, that's your business, not mine.
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  Speaker 1: Let us return to what we were talking about just now.
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  Speaker 1: Are we agreed? And shall we amuse ourselves by paying
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  Speaker 1: out the lady in her own coin if you like?
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  Speaker 1: Which of us is to begin? Disjar struck the table
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  Speaker 1: with the handle of his dagger. More wine, gentlemen, said,
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  Speaker 1: the drawer running up. No dice, and be quick about it.
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  Speaker 1: Three casts each, and the highest winds, says Janine, you begin,
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  Speaker 1: I throw for myself and nephew. The dice rolled on
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  Speaker 1: the table, Ace and three. It's my turn now, six
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  Speaker 1: and five. Pass it over, five and two. We're equal.
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  Speaker 1: Four and two. Now let me ace and blank double six.
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  Speaker 1: You have one, and I'm off at once, says Janine,
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  Speaker 1: rising and muffling himself in his mantle. It's now half
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  Speaker 1: past seven. We shall see each other again at eight,
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  Speaker 1: so I won't say goodbye good luck to you. Leaving
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  Speaker 1: the tavern and turning into the rue Paves, he took
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  Speaker 1: the direction of the river. End of chapter one recording
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  Speaker 1: by John van Stan Savannah, Georgia. Chapter two of Celebrated Crimes,
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  Speaker 1: Volume five, Part two, La Constantine by Alexandre Duma. This
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  Speaker 1: LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Chapter two in
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  Speaker 1: sixteen fifty eight, at the corner of the streets Gui
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  Speaker 1: Lecourp and Le Courbois, the site of the latter being
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  Speaker 1: now occupied by the Quay des Augustan. As far as
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  Speaker 1: Paul Saint Michel stood, the great mansion which Francis the
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  Speaker 1: First had bought and fitted up for the Duchess a
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  Speaker 1: dentalm it was at this period, if not in ruins,
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  Speaker 1: at least beginning to show the ravages of time. Its
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  Speaker 1: rich interior decorations had lo lost their splendor and become antiquated.
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  Speaker 1: Fashion had taken up its abode in the moray, near
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  Speaker 1: the Place Royale, and it was thither that profligate women
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  Speaker 1: and celebrated beauties now enticed the humming swarm of old
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  Speaker 1: rakes and young Libertines not one of them all would
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  Speaker 1: have thought of residing in the mansion, or even in
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  Speaker 1: the quarter wherein the King's mistress had once dwelt. It
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  Speaker 1: would have been a step downward in the social scale,
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  Speaker 1: an equivalent to a confession that their charms were falling
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  Speaker 1: in the public estimation. Still, the old palace was not empty.
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  Speaker 1: It had, on the contrary, several tenants. Like the provinces
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  Speaker 1: of Alexander's empire, its vast suites of rooms had been subdivided,
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  Speaker 1: and so neglected was it by the gay world that
• 15:44
  Speaker 1: people of the commonest description strutted about with impunity, where
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  Speaker 1: once the proudest nobles had been glad to gain admittance.
• 15:52
  Speaker 1: Therein semi isolation and despoiled of her greatness lived Anjelique
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  Speaker 1: Louise de Guerchi, formerly companion to Mademoiselle upon and then
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  Speaker 1: maid of honor to Anne of Austria. Her love intrigues
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  Speaker 1: and the scandals they gave rise to had led to
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  Speaker 1: her dismissal from court. Not that she was a greater
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  Speaker 1: sinner than many who remained behind. Only she was unlucky
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  Speaker 1: enough or stupid enough to be found out. Her admirers
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  Speaker 1: were so indiscreet that they had not left her a
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  Speaker 1: shred of reputation. And in a court where a cardinal
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  Speaker 1: is the lover of a queen, a hypocritical appearance of
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  Speaker 1: decorum is indispensable to success. So Aujulique had to suffer
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  Speaker 1: for the faults she was not clever enough to hide.
• 16:35
  Speaker 1: Unfortunately for her, her income went up and down with
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  Speaker 1: the number and wealth of her admirers. So when she
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  Speaker 1: left the court, all her possessions consisted of a few
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  Speaker 1: articles she had gathered together out of the wreck of
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  Speaker 1: her former luxury, and these she was now selling one
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  Speaker 1: by one to procure the necessaries of life. While she
• 16:53
  Speaker 1: looked back from Afar with an envious eye at the
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  Speaker 1: brilliant world from which she had been exiled, and longed
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  Speaker 1: for better days, all hope was not at an end
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  Speaker 1: for her, by a strange law which does not speak
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  Speaker 1: well for human nature. Vice finds success easier to attain
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  Speaker 1: than virtue. There is no courtesan, no matter how low
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  Speaker 1: she has fallen, who cannot find a dupe ready to
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  Speaker 1: defend against the world in honor of which no vestige remains.
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  Speaker 1: A man who doubts the virtue of the most virtuous
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  Speaker 1: woman who shows himself inexorably severe when he discovers the
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  Speaker 1: lightest inclination to falter in one whose conduct has hitherto
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  Speaker 1: been above reproach, will stoop and pick up out of
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  Speaker 1: the gutter a blighted and tarnished reputation, and protect and
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  Speaker 1: defend it against all slights, and devote his life to
• 17:41
  Speaker 1: the attempt to restore luster to the unclean thing dulled
• 17:44
  Speaker 1: by the touch of many fingers. In her days of prosperity,
• 17:49
  Speaker 1: Commander de Jars and the King's Treasurer had both fluttered
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  Speaker 1: round Mademoiselle Icerci, and neither had fluttered in vain short
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  Speaker 1: as was the period necessary to overcome her scruples, and
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  Speaker 1: as short a period. It dawned on the two candidates
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  Speaker 1: for her favor that each had a successful rival in
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  Speaker 1: the other, and that, however potent as a reason for
• 18:08
  Speaker 1: surrender the the bloons of the treasure had been. The
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  Speaker 1: personal appearance of the commander had proved equally cogent, as
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  Speaker 1: both had felt for her only a passing fancy and
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  Speaker 1: not a serious passion. Their explanations with each other led
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  Speaker 1: to no quarrel between them. Silently and simultaneously, they withdrew
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  Speaker 1: from her circle without even letting her know they had
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  Speaker 1: found her out, but quite determined to revenge themselves on
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  Speaker 1: her should a chance ever offer. However, other affairs of
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  Speaker 1: a similar nature had intervened to prevent their carrying out
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  Speaker 1: this allaudable intention. Janine had laid siege to a more
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  Speaker 1: inaccessible beauty who had refused to listen to his size
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  Speaker 1: for less than thirty crowns paid in advance. And as
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  Speaker 1: Jars had become quite absorbed by his adventure with the
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  Speaker 1: convent border at La Roquet and the business of that
• 18:54
  Speaker 1: young stranger whom he passed off as his nephew, Mademoiselle
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  Speaker 1: de Gercy had never seen them again, and with her
• 19:01
  Speaker 1: it was out of sight, out of mind. At the
• 19:03
  Speaker 1: moment when she comes into our story, she was weaving
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  Speaker 1: her toils round a certain Duke d Vitri, whom she
• 19:09
  Speaker 1: had seen at court, but whose acquaintance she had never made,
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  Speaker 1: and who had been absent when this scandalous occurrence which
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  Speaker 1: led to her disgrace came to light. He was a
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  Speaker 1: man of from twenty five to twenty six years of
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  Speaker 1: age who idled his life away. His courage was undoubted,
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  Speaker 1: and being as credulous as an old libertine, he was
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  Speaker 1: ready to draw his sword at any moment to defend
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  Speaker 1: the lady whose cause he had espoused, should any insolent
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  Speaker 1: slanderer dare to hint there was a smirch on her virtue,
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  Speaker 1: being deaf to all reports. He seemed one of those
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  Speaker 1: men expressly framed by Heaven to be the consolation of
• 19:44
  Speaker 1: fallen women. Such a man, as in our times a
• 19:47
  Speaker 1: retired opera dancer or a superannuated professional beauty would welcome
• 19:51
  Speaker 1: with open arms. He had only one fault. He was married.
• 19:56
  Speaker 1: It is true he neglected his wife according to the
• 19:59
  Speaker 1: custom of the time, and it is probably also true
• 20:02
  Speaker 1: that his wife cared very little about his infidelities. But
• 20:06
  Speaker 1: still she was an insurmountable obstacle to the fulfillment of
• 20:10
  Speaker 1: Mademoiselle de Gercy's hopes, who, but for her, might have
• 20:14
  Speaker 1: looked forward to one day becoming a duchess. For about
• 20:18
  Speaker 1: three weeks, however, at the time we are speaking of,
• 20:20
  Speaker 1: the Duke had neither crossed her threshold nor written. He
• 20:23
  Speaker 1: had told her he was going for a few days
• 20:25
  Speaker 1: to Normandy, where he had large estates, but had remained
• 20:28
  Speaker 1: absent so long after the date he had fixed for
• 20:31
  Speaker 1: his return that she began to feel uneasy. What could
• 20:35
  Speaker 1: be keeping him some new flame? Perhaps the anxiety of
• 20:39
  Speaker 1: a lady was all the more keen that until now
• 20:42
  Speaker 1: nothing had passed between them but looks of languor and
• 20:45
  Speaker 1: words of love. The Duke had laid himself and all
• 20:49
  Speaker 1: he possessed at the feet of Angelique, and Angelique had
• 20:53
  Speaker 1: refused his offer. A too prompt surrender would have justified
• 20:57
  Speaker 1: the reports so wickedly spread against her. And made wise
• 21:01
  Speaker 1: by experience, she was resolved not to compromise her future
• 21:05
  Speaker 1: as she had compromised her past. But while playing at virtue,
• 21:10
  Speaker 1: she had also to play at disinterestedness, and her pecuniary
• 21:13
  Speaker 1: resources were consequently almost exhausted. She had proportioned the length
• 21:18
  Speaker 1: of her resistance to the length of her purse, and
• 21:21
  Speaker 1: now the prolonged absence of her lover threatened to disturb
• 21:24
  Speaker 1: the equilibrium which she had established between her virtue and
• 21:27
  Speaker 1: her money. So it happened that the cause of the
• 21:30
  Speaker 1: lovelorn Duke d Vitry was in great peril just at
• 21:34
  Speaker 1: the moment when de Jargs and Janine resolved to approach
• 21:37
  Speaker 1: the fair one anew. She was sitting lost in thought,
• 21:41
  Speaker 1: pondering in all good faith on the small prophet it
• 21:44
  Speaker 1: was to a woman to be virtuous. When she heard
• 21:47
  Speaker 1: voices in the antechamber. Then her door opened, and the
• 21:51
  Speaker 1: King's treasurer walked in. As this interview and those which
• 21:55
  Speaker 1: follow took place in the presence of witnesses, we are
• 21:58
  Speaker 1: obliged to ask the reader to accompany us for a
• 22:01
  Speaker 1: time to another part of the same house. We have
• 22:04
  Speaker 1: said that there were several tenants now. The person who
• 22:07
  Speaker 1: occupied the rooms next to those in which Mademoiselle de
• 22:10
  Speaker 1: Geri lived was a shopkeeper's widow called Rapalli, who was
• 22:14
  Speaker 1: owner of one of the thirty two houses which then
• 22:16
  Speaker 1: occupied the bridge Saint Michel. They had all been constructed
• 22:20
  Speaker 1: at the owner's cost in return for a lease forever.
• 22:24
  Speaker 1: The widow Rapalli's avowed age was forty, but those who
• 22:28
  Speaker 1: knew her longest added another ten years to that. So
• 22:31
  Speaker 1: to avoid error, let us say she was forty five.
• 22:35
  Speaker 1: She was a solid little body, rather stouter than was
• 22:38
  Speaker 1: necessary for beauty. Her hair was black, her complexion brown,
• 22:42
  Speaker 1: her eyes prominent and always moving, lively, active, and if
• 22:47
  Speaker 1: one once yielded to her whims exactly beyond measure. But
• 22:51
  Speaker 1: until then buxummoned soft and inclined to pet and spoil whoever,
• 22:55
  Speaker 1: for the moment had arrested her volatile fancy. Just as
• 22:58
  Speaker 1: we make her acquaintance. This happy individual was a certain
• 23:01
  Speaker 1: Maitre Quennebert, a notary of Saint Anis, and the comedy
• 23:05
  Speaker 1: played between him and the widow was an exact counterpart
• 23:08
  Speaker 1: of the one going on in the rooms of Mademoiselle
• 23:11
  Speaker 1: de Gerci, except that the roles were inverted. For while
• 23:14
  Speaker 1: the lady was as much in love as the Duke
• 23:16
  Speaker 1: de Vichery, the answering devotion professed by the notary was
• 23:20
  Speaker 1: as insincere as the disinterested attachment to her lover displayed
• 23:24
  Speaker 1: by the willem maid of honor. Maitre Quennebert was still
• 23:28
  Speaker 1: young and of attractive appearance, but his business affairs were
• 23:32
  Speaker 1: in a bad way. For long he had been pretending
• 23:35
  Speaker 1: not to understand the marked advances of the widow, and
• 23:38
  Speaker 1: he treated her with a reserve and respect she would
• 23:41
  Speaker 1: fain have dispensed with, and which sometimes made her doubt
• 23:44
  Speaker 1: of his love. But it was impossible for her as
• 23:47
  Speaker 1: a woman to complain, so she was forced to accept
• 23:50
  Speaker 1: with resignation the persistent and unwelcome consideration with which he
• 23:54
  Speaker 1: surrounded her. Maitre Quenebeert was a man of common sense
• 23:58
  Speaker 1: and much experience, formed a scheme which he was prevented
• 24:02
  Speaker 1: from carrying out by an obstacle which he had no
• 24:04
  Speaker 1: power to remove. He wanted, therefore, to gain time, for
• 24:08
  Speaker 1: he knew that the day he gave the susceptible widow
• 24:11
  Speaker 1: a legal right over him, he would lose his independence.
• 24:14
  Speaker 1: A lover to whose prayers the adored one remains deaf
• 24:18
  Speaker 1: too long is apt to draw back in discouragement. But
• 24:21
  Speaker 1: a woman whose part is restricted to awaiting those prayers
• 24:24
  Speaker 1: and answering with a yes or no necessarily learns patience.
• 24:29
  Speaker 1: Maitre Buenebert would therefore have felt no anxiety as to
• 24:32
  Speaker 1: the effect of his dilatoriness on the widow, were it
• 24:36
  Speaker 1: not for the existence of a distant cousin of the
• 24:38
  Speaker 1: late Monsieur Rappelli, who was also paying court to her,
• 24:42
  Speaker 1: and that with a warmth much greater than had hitherto
• 24:45
  Speaker 1: been displayed by himself. This fact, in view of the
• 24:49
  Speaker 1: state of the notary's affairs, forced him at last to
• 24:51
  Speaker 1: display more energy, to make up lost ground and to
• 24:55
  Speaker 1: outdistance his rival once more. He now began to dazzle
• 24:58
  Speaker 1: the widow with fine phrases and delight her with compliments.
• 25:01
  Speaker 1: But to tell the truth, all this trouble was superfluous.
• 25:04
  Speaker 1: He was beloved, and with one fond look he might
• 25:08
  Speaker 1: have one pardon for far greater neglect. An hour before
• 25:12
  Speaker 1: the Treasurer's arrival, there had been a knock at the
• 25:14
  Speaker 1: door of the old house, and maitre Quinebert, curled, palmaded
• 25:18
  Speaker 1: and prepared for conquest, had presented himself at the widow's
• 25:22
  Speaker 1: She received him with a more languishing air than usual,
• 25:25
  Speaker 1: and shot such arrows at him from her eyes that,
• 25:28
  Speaker 1: to escape a fatal wound, he pretended to give way
• 25:31
  Speaker 1: by degrees to deep sadness. The widow, becoming alarmed, asked
• 25:35
  Speaker 1: with tenderness, what ails you this evening? He rose, feeling
• 25:40
  Speaker 1: he had nothing to fear from his rival, and, being
• 25:43
  Speaker 1: master of the field, might henceforth advance or recede as
• 25:46
  Speaker 1: seemed best for his interests. What ails me, he repeated,
• 25:51
  Speaker 1: with a deep sigh. I might deceive you, might give
• 25:55
  Speaker 1: you a misleading answer, But to you. I cannot lie.
• 25:59
  Speaker 1: I am in great trouble, and how to get out
• 26:02
  Speaker 1: of it I don't know. But tell me what it is,
• 26:06
  Speaker 1: said the widow, standing up in her turn. Matrore. Quinebert
• 26:10
  Speaker 1: took three long strides, which brought him to the far
• 26:13
  Speaker 1: end of the room, and asked, why do you want
• 26:16
  Speaker 1: to know? You can't help me. My trouble is of
• 26:19
  Speaker 1: a kind a man does not generally confide to women.
• 26:24
  Speaker 1: What is it? An affair of honor? Yes, good God,
• 26:30
  Speaker 1: you are going to fight, she exclaimed, trying to seize
• 26:33
  Speaker 1: him by the arm. You are going to fight. Ah,
• 26:38
  Speaker 1: if it were nothing worse than that, said Quennebert, pacing
• 26:42
  Speaker 1: up and down the room. But you need not be alarmed.
• 26:45
  Speaker 1: It is only a money trouble. I lent a large
• 26:49
  Speaker 1: sum a few months ago to a friend, but the
• 26:52
  Speaker 1: knave has run away and left me in the lurch.
• 26:55
  Speaker 1: It was trust money and must be replaced within three days.
• 27:00
  Speaker 1: Where am I to get two thousand frock? Yes, that
• 27:04
  Speaker 1: is a large sum and not easy to raise at
• 27:07
  Speaker 1: such short notice. I shall be obliged to have recourse
• 27:12
  Speaker 1: to sum jew who will drain me dry. But I
• 27:16
  Speaker 1: must save my good name at all costs. Madame rapidly
• 27:21
  Speaker 1: gazed at him in consternation. Maitre Guinebert, divining her thought,
• 27:25
  Speaker 1: hasten to add, I have just one third of what
• 27:28
  Speaker 1: is needed, only one third. With great care, and by
• 27:34
  Speaker 1: scraping together all I possess, I can make up eight
• 27:38
  Speaker 1: hundred livres. But may I be dabbed in the next
• 27:41
  Speaker 1: world or punished as a swindler in this? And one's
• 27:44
  Speaker 1: as bad as the other to me if I can
• 27:47
  Speaker 1: raise one farthing more. But suppose someone should lend you
• 27:52
  Speaker 1: the twelve hundred franc what, then, pardieu, I should accept them,
• 27:57
  Speaker 1: cried the notary, as if he had not the least
• 28:00
  Speaker 1: suspicion whom she could mean. But do you happen to
• 28:03
  Speaker 1: know any one, my dear Madame Rapelie. The widow nodded affirmatively,
• 28:08
  Speaker 1: at the same time giving him a passionate glance. Tell
• 28:12
  Speaker 1: me quick the name of this delightful person, and I
• 28:15
  Speaker 1: shall go to him tomorrow morning. You don't know what
• 28:17
  Speaker 1: a service you are rendering me. And I was so
• 28:20
  Speaker 1: near not telling you of the fix I was in,
• 28:22
  Speaker 1: lest you should torment yourself Uselessly tell me his name?
• 28:28
  Speaker 1: Can you not guess it? How should I guess it? Think? Well,
• 28:35
  Speaker 1: does no one occur to you? No? No one, Saidquennebert,
• 28:42
  Speaker 1: with the utmost innocence. Have you no friends one or two?
• 28:49
  Speaker 1: Would they not be glad to help you? They might,
• 28:53
  Speaker 1: But I have mentioned the matter to no one, to
• 28:56
  Speaker 1: no one except you. Well, well, Madame Rapillie, I hope
• 29:05
  Speaker 1: I don't understand you. It's not possible. You would. You
• 29:09
  Speaker 1: would not humiliate me. Come come, It's a riddle, and
• 29:13
  Speaker 1: I am too stupid to solve it. I give up.
• 29:15
  Speaker 1: Don't tantalize me any longar tell me the name. The widow,
• 29:20
  Speaker 1: somewhat abashed by this exhibition of delicacy on the part
• 29:23
  Speaker 1: of maitrequin Abert, blushed, cast down her eyes, and did
• 29:27
  Speaker 1: not venture to speak. As the silence lasted some time,
• 29:31
  Speaker 1: it occurred to the notary that he had been perhaps
• 29:34
  Speaker 1: too hasty in his supposition, and he began to cast
• 29:37
  Speaker 1: round for the best means of retrieving his blunder. You
• 29:41
  Speaker 1: do not speak, he said, I see, it was all
• 29:45
  Speaker 1: a joke. No, said the widow at last, in a
• 29:50
  Speaker 1: timid voice. It was no joke. I was quite in earnest.
• 29:55
  Speaker 1: But the way you take things is not very encouraging.
• 29:59
  Speaker 1: What do you mean, pray? Do you imagine that I
• 30:03
  Speaker 1: can go on while you glare at me with that
• 30:06
  Speaker 1: angry frown puckering your forehead as if you had some
• 30:09
  Speaker 1: one before you who had tried to insult you. A
• 30:13
  Speaker 1: sweet smile chased the frown from the notary's brow. Encouraged
• 30:17
  Speaker 1: by the suspension of hostilities, Madame Rapellie, with sudden boldness,
• 30:21
  Speaker 1: approached him, and, pressing one of his hands in both
• 30:24
  Speaker 1: her own, whispered, it is I who am going to
• 30:28
  Speaker 1: lend you the money. He repulsed her gently, but with
• 30:32
  Speaker 1: an air of great dignity, and said, Madame, I thank you,
• 30:37
  Speaker 1: but I cannot accept Why can't you At this he
• 30:43
  Speaker 1: began to walk round and round the room, while the widow,
• 30:46
  Speaker 1: who stood in the middle, turned as upon a pivot,
• 30:49
  Speaker 1: keeping him always in view. This circus ring performance lasted
• 30:53
  Speaker 1: some minutes before Quinebert stood still and said, I cannot
• 30:58
  Speaker 1: be angry with you, Madame Rapellie. I know your offer
• 31:01
  Speaker 1: was made out of the kindness of your heart, but
• 31:04
  Speaker 1: I must repeat that it is impossible for me to
• 31:07
  Speaker 1: accept it. There you go again. I don't understand you
• 31:11
  Speaker 1: at all. Why can't you accept it? What harm would
• 31:15
  Speaker 1: it do if there were no other reason? Because people
• 31:19
  Speaker 1: might suspect that I confided my difficulties to you in
• 31:22
  Speaker 1: the hope of help, and supposing you did what then
• 31:28
  Speaker 1: people speak hoping to be understood, you wouldn't have minded
• 31:31
  Speaker 1: asking any one else. So you really think I did
• 31:36
  Speaker 1: come in that hope, mon dieu. I don't think anything
• 31:40
  Speaker 1: at all that you don't want. It was I who
• 31:42
  Speaker 1: dragged the confidence from you by my questions. I know
• 31:45
  Speaker 1: that very well. But now that you have told me
• 31:49
  Speaker 1: your secret, how can you hinder me from sympathizing with you,
• 31:52
  Speaker 1: from desiring to aid you. When I learned your difficulty
• 31:56
  Speaker 1: ought I to have been amused and gone into fits
• 31:59
  Speaker 1: of laughter. What it's an insult to be in a
• 32:02
  Speaker 1: position to render you a service. That's a strange kind
• 32:06
  Speaker 1: of delicacy. Are you astonished that I should feel so
• 32:11
  Speaker 1: strongly about it? Nonsense? Do you still think I meant
• 32:16
  Speaker 1: to offend you? I look on you as the most
• 32:18
  Speaker 1: honorable man in the world. If any one were to
• 32:21
  Speaker 1: tell me that he had seen you commit a base action,
• 32:24
  Speaker 1: I should reply that it was a lie. Does that
• 32:27
  Speaker 1: satisfy you? But suppose they got hold of it in
• 32:32
  Speaker 1: the city. Suppose it had reported that maitre Quenneberet had
• 32:36
  Speaker 1: taken money from Madame de Rapalis. Would it be the
• 32:39
  Speaker 1: same as if they had said maitre Quenneberet had borrowed
• 32:42
  Speaker 1: a twelve hundred livres from Monsieur Robert or some other
• 32:46
  Speaker 1: business man. I don't see what difference it could make,
• 32:51
  Speaker 1: but I do what then? It's not easy to express,
• 32:58
  Speaker 1: But but you exaggerate both the service and the gratitude
• 33:03
  Speaker 1: you ought to feel. I think I know why you refuse.
• 33:07
  Speaker 1: You are ashamed to take it as a gift, aren't you. Yes,
• 33:13
  Speaker 1: I am well, I'm not going to make you a gift.
• 33:18
  Speaker 1: Borrow twelve hundred livres from me? For how long do
• 33:21
  Speaker 1: you want the money? I really don't know how soon
• 33:25
  Speaker 1: I can repay you. Let's say a year and reckon
• 33:30
  Speaker 1: the interest. Sit down there, you baby, and write out
• 33:33
  Speaker 1: a promisory note. Matro Quinebert made some further show of resistance,
• 33:39
  Speaker 1: but at last yielded to the widow's importunity. It is
• 33:43
  Speaker 1: needless to say that the whole thing was a comedy
• 33:45
  Speaker 1: on his part, except that he really needed the money,
• 33:48
  Speaker 1: but he did not need it to replace a sum
• 33:50
  Speaker 1: of which a faithless friend had robbed him, but to
• 33:53
  Speaker 1: satisfy his own creditors, who, out of all patience with him,
• 33:56
  Speaker 1: were threatening to sue him. And his only reason for
• 33:59
  Speaker 1: seeking out Madame the Rappellie was to take advantage of
• 34:01
  Speaker 1: her generous disposition towards himself. His feigned delicacy was intended
• 34:06
  Speaker 1: to induce her to insist so urgently that in accepting
• 34:10
  Speaker 1: he should not fall too much in her esteem, but
• 34:12
  Speaker 1: should seem to heald to force. And his plan met
• 34:16
  Speaker 1: with complete success, for at the end of the transaction
• 34:19
  Speaker 1: he stood higher than ever in the opinion of his
• 34:21
  Speaker 1: fair creditor, on account of the noble sentiments he had expressed.
• 34:25
  Speaker 1: The note was written out in legal form, and the
• 34:27
  Speaker 1: money counted down on the spot. How glad i am
• 34:33
  Speaker 1: said she then, while Quinebert still kept up some pretense
• 34:36
  Speaker 1: of delicate embarrassment, although he could not resist casting a
• 34:40
  Speaker 1: stolen look at the bag of crowns lying on the
• 34:43
  Speaker 1: table beside its cloak. Do you intend to go back
• 34:47
  Speaker 1: to Saint any tonight? Even had such been his intention,
• 34:52
  Speaker 1: the notary would have taken very good care not to
• 34:54
  Speaker 1: say so, for he foresaw the accusations of imprudence that
• 34:58
  Speaker 1: would follow the enumeration of the dangers by the way.
• 35:01
  Speaker 1: And it was quite on the cards even that, having
• 35:04
  Speaker 1: thus aroused his fears, his fair hostess should, in deference
• 35:07
  Speaker 1: to them, offer him hospitality for the night. And he
• 35:10
  Speaker 1: did not feel inclined for an indefinitely prolonged a tete
• 35:14
  Speaker 1: a tete, No, he said, I am going to sleep
• 35:18
  Speaker 1: at Maitre Terassan's rue a des Poitavain. I have sent
• 35:22
  Speaker 1: him word to expect me, But although his house is
• 35:25
  Speaker 1: only a few yards distance, I must leave you earlier
• 35:28
  Speaker 1: than I could have wished. On account of this money.
• 35:32
  Speaker 1: Will you think of me? How can you ask, replied Guinnebert,
• 35:37
  Speaker 1: with a sentimental expression. You have compelled me to accept
• 35:41
  Speaker 1: the money, but I shall not be happy till I
• 35:44
  Speaker 1: have repaid. You suppose this loan should make us fall out.
• 35:49
  Speaker 1: You may be quite sure that if you don't pay
• 35:51
  Speaker 1: when the bill falls due, I shall have recourse to
• 35:55
  Speaker 1: the law. Oh, I know that very well. I shall.
• 36:00
  Speaker 1: I shall enforce all my rights as a creditor. I
• 36:03
  Speaker 1: expected nothing else. I shall show no pity. And the
• 36:09
  Speaker 1: widow gave a saucy laugh and shook her finger at him.
• 36:13
  Speaker 1: Madame Rapilli, said the notary, who was most anxious to
• 36:17
  Speaker 1: bring this conversation to an end, dreading every moment that
• 36:20
  Speaker 1: it would take a languishing tone. Madame RAPILYI will you
• 36:25
  Speaker 1: add to your goodness by granting me one more favor?
• 36:29
  Speaker 1: What is it? But the gratitude that is simulated is
• 36:33
  Speaker 1: not difficult to bear, but genuine, sincere gratitude such as
• 36:37
  Speaker 1: I feel as a heavy burden. As I can assure you,
• 36:41
  Speaker 1: it is much easier to give than to receive. Promise me, then,
• 36:45
  Speaker 1: that from now till the year is up, there shall
• 36:47
  Speaker 1: be no more reference between us to this money, and
• 36:50
  Speaker 1: that we shall go on being good friends as before.
• 36:54
  Speaker 1: Leave it to me to make arrangements to acquit myself
• 36:56
  Speaker 1: honorably of my obligations towards you. I need say no
• 37:00
  Speaker 1: more till a year's up. Mum's the word. It shall
• 37:04
  Speaker 1: be as you desire, maitre Quinebert answered Madame rapidly, her
• 37:09
  Speaker 1: eyes shining with delight. It was never my intention to
• 37:12
  Speaker 1: lay you under embarrassing obligations, and I leave it all
• 37:16
  Speaker 1: to you. Do you know that I am beginning to
• 37:19
  Speaker 1: believe in presentiments you becoming superstitious. Why may I ask
• 37:26
  Speaker 1: I refuse to do a nice little piece of ready
• 37:29
  Speaker 1: money business this morning? Did you yes? Because I had
• 37:35
  Speaker 1: a sort of feeling that made me resist all temptation
• 37:38
  Speaker 1: to leave myself without cash. Imagine I received a visit
• 37:42
  Speaker 1: to day from a great lady who lives in this house,
• 37:44
  Speaker 1: in the suite of apartments next to mine. What is
• 37:48
  Speaker 1: her name? And Mademoiselle de Gercy, And what did she
• 37:53
  Speaker 1: want with you? She called in order to ask me
• 37:56
  Speaker 1: to buy for four hundred livres some of her jewels,
• 38:00
  Speaker 1: which are well worth six hundred for I understand such things,
• 38:04
  Speaker 1: or should I prefer it to lend her that sum
• 38:06
  Speaker 1: and keep the jewels as security? It appears that Mademoiselle
• 38:10
  Speaker 1: is in great straits Deguercy. Do you know the name?
• 38:16
  Speaker 1: I think I have heard it. They say she has
• 38:20
  Speaker 1: had a stormy past and has been greatly talked of,
• 38:24
  Speaker 1: But then half of what one hears as lies. Since
• 38:27
  Speaker 1: she came to live here, she has been very quiet,
• 38:30
  Speaker 1: no visitors except one, a nobleman, a duke. Oh wait
• 38:35
  Speaker 1: a minute, what's his name? A the Duc Duc de Vitry,
• 38:39
  Speaker 1: And for over three weeks even he hasn't been near her.
• 38:43
  Speaker 1: I imagine from this absence that they have fallen out,
• 38:46
  Speaker 1: and that she is beginning to feel the want of money.
• 38:50
  Speaker 1: You seem to be intimately acquainted with this young woman's affairs.
• 38:55
  Speaker 1: Indeed I am, and yet I never spoke to her
• 38:58
  Speaker 1: till this morning. How did you get your information? Then?
• 39:03
  Speaker 1: By chance? The room adjoining this and one of those
• 39:06
  Speaker 1: she occupies, were formerly one large room, which is now
• 39:10
  Speaker 1: divided into two by a partition wall covered with tapestry.
• 39:14
  Speaker 1: But in the two corners the plasteress crumbled away with time,
• 39:18
  Speaker 1: and one can see into the room through slits in
• 39:20
  Speaker 1: the tapestry without being seen oneself. Are you inquisitive? Not
• 39:27
  Speaker 1: more than you, Madame Rapillie, Come with me. Some one
• 39:31
  Speaker 1: knocked at the street door a few moments ago. There
• 39:34
  Speaker 1: is no one else in the house likely to our
• 39:36
  Speaker 1: visitors at this hour. Perhaps her admirer has come back.
• 39:41
  Speaker 1: If so, we are going to witness a scene of
• 39:44
  Speaker 1: recrimination or reconciliation. How delightful. Although he was not leaving
• 39:50
  Speaker 1: the widow's lodgings, maitre Quennebert took up his hat and
• 39:54
  Speaker 1: cloak and the blessed bag of crown pieces, and followed
• 39:57
  Speaker 1: Madame Rapilie on tiptoe, who on her side moved as
• 40:00
  Speaker 1: slowly as a tortoise and as lightly as she could.
• 40:04
  Speaker 1: They succeeded in turning the handle of the door into
• 40:06
  Speaker 1: the next room without making much noise. Sh breathed the
• 40:10
  Speaker 1: widow softly, Listen, they are speaking. She pointed to the
• 40:15
  Speaker 1: place where he would find a peep hole in one
• 40:18
  Speaker 1: corner of the room, and crept herself toward the corresponding corner. Quinebert,
• 40:23
  Speaker 1: who was by no means anxious to have her at
• 40:25
  Speaker 1: his side, motioned to her to blow out the light.
• 40:29
  Speaker 1: This being done, he felt secure, for he knew that
• 40:32
  Speaker 1: in the intense darkness which now enveloped them, she could
• 40:35
  Speaker 1: not move from her place without knocking against the furniture
• 40:38
  Speaker 1: between them. So he glued his face to the partition.
• 40:41
  Speaker 1: An opening just large enough for one eye allowed him
• 40:44
  Speaker 1: to see everything that was going on in the next room.
• 40:47
  Speaker 1: Just as he began his observations, the treasurer at Mademoiselle
• 40:51
  Speaker 1: de Garci's invitation was about to take seat near her,
• 40:54
  Speaker 1: but not too near for perfect respect. Both of them
• 40:58
  Speaker 1: were silent and appeared tolabor under great embarrassment at finding
• 41:01
  Speaker 1: themselves together, and explanations did not readily begin. The lady
• 41:06
  Speaker 1: had not an idea of the motive of the visit,
• 41:08
  Speaker 1: and her quantum lover feigned the emotion necessary to the
• 41:12
  Speaker 1: success of his undertaking. Thus maitre Quinebert had full time
• 41:16
  Speaker 1: to examine both, and especially Algelique. The reader will doubtless
• 41:20
  Speaker 1: desire to know what was the result of the notary's observation.
• 41:25
  Speaker 1: End of chapter two recording by John Vanstan Savannah, Georgia.
• 41:35
  Speaker 1: Chapter three of Celebrated Crimes, Volume five, Part two, La
• 41:39
  Speaker 1: Constantine by Alexandre Duma. This LibriVox recording is in the
• 41:43
  Speaker 1: public domain. Chapter three. Ajelique Louise de Guerchi was a
• 41:49
  Speaker 1: woman of about twenty eight years of age, tall, dark
• 41:53
  Speaker 1: and well made. The loose life she had led had,
• 41:56
  Speaker 1: it is true, somewhat staled her beauty, marred the delicate
• 42:00
  Speaker 1: of her complexion, and coarsened the natural, elegant curves of
• 42:03
  Speaker 1: her figure. But it is such women who, from time
• 42:06
  Speaker 1: immemorial have had the strongest attraction for profligate men. It
• 42:11
  Speaker 1: seems as if dissipation destroyed the power to perceive true beauty,
• 42:15
  Speaker 1: and the man of pleasure must be aroused to admiration
• 42:18
  Speaker 1: by a bold glance and a meaning smile, and will
• 42:21
  Speaker 1: only seek satisfaction along the trail left by vice. Louis
• 42:26
  Speaker 1: Angelique was admirably adapted for her way of life. Not
• 42:30
  Speaker 1: that her features wore an expression of shameless effrontery, or
• 42:34
  Speaker 1: that the words that passed her lips bore habitual testimony
• 42:36
  Speaker 1: to the disorders of her existence, but that under a
• 42:40
  Speaker 1: calm and sedate demeanor of ever lurked a secret and
• 42:43
  Speaker 1: indefinable charm. Many other women possessed more regular features, but
• 42:48
  Speaker 1: none of them had a greater power of seduction. We
• 42:51
  Speaker 1: must add that she owed that power entirely to her
• 42:54
  Speaker 1: physical perfections, for except in regard to the devices necessary
• 42:59
  Speaker 1: to her calling, she showed no cleverness, being ignorant, dull,
• 43:03
  Speaker 1: and without inner resources of any kind. As her temperament
• 43:07
  Speaker 1: led her to share the desires she excited, she was
• 43:10
  Speaker 1: really incapable of resisting an attack conducted with skill and
• 43:14
  Speaker 1: ardor and if the Duke de Vitry had not been
• 43:17
  Speaker 1: so madly in love, which is the same as saying
• 43:19
  Speaker 1: that he was hopelessly blind, silly, and dense to everything
• 43:23
  Speaker 1: around him, he might have found a score of opportunities
• 43:26
  Speaker 1: to overcome her resistance. We have already seen that she
• 43:29
  Speaker 1: was so straitened in money matters that she had been
• 43:32
  Speaker 1: driven to try to sell her jewels that very morning,
• 43:36
  Speaker 1: Jeanine was the first to break silence. You are astonished
• 43:40
  Speaker 1: at my visit. I know, my charming Auntjelique, but you
• 43:44
  Speaker 1: must excuse my thus appearing so unexpectedly before you. The
• 43:49
  Speaker 1: truth is, I found it impossible to leave Paris without
• 43:52
  Speaker 1: seeing you once more. Thank you for your kind remembrance,
• 43:57
  Speaker 1: said she. But I did not all expected come. Come.
• 44:03
  Speaker 1: You are offended with me. She gave him a glance
• 44:06
  Speaker 1: of mingled disdain and resentment, but he went on in
• 44:10
  Speaker 1: a timid, wistful tone. I know that my conduct must
• 44:15
  Speaker 1: have seemed strange to you, and I acknowledge that nothing
• 44:18
  Speaker 1: can justify a man for suddenly leaving the woman he loves.
• 44:22
  Speaker 1: I do not dare to say the woman who loves
• 44:25
  Speaker 1: him without a word of explanation. But dear Aunt Jelique,
• 44:29
  Speaker 1: I was jealous, jealous, she repeated incredulously. I tried my
• 44:37
  Speaker 1: best to overcome the feeling, and I hid my suspicions
• 44:40
  Speaker 1: from you twenty times. I came to see you, bursting
• 44:43
  Speaker 1: with anger and determined to overwhelm you with reproaches. But
• 44:47
  Speaker 1: at the sight of your beauty, I forgot everything but
• 44:50
  Speaker 1: that I loved you. My suspicions dissolved before a smile.
• 44:55
  Speaker 1: One word from your lips charmed me into happiness. But
• 44:59
  Speaker 1: when I was a can alone, my terrors revived. I
• 45:02
  Speaker 1: saw my rivals at your feet, and rage possessed me
• 45:06
  Speaker 1: once more. Ah, you never knew how devotedly I loved you.
• 45:11
  Speaker 1: She let him speak without interruption. Perhaps the same thought
• 45:15
  Speaker 1: was in her mind as in Quennebert's, who himself a
• 45:18
  Speaker 1: past master in the art of lying, was thinking that
• 45:22
  Speaker 1: man does not believe a word of what he is saying.
• 45:26
  Speaker 1: But the treasurer went on, I can see that even
• 45:29
  Speaker 1: now you doubt my sincerity. Does the Lord desire that
• 45:35
  Speaker 1: his handmaiden should be blunt? Well, I know that there
• 45:39
  Speaker 1: is no truth in what you say. Oh, I can
• 45:44
  Speaker 1: see that. You imagine that among the distractions of the world,
• 45:47
  Speaker 1: I have kept no memory of you, and have found
• 45:51
  Speaker 1: consolation the love of less obdurate, fair ones. I have
• 45:55
  Speaker 1: not broken in on your retirement, I have not shadowed
• 45:59
  Speaker 1: your steps I have not kept watch on your actions.
• 46:03
  Speaker 1: I have not surrounded you with spies who would perhaps
• 46:06
  Speaker 1: have brought me the assurance if she quitted the world
• 46:09
  Speaker 1: which outraged her. She was not driven forth by an
• 46:12
  Speaker 1: impulse of wounded pride or noble indignation. She did not
• 46:16
  Speaker 1: even seek to punish those who misunderstood her. By her absence,
• 46:21
  Speaker 1: she buried herself where she was, unknown that she might
• 46:24
  Speaker 1: indulge in stolen loves. Such were the thoughts that came
• 46:29
  Speaker 1: to me. And yet I respected your hiding place, and
• 46:32
  Speaker 1: today I am ready to believe you true if you
• 46:36
  Speaker 1: will merely say I love no one else. Janine, who
• 46:41
  Speaker 1: was as fat as a stage financier, paused here to
• 46:45
  Speaker 1: gasp for the utterance of this string of banalities. This
• 46:49
  Speaker 1: rigmarole of commonplaces, had left him breathless. He was very
• 46:53
  Speaker 1: much dissatisfied with his performance and ready to curse his
• 46:57
  Speaker 1: barren imagination. He longed to hit upon swelling phrases and natural,
• 47:02
  Speaker 1: in touching gestures, but in vain he could only look
• 47:06
  Speaker 1: at Mademoiselle da Gerty with a miserable, heart broken air.
• 47:10
  Speaker 1: She remained quietly seated, with the same expression of incredulity
• 47:14
  Speaker 1: on her features. So there was nothing for it but
• 47:18
  Speaker 1: to go on once more. But this one assurance that
• 47:23
  Speaker 1: I ask you will not give. So what I have
• 47:27
  Speaker 1: been told is true. You have given your love to him.
• 47:31
  Speaker 1: She could not check a startled movement. You see, it
• 47:36
  Speaker 1: is only when I speak of him and I can
• 47:38
  Speaker 1: overcome in you the insensibility which is killing me. My
• 47:43
  Speaker 1: suspicions were true. After all, you deceived me for his sake. Oh,
• 47:48
  Speaker 1: the instinctive feeling of jealousy was right, which forced me
• 47:51
  Speaker 1: to quarrel with that man, to reject the perfidious friendship
• 47:54
  Speaker 1: which he tried to force upon me. He has returned
• 47:57
  Speaker 1: to town and we shall meet. But why do I
• 48:02
  Speaker 1: say returned? Perhaps he only pretended to go away and
• 48:05
  Speaker 1: safe in this retreat, has flouted with impunity my despair
• 48:09
  Speaker 1: and braved my vengeance. Up to this, the lady had
• 48:13
  Speaker 1: played a waiting game. But now she grew quite confused,
• 48:18
  Speaker 1: trying to discover the thread of the Treasurer's thoughts. To
• 48:21
  Speaker 1: whom did he refer the Duc de Vitry that had
• 48:25
  Speaker 1: been her first impression. But the Duke had only been
• 48:27
  Speaker 1: acquainted with her for a few months since she had
• 48:30
  Speaker 1: left court. He could not therefore have excited the jealousy
• 48:34
  Speaker 1: of her willem lover. And if it were not he
• 48:37
  Speaker 1: to whom did the words about rejecting perfidious friendship and
• 48:42
  Speaker 1: returned to town and so on apply. Janine divined her
• 48:46
  Speaker 1: embarrassment and was not a little proud of the tactics
• 48:49
  Speaker 1: which would he was almost sure, force her to expose herself.
• 48:54
  Speaker 1: For there are certain women who can be thrown into
• 48:56
  Speaker 1: cruel perplexity by speaking to them of their love passages
• 48:59
  Speaker 1: with other Out of fixing a proper name label to each,
• 49:03
  Speaker 1: they are placed, as it were, on the edge of
• 49:05
  Speaker 1: an abyss and forced to feel their way through the darkness.
• 49:08
  Speaker 1: To say you have loved almost obliges them to ask whom. Nevertheless,
• 49:15
  Speaker 1: this was not the word uttered by Mademoiselle de Gery
• 49:18
  Speaker 1: while she ran through in her head a list of possibilities.
• 49:21
  Speaker 1: Her answer was, your language astonishes me. I don't understand
• 49:27
  Speaker 1: what you mean. The ice was broken, and the treasurer
• 49:32
  Speaker 1: made a plunge. Seizing one of Aenjelik's hands, he asked,
• 49:37
  Speaker 1: have you never seen Commander Dejars since then? Commander Dejars,
• 49:43
  Speaker 1: exclaimed Anjeliq, Can you swear to me, Anchelique, that you
• 49:48
  Speaker 1: love him, not mon dieu. What put it in your
• 49:52
  Speaker 1: head that I ever cared for him. It's over four
• 49:55
  Speaker 1: months since I last saw him, and I hadn't an
• 49:58
  Speaker 1: idea whether he was alive dead, So he has been
• 50:02
  Speaker 1: out of town. That's the first I heard of it.
• 50:07
  Speaker 1: My fortune is yours, Aljelique, Oh assure me once again
• 50:11
  Speaker 1: that you do not love him, that you never loved him,
• 50:14
  Speaker 1: he pleaded in a faltering voice, fixing a look of
• 50:18
  Speaker 1: painful anxiety upon her. He had no intention of putting
• 50:22
  Speaker 1: her out of countenance by the course he took. He
• 50:24
  Speaker 1: knew quite well that a woman like Alljelique is never
• 50:27
  Speaker 1: more at her ease than when she has a chance
• 50:29
  Speaker 1: of telling an untruth of this nature. Besides, he and
• 50:33
  Speaker 1: preface dis appeal by the magic words my fortune is yours,
• 50:39
  Speaker 1: and the hope thus aroused was well worth a perjury.
• 50:42
  Speaker 1: So she answered boldly and in a steady voice, while
• 50:45
  Speaker 1: she looked straight into his eyes. Never I believe you,
• 50:52
  Speaker 1: exclaimed Janine, going down on his knees and covering with
• 50:55
  Speaker 1: his kisses the hand he still held. I can taste
• 50:58
  Speaker 1: happiness again. Listen anjelique. I am leaving Paris. My mother
• 51:04
  Speaker 1: is dead, and I am going back to Spain. Will
• 51:07
  Speaker 1: you follow me thither? I follow you. I hesitated long
• 51:14
  Speaker 1: before finding you out, so much did I fear a repulse.
• 51:18
  Speaker 1: I set out to morrow. Quit Paris, leave the world
• 51:21
  Speaker 1: which has slandered you, and come with me, and a
• 51:24
  Speaker 1: fortnight we shall be man and wife. You are not
• 51:29
  Speaker 1: in earnest? May I expire at your feet? If I
• 51:33
  Speaker 1: am not? Do you want me to sign the oath
• 51:36
  Speaker 1: with my blood? Rise? She said in a broken voice.
• 51:42
  Speaker 1: Have I at last found a man to love me
• 51:45
  Speaker 1: and compensate me for all the abuse that has been
• 51:47
  Speaker 1: showered on my head A thousand times? I thank you
• 51:52
  Speaker 1: not for what you are doing for me, but for
• 51:54
  Speaker 1: the balm you pour on my wounded spirit. Even if
• 51:57
  Speaker 1: you were to say to me now, after all I
• 52:00
  Speaker 1: am obliged to give you up, the pleasure of knowing
• 52:03
  Speaker 1: you esteem me would make up for all the rest.
• 52:07
  Speaker 1: It would be another happy memory to treasure, along with
• 52:09
  Speaker 1: my memory of our love, which was ineffaceable. Although you
• 52:14
  Speaker 1: so ungratefully suspected me of having deceived you. The treasurer
• 52:20
  Speaker 1: appeared fairly intoxicated. With joy. He indulged in a thousand
• 52:24
  Speaker 1: ridiculous extravagances and exaggerations, and declared himself the happiest of men.
• 52:30
  Speaker 1: Mademoiselle de Gerci, who was desirous of being prepared for
• 52:33
  Speaker 1: every peril, asked him in a coaxing tone, who can
• 52:38
  Speaker 1: have put it in your head to be jealous of
• 52:40
  Speaker 1: the commander? Has he been base enough to boast that
• 52:44
  Speaker 1: I ever gave him my love? No? He never said
• 52:48
  Speaker 1: anything about you, but some way I was afraid. She
• 52:53
  Speaker 1: renewed her assurances. The conversation continued some time in a
• 52:57
  Speaker 1: sentimental tone. A thousand oaths, a thousand protestations of love
• 53:02
  Speaker 1: were exchanged. Janine feared that the suddenness of their journey
• 53:06
  Speaker 1: would inconvenience his mistress, and offered to put it off
• 53:09
  Speaker 1: for some days. But to this she would not consent,
• 53:13
  Speaker 1: and it was arranged that the next day, at noon,
• 53:15
  Speaker 1: a carriage should call at the house and take all
• 53:17
  Speaker 1: Jerlique out of town to an appointed place, at which
• 53:20
  Speaker 1: the treasurer was to join her. Mature quinebert eye and
• 53:24
  Speaker 1: ear on alert, had not lost a word of this conversation,
• 53:28
  Speaker 1: and the last proposition of the treasurer changed his ideas Pardieu,
• 53:33
  Speaker 1: He said to himself, it looks as if this good
• 53:35
  Speaker 1: man were really going to let himself be taken in
• 53:38
  Speaker 1: and done for it is singular, how very clear sighted
• 53:41
  Speaker 1: we can be about things that don't touch on us.
• 53:44
  Speaker 1: This poor fly is going to let himself be caught
• 53:47
  Speaker 1: by a very clever spider, or I'm much mistaken. Very
• 53:52
  Speaker 1: likely my widow is quite of my opinion, and yet
• 53:55
  Speaker 1: in what concerns herself she will remain stone blind. Well,
• 54:00
  Speaker 1: such is life. We have only two parts to choose between.
• 54:04
  Speaker 1: We must be either knave or fool. What's Madame Rapelie doing,
• 54:09
  Speaker 1: I wonder? At this moment he heard a stifled whisper
• 54:13
  Speaker 1: from the opposite corner of the room. But protected by
• 54:16
  Speaker 1: the distance and the darkness, he let the widow murmur
• 54:19
  Speaker 1: on and apply his eye once more to his peephole.
• 54:22
  Speaker 1: What he saw confirmed his opinion. The damsel was springing
• 54:25
  Speaker 1: up and down, laughing, gesticulating, and congratulating herself on her
• 54:29
  Speaker 1: unexpected good fortune. Just imagine he loves me like that,
• 54:35
  Speaker 1: she was saying to herself, Poor Jeanine, when I remember
• 54:39
  Speaker 1: how I used to hesitate, How fortunate that Commander de yours.
• 54:43
  Speaker 1: What if the most vain and indiscreet of men never
• 54:46
  Speaker 1: babbled about me? Yes, we must leave town tomorrow without fail.
• 54:52
  Speaker 1: I must not give him time to be enlightened by
• 54:54
  Speaker 1: a chance word. But the Duke Davitry, I am really
• 54:59
  Speaker 1: sorry for him. However, why did he go away and
• 55:02
  Speaker 1: send no word? And then he's a married man. Ah,
• 55:07
  Speaker 1: if I could only get back again to court some day,
• 55:10
  Speaker 1: Who would ever have expected such a thing? Good God,
• 55:14
  Speaker 1: I must keep talking to myself to be sure I'm
• 55:16
  Speaker 1: not dreaming. Yes, he was there just now at my feet,
• 55:20
  Speaker 1: saying to me, an Jeliq, you are going to become
• 55:24
  Speaker 1: my wife. One thing is sure, he may safely entrust
• 55:28
  Speaker 1: his honor to my care. It would be infamous to
• 55:32
  Speaker 1: betray a man who loves me as he does, who
• 55:35
  Speaker 1: will give me his name. Never, no, never will I
• 55:39
  Speaker 1: give him calls to reproach me. I would rather A
• 55:44
  Speaker 1: loud and confused noise on the stairs interrupted this soliloquy.
• 55:48
  Speaker 1: At one moment, bursts of laughter were heard, and the
• 55:51
  Speaker 1: next angry voices, then a loud exclamation, followed by a
• 55:55
  Speaker 1: short silence. Being alarmed at this disturbance in a house
• 55:58
  Speaker 1: which was usually so quiet. Mademoiselle de Garci approached the
• 56:02
  Speaker 1: door of her room, intending either to call for protection
• 56:05
  Speaker 1: or to lock herself in, when suddenly it was violently
• 56:08
  Speaker 1: pushed open. She recoiled with fright, exclaiming, Commander de jarge
• 56:15
  Speaker 1: on my word, said Quinebert. Behind the arras tis as
• 56:19
  Speaker 1: amusing as a play. Is the commander also going to
• 56:23
  Speaker 1: offer to make an honest woman of her? But what
• 56:26
  Speaker 1: do I see? He had just caught sight of the
• 56:29
  Speaker 1: young man on whom Dejars had bestowed the title and
• 56:31
  Speaker 1: name of Chevalier de Moranges, and whose acquaintance the reader
• 56:35
  Speaker 1: has already made at the tavern in the Rue Saint
• 56:37
  Speaker 1: Ajers Desades. His appearance had as great an effect on
• 56:41
  Speaker 1: the notary as a thunderbolt. He stood motionless, trembling, breathless,
• 56:47
  Speaker 1: his knees ready to give way beneath him, and everything
• 56:49
  Speaker 1: black before his eyes. However, he soon pulled himself together
• 56:53
  Speaker 1: and succeeded in overcoming the effects of his surprise and terror.
• 56:58
  Speaker 1: He looked once more through the hole in the park
• 57:00
  Speaker 1: Titian and became so absorbed that no one in the
• 57:03
  Speaker 1: whole world could have got a word from him. Just
• 57:05
  Speaker 1: then the devil himself might have shrieked into his ears unheeded,
• 57:09
  Speaker 1: and a naked sword suspended over his head would not
• 57:12
  Speaker 1: have induced him to change his place. End of chapter
• 57:16
  Speaker 1: three recording by John van Stan Savannah, Georgia. Chapter four
• 57:26
  Speaker 1: of Celebrated Crimes, Volume five, Part two, La Consentane by
• 57:30
  Speaker 1: Alexandre Duma. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain.
• 57:35
  Speaker 1: Chapter four, before Mademoiselle de Gerti had recovered from her fright,
• 57:41
  Speaker 1: the commander spoke as a gentleman, my beauty, if you
• 57:45
  Speaker 1: were the Abbess of Montmatra, you could not be more
• 57:47
  Speaker 1: difficult to access. I met a black guard on the
• 57:51
  Speaker 1: stairs who tried to stop me, and whom I was
• 57:53
  Speaker 1: obliged to thrash soundly. Is what they told me on
• 57:57
  Speaker 1: my return. True, are you really doing penance? And do
• 58:01
  Speaker 1: you intend to take the veil? Sir, answered Njeviq with
• 58:06
  Speaker 1: great dignity, whatever may be my plans, I have a
• 58:10
  Speaker 1: right to be surprised at your violence and at your
• 58:13
  Speaker 1: intrusion at such an hour before we go any farther,
• 58:18
  Speaker 1: said de Jarres, twirling round on his heels, Allow me
• 58:21
  Speaker 1: to present to you my nephew these Chevalier de Morche
• 58:25
  Speaker 1: Chevaller de Morange, muttered Quenebert, on whose memory. In that
• 58:30
  Speaker 1: instant the name became indelibly engraven. A young man, continued
• 58:36
  Speaker 1: the commander, who has come back with me from abroad
• 58:39
  Speaker 1: a good style, as you see, charming appearance. Now, you,
• 58:43
  Speaker 1: young innocent, lift up your great black eyes and kiss
• 58:46
  Speaker 1: Madame's hand. I allow it, Monsieur le commandeur, leave my room, begone,
• 58:54
  Speaker 1: or I shall call whom then your lackeys. But I
• 58:58
  Speaker 1: have beaten the only one you keep as I told you,
• 59:00
  Speaker 1: and it will be some time before he'll be in
• 59:02
  Speaker 1: a condition to light me downstairs. Begone. Indeed, is that
• 59:07
  Speaker 1: the way you receive an old friend? Pray be seated Chevalier.
• 59:12
  Speaker 1: He approached Mademoiselle Deegarcy, and, despite her resistance, seized hold
• 59:16
  Speaker 1: of one of her hands, and forcing her to sit down,
• 59:19
  Speaker 1: seated himself beside her. That's right, my girl, said he
• 59:25
  Speaker 1: Now let us talk. Sense. I understand that before a stranger,
• 59:29
  Speaker 1: you consider yourself obliged to appear astonished at my ways
• 59:33
  Speaker 1: of going on. But he knows all about us, and
• 59:36
  Speaker 1: nothing he may see or hear will surprise him so
• 59:39
  Speaker 1: a truce to prudery. I came back yesterday, but I
• 59:43
  Speaker 1: could not make out your hiding place till to day. Now,
• 59:46
  Speaker 1: I am not going to ask you to tell me
• 59:48
  Speaker 1: how you have gone on in my absence. A god
• 59:51
  Speaker 1: and you alone know. And while he will tell me nothing,
• 59:55
  Speaker 1: you will only tell me phibbs. And I want to
• 59:58
  Speaker 1: save you from that venial sin at least. But here
• 1:00:02
  Speaker 1: I am in as good spirits as ever, more in
• 1:00:04
  Speaker 1: love than ever, and quite ready to resume my old habits. Meantime,
• 1:00:10
  Speaker 1: the lady, quite subdued by his noisy entrance and ruffianly conduct,
• 1:00:14
  Speaker 1: and seeing that an assumption of dignity would only draw
• 1:00:17
  Speaker 1: down on her some fresh impertinence, appeared to resign herself
• 1:00:21
  Speaker 1: to her position. All this time Whenebert never took his
• 1:00:25
  Speaker 1: eyes from the chevalier, who sat with his face toward
• 1:00:28
  Speaker 1: the partition. His elegantly cut costume accentuated his personal advantages.
• 1:00:34
  Speaker 1: His jet black hair brought into relief the whiteness of
• 1:00:36
  Speaker 1: his forehead. His large, dark eyes, with their veined lids
• 1:00:39
  Speaker 1: and silky lashes, had a penetrating and peculiar expression, a
• 1:00:43
  Speaker 1: mixture of audacity and weakness. His thin and somewhat pale
• 1:00:48
  Speaker 1: lips were apt to curl in an ironical smile. His
• 1:00:52
  Speaker 1: hands were of a perfect beauty, his feet of dainty smallness,
• 1:00:55
  Speaker 1: and he showed with an affectation of complacence a well
• 1:00:58
  Speaker 1: turned leg above his ample boots, the turned down tops
• 1:01:02
  Speaker 1: of which garnished with lace, fell in irregular folds over
• 1:01:05
  Speaker 1: his ankles in the latest fashion. He did not appear
• 1:01:09
  Speaker 1: to be more than eighteen years of age, and nature
• 1:01:11
  Speaker 1: had denied his charming face the distinctive sign of his sex,
• 1:01:16
  Speaker 1: for not the slightest down was visible on his chin,
• 1:01:19
  Speaker 1: though a little delicate penciling darkened his upper lip. His
• 1:01:23
  Speaker 1: slightly effeminate style of beauty, the graceful curves of his figure,
• 1:01:26
  Speaker 1: his expression, sometimes coaxing, sometimes saucy, reminded one of a page,
• 1:01:32
  Speaker 1: gave him the appearance of a charming young scapegrace destined
• 1:01:35
  Speaker 1: to inspire sudden passions and wayward fancies. While his pretended
• 1:01:40
  Speaker 1: uncle was making himself at home most unceremoniously. Quenebert remarked
• 1:01:44
  Speaker 1: that the chevalier at once began to lay siege to
• 1:01:47
  Speaker 1: his fair hostess, bestowing tender and love laden glances on
• 1:01:51
  Speaker 1: her behind that uncle's back. This redoubled his curiosity. My
• 1:01:57
  Speaker 1: dear girl, said the commander, Since I all you last,
• 1:02:00
  Speaker 1: I have come into a fortune of one hundred thousand livres,
• 1:02:03
  Speaker 1: neither more nor less. One of my dear aunts took
• 1:02:06
  Speaker 1: it into her head to depart this life, and her temper,
• 1:02:09
  Speaker 1: being crotchety and spiteful, she made me her sole heir
• 1:02:12
  Speaker 1: in order to enrage those of her relatives who had
• 1:02:15
  Speaker 1: nursed her in her illness. One hundred thousand livres. It
• 1:02:19
  Speaker 1: is a round some enough to cut a great figure
• 1:02:22
  Speaker 1: with for two years. If you like, we shall squander
• 1:02:26
  Speaker 1: it together capital and interest? Why why why do not speak?
• 1:02:31
  Speaker 1: Has anyone else robbed me by any chance of your heart?
• 1:02:34
  Speaker 1: If that were so, I should be in despair upon
• 1:02:37
  Speaker 1: my word, for the sake of the fortunate individual who
• 1:02:40
  Speaker 1: had won your favor. For I will brook no rivals.
• 1:02:44
  Speaker 1: I give you fair warning, monsieur le commandeur, answered Auntjelique,
• 1:02:51
  Speaker 1: you forget in speaking to me in that manner. I
• 1:02:54
  Speaker 1: have never given you any right to control my actions.
• 1:02:59
  Speaker 1: Have we severed our connection At this singular question, enchaliqu started,
• 1:03:04
  Speaker 1: but de Jars continued. When we last parted, we were
• 1:03:07
  Speaker 1: on the best of terms, were we not? I know
• 1:03:11
  Speaker 1: that some months have elapsed since then, but I've explained
• 1:03:13
  Speaker 1: to you the reasons of my absence. Before filling up
• 1:03:16
  Speaker 1: the blank left by the departed, we must give ourselves
• 1:03:19
  Speaker 1: space to mourn. Well, Was I right in my guess?
• 1:03:24
  Speaker 1: Have you given me a successor? Mademoiselle de Gerricy had
• 1:03:28
  Speaker 1: hitherto succeeded in controlling her indignation, and had tried to
• 1:03:32
  Speaker 1: force herself to drink the bitter cup of humiliation to
• 1:03:35
  Speaker 1: the dregs. But now she could bear it no longer.
• 1:03:38
  Speaker 1: Having thrown a look expressive of her suffering at the
• 1:03:41
  Speaker 1: young chevalier, who continued to ogle her with great pertinacity,
• 1:03:45
  Speaker 1: she decided on bursting into tears, and, in a voice
• 1:03:48
  Speaker 1: broken by sobs, she exclaimed that she was miserable at
• 1:03:52
  Speaker 1: being treated in this manner, that she did not deserve it,
• 1:03:55
  Speaker 1: and that Heaven was punishing her for her error in
• 1:03:58
  Speaker 1: yielding to the entreaties of the commander. One would have
• 1:04:01
  Speaker 1: sworn she was sincere, and that the words came from
• 1:04:03
  Speaker 1: her heart. If maitre Quinebert had not witnessed the scene
• 1:04:07
  Speaker 1: with Jannine, if he had not known how frail was
• 1:04:10
  Speaker 1: the virtue of the weeping damsel, he might have been
• 1:04:12
  Speaker 1: affected by her touching plaint. The Chevalier appeared to be
• 1:04:16
  Speaker 1: deeply moved by Auschelik's grief, and while his uncle was
• 1:04:20
  Speaker 1: striding up and down the room and swearing like a trooper,
• 1:04:23
  Speaker 1: he gradually approached her and expressed by signs the compassion
• 1:04:26
  Speaker 1: he felt. Meantime, the notary was in a strange state
• 1:04:30
  Speaker 1: of mind. He had not yet made up his mind
• 1:04:33
  Speaker 1: whether the whole thing was a joke arranged between de
• 1:04:35
  Speaker 1: Jars and Janine or not, But of one thing he
• 1:04:39
  Speaker 1: was quite convinced the sympathy which Chevalier de Morange was expressing,
• 1:04:43
  Speaker 1: by passionate sighs and glances was the merest hypocrisy. Had
• 1:04:48
  Speaker 1: he been alone, nothing would have prevented his dashing head
• 1:04:50
  Speaker 1: foremost into this imbroglio in scorn of consequence, convinced that
• 1:04:55
  Speaker 1: his appearance would be as terrible in its effect as
• 1:04:58
  Speaker 1: the head of Medusa. But the presence of the widow
• 1:05:01
  Speaker 1: restrained him. Why ruin his future and dry up the
• 1:05:04
  Speaker 1: golden spring which had just begun to gush before his
• 1:05:07
  Speaker 1: eyes for the sake of taking part in a melodrama.
• 1:05:11
  Speaker 1: Prudence and self interest kept him in the side scenes.
• 1:05:15
  Speaker 1: The tears of the fair one and the glances of
• 1:05:17
  Speaker 1: the chevalier woke no repentance in the breast of the commander.
• 1:05:21
  Speaker 1: On the contrary, he began to vent his anger in
• 1:05:23
  Speaker 1: terms still more energetic. He strode up and down the
• 1:05:27
  Speaker 1: oaken floor till it shook under his spurred heels. He
• 1:05:30
  Speaker 1: stuck his plumed hat on the side of his head
• 1:05:32
  Speaker 1: and displayed the manners of a bully in a Spanish comedy.
• 1:05:36
  Speaker 1: Suddenly he seemed to have come to a swift resolution.
• 1:05:39
  Speaker 1: The expression of his face changed from rage to icy coldness,
• 1:05:44
  Speaker 1: and walking up to ANJELIQI said, with a composure more
• 1:05:46
  Speaker 1: terrible than the wildest fury, my rival's name. You shall
• 1:05:52
  Speaker 1: never learn it from me, madame his name never. I
• 1:05:58
  Speaker 1: have borne your insults too long. I am not responsible
• 1:06:01
  Speaker 1: to you for my actions. Well, I shall learn it
• 1:06:05
  Speaker 1: in spite of you, and I know to whom to apply.
• 1:06:08
  Speaker 1: Do you think you can play fast and loose with
• 1:06:10
  Speaker 1: me and my love? No? No, I used to believe
• 1:06:14
  Speaker 1: in you. I turned a deaf ear to your traducers.
• 1:06:18
  Speaker 1: I my mad passion for you became known. I was
• 1:06:22
  Speaker 1: the jest and the butt of the town. But you
• 1:06:24
  Speaker 1: have opened my eyes, and at last I see clearly
• 1:06:27
  Speaker 1: on whom my vengeance ought to fall. He was formerly
• 1:06:30
  Speaker 1: my friend, and I would believe nothing against him. Although
• 1:06:34
  Speaker 1: I was often warned, I took no notice. But now
• 1:06:37
  Speaker 1: I will seek him out and say to him, you
• 1:06:39
  Speaker 1: have stolen what is mine. You are a scoundrel. It
• 1:06:42
  Speaker 1: must be your life for mine, and if there is
• 1:06:45
  Speaker 1: justice in heaven, I shall kill him. Well, Madame, you
• 1:06:48
  Speaker 1: don't ask me the name of this man. You well
• 1:06:51
  Speaker 1: know whom I mean. This threat brought home to Mademoiselle
• 1:06:55
  Speaker 1: de Gercy how imminent was her danger. At first, she
• 1:06:59
  Speaker 1: had thought the commander's visit might be a snare laid
• 1:07:01
  Speaker 1: to test her, But the courteousness of his expressions, the
• 1:07:05
  Speaker 1: cynicism of his overtures, and the presence of a third
• 1:07:07
  Speaker 1: person had convinced her she was wrong. No man could
• 1:07:11
  Speaker 1: have imagined that the revolting method of seduction employed could
• 1:07:15
  Speaker 1: meet with success, and if the commander had desired to
• 1:07:18
  Speaker 1: convict her of perfidy, he would have come alone and
• 1:07:21
  Speaker 1: made use of more persuasive weapons. No, he believed he
• 1:07:25
  Speaker 1: still had claims on her, but even if he had,
• 1:07:28
  Speaker 1: by his manner of enforcing them, he had rendered them void. However,
• 1:07:32
  Speaker 1: the moment he threatened to seek out a rival, whose
• 1:07:34
  Speaker 1: identity he designated quite clearly, and revealed to him the
• 1:07:38
  Speaker 1: secret it was so necessary to her interest to keep hidden,
• 1:07:42
  Speaker 1: the poor girl lost her head. She looked at the
• 1:07:44
  Speaker 1: jars with a frightened expression and said, in a trembling voice,
• 1:07:48
  Speaker 1: I don't know who you mean. You don't know, well,
• 1:07:53
  Speaker 1: I shall commission the King's treasurer Jeanine de Castile, to
• 1:07:56
  Speaker 1: come here tomorrow and tell you an hour before our duel.
• 1:08:00
  Speaker 1: Oh no, no, promise me you will not do that,
• 1:08:04
  Speaker 1: cried she, clasping her hands. Adieu, madame, do not leave me.
• 1:08:09
  Speaker 1: Thus I cannot let you go till you give me
• 1:08:12
  Speaker 1: your promise. She threw herself on her knees and clung
• 1:08:16
  Speaker 1: with both her hands to Desjarre's cloak, and, appealing to
• 1:08:19
  Speaker 1: Chevaler Demorge said, you are young, monsieur, I have never
• 1:08:24
  Speaker 1: done you any harm. Protect me. Have pity on me.
• 1:08:28
  Speaker 1: Help me to soften him. Uncle, said the chevalier, in
• 1:08:33
  Speaker 1: a pleading tone, be generous and don't drive this woman
• 1:08:36
  Speaker 1: to despair. Prayers are useless, answered the commander. What do
• 1:08:42
  Speaker 1: you want me to do? Said Aunjelvik. Shall I go
• 1:08:46
  Speaker 1: into a convent to a tone? I am ready to go?
• 1:08:49
  Speaker 1: Shall I promise never to see him again? For God's sake,
• 1:08:53
  Speaker 1: give me a little time. Put off your vengeance for
• 1:08:56
  Speaker 1: one single day, Tomorrow evening, I swear to you you
• 1:09:00
  Speaker 1: will have nothing more to fear from me. I thought
• 1:09:02
  Speaker 1: myself forgotten by you and abandoned. And how should I
• 1:09:06
  Speaker 1: think otherwise? You left me without a word of farewell.
• 1:09:10
  Speaker 1: You stayed away and never sent me a line. And
• 1:09:13
  Speaker 1: how do you know that I did not weep when
• 1:09:15
  Speaker 1: you deserted me, leaving me to pass my days in
• 1:09:18
  Speaker 1: monotonous solitude? How do you know that I did not
• 1:09:21
  Speaker 1: make every effort to find out why you were so
• 1:09:23
  Speaker 1: long absent from my side? You say you had left town,
• 1:09:27
  Speaker 1: But how was I to know that? Oh, promise me,
• 1:09:30
  Speaker 1: if you love me to give up the stool, Promise
• 1:09:33
  Speaker 1: me not to seek that man out tomorrow. The poor
• 1:09:37
  Speaker 1: creature hoped to work wonders with her eloquence, her tears,
• 1:09:40
  Speaker 1: her pleading glances, on hearing her prayer for a reprieve
• 1:09:44
  Speaker 1: of twenty four hours, squaring that after that she would
• 1:09:47
  Speaker 1: never see Janine again. The commander and the Chevalier were
• 1:09:51
  Speaker 1: obliged to bite their lips to keep from laughing outright,
• 1:09:54
  Speaker 1: but the former soon regained his self possession, and, while Aujulique,
• 1:09:58
  Speaker 1: still on her knees before him, pressed his hands to
• 1:10:01
  Speaker 1: her bosom. He forced her to raise her head, and,
• 1:10:03
  Speaker 1: looking straight into her eyes, said tomorrow, madame, if not
• 1:10:08
  Speaker 1: this evening, he shall know everything, and a meeting shall
• 1:10:11
  Speaker 1: take place. Then, pushing her away, he strode toward the door.
• 1:10:17
  Speaker 1: Oh how unhappy I am, exclaimed Anjelique. She tried to
• 1:10:22
  Speaker 1: rise and rush after him, but whether she was really
• 1:10:24
  Speaker 1: overcome by her feelings, or whether she felt the one
• 1:10:27
  Speaker 1: chance of prevailing left her was to faint, she uttered
• 1:10:30
  Speaker 1: a heart rending cry, and the Chevalier had no choice
• 1:10:33
  Speaker 1: but to support her, sinking form the jars. On seeing
• 1:10:37
  Speaker 1: his nephew staggering under this burden, gave a loud laugh
• 1:10:40
  Speaker 1: and hurried away. Two minutes later he was once more
• 1:10:44
  Speaker 1: at the tavern in the Rue Saint anjers Desatt. How's
• 1:10:48
  Speaker 1: this alone? Said Jeannin alone? What have you done with
• 1:10:54
  Speaker 1: the Chevalier? I left him with our charmer, who was unconscious,
• 1:10:59
  Speaker 1: over come with grief, exhausted, ha, she fell fainting into
• 1:11:04
  Speaker 1: his arms. Ha ha ha. It is quite possible that the
• 1:11:07
  Speaker 1: young rogue, being left with her in such a condition,
• 1:11:10
  Speaker 1: may cut me out. Do you think so? Ha ha ha ha.
• 1:11:15
  Speaker 1: And Desjars laughed so heartily and so infectiously that his
• 1:11:19
  Speaker 1: worthy friend was obliged to join in, and laughed till
• 1:11:22
  Speaker 1: he choked. In the short silence which followed the departure
• 1:11:25
  Speaker 1: of the Commander Maitre, Quenebert could hear the widow still
• 1:11:29
  Speaker 1: murmuring something, but he was less disposed than ever to
• 1:11:32
  Speaker 1: attend to her. On my word, said he, The scene
• 1:11:37
  Speaker 1: now going on is more curious than all that went before.
• 1:11:41
  Speaker 1: I don't think that a man has ever found himself
• 1:11:43
  Speaker 1: in such a position as mine, Although my interests demand
• 1:11:46
  Speaker 1: that I remain here and listen. Yet my fingers are
• 1:11:49
  Speaker 1: itching to box the ears of that Chevalier DeMange. If
• 1:11:53
  Speaker 1: there were only some way of getting at a proof
• 1:11:55
  Speaker 1: of all this. Ah, now we shall hear something. The
• 1:12:00
  Speaker 1: hussy is coming to herself. And indeed Aenjelique had opened
• 1:12:04
  Speaker 1: her eyes and was casting wild looks around her. She
• 1:12:07
  Speaker 1: put her hand to her brow several times, as if
• 1:12:10
  Speaker 1: trying to recall clearly when had happened. It is he gone,
• 1:12:15
  Speaker 1: she exclaimed at last, Oh, why did you let him go?
• 1:12:19
  Speaker 1: You should not have minded me but kept him here.
• 1:12:24
  Speaker 1: Be calm, answered the chevalier. Be calm, for Heaven's sake.
• 1:12:28
  Speaker 1: I shall speak to my uncle and prevent his ruining
• 1:12:31
  Speaker 1: your prospects. Only don't weep any more. Your tears break
• 1:12:34
  Speaker 1: my heart. Ah, my god, how cruel it is to
• 1:12:38
  Speaker 1: distress you, so I should never be able to withstand
• 1:12:41
  Speaker 1: your tears. No matter what reason I had for anger,
• 1:12:45
  Speaker 1: a look from you would make me forgive you everything,
• 1:12:49
  Speaker 1: noble young man, said Aunt Jelique, idiot, muttered Major Quinnebert.
• 1:12:55
  Speaker 1: Swallow the honey of his words. Do but how the
• 1:12:59
  Speaker 1: deuce is going to end? Not Satan himself ever invented
• 1:13:03
  Speaker 1: such a situation. But then I could never believe you
• 1:13:07
  Speaker 1: guilty without proof, irrefutable proof. And even then a word
• 1:13:12
  Speaker 1: from you would fill my mind with doubt and uncertainty. Again, yes,
• 1:13:16
  Speaker 1: were the whole world to accuse you and swear to
• 1:13:18
  Speaker 1: your guilt, I should still believe your simple word. I am,
• 1:13:22
  Speaker 1: young madame. I have never known love as yet until
• 1:13:25
  Speaker 1: an instant ago, I had no idea that, more quickly
• 1:13:28
  Speaker 1: than an image can excite the admiration of the eye,
• 1:13:32
  Speaker 1: a thought can enter the heart and stir to its
• 1:13:35
  Speaker 1: depth and features that one may never again be hauled,
• 1:13:38
  Speaker 1: leave a lifelong memory behind. But even if a woman
• 1:13:42
  Speaker 1: of whom I knew absolutely nothing, were to appeal to me,
• 1:13:45
  Speaker 1: exclaiming I implore your help, your protection, I should, without
• 1:13:50
  Speaker 1: stopping to consider, place my sword in my arm at
• 1:13:53
  Speaker 1: her disposal and devote myself to her service. How much
• 1:13:57
  Speaker 1: more egerly would I die for you, madame whose beauty
• 1:14:00
  Speaker 1: ravished my heart? What do you demand of me? Tell
• 1:14:04
  Speaker 1: me what you desire me to do. Prevent this duel.
• 1:14:08
  Speaker 1: Don't allow an interview to take place between your uncle
• 1:14:11
  Speaker 1: and the man whom he mentioned. Tell me you will
• 1:14:14
  Speaker 1: do this, and I shall be safe, for you have
• 1:14:16
  Speaker 1: never learned to lie. I know, of course he hasn't.
• 1:14:20
  Speaker 1: You may be sure of that, you simpleton, muttered maitre
• 1:14:23
  Speaker 1: Quinebert in his corner. If you only knew what a
• 1:14:26
  Speaker 1: mere novice you are at that game, compared with the chevalier.
• 1:14:30
  Speaker 1: If only you knew whom you had before you at
• 1:14:35
  Speaker 1: your age went on anjelik. One cannot feign the heart
• 1:14:39
  Speaker 1: is not yet hardened and is capable of compassion. But
• 1:14:43
  Speaker 1: a dreadful idea occurs to me, a horrible suspicion. Is
• 1:14:47
  Speaker 1: it all a devilish trick, a snare arranged in joke?
• 1:14:52
  Speaker 1: Tell me that it is not all a pretense. A
• 1:14:55
  Speaker 1: poor woman encounters so much perfidy. Men amuse themselves by
• 1:14:58
  Speaker 1: troubling her heart and confusing her mind. They excite her vanity,
• 1:15:03
  Speaker 1: They compass her round with homage, with flattery, with temptation,
• 1:15:07
  Speaker 1: And when they grow tired of fooling her, they despise
• 1:15:10
  Speaker 1: and insult her. Tell me, was this all a preconcerted plan,
• 1:15:15
  Speaker 1: this love, this jealousy? Were they only acted? Oh? Madame
• 1:15:21
  Speaker 1: broke in the chevalier with an expression of the deepest indignation.
• 1:15:25
  Speaker 1: How can you, for an instant imagine that a human
• 1:15:27
  Speaker 1: heart could be so perverted. I am not acquainted with
• 1:15:31
  Speaker 1: the man whom the commander accused you of loving, But
• 1:15:34
  Speaker 1: whoever he may be, I feel sure that he is
• 1:15:36
  Speaker 1: worthy of your love, and that he would never have
• 1:15:38
  Speaker 1: consented to such a dastly joke. Neither would my uncle,
• 1:15:42
  Speaker 1: his jealousy mastered him and drove him mad. But I
• 1:15:47
  Speaker 1: am not dependent on him. I am my own master
• 1:15:50
  Speaker 1: and can do as I please. I will hinder this duel.
• 1:15:53
  Speaker 1: I will not allow the illusion and ignorance of him
• 1:15:56
  Speaker 1: who loves you, and alas that I must say it
• 1:15:59
  Speaker 1: whom you love to be dispelled, For it is in
• 1:16:02
  Speaker 1: them he finds his happiness. Be happy with him. As
• 1:16:06
  Speaker 1: for me, I shall never see you again, But the
• 1:16:09
  Speaker 1: recollection of this meeting, the joy of having served you,
• 1:16:12
  Speaker 1: will be my consolation. Auntjalique raised her beautiful eyes and
• 1:16:17
  Speaker 1: gave the chevalier a long look, which expressed her gratitude
• 1:16:20
  Speaker 1: more eloquently than words. May I be hanged, thought maitroquinepert
• 1:16:26
  Speaker 1: if the baggage isn't making eyes at him already, but
• 1:16:29
  Speaker 1: one who is drowning clutches at a straw. Enough, Madame,
• 1:16:34
  Speaker 1: said the chevaler. I understand all you would say. You
• 1:16:38
  Speaker 1: thank me in his name and ask me to leave you.
• 1:16:41
  Speaker 1: I obey, Yes, Madame, I am going at the risk
• 1:16:44
  Speaker 1: of my life. I will prevent this meeting. I will
• 1:16:47
  Speaker 1: stifle this fatal revelation. But grant me one last prayer.
• 1:16:52
  Speaker 1: Permit me to look forward to seeing you once more
• 1:16:54
  Speaker 1: before I leave the city to which I wish I
• 1:16:57
  Speaker 1: had never come. But I shall quit it in a
• 1:17:00
  Speaker 1: day or two tomorrow, perhaps as soon as I know
• 1:17:03
  Speaker 1: that your happiness is assured. Oh, do not refuse my
• 1:17:07
  Speaker 1: last request. Let the light of your eyes shine on
• 1:17:09
  Speaker 1: me for the last time. After that I shall depart,
• 1:17:13
  Speaker 1: I shall fly far away forever. But if, perchance, in
• 1:17:16
  Speaker 1: spite of every effort, I fail, if the commander's jealousy
• 1:17:20
  Speaker 1: should make him impervious to my entreaties, to my tears,
• 1:17:23
  Speaker 1: if he whom you love should come and overwhelm you
• 1:17:26
  Speaker 1: with reproaches and then abandon you, would you drive me
• 1:17:30
  Speaker 1: from your presence? If I should say, then I love you,
• 1:17:33
  Speaker 1: answer me. I beseech you go, said she, and prove
• 1:17:39
  Speaker 1: worthy of my gratitude or my love. Seizing one of
• 1:17:44
  Speaker 1: her hands, the chevalier covered it with passionate kisses. Such
• 1:17:48
  Speaker 1: bare faced impudence suppresses everything I could have imagined, murmured Buenebert.
• 1:17:54
  Speaker 1: Fortunately the play is over for tonight. If it had
• 1:17:57
  Speaker 1: gone on any longer, I should have done something for
• 1:18:01
  Speaker 1: the lady. Hardly imagines what the end of the comedy
• 1:18:03
  Speaker 1: will be. Neither did Quennebert. It was an evening of adventures.
• 1:18:08
  Speaker 1: It was written that, in the space of two hours,
• 1:18:11
  Speaker 1: Algerlique was to run the gamut of all the emotions,
• 1:18:14
  Speaker 1: experience all the vicissitudes to which a life such as
• 1:18:17
  Speaker 1: she led is exposed. Hope, fear, happiness, mortification, falsehood, love
• 1:18:24
  Speaker 1: that was no love, intrigue with an intrigue, and to
• 1:18:27
  Speaker 1: crown all a totally unexpected conclusion. End of chapter four
• 1:18:33
  Speaker 1: recording by John Vanstan Savannah, Georgia. Chapter five of Celebrated Crimes,
• 1:18:44
  Speaker 1: Volume five, Part two, La Constantine by Alexandre Duma. This
• 1:18:48
  Speaker 1: LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Chapter five. The
• 1:18:54
  Speaker 1: chevalier was still holding Algerlique's hand when a step resounded
• 1:18:58
  Speaker 1: outside and a voice was heard. Can it be that
• 1:19:02
  Speaker 1: he has come back? Exclaimed the damsel, hastily freeing herself
• 1:19:06
  Speaker 1: from the passionate embrace of the chevalier. It's not possible,
• 1:19:10
  Speaker 1: Mon dieu, mon dieu. It's his voice. And she grew
• 1:19:14
  Speaker 1: pale to the lips and stood staring at the door
• 1:19:17
  Speaker 1: with outstretched arms, unable to advance or recede. The chevalier listened,
• 1:19:23
  Speaker 1: but felt sure the approaching voice belonged neither to the
• 1:19:25
  Speaker 1: commander nor to the treasurer. His voice, thought Cornebert to himself.
• 1:19:31
  Speaker 1: It can this be yet another aspirant to her favor?
• 1:19:36
  Speaker 1: The sound came nearer. Hide yourself, said Auntjelique, pointing to
• 1:19:41
  Speaker 1: a door opposite to the partition behind which the widow
• 1:19:44
  Speaker 1: and the notary were esconced. Hide yourself there. There's a
• 1:19:48
  Speaker 1: secret staircase. You can get out that way. I hide myself,
• 1:19:54
  Speaker 1: exclaimed Moraun with a swaggering air. What are you thinking of?
• 1:19:58
  Speaker 1: I will remain. It would have been better for him
• 1:20:02
  Speaker 1: to have followed her advice, as may very well have
• 1:20:04
  Speaker 1: occurred to the youth. Two minutes later, as a tall,
• 1:20:07
  Speaker 1: muscular young man entered in a state of intense excitement,
• 1:20:11
  Speaker 1: Aenjelique rushed to meet him, crying, Ah, monsieur le duc
• 1:20:16
  Speaker 1: is it you? What is this? I hear? Angelique? Said
• 1:20:20
  Speaker 1: the Duke de Vittry. I was told below that three
• 1:20:23
  Speaker 1: men had visited you this evening, but only two have
• 1:20:26
  Speaker 1: gone out. Where is the third? Ah? I do not
• 1:20:29
  Speaker 1: need long to find him, he added, as he caught
• 1:20:32
  Speaker 1: sight of the Chevalier, who stood his ground bravely enough.
• 1:20:36
  Speaker 1: In Heaven's name, cried Anjelique, in Heaven's name, listen to me. No, no,
• 1:20:41
  Speaker 1: not a word just now. I am not questioning you.
• 1:20:45
  Speaker 1: Who are you, sir? The Chevier's teasing and bantering disposition
• 1:20:49
  Speaker 1: made him, even at that critical moment, insensible to fear,
• 1:20:53
  Speaker 1: so he retorted insolently, whoever I pleased to be, sir?
• 1:20:57
  Speaker 1: And on my word, I find the tone in which
• 1:20:59
  Speaker 1: you but your question delightfully amusing. The duke sprang forward
• 1:21:04
  Speaker 1: in a rage, laying his hand on his sword. Aenjelique
• 1:21:07
  Speaker 1: tried in vain to restrain him. You want to screen
• 1:21:11
  Speaker 1: him from my vengeance, you false, one, said he, retreating
• 1:21:15
  Speaker 1: a few steps so as to guard the door. Defend
• 1:21:18
  Speaker 1: your life, sir, do you defend yours? Both drew at
• 1:21:23
  Speaker 1: the same moment. Two shrieks followed, one in the room,
• 1:21:27
  Speaker 1: the other behind the tapestry. For neither Angelique nor the
• 1:21:30
  Speaker 1: widow had been able to restrain her alarm as the
• 1:21:33
  Speaker 1: two swords flashed in air. In fact, the latter had
• 1:21:36
  Speaker 1: been so frightened that she fell heavily to the floor
• 1:21:39
  Speaker 1: in a faint. This incident probably saved the young man's life.
• 1:21:43
  Speaker 1: His blood had already begun to run cold at the
• 1:21:45
  Speaker 1: sight of his adversary, foaming with rage, and standing between
• 1:21:48
  Speaker 1: him and the door. When the noise of the fall
• 1:21:51
  Speaker 1: distracted the Duke's attention, What was that? He cried? Are
• 1:21:55
  Speaker 1: there other enemies concealed here too? And, forgetting that he
• 1:21:59
  Speaker 1: was leaving a way of escape free, he rushed in
• 1:22:01
  Speaker 1: the direction from which the sound came and lunged at
• 1:22:04
  Speaker 1: the tapestry covered partition with his sword. Meantime, the Chevaler,
• 1:22:09
  Speaker 1: dropping all his airs of bravado, sprang from one end
• 1:22:12
  Speaker 1: of the room to the other like a cat pursued
• 1:22:14
  Speaker 1: by a dog. But rapid as were his movements, the
• 1:22:17
  Speaker 1: Duke perceived his flight and dashed after him, at the
• 1:22:20
  Speaker 1: risk of breaking both his own neck and the chevaler's
• 1:22:23
  Speaker 1: by a chase through unfamiliar rooms and down stairs, which
• 1:22:26
  Speaker 1: were plunged in darkness. All this took place in a
• 1:22:29
  Speaker 1: few seconds, like a flash of lightning, twice, with hardly
• 1:22:33
  Speaker 1: any interval. The street door opened and shut noisily, and
• 1:22:36
  Speaker 1: the two enemies were in the street, one pursued and
• 1:22:39
  Speaker 1: the other pursuing. My God, just to think of all
• 1:22:44
  Speaker 1: that has happened is enough to make one die of fright.
• 1:22:46
  Speaker 1: Said Mademoiselle de Gercy. What will come next? I should
• 1:22:51
  Speaker 1: like to know? And what shall I say to the
• 1:22:53
  Speaker 1: Duke when he comes back? Just at this instant, a
• 1:22:56
  Speaker 1: loud cracking sound was heard in the room. Angelique stood still, ill,
• 1:23:00
  Speaker 1: once more struck with terror, and recollecting the cry she
• 1:23:03
  Speaker 1: had heard. Her hair, which was already loosened, escaped entirely
• 1:23:07
  Speaker 1: from its bonds, and she felt it rise on her
• 1:23:10
  Speaker 1: head as the figures on the tapestry moved and bent
• 1:23:12
  Speaker 1: towards her. Falling on her knees and closing her eyes,
• 1:23:16
  Speaker 1: she began to invoke the aid of God and all
• 1:23:18
  Speaker 1: the saints, but she soon felt herself raised by strong arms,
• 1:23:22
  Speaker 1: and looking round, she found herself in the presence of
• 1:23:25
  Speaker 1: an unknown man who seemed to have issued from the
• 1:23:28
  Speaker 1: ground or the walls, and who, seizing the only light
• 1:23:32
  Speaker 1: left unextinguished in the scuffle, dragged her, more dead than alive,
• 1:23:36
  Speaker 1: into the next room. This man was, as the reader
• 1:23:39
  Speaker 1: will have already guessed, Madure Quenebert. As soon as the
• 1:23:43
  Speaker 1: chevalier and the Duke had disappeared with the notary had
• 1:23:46
  Speaker 1: run toward the corner where the widow lay, and having
• 1:23:48
  Speaker 1: made sure that she was really unconscious and unable to
• 1:23:51
  Speaker 1: see or hear anything, so that it would be quite
• 1:23:54
  Speaker 1: safe to tell her any story he pleased. Next day,
• 1:23:57
  Speaker 1: he returned to his former position and applied his shoulder
• 1:24:00
  Speaker 1: to the partition. Easily succeeded in freeing the ends of
• 1:24:03
  Speaker 1: the rotten laths from the nails which held there, and
• 1:24:06
  Speaker 1: pushing them before him, made an aperture large enough to
• 1:24:09
  Speaker 1: allow of his passing through into the next apartment. He
• 1:24:12
  Speaker 1: applied himself to this task with such vigor and became
• 1:24:15
  Speaker 1: so absorbed in its accomplishment that he entirely forgot the
• 1:24:18
  Speaker 1: bag of twelve hundred livres which the widow had given him.
• 1:24:22
  Speaker 1: Who are you? What do you want with me? Cried
• 1:24:25
  Speaker 1: Mademoiselle de Gercy, struggling to free herself. Silence was Couennebert's answer,
• 1:24:32
  Speaker 1: don't kill me for pity's sake? Who wants to kill you?
• 1:24:36
  Speaker 1: Be silent. I don't want your shrieks to call people here.
• 1:24:40
  Speaker 1: I must be alone with you for a few moments.
• 1:24:42
  Speaker 1: Once more, I tell you to be quiet, unless you
• 1:24:45
  Speaker 1: want me to use violence. If you do what I
• 1:24:48
  Speaker 1: tell you, no harm shall happen to you. But who
• 1:24:51
  Speaker 1: are you Monsieur, I am neither a burglar nor a murderer.
• 1:24:56
  Speaker 1: That's all you need to know. The rest is no
• 1:24:58
  Speaker 1: concern of yours. Have you writing materials at hand? Yes, monsieur,
• 1:25:04
  Speaker 1: there they are on that table very well. Now sit
• 1:25:09
  Speaker 1: down at the table. Why sit down and answer my questions.
• 1:25:15
  Speaker 1: The first man who visited you this evening was Monsieur Jeanine.
• 1:25:19
  Speaker 1: Was he not yes, Monsieur Jeanie de Castille, the King's treasurer, Yes,
• 1:25:27
  Speaker 1: all right. The second was Commander de Jars, and the
• 1:25:30
  Speaker 1: young man he brought with him was his nephew, the
• 1:25:32
  Speaker 1: Chevalier de Morange. The last comer was a duke. Am
• 1:25:36
  Speaker 1: I not right? The Duc de Vitry, Now write from
• 1:25:42
  Speaker 1: my dictation? He spoke very slowly, and Mademoiselle de Guercy,
• 1:25:46
  Speaker 1: obeying his commands, took up her pen. Today dictated Quenembert, Today,
• 1:25:53
  Speaker 1: this twentieth day of the month of November, in the
• 1:25:56
  Speaker 1: year of the Lord's sixteen fifty eight. I what is
• 1:26:01
  Speaker 1: your full name? Anjelique Louise de Guerci, go on, I
• 1:26:06
  Speaker 1: Angelique Louise de Guerchi was visited in the rooms which
• 1:26:09
  Speaker 1: I occupy in the mansion of the Duchess d' tamp
• 1:26:13
  Speaker 1: corner of the streets Squilliicourps and du Hurropois, about half
• 1:26:16
  Speaker 1: past seven o'clock in the evening, in the first place
• 1:26:19
  Speaker 1: by Monsieur Janine de Castille, King's treasurer, in the second place,
• 1:26:25
  Speaker 1: by Commander de Jars, who was accompanied by a young man,
• 1:26:28
  Speaker 1: his nephew, the Chevalier de Moranges. In the third place,
• 1:26:32
  Speaker 1: after the departure of Commander de Jars, and while I
• 1:26:35
  Speaker 1: was alone with the Chevaler de Morane, by the Duc
• 1:26:38
  Speaker 1: de Vitry, who drew his sword upon the said chevalier
• 1:26:41
  Speaker 1: and forced him to take flight. Now put in a
• 1:26:44
  Speaker 1: line by itself and use capitals description of the Chevalier
• 1:26:49
  Speaker 1: de Moranges. But I only saw him for an instant,
• 1:26:54
  Speaker 1: said Auntjelique. And I can't recall, write and don't talk.
• 1:26:59
  Speaker 1: I can recall everything, and that is all that is wanted.
• 1:27:03
  Speaker 1: Height about five feet the chevalier, said Guenebert, interrupting himself,
• 1:27:09
  Speaker 1: is four feet eleven inches, three lines and a half.
• 1:27:13
  Speaker 1: But I don't need absolute exactness. Auntjulika gazed at him
• 1:27:17
  Speaker 1: in utter stupefaction. Do you know him? Then? She asked,
• 1:27:23
  Speaker 1: I saw him this evening for the first time. But
• 1:27:26
  Speaker 1: my eye is very accurate. Height about five feet hair,
• 1:27:30
  Speaker 1: black eyes, ditto, nose, aquiline mouth, large lips, compressed forehead,
• 1:27:37
  Speaker 1: high face, oval complexion, pale, no beard. Now another line
• 1:27:43
  Speaker 1: and in capital's special marks. A small bowl on the
• 1:27:48
  Speaker 1: neck behind the right ear, a smaller mole on the
• 1:27:52
  Speaker 1: left hand. But have you written that? Now? Sign it
• 1:27:56
  Speaker 1: with your full name? What you saw you going to
• 1:28:00
  Speaker 1: this paper? I should have told you before if I
• 1:28:03
  Speaker 1: had desired you to know. Any questions are quite useless.
• 1:28:07
  Speaker 1: I don't enjoin secrecy on you, however, added the notary,
• 1:28:11
  Speaker 1: as he folded the paper and put it into his
• 1:28:13
  Speaker 1: doublet pocket. You are quite free to tell anyone you
• 1:28:16
  Speaker 1: like that you have written the description of the Chevalet
• 1:28:18
  Speaker 1: de Morale at the dictation of an unknown man who
• 1:28:21
  Speaker 1: got into your room. You don't know how by the
• 1:28:24
  Speaker 1: chimney or through the ceiling, perhaps, but who was determined
• 1:28:27
  Speaker 1: to leave it by a more convenient road? Is there
• 1:28:31
  Speaker 1: not a secret staircase? Show me where it is. I
• 1:28:34
  Speaker 1: don't want to meet anyone on my way out. Angelique
• 1:28:38
  Speaker 1: pointed out a door to him hidden by a damask curtain.
• 1:28:42
  Speaker 1: And Quennebert, saluting her, opened it and disappeared, leaving Angelique
• 1:28:46
  Speaker 1: convinced that she had seen the devil in person. Not
• 1:28:49
  Speaker 1: until the next day did the sight of the displaced
• 1:28:51
  Speaker 1: partition explain the apparition. But even then, so great was
• 1:28:55
  Speaker 1: her fright, so deep was the terror which the recollection
• 1:28:58
  Speaker 1: of the mysterious man sped. Tired that, despite the permission
• 1:29:02
  Speaker 1: to tell what had happened, she mentioned her adventure to
• 1:29:04
  Speaker 1: no one, and did not even complain to her neighbor,
• 1:29:08
  Speaker 1: Madame Rapellie, of the inquisitiveness which had led the widow
• 1:29:11
  Speaker 1: to spy on her actions. End of chapter five recording
• 1:29:16
  Speaker 1: by John Vanstan Savannah, Georgia. Chapter six of Celebrated Crimes,
• 1:29:27
  Speaker 1: Volume five, Part two, La Constantine by Alexandre Duma. This
• 1:29:32
  Speaker 1: LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Chapter six we
• 1:29:38
  Speaker 1: left the jars and Jeanine roaring with laughter in the
• 1:29:42
  Speaker 1: tavern in the Rue Saint Andre des Art. What said
• 1:29:46
  Speaker 1: the treasurer? Do you really think that Anjelique thought I
• 1:29:49
  Speaker 1: was in earnest in my offer, that she believes in
• 1:29:53
  Speaker 1: all good faith I intend to marry her. You may
• 1:29:57
  Speaker 1: take my word for it. If it were not so
• 1:29:59
  Speaker 1: you imagined she would have been in such desperation. Would
• 1:30:03
  Speaker 1: she have fainted at my threat to tell you that
• 1:30:05
  Speaker 1: I had claims on her as well as you to
• 1:30:08
  Speaker 1: get married. Why that is the goal of all such creatures,
• 1:30:12
  Speaker 1: And there is not one of them who can understand
• 1:30:14
  Speaker 1: why a man of honor should blush to give her
• 1:30:16
  Speaker 1: his name. If you had only seen her terror, her tears,
• 1:30:21
  Speaker 1: they would have either broken your heart or killed you
• 1:30:23
  Speaker 1: with laughter. Well, said Janine, it is getting late. Are
• 1:30:29
  Speaker 1: we going to wait for the chevalier? Let us call
• 1:30:33
  Speaker 1: for him very well. Perhaps he has made up his
• 1:30:36
  Speaker 1: mind to stay. If so, we shall make a horrible scene,
• 1:30:40
  Speaker 1: cry treachery and perjury, and trounce your nephew as well.
• 1:30:44
  Speaker 1: Let's settle our score and be off. They left the
• 1:30:48
  Speaker 1: wine shop, both rather worse for the wine they had
• 1:30:52
  Speaker 1: so largely indulged in. They felt the need of the
• 1:30:55
  Speaker 1: cool night air, so instead of going down the Rue Pavet,
• 1:30:58
  Speaker 1: they resolved to follow the Ruth Saint Andreda's art as
• 1:31:01
  Speaker 1: far as the Paul Saint Michel, so as to reach
• 1:31:03
  Speaker 1: the mansion by a longer route. At the very moment
• 1:31:07
  Speaker 1: the commander got up to leave the tavern. The chevaler
• 1:31:09
  Speaker 1: had run out of the mansion at the top of
• 1:31:11
  Speaker 1: his speed. It was not that he had entirely lost
• 1:31:14
  Speaker 1: his courage, for had he found it impossible to avoid
• 1:31:17
  Speaker 1: his assailant, it is probable that he would have regained
• 1:31:20
  Speaker 1: the audacity which had led him to draw his sword.
• 1:31:23
  Speaker 1: But he was a novice in the use of arms,
• 1:31:26
  Speaker 1: had not reached full physical development, and felt that the
• 1:31:29
  Speaker 1: chances were so much against him that he would only
• 1:31:31
  Speaker 1: have faced the encounter if there were no possible way
• 1:31:34
  Speaker 1: of escape. On leaving the house, he had turned quickly
• 1:31:37
  Speaker 1: into the Rue Guillcourps, but on hearing the door closed
• 1:31:40
  Speaker 1: behind his pursuer, he disappeared down the narrow and crooked
• 1:31:44
  Speaker 1: Rue de Hrondelles, hoping to throw the Duc de Vitry
• 1:31:47
  Speaker 1: off the scent. The duke, however, though for a moment
• 1:31:50
  Speaker 1: in doubt, was guided by the sound of the flying footsteps.
• 1:31:54
  Speaker 1: The Chevalier, still trying to send him off on a
• 1:31:56
  Speaker 1: false trail, turned to the right and so regained the
• 1:31:59
  Speaker 1: upper end of the Rue Saint Anderi, and ran along
• 1:32:02
  Speaker 1: it as far as the church, the sight of which
• 1:32:05
  Speaker 1: is occupied by the square of the same name. To day,
• 1:32:08
  Speaker 1: here he thought he would be safe, for as the
• 1:32:10
  Speaker 1: church was being restored and enlarged, heaps of stone stood
• 1:32:14
  Speaker 1: all round the old pile. He glided in among these,
• 1:32:17
  Speaker 1: and twice heard victories searching quite close to him, and
• 1:32:20
  Speaker 1: each time stood on guard, expecting an onslaught. This marching
• 1:32:25
  Speaker 1: and countermarching lasted for some minutes. The chevalier began to
• 1:32:28
  Speaker 1: hope he had escaped the danger, and eagerly waited for
• 1:32:31
  Speaker 1: the moment when the moon, which had broken through the clouds,
• 1:32:34
  Speaker 1: should again withdraw behind them, in order to steal into
• 1:32:37
  Speaker 1: some of the adjacent streets under cover of the darkness.
• 1:32:41
  Speaker 1: Suddenly a shadow rose before him, and a threatening voice cried,
• 1:32:45
  Speaker 1: have I caught you at last? You coward? And the
• 1:32:48
  Speaker 1: danger in which the chevaler stood awoke in him a
• 1:32:51
  Speaker 1: flickering energy, a feverish courage, and he crossed blades with
• 1:32:55
  Speaker 1: his assailant. A strange combat ensued, of which the result
• 1:32:58
  Speaker 1: was quite uncertain, depending entirely on chance, for no science
• 1:33:03
  Speaker 1: was of any avail on a ground so rough that
• 1:33:05
  Speaker 1: the combatants stumbled at every step, or struck against immovable masses,
• 1:33:10
  Speaker 1: which were one moment clearly lit up, and the next
• 1:33:13
  Speaker 1: in shadow, steel clashed on steel. The feet of the
• 1:33:16
  Speaker 1: adversaries touched each other. Several times, the cloak of one
• 1:33:20
  Speaker 1: was pierced by the sword of the other more than once.
• 1:33:23
  Speaker 1: The words die then rang out, but each time the
• 1:33:27
  Speaker 1: seemingly vanquished combatants sprang up unwounded, as agile and as life,
• 1:33:31
  Speaker 1: and as quick as ever. While he, in his turn,
• 1:33:34
  Speaker 1: pressed the enemy home. There was neither truth nor pause.
• 1:33:38
  Speaker 1: No clever feints nor fencer's tricks could be employed on
• 1:33:41
  Speaker 1: either side. It was a mortal combat, but chance, not skill,
• 1:33:45
  Speaker 1: would deal the death blow. Sometimes a rapid pass encountered
• 1:33:49
  Speaker 1: only empty air. Sometimes blade crossed blade above the wheeler's heads.
• 1:33:54
  Speaker 1: Sometimes the fencers lunged at each other's breasts, and yet
• 1:33:56
  Speaker 1: the blows glanced aside at the last moment, and the
• 1:33:59
  Speaker 1: blades met in air once more. At last, however, one
• 1:34:04
  Speaker 1: of the two, making a pass to the right which
• 1:34:06
  Speaker 1: left his breast unguarded, received a deep wound. Uttering a
• 1:34:10
  Speaker 1: loud cry. He recoiled a step or two, but, exhausted
• 1:34:13
  Speaker 1: by the effort, tripped and fell backward over a large stone,
• 1:34:17
  Speaker 1: and lay there motionless, his arms extended in the form
• 1:34:20
  Speaker 1: of a cross. The other turned and fled. Hark Desjars,
• 1:34:27
  Speaker 1: said Janine, stopping. There's fighting going on hereabouts. I hear
• 1:34:31
  Speaker 1: the clash of swords. Both listened intently. I hear nothing. Now, hush,
• 1:34:39
  Speaker 1: there it goes again. It's by the church. What a
• 1:34:42
  Speaker 1: dreadful cry. They ran at full speed towards the place
• 1:34:46
  Speaker 1: whence it seemed to come, but found only solitude, darkness,
• 1:34:50
  Speaker 1: and silence. They looked in every direction. I can't see
• 1:34:54
  Speaker 1: a living soul, said Janine. And I very much fear
• 1:34:58
  Speaker 1: that the poor devil who gave that l has mumbled
• 1:35:00
  Speaker 1: his last prayer. I don't know why I tremble, so,
• 1:35:06
  Speaker 1: replied Dajars. That heart rending cry made me shiver from
• 1:35:09
  Speaker 1: head to foot. Was it not something like the chevalier's voice.
• 1:35:14
  Speaker 1: The Chevalet is with Lagerci, and even if he had
• 1:35:17
  Speaker 1: left her, this would not have been his way to
• 1:35:20
  Speaker 1: rejoin us. Let us go on and leave the dead
• 1:35:22
  Speaker 1: in peace. Look, Cherine, what is that in front of
• 1:35:27
  Speaker 1: us on that stone? A man who has fallen, yes
• 1:35:34
  Speaker 1: and bathed in blood? Exclaimed Dajars, who had darted to
• 1:35:38
  Speaker 1: his side. Huh it is he is he? Look? His
• 1:35:42
  Speaker 1: eyes are closed, his hands cold, by my child. He
• 1:35:46
  Speaker 1: does not hear me. Oh, who has murdered him? He
• 1:35:50
  Speaker 1: fell on his knees and threw himself on the body,
• 1:35:53
  Speaker 1: with every mark of the most violent despair. Come, come,
• 1:35:58
  Speaker 1: said Janine, surprised that such an explosion of grief from
• 1:36:02
  Speaker 1: a man accustomed to duels, and who, on several similar occasions,
• 1:36:05
  Speaker 1: had been far from displaying much tenderness of heart. Collect
• 1:36:09
  Speaker 1: yourself and don't give way like a woman. Perhaps the
• 1:36:12
  Speaker 1: wound is not mortal. Let us try to stop the
• 1:36:15
  Speaker 1: bleeding and call for help. No, no, are you mad?
• 1:36:21
  Speaker 1: Don't call for Heaven's sake. The wound is here near
• 1:36:25
  Speaker 1: the heart. Your handkerchief, Janine, to arrest the flow of
• 1:36:29
  Speaker 1: blood there. Now, help me to lift him. What does
• 1:36:33
  Speaker 1: that mean? Cried Janine, who had just laid his hands
• 1:36:36
  Speaker 1: on the chevalier. I don't know whether I'm awake or asleep.
• 1:36:41
  Speaker 1: Why it's sir, be silent on your life. I shall
• 1:36:45
  Speaker 1: explain everything, but now be silent. There is someone looking
• 1:36:49
  Speaker 1: at us. There was, indeed a man wrapped in a mantle,
• 1:36:53
  Speaker 1: standing motionless some steps away. What are you doing here?
• 1:36:58
  Speaker 1: Asked the jars. May I ask what you are doing? Gentlemen? Retorted, Maitrequinebert,
• 1:37:05
  Speaker 1: in a calm and steady voice. Your curiosity may cost you,
• 1:37:10
  Speaker 1: dear monsieur. We are not in the habit of allowing
• 1:37:12
  Speaker 1: our actions to be spied on, and I am not
• 1:37:16
  Speaker 1: in the habit of running useless risks most noble cavaliers
• 1:37:20
  Speaker 1: you are. It is true, two against one, but he added,
• 1:37:24
  Speaker 1: throwing back his cloak and grasping the hilts of a
• 1:37:26
  Speaker 1: pair of pistols tucked in his belt, These will make
• 1:37:29
  Speaker 1: us equal. You are mistaken as to my intentions. I
• 1:37:33
  Speaker 1: had no thought of playing the spy. It was chance
• 1:37:36
  Speaker 1: alone that led me here, and you must acknowledge that
• 1:37:38
  Speaker 1: finding you in this lonely spot, engaged as you are
• 1:37:41
  Speaker 1: at this hour of the night, was quite enough to
• 1:37:44
  Speaker 1: awake the curiosity of a man as little disposed to
• 1:37:47
  Speaker 1: provoke a quarrel as to submit to threats. It was
• 1:37:51
  Speaker 1: chance also that brought us here. We were crossing the square,
• 1:37:55
  Speaker 1: my friend and I, when we heard groans. We followed
• 1:37:58
  Speaker 1: the sound and found this young gallant, who is a
• 1:38:00
  Speaker 1: stranger to us, lying here with a wound in his breast.
• 1:38:06
  Speaker 1: As the moon at that moment gleamed doubtfully forth, maitre
• 1:38:10
  Speaker 1: Quinebert bent for an instant over the body of the
• 1:38:12
  Speaker 1: wounded man, and said, I know him more than you.
• 1:38:17
  Speaker 1: But supposing some one were to come upon us here,
• 1:38:20
  Speaker 1: we might easily be taken for three assassins. Holding a
• 1:38:23
  Speaker 1: consultation over the corpse of our victim. What were you
• 1:38:26
  Speaker 1: going to do? Take him to a doctor? It would
• 1:38:30
  Speaker 1: be inhuman to leave him here. And while we are talking,
• 1:38:33
  Speaker 1: precious time is being lost. Do you belong to this neighborhood, No,
• 1:38:40
  Speaker 1: said the treasurer. Neither do, I said Quennebet. But I
• 1:38:45
  Speaker 1: believe I have heard the name of a surgeon who
• 1:38:47
  Speaker 1: lives close by in the rue Haltvill. I also know
• 1:38:52
  Speaker 1: of one, interposed the Jars, a very skillful man. You
• 1:38:58
  Speaker 1: may command me gladly, monsieur, for he lives some distance
• 1:39:02
  Speaker 1: from here. I am at your service. Djars and Janine
• 1:39:08
  Speaker 1: raised the chevaler's shoulders, and the stranger supported his legs
• 1:39:11
  Speaker 1: and carrying their burden. But this order they set off.
• 1:39:15
  Speaker 1: They walked slowly, looking about them carefully, a precaution rendered
• 1:39:18
  Speaker 1: necessary by the fact that the moon now rode in
• 1:39:20
  Speaker 1: a cloudless sky. They glided over the Pauseaint Michel, between
• 1:39:25
  Speaker 1: the houses that lined both sides, and turning to the right,
• 1:39:28
  Speaker 1: entered one of the narrow streets of the city, and
• 1:39:31
  Speaker 1: after many turnings, during which they met no one, they
• 1:39:35
  Speaker 1: stopped at the door of a house situated behind the
• 1:39:37
  Speaker 1: Hotel de Y. Many thanks, monsieur, said Dsjars, many thanks.
• 1:39:43
  Speaker 1: We need no further help. As the commander spoke Maitrequinebert
• 1:39:47
  Speaker 1: let the feet of the chevaler it fall abruptly on
• 1:39:50
  Speaker 1: the pavement, while thesjars and the treasurer still supported his body,
• 1:39:54
  Speaker 1: and stepping back two paces, he drew his pistols from
• 1:39:57
  Speaker 1: his belt, and, placing a finger on each trigger, said,
• 1:40:00
  Speaker 1: do not stir, monsieurs, are you are dead men? Both,
• 1:40:04
  Speaker 1: although encumbered by their burden, laid their hands upon their swords.
• 1:40:09
  Speaker 1: Not a movement, not a sound, or I shoot. There
• 1:40:13
  Speaker 1: was no reply to this argument, it being a convincing one,
• 1:40:17
  Speaker 1: even for two duellists. The bravest man turns pale when
• 1:40:20
  Speaker 1: he finds himself face to face with sudden, inevitable death,
• 1:40:24
  Speaker 1: and he who threatened seemed to be one who would,
• 1:40:26
  Speaker 1: without hesitation, carry out his threats. There was nothing for
• 1:40:30
  Speaker 1: it but obedience or a ball through them. As they stood,
• 1:40:34
  Speaker 1: what do you want with us, Sir, asked Janine Quennebert,
• 1:40:38
  Speaker 1: without changing his attitude, replied Commander de Jars, and you,
• 1:40:43
  Speaker 1: Monsieur Jeanine de Castile, King's treasurer. You see, my gentles,
• 1:40:47
  Speaker 1: let besides the advantage of arms which strike swiftly and surely,
• 1:40:51
  Speaker 1: I have the further advantage of knowing who you are,
• 1:40:54
  Speaker 1: whilst I am myself unknown. You will carry the wounded
• 1:40:58
  Speaker 1: man into this house, into which I will not enter,
• 1:41:01
  Speaker 1: for I have nothing to do within, but I shall
• 1:41:03
  Speaker 1: remain here to await your return. After you have handed
• 1:41:07
  Speaker 1: over the patient to the doctor, you will proke your
• 1:41:09
  Speaker 1: paper and write. Now pay great attention that on November twentieth,
• 1:41:13
  Speaker 1: sixteen fifty eight, about midnight, you, aided by an unknown man,
• 1:41:18
  Speaker 1: carried to this house, the address of which you will
• 1:41:20
  Speaker 1: give a young man whom you call the Chevalet de
• 1:41:23
  Speaker 1: Morange and pass off as your nephew, as he really
• 1:41:27
  Speaker 1: is very well. But who told you let me go on?
• 1:41:34
  Speaker 1: Who had been wounded in a fight with swords on
• 1:41:36
  Speaker 1: the same night behind the church of Saint Andre Desads
• 1:41:40
  Speaker 1: by the Duc d Vitry, the Duke da Vitry. How
• 1:41:44
  Speaker 1: do you know that no matter how I know it
• 1:41:47
  Speaker 1: for a fact. Having made this declaration, you will add
• 1:41:51
  Speaker 1: that the said Chevalet de Morange is no other than
• 1:41:54
  Speaker 1: Josephine Charlot de Boulenois, whom you commander abducted four months
• 1:41:59
  Speaker 1: ago from the convent of La Raquette, whom you have
• 1:42:02
  Speaker 1: made your mistress, and whom you conceal disguised as a man.
• 1:42:06
  Speaker 1: Then you will add your signature is my information correct?
• 1:42:11
  Speaker 1: Disjars and Janine were speechless with surprise, and for a
• 1:42:14
  Speaker 1: few instants. Then the former stammered, will you tell us
• 1:42:19
  Speaker 1: who you are the devil in person? If you like? Well,
• 1:42:24
  Speaker 1: will you do as I order? Supposing that I am
• 1:42:27
  Speaker 1: awkward enough not to kill you at two paces? Do
• 1:42:30
  Speaker 1: you want me to ask you in broad daylight and aloud?
• 1:42:33
  Speaker 1: But I now ask at night and in a whisper.
• 1:42:36
  Speaker 1: And don't think to put me off with a false
• 1:42:38
  Speaker 1: declaration relying on my not being able to read it
• 1:42:41
  Speaker 1: by the light of the moon. Don't think either, that
• 1:42:44
  Speaker 1: you can take me by surprise. When you handed me,
• 1:42:47
  Speaker 1: you will bring it to me with your swords sheathed.
• 1:42:49
  Speaker 1: As now, if this condition is not observed, I shall fire,
• 1:42:52
  Speaker 1: and the noise will bring a crowd about us. Tomorrow
• 1:42:55
  Speaker 1: I shall speak differently. From to day. I shall proclaim
• 1:42:59
  Speaker 1: the truth at all the street corners and the squares,
• 1:43:02
  Speaker 1: and under the windows of the louver. It is hard,
• 1:43:05
  Speaker 1: I know, for men of spirit to yield to threats,
• 1:43:07
  Speaker 1: but recollect that you are in my power, and that
• 1:43:11
  Speaker 1: there is no disgrace in paying a ransom for a
• 1:43:13
  Speaker 1: life that one cannot defend. What do you say? In
• 1:43:18
  Speaker 1: spite of his natural courage, Janine, who found himself involved
• 1:43:21
  Speaker 1: in an affair from which he had nothing to gain,
• 1:43:24
  Speaker 1: and who was not at all desirous of being suspected
• 1:43:26
  Speaker 1: of having helped in an abduction, whispered to the commander faith,
• 1:43:31
  Speaker 1: I think our wisest course is to consent, Desjars. However,
• 1:43:36
  Speaker 1: before replying, wished to try if he could, by any chance,
• 1:43:39
  Speaker 1: throw his enemy off his guard for an instant, so
• 1:43:41
  Speaker 1: as to take him unawares. His hand still rested on
• 1:43:44
  Speaker 1: the hilt of his sword, motionless but ready to draw.
• 1:43:49
  Speaker 1: There is someone coming over yonder, he cried, do you hear.
• 1:43:54
  Speaker 1: You can't catch me in that way, said Quenebert. Even
• 1:43:58
  Speaker 1: were there anyone coming, I should not look round, And
• 1:44:01
  Speaker 1: if you move your hand all is over with you,
• 1:44:05
  Speaker 1: well said Janine. I surrender at discretion, not on my
• 1:44:10
  Speaker 1: own account, but out of regard for my friend and
• 1:44:12
  Speaker 1: this woman. However, we are entitled to some pledge of
• 1:44:17
  Speaker 1: your silence. This statement that you demand, once written, you
• 1:44:21
  Speaker 1: can ruin us tomorrow by its means. I don't yet
• 1:44:26
  Speaker 1: know what use I shall make of it. Gentlemen, make
• 1:44:29
  Speaker 1: up your mind, or you will have nothing but a
• 1:44:31
  Speaker 1: dead body to place in the doctor's hands. There is
• 1:44:34
  Speaker 1: no escape for you. For the first time, the wounded
• 1:44:37
  Speaker 1: man faintly groaned, I must save her, cried Dijars. I yield,
• 1:44:45
  Speaker 1: and I swear upon my honor that I will never
• 1:44:47
  Speaker 1: try to get this woman out of your hands, and
• 1:44:49
  Speaker 1: that I will never interfere with your conquest. Knock, gentlemen,
• 1:44:53
  Speaker 1: and remain as long as may be necessary. I am patient.
• 1:44:57
  Speaker 1: Pray to God, if you will, that she may they recover.
• 1:45:00
  Speaker 1: My one desire is that she may die. They entered
• 1:45:05
  Speaker 1: the house, and Quennebert, wrapping himself once more in his mantle,
• 1:45:08
  Speaker 1: walked up and down before it, stopping to listen from
• 1:45:11
  Speaker 1: time to time. In about two hours, the commander and
• 1:45:14
  Speaker 1: the treasurer came out again and handed him a written
• 1:45:17
  Speaker 1: paper in the manner agreed upon. I greatly fear that
• 1:45:21
  Speaker 1: it will be a certificate of death, said de Jars.
• 1:45:25
  Speaker 1: Heaven granted commander adieu, messieurs. He then withdrew, walking backwards,
• 1:45:31
  Speaker 1: keeping the two friends covered with his pistols, until he
• 1:45:34
  Speaker 1: had placed a sufficient distance between himself and them to
• 1:45:37
  Speaker 1: be out of danger of an attack. The two gentlemen,
• 1:45:41
  Speaker 1: on their part, walked rapidly away, looking round from time
• 1:45:44
  Speaker 1: to time and keeping their ears open. They were very
• 1:45:46
  Speaker 1: much mortified at having been forced to let a mere
• 1:45:49
  Speaker 1: bore dictate to them, and anxious, especially to Jars as
• 1:45:53
  Speaker 1: to the result of the wound. End of chapter six
• 1:45:58
  Speaker 1: recording by John Vanstan Savannah, Georgia. Chapter seven of Celebrated Crimes,
• 1:46:08
  Speaker 1: Volume five, Part two, La Constantine by Alexandre Duma. This
• 1:46:12
  Speaker 1: LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Chapter seven. On
• 1:46:18
  Speaker 1: the day following this extraordinary series of adventures, explanations between
• 1:46:22
  Speaker 1: those who were mixed up in them, whether as actors
• 1:46:25
  Speaker 1: or spectators, were the order of the day. It was
• 1:46:28
  Speaker 1: not till maitre Quinebert reached the house of the friend
• 1:46:31
  Speaker 1: who had offered to put him up for the night,
• 1:46:33
  Speaker 1: that it first dawned on him that the interest which
• 1:46:36
  Speaker 1: the cheviet de Morane had awakened in his mind had
• 1:46:39
  Speaker 1: made him utterly forget the bag containing the twelve hundred
• 1:46:42
  Speaker 1: livres which he owed to the generosity of the widow.
• 1:46:45
  Speaker 1: This money being necessary to him, he went back to
• 1:46:48
  Speaker 1: her early next morning. He found her hardly recovered from
• 1:46:51
  Speaker 1: her terrible fright. Her swoon had lasted far beyond the
• 1:46:54
  Speaker 1: time when the notary had left the house, and as Angelique,
• 1:46:57
  Speaker 1: not daring to enter the bewitched room, had taken refuge
• 1:47:01
  Speaker 1: in the most distant corner of her apartments, The feeble
• 1:47:04
  Speaker 1: call of the widow was heard by no one. Receiving
• 1:47:07
  Speaker 1: no answer, Madame Rapelie groped her way into the next room, and,
• 1:47:11
  Speaker 1: finding that empty, buried herself beneath the bedclothes, and passed
• 1:47:15
  Speaker 1: the rest of the night dreaming of drawn swords and
• 1:47:18
  Speaker 1: duels and murders. As soon as it was light, she
• 1:47:21
  Speaker 1: ventured into the mysterious room once more without calling her servants,
• 1:47:26
  Speaker 1: and found the bag of crowns lying open on the floor,
• 1:47:29
  Speaker 1: with the coins scattered all round, the partition broken, and
• 1:47:33
  Speaker 1: the tapestry hanging from it in shreds. The widow was
• 1:47:36
  Speaker 1: near fainting again, she imagined. At first she saw stains
• 1:47:40
  Speaker 1: of blood everywhere, but a closer inspection having somewhat reassured her,
• 1:47:45
  Speaker 1: she began to pick up the coins that had rolled
• 1:47:47
  Speaker 1: to the right and left, and was agreeably surprised to
• 1:47:50
  Speaker 1: find the tale complete. But how and why had maitre
• 1:47:54
  Speaker 1: Quinevert abandoned them? What had become of him? She had
• 1:47:58
  Speaker 1: got lost in the most absurd suppositions and conjectures. When
• 1:48:01
  Speaker 1: the notary appeared, discovering from the first word, she uttered
• 1:48:05
  Speaker 1: that she was in complete ignorance of all that had
• 1:48:08
  Speaker 1: taken place. He explained to her that when the interview
• 1:48:11
  Speaker 1: between the Chevalier and Mademoiselle de Gerci had just at
• 1:48:14
  Speaker 1: the most interesting moment, been so unceremoniously interrupted by the
• 1:48:18
  Speaker 1: arrival of the Duke, he had become so absorbed in
• 1:48:21
  Speaker 1: watching them that he had not noticed that the partition
• 1:48:23
  Speaker 1: was bending before the pressure of his body, and that
• 1:48:26
  Speaker 1: just as the Duke drew his sword, it suddenly gave way,
• 1:48:29
  Speaker 1: and he Quinebert, being thus left without support, tumbled head
• 1:48:33
  Speaker 1: foremost into the next room, among a perfect chaos of
• 1:48:37
  Speaker 1: overturned furniture and lamps that almost before he could rise,
• 1:48:41
  Speaker 1: he was forced to draw in self defense and had
• 1:48:44
  Speaker 1: to make his escape, defending himself against both the Duke
• 1:48:47
  Speaker 1: and the Chevalier. That they had pursued him so hotly
• 1:48:51
  Speaker 1: that when he found himself free, he was too far
• 1:48:53
  Speaker 1: from the house and the hour was too advanced to
• 1:48:56
  Speaker 1: admit of his returning. Quinebert added innumerable protests, stations of friendship, devotion,
• 1:49:01
  Speaker 1: and gratitude, and furnished with his twelve hundred crowns, went away,
• 1:49:05
  Speaker 1: leaving the widow reassured as to his safety, but still
• 1:49:09
  Speaker 1: shaken from her fright. While the notary was thus soothing,
• 1:49:12
  Speaker 1: the widow Algelique was exhausting all the expedients her trade
• 1:49:16
  Speaker 1: had taught her. In the attempt to remove the Duke's suspicions,
• 1:49:19
  Speaker 1: she asserted she was the victim of an unforeseen attack
• 1:49:22
  Speaker 1: which nothing in her conduct had ever authorized. The young
• 1:49:26
  Speaker 1: Chevaler de Morange had gained admittance, she declared, under the
• 1:49:29
  Speaker 1: pretext that he brought her news from the Duke, the
• 1:49:32
  Speaker 1: one man who occupied her thoughts, the sole object of
• 1:49:35
  Speaker 1: her love. The Chevaler had seen her lover, he said
• 1:49:38
  Speaker 1: a few days before, and by cleverly appealing to things back.
• 1:49:43
  Speaker 1: He had led her to fear that the Duke had
• 1:49:45
  Speaker 1: grown tired of her, and that a new conquest was
• 1:49:48
  Speaker 1: the cause of his absence. She had not believed these insinuations,
• 1:49:52
  Speaker 1: although his long silence would have justified the most mortifying suppositions,
• 1:49:57
  Speaker 1: the most cruel doubts. At length, the sh Chevalier had
• 1:50:01
  Speaker 1: grown bolder and had declared his passion for her, whereupon
• 1:50:04
  Speaker 1: she had risen and ordered him to leave her. Just
• 1:50:06
  Speaker 1: at that moment the Duke had entered, and had taken
• 1:50:09
  Speaker 1: the natural agitation and confusion of the Chevalet as signs
• 1:50:12
  Speaker 1: of her guilt. Some explanation was also necessary to account
• 1:50:16
  Speaker 1: for the presence of the two other visitors, of whom
• 1:50:18
  Speaker 1: he had been told below stairs, as he knew nothing
• 1:50:21
  Speaker 1: at all about them. The servant who admitted them, never
• 1:50:24
  Speaker 1: having seen either of them before. She acknowledged that two
• 1:50:27
  Speaker 1: gentlemen had called earlier in the evening, that they had
• 1:50:29
  Speaker 1: refused to send in their names, but as they had
• 1:50:32
  Speaker 1: said they had come to inquire about the Duke, she
• 1:50:34
  Speaker 1: suspected them of having been in league with the Chevalier
• 1:50:37
  Speaker 1: in the attempt to ruin her reputation. Perhaps they even
• 1:50:41
  Speaker 1: had promised to help him to carry her off, but
• 1:50:43
  Speaker 1: she knew nothing positive about them or their plans. The Duke,
• 1:50:48
  Speaker 1: contrary to his wont did not allow himself to be
• 1:50:51
  Speaker 1: easily convinced by these lame explanations. But unfortunately for him,
• 1:50:55
  Speaker 1: the lady knew how to assume an attitude a favorable
• 1:50:57
  Speaker 1: to her purpose. She had been induced, she said, with
• 1:51:01
  Speaker 1: the simple confidence born of love, to listen to people
• 1:51:04
  Speaker 1: who had led her to suppose they could give her
• 1:51:06
  Speaker 1: news of one so dear to her as the Duke.
• 1:51:09
  Speaker 1: From this falsehoods, she proceeded to bitter reproaches. Instead of
• 1:51:13
  Speaker 1: defending herself, she accused him of having left her a
• 1:51:16
  Speaker 1: prey to anxiety. She went so far as to imply
• 1:51:19
  Speaker 1: that there must be some foundation for the hints of
• 1:51:21
  Speaker 1: the chevalier. Until at last, the Duke, although he was
• 1:51:25
  Speaker 1: not guilty of the slightest infidelity and had excellent reasons
• 1:51:28
  Speaker 1: to give in justification of his silence, was soon reduced
• 1:51:31
  Speaker 1: to a penitent mood, and changed his threats into entreaties
• 1:51:35
  Speaker 1: for forgiveness as to the shriek he had heard, and
• 1:51:39
  Speaker 1: which she was sure had been uttered by the stranger
• 1:51:41
  Speaker 1: who had forced his way into her room after the
• 1:51:43
  Speaker 1: departure of the others. She asserted that his ears must
• 1:51:46
  Speaker 1: have deceived him. Feeling that therein lay her best chance
• 1:51:50
  Speaker 1: of making things smooth, she exerted herself to convince him
• 1:51:53
  Speaker 1: that there was no need for other information than she
• 1:51:55
  Speaker 1: could give, and did all she could to blot the
• 1:51:58
  Speaker 1: whole affair from his memory, and her success was such
• 1:52:02
  Speaker 1: that at the end of the interview the Duke was
• 1:52:04
  Speaker 1: more enamored and more credulous than ever, and, believing he
• 1:52:07
  Speaker 1: had done her wrong, he delivered himself up to her
• 1:52:09
  Speaker 1: bound hand and foot. Two days later he installed his
• 1:52:13
  Speaker 1: mistress in another dwelling. Madame Rapolie also resolved to give
• 1:52:17
  Speaker 1: up her rooms and removed to a house that belonged
• 1:52:20
  Speaker 1: to her on the Ponset Michel. The Commander took the
• 1:52:23
  Speaker 1: condition of Charlotte de Boulenois very much to heart. The
• 1:52:27
  Speaker 1: physician under whose care he had placed her, after examining
• 1:52:30
  Speaker 1: her wounds, had not given much hope of her recovery.
• 1:52:33
  Speaker 1: It was not that Desjars was capable of a lasting love,
• 1:52:36
  Speaker 1: but Charlotte was young and possessed great beauty, and the
• 1:52:39
  Speaker 1: romance and mysteries surrounding their connection gave it piquancy. Charlott's disguise, too,
• 1:52:45
  Speaker 1: which enabled Disjars to conceal his success and yet flaunt
• 1:52:48
  Speaker 1: it in the face as it were, of public morality
• 1:52:51
  Speaker 1: and curiosity, charmed him by its audacity, And above all,
• 1:52:55
  Speaker 1: he was carried away by the bold and uncommon character
• 1:52:58
  Speaker 1: of the girl, who, not content with the prosaic intrigue,
• 1:53:01
  Speaker 1: had trampled underfoot all social prejudices and proprieties, and plunged
• 1:53:05
  Speaker 1: at once into unmeasured and unrestrained dissipation. The singular mingling
• 1:53:11
  Speaker 1: in her nature of the vices of both sexes, the
• 1:53:14
  Speaker 1: unbridled licentiousness of the courtesan, coupled with the devotion of
• 1:53:17
  Speaker 1: a man for horses, wine and fencing. In short, her
• 1:53:21
  Speaker 1: eccentric character, as it would now be called, kept a
• 1:53:24
  Speaker 1: passionate live which would else have quickly died away. In
• 1:53:27
  Speaker 1: his blaise heart. Nothing would induce him to follow Janine's
• 1:53:31
  Speaker 1: advice to leave Paris for at least a few weeks.
• 1:53:34
  Speaker 1: Although he shared Janine's fear that the statement they had
• 1:53:36
  Speaker 1: been forced to give the stranger would bring them into trouble.
• 1:53:40
  Speaker 1: The treasurer who had no love affair on hand, went off.
• 1:53:43
  Speaker 1: But the commander bravely held his ground, and at the
• 1:53:46
  Speaker 1: end of five or six days, during which no one
• 1:53:48
  Speaker 1: disturbed him, began to think the only result of the
• 1:53:50
  Speaker 1: incident would be the anxiety it had cost him. Every evening,
• 1:53:54
  Speaker 1: as soon as it was dark, he betook himself to
• 1:53:56
  Speaker 1: the doctor's wrapped in his cloak, armed to the teeth,
• 1:54:00
  Speaker 1: and his hat pulled down over his eyes. For two
• 1:54:02
  Speaker 1: days and nights. Charlotte whomb to avoid confusion, we shall
• 1:54:05
  Speaker 1: continue to call the Chevalier de Morange hovered between life
• 1:54:09
  Speaker 1: and death. Her youth and the strength of her constitution
• 1:54:12
  Speaker 1: enabled her at last to overcome the fever, in spite
• 1:54:15
  Speaker 1: of the want of skill of the surge in Parigod.
• 1:54:18
  Speaker 1: Although Desjars was the only person who visited the Chevalier,
• 1:54:21
  Speaker 1: he was not the only one who was anxious about
• 1:54:24
  Speaker 1: the patient's health. Maitre Quinebert, or men engaged by him
• 1:54:27
  Speaker 1: to watch for he did not want to attract the tension,
• 1:54:31
  Speaker 1: were always prowling about the neighborhood, so that he was
• 1:54:34
  Speaker 1: kept well informed of everything that went on. The instructions
• 1:54:38
  Speaker 1: he gave to these agents were that if a funeral
• 1:54:40
  Speaker 1: should leave the house. They were to find out the
• 1:54:42
  Speaker 1: name of the deceased, and then to let him know
• 1:54:45
  Speaker 1: without delay. But all these precautions seemed quite useless. He
• 1:54:49
  Speaker 1: always received the same answer to all his questions, we
• 1:54:52
  Speaker 1: know nothing. So at last he determined to address himself
• 1:54:56
  Speaker 1: directly to the man who could give him information on
• 1:54:59
  Speaker 1: which he could rely. One night, the commander left the
• 1:55:02
  Speaker 1: surgeons feeling more cheerful than usual, for the chevalier had
• 1:55:05
  Speaker 1: passed a good day, and there was every hope that
• 1:55:08
  Speaker 1: he was on the road to complete recovery. Hardly had
• 1:55:11
  Speaker 1: Dajars gone twenty paces when some one laid a hand
• 1:55:14
  Speaker 1: on his shoulder. He turned and saw a man whom,
• 1:55:17
  Speaker 1: in the darkness he did not recognize. Excuse me for
• 1:55:20
  Speaker 1: detaining you, commanded Jars, said Buennebert. But I have a
• 1:55:25
  Speaker 1: word to say to you. Ha He so it's you, sir,
• 1:55:30
  Speaker 1: replied the commander. Are you going at last to give
• 1:55:33
  Speaker 1: me the opportunity I was so anxious for? I don't understand.
• 1:55:39
  Speaker 1: We are on more equal terms this time to day.
• 1:55:41
  Speaker 1: You don't catch me unprepared, almost without weapons, And if
• 1:55:45
  Speaker 1: you are a man of honor, you will measure swords
• 1:55:47
  Speaker 1: with me, fight a duel with you? Why, may I ask,
• 1:55:52
  Speaker 1: you have never insulted me? A truce to pleasantry, sir,
• 1:55:56
  Speaker 1: don't make me regret that I have shown myself more
• 1:55:58
  Speaker 1: generous than you. I might have killed you just now,
• 1:56:01
  Speaker 1: had I wished, I could have put my pistol to
• 1:56:04
  Speaker 1: your breast and fired, or said to you surrender a discretion,
• 1:56:08
  Speaker 1: as you so lately said to me. And what use
• 1:56:12
  Speaker 1: would that have been? It would have made a secret
• 1:56:16
  Speaker 1: safe that you ought never to have known. It would
• 1:56:19
  Speaker 1: have been the most unfortunate thing for you that could
• 1:56:22
  Speaker 1: have happened, For if you had killed me, the paper
• 1:56:24
  Speaker 1: would have been spoken. So you think that if you
• 1:56:27
  Speaker 1: were to assassinate me, you would only have to stoop
• 1:56:30
  Speaker 1: over my dead body and search my pockets, and, having
• 1:56:33
  Speaker 1: found the incriminating document, destroy it. You seem to have
• 1:56:36
  Speaker 1: formed no very high opinion of my intelligence and common sense.
• 1:56:41
  Speaker 1: You of the upper classes don't need these qualities of
• 1:56:44
  Speaker 1: the laws on your side. But when a humble individual
• 1:56:47
  Speaker 1: like myself, a mere nobody undertakes to investigate a piece
• 1:56:51
  Speaker 1: of business about which those in authority are not anxious
• 1:56:54
  Speaker 1: to be enlightened, precautions are necessary. It's not enough for
• 1:56:58
  Speaker 1: him to have right on his side. He must, in
• 1:57:01
  Speaker 1: order to secure his own safety, make good use of
• 1:57:04
  Speaker 1: his skill, courage, and knowledge. I have no desire to
• 1:57:07
  Speaker 1: humiliate you a second time, so I will say no more.
• 1:57:10
  Speaker 1: The paper is in the hands of my notary, and
• 1:57:13
  Speaker 1: if a single day passes without his seeing me, he
• 1:57:15
  Speaker 1: has orders to break the seal and make the contents public.
• 1:57:19
  Speaker 1: So you see, chance is still on my side. But
• 1:57:22
  Speaker 1: now that you are warned, there is no need for
• 1:57:25
  Speaker 1: me to bluster. I am quite prepared to acknowledge your
• 1:57:27
  Speaker 1: superior rank, and if you insist upon it, to speak
• 1:57:31
  Speaker 1: to you uncovered. What do you desire to know? Sir?
• 1:57:37
  Speaker 1: How is the chevaliert de mirage getting on very badly,
• 1:57:42
  Speaker 1: very badly? Take care, commander, don't deceive me. One is
• 1:57:47
  Speaker 1: so easily tempted to believe what one hopes, and I
• 1:57:49
  Speaker 1: hope so strongly that I dare not believe what you say.
• 1:57:54
  Speaker 1: I saw you coming out of the house, not at
• 1:57:56
  Speaker 1: all with the air of a man who had just
• 1:57:58
  Speaker 1: heard bad news. Quite the contrary, you looked at the
• 1:58:01
  Speaker 1: sky and rubbed your hands, and walked with a light,
• 1:58:04
  Speaker 1: quick step, and that did not speak of grief. You
• 1:58:08
  Speaker 1: are a sharp observer, sir. I have already explained to you, sir,
• 1:58:13
  Speaker 1: and that when one of us, belonging to a class
• 1:58:15
  Speaker 1: hardly better than serfs, succeeds, by chance or force of character,
• 1:58:19
  Speaker 1: in getting out of the narrow bounds in which he
• 1:58:21
  Speaker 1: was born, he must keep both eyes and ears open.
• 1:58:24
  Speaker 1: If I had doubted your word, as you have doubted
• 1:58:26
  Speaker 1: mine on the merest suspicion, you would have said to
• 1:58:29
  Speaker 1: your servants, chastise this rascal. But I am obliged to
• 1:58:33
  Speaker 1: prove to you that you did not tell me the truth.
• 1:58:35
  Speaker 1: Now I am sure that the chevalier is out of danger.
• 1:58:40
  Speaker 1: If you were so well informed, why did you ask me?
• 1:58:45
  Speaker 1: I only knew it by your asserting the contrary? What
• 1:58:49
  Speaker 1: do you mean? Cried Desjars, who was growing arrestive under
• 1:58:53
  Speaker 1: this cold, satirical politeness. Do me justice, Commander, Oh the
• 1:58:58
  Speaker 1: bit chafes. But yet you must acknowl that I have
• 1:59:00
  Speaker 1: a light hand. For a full week you have been
• 1:59:03
  Speaker 1: in my power. Have I disturbed your quiet? Have I
• 1:59:07
  Speaker 1: betrayed your secret? You know I have not, and I
• 1:59:10
  Speaker 1: shall continue to act in the same manner. I hope
• 1:59:13
  Speaker 1: with all my heart however, great would be your grief
• 1:59:16
  Speaker 1: that the Chevaler may die of his wound. I have
• 1:59:19
  Speaker 1: not the same reasons for loving him that you have.
• 1:59:21
  Speaker 1: So much you can readily understand even if I do
• 1:59:24
  Speaker 1: not explain the cause of my interest in his fate.
• 1:59:27
  Speaker 1: But in such a matter, hopes count for nothing. They
• 1:59:30
  Speaker 1: cannot make his temperature either rise or fall. I have
• 1:59:34
  Speaker 1: told you I have no wish to force the Chevaler
• 1:59:37
  Speaker 1: to resume his real name. I may make use of
• 1:59:40
  Speaker 1: the document and I may not. But if I am
• 1:59:42
  Speaker 1: obliged to use it, I shall give you warning. Will you,
• 1:59:45
  Speaker 1: in return swear to me, upon your honor, that you
• 1:59:48
  Speaker 1: will keep me informed as to the fate of the Chevaler,
• 1:59:51
  Speaker 1: whether you remain in Paris or whether you leave. But
• 1:59:54
  Speaker 1: let this agreement be a secret between us, and do
• 1:59:56
  Speaker 1: not mention it to the so called morange. I have
• 2:00:01
  Speaker 1: your oath, monsieur, that you will give me notice before
• 2:00:05
  Speaker 1: you use the document I have given you against me
• 2:00:07
  Speaker 1: have I? But what guarantee have I that you will
• 2:00:10
  Speaker 1: keep your word my course of action till to day.
• 2:00:15
  Speaker 1: And the fact that I have pledged you my word
• 2:00:17
  Speaker 1: of my own free will I see you hope not
• 2:00:22
  Speaker 1: to have long to wait for the end. I hope not.
• 2:00:26
  Speaker 1: But meantime a premature disclosure would do me as much
• 2:00:29
  Speaker 1: harm as you. I have not the slightest rancor against you, Commander.
• 2:00:33
  Speaker 1: You have robbed me of no treasure. I have therefore
• 2:00:36
  Speaker 1: no compensation to demand what you place such value on
• 2:00:40
  Speaker 1: would be only a burden to me, as it will
• 2:00:42
  Speaker 1: be to you later on. All I want is to know,
• 2:00:45
  Speaker 1: as soon as it is no longer in your possession,
• 2:00:48
  Speaker 1: whether it has been removed by the will of God
• 2:00:50
  Speaker 1: or by your own. I am right in thinking that
• 2:00:53
  Speaker 1: to day there is some hope of the chevalier's recovery.
• 2:00:56
  Speaker 1: Am I not? Yes, sir? Do you give me your
• 2:01:01
  Speaker 1: promise that if ever he leaves this house safe and sound,
• 2:01:05
  Speaker 1: you will let me know. I give you my promise,
• 2:01:10
  Speaker 1: and if the result should be different, you will also
• 2:01:12
  Speaker 1: send me word. Certainly, But to whom shall I address
• 2:01:17
  Speaker 1: my message? I should have thought that since our first
• 2:01:20
  Speaker 1: meeting you would have found out all about me, and
• 2:01:23
  Speaker 1: that to tell you my name would be superfluous. But
• 2:01:26
  Speaker 1: I have no reason to hide it. Make your guenepet
• 2:01:29
  Speaker 1: notary saint deny. I will not detain you any longer now, Commander,
• 2:01:33
  Speaker 1: excuse a simple citizen for dictating conditions to a noble
• 2:01:36
  Speaker 1: such as you. For once chance has been on my side,
• 2:01:39
  Speaker 1: although a score of times it has gone against me.
• 2:01:43
  Speaker 1: Desjarres made no reply except a nod, and walked away,
• 2:01:46
  Speaker 1: quickly muttering words of suppressed anger between his teeth and
• 2:01:49
  Speaker 1: all the humiliations to which he had been obliged to
• 2:01:52
  Speaker 1: submit so meekly. He's an insolent as a varlet who
• 2:01:56
  Speaker 1: has no fear of a lerupping before his eyes. How
• 2:01:59
  Speaker 1: the refts go gloried in taking advantage of his position,
• 2:02:03
  Speaker 1: taking off his hat while putting his foot on my neck.
• 2:02:06
  Speaker 1: If ever I can be even with you, my worthy scrivener,
• 2:02:09
  Speaker 1: you'll pass a very bad quarter of an hour. I
• 2:02:11
  Speaker 1: can tell you. Everyone has his own idea of what
• 2:02:15
  Speaker 1: constitutes perfect honor. Disjars, for instance, would have allowed himself
• 2:02:20
  Speaker 1: to be cut up into little pieces rather than have
• 2:02:22
  Speaker 1: broken the promise he had given Quinebert a week ago,
• 2:02:25
  Speaker 1: because it was given in exchange for his life, and
• 2:02:28
  Speaker 1: the slightest paltering with his word under those circumstances would
• 2:02:31
  Speaker 1: have been dasterly. But the engagement into which he had
• 2:02:35
  Speaker 1: just entered, had in his eyes no such moral sanction.
• 2:02:38
  Speaker 1: He had not been forced into it by threats, He
• 2:02:41
  Speaker 1: had escaped, by its means no serious danger, and therefore,
• 2:02:44
  Speaker 1: in regard to it as conscience was much more accommodating.
• 2:02:48
  Speaker 1: What he should best have liked to do would have
• 2:02:50
  Speaker 1: been to have sought out the notary and provoked him
• 2:02:52
  Speaker 1: by insults, to send him a challenge that a clown
• 2:02:56
  Speaker 1: such as that could have any chance of leaving the
• 2:02:58
  Speaker 1: ground alive. Never entered his head, but willingly, as he
• 2:03:01
  Speaker 1: would have encompassed his death in this manner, or the
• 2:03:04
  Speaker 1: knowledge that his secret would not die with gweneveret restrained him,
• 2:03:08
  Speaker 1: for when everything came out, he felt that the notary's
• 2:03:10
  Speaker 1: death would be regarded as an aggravation of his original offense.
• 2:03:14
  Speaker 1: And in spite of his rank, he was not at
• 2:03:16
  Speaker 1: all certain that if he were put on his trial
• 2:03:18
  Speaker 1: even now, he would escape scot free, much less if
• 2:03:22
  Speaker 1: a new offense were added to the indictment. So, however
• 2:03:25
  Speaker 1: much he might chafe against the bit, he felt he
• 2:03:28
  Speaker 1: must submit to the bridle by God, said he, I
• 2:03:32
  Speaker 1: know what that clod hopper is after, and even if
• 2:03:35
  Speaker 1: I must suffer in consequence, I shall take good care
• 2:03:37
  Speaker 1: that he cannot shake off his bonds. Wait a bit,
• 2:03:41
  Speaker 1: I can play the detective too, and be down on
• 2:03:44
  Speaker 1: him without letting him see the hand that deals the blows.
• 2:03:47
  Speaker 1: It'll be a wonder if I can't find a naked
• 2:03:49
  Speaker 1: sword to suspend above his head. However, while thus brooding
• 2:03:54
  Speaker 1: over projects of vengeance, Commander Jars kept his word, and
• 2:03:58
  Speaker 1: about a month after the inner few above related, he
• 2:04:01
  Speaker 1: sent word to Quenebert that the Chevalert de Mirange had
• 2:04:04
  Speaker 1: left Paragoles completely recovered from his wound. But the nearly
• 2:04:08
  Speaker 1: fatal result of the chevalier's last prank seemed to have
• 2:04:11
  Speaker 1: subdued his adventurous spirit. He was no longer seen in public,
• 2:04:16
  Speaker 1: and was soon forgotten by all his acquaintances, with the
• 2:04:18
  Speaker 1: exception of Mademoiselle d Gerci. She faithfully treasured up the
• 2:04:22
  Speaker 1: memory of his words of passion, his looks of love,
• 2:04:25
  Speaker 1: the warmth of his caresses, although at first she struggled
• 2:04:28
  Speaker 1: hard to chase his image from her heart. But as
• 2:04:32
  Speaker 1: the Duke de Vitri assured her that he had killed
• 2:04:34
  Speaker 1: him on the spot, she considered it no breach of
• 2:04:36
  Speaker 1: faith to think lovingly of the dead, And while she
• 2:04:39
  Speaker 1: took the goods so bounteously provided by her living lover,
• 2:04:43
  Speaker 1: her gentless thoughts, her most enduring regrets were given to
• 2:04:47
  Speaker 1: one whom she never hoped to see again. End of
• 2:04:51
  Speaker 1: Chapter seven recording by John Vanstan Savannah, Georgia. Chapter eight
• 2:05:01
  Speaker 1: of Celebrated Crimes, Volume five, Part two, La Constantine by
• 2:05:05
  Speaker 1: Alexandre Duma. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain.
• 2:05:10
  Speaker 1: Chapter eight. With the reader's permission, we must now jump
• 2:05:14
  Speaker 1: over an interval of rather more than a year, and
• 2:05:17
  Speaker 1: bring upon the stage a person who, though only of
• 2:05:20
  Speaker 1: secondary importance, can no longer be left behind the scenes.
• 2:05:24
  Speaker 1: We have already said that the loves of Quennebert and
• 2:05:26
  Speaker 1: Madame Rapellie were regarded with a jealous eye by a
• 2:05:29
  Speaker 1: distant cousin of the lady's late husband. The love of
• 2:05:33
  Speaker 1: this rejected suitor, whose name was Troumeau, was no more
• 2:05:36
  Speaker 1: sincere than the notaries, nor were his motives more honorable.
• 2:05:40
  Speaker 1: Although his personal appearance was not such as to lead
• 2:05:43
  Speaker 1: him to expect that his path would be strewn with conquests,
• 2:05:46
  Speaker 1: he considered that his charms at least equal those of
• 2:05:49
  Speaker 1: his defunct relative, and it may be said that in
• 2:05:52
  Speaker 1: thus estimating them, he did not lay himself open to
• 2:05:54
  Speaker 1: the charge of overwhelming vanity. But however persistently he pre
• 2:06:00
  Speaker 1: himself before the widow, she vouchsafed him at not one glance.
• 2:06:04
  Speaker 1: Her heart was filled with the love of his rival.
• 2:06:06
  Speaker 1: And it is no easy thing to tear a rooted
• 2:06:09
  Speaker 1: passion out of a widow's heart when that widow's age
• 2:06:11
  Speaker 1: is forty six, and she is silly enough to believe
• 2:06:14
  Speaker 1: that the admiration she feels is equalled by the admiration
• 2:06:17
  Speaker 1: she inspires. As the unfortunate Trumau found, to his cost,
• 2:06:23
  Speaker 1: all his carefully prepared declarations of love, all his skillful
• 2:06:26
  Speaker 1: insinuations against guinebt, brought him nothing but scornful rebuffs. But
• 2:06:31
  Speaker 1: Troumau was nothing if not persevering, and he could not
• 2:06:34
  Speaker 1: habituate himself to the idea of seeing the widow's fortune
• 2:06:37
  Speaker 1: pass into another hands than his own, so that every
• 2:06:41
  Speaker 1: baffled move only increased his determination to spoil his competitor's game.
• 2:06:46
  Speaker 1: He was always on the watch for a chance to
• 2:06:48
  Speaker 1: carry tales to the widow, And so absorbed did he
• 2:06:51
  Speaker 1: become in this fruitless pursuit that he grew yellower and
• 2:06:54
  Speaker 1: more dried up from day to day, and to his
• 2:06:57
  Speaker 1: jauntest eye, the man who was at first simply his rival,
• 2:07:01
  Speaker 1: became his mortal enemy and the object of his implacable hate,
• 2:07:05
  Speaker 1: so that at length, merely to get the better of him,
• 2:07:08
  Speaker 1: to outwit him, would, after so long continued an obstinate
• 2:07:12
  Speaker 1: a struggle, and so many defeats have seemed to him
• 2:07:14
  Speaker 1: too mild a vengeance, too incomplete a victory. Quenebert was
• 2:07:19
  Speaker 1: well aware of the zeal with which the indefatigable Troumaux
• 2:07:23
  Speaker 1: sought to injure him, but he regarded the maneuvers of
• 2:07:25
  Speaker 1: his rival with supreme unconcern, For he knew that he
• 2:07:28
  Speaker 1: could at any time sweep away the network of cunning machinations,
• 2:07:32
  Speaker 1: underhand insinuations, and malicious hints which was spread about him,
• 2:07:36
  Speaker 1: by allowing the widow to confer on him the advantages
• 2:07:39
  Speaker 1: she was so anxious to bestow. The goal, he knew,
• 2:07:43
  Speaker 1: was within his reach. But the problem he had to
• 2:07:45
  Speaker 1: solve was how to linger on the way thither, how
• 2:07:48
  Speaker 1: to defer the triumphal moment, how to keep hope alive
• 2:07:52
  Speaker 1: in the fair one's breast, and yet delay its fruition.
• 2:07:55
  Speaker 1: His affairs were in a bad way. A day by
• 2:07:58
  Speaker 1: day full possession of the fortune thus dangled before his eyes,
• 2:08:01
  Speaker 1: and fragments of which came to him occasionally by way
• 2:08:04
  Speaker 1: of loan, was becoming more and more indispensable and tantalizing
• 2:08:08
  Speaker 1: though it was. Yet he dared not put out his
• 2:08:11
  Speaker 1: hand to seize it. His creditors dunned him relentlessly. One
• 2:08:15
  Speaker 1: final reprieve had been granted him, but that at an end.
• 2:08:19
  Speaker 1: If he could not meet their demands, it was all
• 2:08:21
  Speaker 1: up with his career and reputation. One morning in the
• 2:08:25
  Speaker 1: beginning of February sixteen sixty, Trumau called to see his cousin.
• 2:08:30
  Speaker 1: He had not been there for nearly a month, and
• 2:08:32
  Speaker 1: Quinnebert and the widow had begun to think that, hopeless
• 2:08:35
  Speaker 1: of success, he had retired from the contest. But far
• 2:08:39
  Speaker 1: from that, his hatred had grown more intense than ever,
• 2:08:42
  Speaker 1: And having come upon the traces of an event in
• 2:08:44
  Speaker 1: the past life of his rival, which, if proved, would
• 2:08:47
  Speaker 1: be the ruin of that rival's hopes, he set himself
• 2:08:50
  Speaker 1: to gather evidence. He now made his appearance with beaming
• 2:08:54
  Speaker 1: looks which expressed a joy too great for words. He
• 2:08:57
  Speaker 1: held in one hand a small scroll tied with a
• 2:09:00
  Speaker 1: He found the widow alone, sitting in a large easy
• 2:09:03
  Speaker 1: chair before the fire. She was reading for the twentieth
• 2:09:06
  Speaker 1: time a letter which Buenebert had written her the evening before.
• 2:09:10
  Speaker 1: To judge by the happy and contented expression of the
• 2:09:13
  Speaker 1: widow's face, it must have been couched in glowing terms.
• 2:09:16
  Speaker 1: Troummeau guessed at once from whom the missive came. But
• 2:09:19
  Speaker 1: the sight of it, instead of irritating him, called forth
• 2:09:22
  Speaker 1: a smile. Ah, so it's you, cousin, said the widow,
• 2:09:28
  Speaker 1: folding the precious paper and slipping it into the bosom
• 2:09:30
  Speaker 1: of her dress. How do you do. It's a long
• 2:09:33
  Speaker 1: time since I saw you, more than a fortnight. I
• 2:09:37
  Speaker 1: think have you been ill? So you remarked my absence?
• 2:09:42
  Speaker 1: That is very flattering, my dear cousin. You do not
• 2:09:45
  Speaker 1: often spoil me by such attentions. No, I have not
• 2:09:48
  Speaker 1: been ill, thank God, But I thought it better not
• 2:09:51
  Speaker 1: to intrude upon you so often. A friendly call now
• 2:09:55
  Speaker 1: and then, such as to day's is what you like,
• 2:09:57
  Speaker 1: is it not? By the way, tell me about your
• 2:10:01
  Speaker 1: handsome suitor, maitre Quinnebert. How is he getting along. You
• 2:10:07
  Speaker 1: look very knowing, Trumau. Have you heard of anything happening
• 2:10:11
  Speaker 1: to him? No? And I should be exceedingly sorry to
• 2:10:15
  Speaker 1: hear that anything unpleasant had happened to him. Now you
• 2:10:20
  Speaker 1: are not saying what you think. You know you can't
• 2:10:24
  Speaker 1: bear him well to speak the truth. I have no
• 2:10:28
  Speaker 1: great reason to like him. If it were not for him,
• 2:10:32
  Speaker 1: I should perhaps have been happy to day my love
• 2:10:35
  Speaker 1: might have moved your heart. However, I have become resigned
• 2:10:39
  Speaker 1: to my loss. And since your choice has fallen on him,
• 2:10:43
  Speaker 1: and here he sighed, well, all I can say is
• 2:10:47
  Speaker 1: I hope you may never regret it. Many thanks for
• 2:10:52
  Speaker 1: your good will, cousin. I am delighted to find you
• 2:10:55
  Speaker 1: in such a benevolent mood. You must not be vexed
• 2:10:58
  Speaker 1: because I could not give you the kind of love
• 2:11:00
  Speaker 1: if you wanted. The heart you know is not amenable
• 2:11:03
  Speaker 1: to reason. There is only one thing I should like
• 2:11:07
  Speaker 1: to ask. What is it? I mention it for your
• 2:11:12
  Speaker 1: good more than for my own. If you want to
• 2:11:16
  Speaker 1: be happy, don't let this handsome quill driver get you
• 2:11:19
  Speaker 1: entirely into his hands. You are saying to yourself that
• 2:11:22
  Speaker 1: because of my ill success with you, I am trying
• 2:11:24
  Speaker 1: to injure him. But what if I could prove that
• 2:11:27
  Speaker 1: he does not love you as much as he pretends? A? Come, come,
• 2:11:32
  Speaker 1: control your naughty tongue. Are you going to begin backbiting again?
• 2:11:37
  Speaker 1: You are playing a mean part, trueau, I have never
• 2:11:40
  Speaker 1: hinted to Maitre Quinebert, all the nasty little ways in
• 2:11:43
  Speaker 1: which you have tried to put a spoke in his wheel.
• 2:11:46
  Speaker 1: For if he knew, he would ask you to prove
• 2:11:48
  Speaker 1: your words, and then you would look very foolish, not
• 2:11:53
  Speaker 1: at all, I swear to you. On the contrary, if
• 2:11:57
  Speaker 1: I were to tell all I know in his presence,
• 2:11:59
  Speaker 1: it is not I who would be disconcerted. No, I
• 2:12:03
  Speaker 1: am weary of meeting with nothing from you but snub,
• 2:12:06
  Speaker 1: scorn and abuse. You'd think me a slanderer when I
• 2:12:09
  Speaker 1: say this gallant wooer of widows does not love you
• 2:12:13
  Speaker 1: for yourself but for your money bags. He fools you
• 2:12:16
  Speaker 1: by fine promises, But as to marrying you never never.
• 2:12:22
  Speaker 1: May I ask you to repeat that broke in Madame rapidly? Oh,
• 2:12:27
  Speaker 1: I know what I am saying. You will never be
• 2:12:30
  Speaker 1: Madame Quinebert. Really, really, jealousy has eaten away whatever brains
• 2:12:39
  Speaker 1: you used to possess Trumau. Since I saw you last, cousin,
• 2:12:43
  Speaker 1: important changes have taken place. I was just going to
• 2:12:46
  Speaker 1: send you to day an invitation to my wedding, to
• 2:12:51
  Speaker 1: your wedding. Yes, I am to be married tomorrow, To tomorrow,
• 2:12:59
  Speaker 1: to Quinebert, stammered Trumau. To Quinebert, repeated the widow in
• 2:13:06
  Speaker 1: a tone of triumph. It's not possible, exclaimed Trumau. It
• 2:13:12
  Speaker 1: is so possible that you will see us united tomorrow
• 2:13:15
  Speaker 1: and for the future. I must beg of you to
• 2:13:17
  Speaker 1: regard Quinnebert no longer as a rival, but as my husband,
• 2:13:21
  Speaker 1: whom to offend will be to offend me. The tone
• 2:13:25
  Speaker 1: in which these words were spoken no longer left room
• 2:13:28
  Speaker 1: for doubt as to the truth of the news. Trumau
• 2:13:31
  Speaker 1: looked down for a few moments, as if reflecting deeply,
• 2:13:34
  Speaker 1: before definitely making up his mind. He twisted the little
• 2:13:38
  Speaker 1: roll of papers between his fingers and seemed to be
• 2:13:40
  Speaker 1: in doubt whether to open it and give it to
• 2:13:42
  Speaker 1: Madame Repellie, or to read or not. In the end, however,
• 2:13:46
  Speaker 1: he put it in his pocket, rose and, approaching his cousin,
• 2:13:49
  Speaker 1: said I beg your pardon this news completely changes my
• 2:13:55
  Speaker 1: opinion from the moment to mature. Quinebeert becomes your husband,
• 2:13:58
  Speaker 1: I shall not have a word to say against him.
• 2:14:02
  Speaker 1: My suspicions were unjust, I confess it frankly, and I
• 2:14:05
  Speaker 1: hope that, in consideration of the motives which prompted me,
• 2:14:08
  Speaker 1: you will forget the warmth of my attacks. I shall
• 2:14:12
  Speaker 1: make no protestations, but shall let the future show how
• 2:14:16
  Speaker 1: sincere is my devotion to your interests. Madame Rappolie was
• 2:14:21
  Speaker 1: too happy, too certain of being loved, not to pardon
• 2:14:24
  Speaker 1: easily with the self complacency and factitious generosity of a
• 2:14:29
  Speaker 1: woman who feels herself the object of two violent passions.
• 2:14:33
  Speaker 1: She was so good as to feel pity for the
• 2:14:35
  Speaker 1: lover who was left out in the cold, and offered
• 2:14:38
  Speaker 1: him her hand. Trueau kissed it with every outward mark
• 2:14:41
  Speaker 1: of respect, while his lips curled unseen in a smite
• 2:14:44
  Speaker 1: of mockery. The cousins parted, apparently the best of friends,
• 2:14:49
  Speaker 1: and on the understanding that Troumau would be present at
• 2:14:52
  Speaker 1: the nuptial benediction, which was to be given in a
• 2:14:54
  Speaker 1: church beyond the town hall, near the house in which
• 2:14:57
  Speaker 1: the newly married couple were to live the house on
• 2:15:00
  Speaker 1: the paint Saint Michel, having lately been sold to great
• 2:15:03
  Speaker 1: advantage on my word, said Trummel as he went off.
• 2:15:08
  Speaker 1: It would have been a great mistake to have spoken.
• 2:15:11
  Speaker 1: I have got that wretch of a Quanebeart into my
• 2:15:13
  Speaker 1: clutches at last, and there is nobody but himself to blame.
• 2:15:17
  Speaker 1: He is taking the plunge of his own free will.
• 2:15:20
  Speaker 1: There is no need for me to shove him off
• 2:15:22
  Speaker 1: the precipice. The ceremony took place next day. Gueneveret conducted
• 2:15:27
  Speaker 1: his interesting bride to the altar. She hung with ornaments
• 2:15:31
  Speaker 1: like the shrine of a saint, and beaming all over
• 2:15:34
  Speaker 1: with smiles, looked so ridiculous that the handsome bridegroom reddened
• 2:15:38
  Speaker 1: to the roots of his hair with shame. Just as
• 2:15:41
  Speaker 1: they entered the church, a coffin on which lay a sword,
• 2:15:44
  Speaker 1: and which was followed by a single mourner, who from
• 2:15:47
  Speaker 1: his manners and dress seemed to belong to the class
• 2:15:49
  Speaker 1: of nobles, was carried in by the same door. The
• 2:15:53
  Speaker 1: wedding guest drew back to let the funeral pass on
• 2:15:56
  Speaker 1: the living, giving precedence to the dead. The solitary mourner
• 2:16:00
  Speaker 1: glanced by chance at Quinebeert and started as if the
• 2:16:03
  Speaker 1: sight of him was painful. What an unlucky meeting, murmured
• 2:16:09
  Speaker 1: Madame Rapillie. It is sure to be a bad omen.
• 2:16:14
  Speaker 1: It's sure to be quite the exact opposite, said Quinebert, smiling.
• 2:16:19
  Speaker 1: The two ceremonies took place simultaneously in two adjoining chapels.
• 2:16:23
  Speaker 1: The funeral dirges, which fell on the widow's ear full
• 2:16:26
  Speaker 1: of sinister prediction, seemed to have quite another meaning for Quinnebet,
• 2:16:30
  Speaker 1: for his features lost their look of care, his wrinkles
• 2:16:33
  Speaker 1: smoothed themselves out, till the guests, among whom was Trumeau,
• 2:16:37
  Speaker 1: who did not suspect the secret of his relief from suspense,
• 2:16:40
  Speaker 1: began to believe, despite their surprise, that he was really
• 2:16:43
  Speaker 1: rejoicing at obtaining legal possession of the charming Madame Rapallie.
• 2:16:49
  Speaker 1: As for her, she fleeted the daylight hours by anticipating
• 2:16:52
  Speaker 1: the joyful moment when she would have her husband all
• 2:16:55
  Speaker 1: to herself. When night came hardly as she entered the
• 2:16:58
  Speaker 1: nuptial chamber than she he uttered a piercing shriek. She
• 2:17:02
  Speaker 1: had just found and read a paper left on the
• 2:17:05
  Speaker 1: bed by Troumau, who, before leaving I contrived to glide
• 2:17:08
  Speaker 1: into the room unseen. Its contents were of terrible import,
• 2:17:12
  Speaker 1: so terrible that the new maid wife fell unconscious to
• 2:17:16
  Speaker 1: the ground. Quinebet, who without a smile, was absorbed in
• 2:17:20
  Speaker 1: reflections on the happiness, at last within his grasp, heard
• 2:17:23
  Speaker 1: the noise from the next room, and, rushing in, picked
• 2:17:26
  Speaker 1: up his wife. Catching sight of the paper, he also
• 2:17:29
  Speaker 1: uttered a cry of anger and astonishment. But in whatever
• 2:17:33
  Speaker 1: circumstances he found himself, he was never long uncertain how
• 2:17:36
  Speaker 1: to act. Placing Madame Quinebert still unconscious on the bed,
• 2:17:41
  Speaker 1: he called her maid, and, having impressed on her that
• 2:17:43
  Speaker 1: she was to take every care of her mistress, and
• 2:17:46
  Speaker 1: above all to tell her from him, as soon as
• 2:17:48
  Speaker 1: she came to herself that there was no cause for alarm,
• 2:17:51
  Speaker 1: he left the house at once. An hour later, in
• 2:17:54
  Speaker 1: spite of the efforts of the servants, he forced his
• 2:17:57
  Speaker 1: way into the presence of Commander de Jars. Holding out
• 2:18:00
  Speaker 1: the fateful document to him, he said, speak openly, Commander.
• 2:18:05
  Speaker 1: Is it you, who, in revenge for your long constraint,
• 2:18:07
  Speaker 1: have done this? I can hardly think so, for after
• 2:18:10
  Speaker 1: what has happened. You know that I have nothing to
• 2:18:12
  Speaker 1: fear any longer, still knowing my secret and unable to
• 2:18:16
  Speaker 1: do it in any other way. Have you perchance taken
• 2:18:19
  Speaker 1: your revenge by an attempt to destroy my future happiness
• 2:18:22
  Speaker 1: by sowing dissension and disunion between me and my wife?
• 2:18:27
  Speaker 1: The commander solemnly assured him that he had had no
• 2:18:31
  Speaker 1: hand in bringing about the discovery. Then if it's not you,
• 2:18:37
  Speaker 1: it must be a worthless being called Troumeau, who, with
• 2:18:41
  Speaker 1: the unerring instinct of jealousy, has run the truth to earth.
• 2:18:45
  Speaker 1: But he knows only half. I have never been either
• 2:18:48
  Speaker 1: so much in love or so stupid as to allow
• 2:18:50
  Speaker 1: myself to be trapped. I have given you my promise
• 2:18:53
  Speaker 1: to be discreet and not to misuse my power, and
• 2:18:56
  Speaker 1: as long as was compatible with my own safety, I've
• 2:18:59
  Speaker 1: kept my word word. But now you must see that
• 2:19:02
  Speaker 1: I am bound to defend myself, and to do that
• 2:19:04
  Speaker 1: I shall be obliged to summon you as a witness.
• 2:19:08
  Speaker 1: So leave Paris Tonite and seek out some safe retreat
• 2:19:11
  Speaker 1: where no one can find you. For tomorrow I shall speak,
• 2:19:15
  Speaker 1: of course, if I am quit for a woman's tears,
• 2:19:19
  Speaker 1: If no more difficult task lies before me than to
• 2:19:21
  Speaker 1: soothe a weeping wife. You can return immediately. But if,
• 2:19:26
  Speaker 1: as is too probable, the blow has been struck by
• 2:19:28
  Speaker 1: the hand of a rival furious at having been defeated,
• 2:19:31
  Speaker 1: the matter will not so easily be cut short. The
• 2:19:35
  Speaker 1: arm of the law will be invoked, and then I
• 2:19:37
  Speaker 1: must get my head out of the noose, which some
• 2:19:39
  Speaker 1: fingers I know of are itching to draw tight. You
• 2:19:44
  Speaker 1: are quite right, sir, answered the commander. I fear that
• 2:19:48
  Speaker 1: my influence at court is not strong enough to enable
• 2:19:50
  Speaker 1: me to brave the matter out well. My success has
• 2:19:54
  Speaker 1: cost me dear, but it has cured me forever of
• 2:19:57
  Speaker 1: seeking out similar adventures. My preparations will not take long,
• 2:20:02
  Speaker 1: and tomorrow's dawn will find me far from Paris. Guenebert
• 2:20:06
  Speaker 1: bowed and withdrew, returning home to console his Ariotne end
• 2:20:12
  Speaker 1: of chapter eight recording by John Vanstan Savannah, Georgia. Chapter
• 2:20:22
  Speaker 1: nine of Celebrated Crimes, Volume five, Part two, La Constantine
• 2:20:26
  Speaker 1: by Alexandre Duma. This LibriVox recording is in the public domain.
• 2:20:31
  Speaker 1: Chapter nine. The accusation hanging over the head of maitre
• 2:20:36
  Speaker 1: Quinebert was a very serious one, threatening his life if proved.
• 2:20:41
  Speaker 1: But he was not uneasy. He knew himself in possession
• 2:20:44
  Speaker 1: of facts which would enable him to refute it triumphantly.
• 2:20:48
  Speaker 1: The platonic love of Enjelique de Guerchief for the handsome
• 2:20:51
  Speaker 1: Chevalier de Morange had resulted, as we have seen, in
• 2:20:54
  Speaker 1: no practical wrong to the Duke de Victry. After her
• 2:20:57
  Speaker 1: reconciliation with her lover brought a bat by the eminently
• 2:21:01
  Speaker 1: satisfactory explanations she was able to give of her conduct,
• 2:21:05
  Speaker 1: which we have already laid before our readers. She did
• 2:21:08
  Speaker 1: not consider it advisable to shut her heart to his
• 2:21:10
  Speaker 1: pleadings much longer, and the consequence was that, at the
• 2:21:13
  Speaker 1: end of a year she found herself in a condition
• 2:21:16
  Speaker 1: which it was necessary to conceal from everyone. To Angelique herself,
• 2:21:21
  Speaker 1: it is true the position was not new, and she
• 2:21:23
  Speaker 1: felt neither grief nor shame, regarding the coming event as
• 2:21:27
  Speaker 1: a means of making her future more secure by forging
• 2:21:29
  Speaker 1: a new link in the chain which bound the Duke
• 2:21:31
  Speaker 1: to her. But he sure that but for himself, Angelique
• 2:21:35
  Speaker 1: would never have strayed from Virtue's path. Could not endure
• 2:21:39
  Speaker 1: the thought of losing her reputation and becoming an object
• 2:21:42
  Speaker 1: for scandal to point her finger at, so that Angelique,
• 2:21:46
  Speaker 1: who could not well seem less careful of her good
• 2:21:49
  Speaker 1: name than he was obliged to turn his song of
• 2:21:52
  Speaker 1: woe into a duet and consent to certain measures being taken.
• 2:21:57
  Speaker 1: One evening, therefore, shortly before maitre Quinebert's marriage, the fair
• 2:22:01
  Speaker 1: lady set out ostensibly on a journey which was to
• 2:22:04
  Speaker 1: last a fortnight or three weeks. In reality, she only
• 2:22:08
  Speaker 1: made a circle in a post chaise round Paris, which
• 2:22:11
  Speaker 1: she re entered at one of the barriers, where the
• 2:22:13
  Speaker 1: Duke awaited her with a sedan chair. In this she
• 2:22:17
  Speaker 1: was carried to the very house in which Tassars had
• 2:22:19
  Speaker 1: brought his pretended nephew. After the duel Auntjelique, who had
• 2:22:23
  Speaker 1: to pay dearly for her errors, remained there only twenty
• 2:22:27
  Speaker 1: four hours and then left in her coffin, which was
• 2:22:30
  Speaker 1: hidden in a cellar under the palace of the Prince
• 2:22:32
  Speaker 1: de Conde, the body being covered with quicklime. Two days
• 2:22:37
  Speaker 1: after this dreadful death, Commander Ajars presented himself at the
• 2:22:40
  Speaker 1: fatal house and engaged a room in which he installed
• 2:22:43
  Speaker 1: the Chevalier. This house, which we are about to ask
• 2:22:47
  Speaker 1: the reader to enter with us. Stood at the corner
• 2:22:49
  Speaker 1: of the Rue de la tierande Rie and the Rue
• 2:22:52
  Speaker 1: du port There was nothing in the exterior of it
• 2:22:55
  Speaker 1: distinguish it from any other, unless perhaps two brass plates,
• 2:23:00
  Speaker 1: one of which bore the words Marie le rue Constantine
• 2:23:03
  Speaker 1: widow certified midwife, and the other Claude Paragaude, Surgeon. These
• 2:23:09
  Speaker 1: plates were affixed to the blank wall and the Rue
• 2:23:11
  Speaker 1: de la de Serandeerrie, the windows of the rooms on
• 2:23:14
  Speaker 1: that side looking into the courtyard. The house door, which
• 2:23:17
  Speaker 1: opened directly on the first steps of a narrow, winding stair,
• 2:23:20
  Speaker 1: was on the other side, just beyond the low arcade,
• 2:23:24
  Speaker 1: under whose vaulted roof access was gained to that end
• 2:23:27
  Speaker 1: of the Rue des du Porte. This house, though dirty,
• 2:23:31
  Speaker 1: mean and out of repair, received many wealthy visitors, whose
• 2:23:35
  Speaker 1: brilliant equipages waited for them in the neighboring streets, often
• 2:23:39
  Speaker 1: in the night. Great ladies crosstage threshold under assumed names,
• 2:23:43
  Speaker 1: and remained there for several days, during which La Constantine
• 2:23:47
  Speaker 1: and Claude Paragaude, by an infamous use of their professional knowledge,
• 2:23:51
  Speaker 1: restored their clients to an outward appearance of honor and
• 2:23:55
  Speaker 1: enabled them to maintain their reputation for virtue. The first
• 2:23:59
  Speaker 1: and stand second floors contained a dozen rooms in which
• 2:24:02
  Speaker 1: these abominable mysteries were practiced. The large apartment, which served
• 2:24:06
  Speaker 1: as waiting and consultation room, was oddly furnished, being crowded
• 2:24:10
  Speaker 1: with objects of strange and unfamiliar form. It resembled at
• 2:24:14
  Speaker 1: once the operating room of a surgeon, the laboratory of
• 2:24:17
  Speaker 1: a chemist and alchemist, and the den of a sorcerer. There,
• 2:24:21
  Speaker 1: mixed up together in the greatest confusion, lay instruments of
• 2:24:24
  Speaker 1: all sorts, cauldrons and retorts, as well as books containing
• 2:24:29
  Speaker 1: the most absurd ravings of the human mind. There were
• 2:24:33
  Speaker 1: the twenty folio volumes of Albertus Magnus, the works of
• 2:24:37
  Speaker 1: his disciple Thomas de Cantopre, of Alchynis, of Avoros, of Aventcena,
• 2:24:43
  Speaker 1: of Alchepidius, of David de plain Campi, called the delf
• 2:24:48
  Speaker 1: surgeon A. Louis, the thirteenth and author of the celebrated
• 2:24:50
  Speaker 1: book The Morbific Hydra exterminated by the chemical hercules. Beside
• 2:24:56
  Speaker 1: a bronze head such as the monk Roger Bacon possessed
• 2:25:00
  Speaker 1: which answered all the questions that were addressed to it,
• 2:25:02
  Speaker 1: and foretold the future by means of a magic mirror.
• 2:25:05
  Speaker 1: In the combination of the rules of perspective lay an
• 2:25:08
  Speaker 1: egg shell, the same which had been used by Carey,
• 2:25:11
  Speaker 1: as d'ubin it tells us when making men out of germs, mandrakes,
• 2:25:16
  Speaker 1: and crimson silk over a slow fire. In the presses,
• 2:25:20
  Speaker 1: which had sliding doors fastening with secret springs, stood jars
• 2:25:25
  Speaker 1: filled with noxious drugs, the power of which was but
• 2:25:28
  Speaker 1: too efficacious. In prominent positions, facing each other, hung two portraits,
• 2:25:33
  Speaker 1: one representing hirophilosat Greek physician, and the other Agnodice, his pupil,
• 2:25:39
  Speaker 1: the first Athenian midwife. For several years already La Constantine
• 2:25:43
  Speaker 1: at Claude Paragod had carried on their criminal practices without interference.
• 2:25:48
  Speaker 1: A number of persons were, of course in the secret,
• 2:25:51
  Speaker 1: but their interests kept them silent, and the two accomplices
• 2:25:54
  Speaker 1: had at last persuaded themselves that they were perfectly safe.
• 2:25:58
  Speaker 1: One evening, however, Paragod came home, his face distorted by
• 2:26:01
  Speaker 1: terror and trembling in every limb. He had been warned
• 2:26:04
  Speaker 1: while out that the suspicions of the authorities had been
• 2:26:07
  Speaker 1: roused in regard to him and La Constantine. It seemed
• 2:26:11
  Speaker 1: that some little time ago the Vicars General had sent
• 2:26:14
  Speaker 1: a deputation to the President of the Chief Court of Justice,
• 2:26:17
  Speaker 1: having heard from their priests that in one year alone,
• 2:26:20
  Speaker 1: six hundred women had avowed in the confessional that they
• 2:26:24
  Speaker 1: had taken drugs to prevent their having children. This had
• 2:26:27
  Speaker 1: been sufficient to arouse the vigilance of the police, who
• 2:26:31
  Speaker 1: had set a watch on Paragout's house, with the result
• 2:26:34
  Speaker 1: that that very night a rayed was to be made
• 2:26:36
  Speaker 1: on it. The two criminals took hasty council together, but
• 2:26:39
  Speaker 1: as usual under such circumstances, arrived at no practical conclusions.
• 2:26:44
  Speaker 1: It was only when the danger was upon them that
• 2:26:46
  Speaker 1: they recovered their presence of mind. In the dead of night,
• 2:26:49
  Speaker 1: loud knocking at the street door was heard, followed by
• 2:26:52
  Speaker 1: the command to open in the name of the King.
• 2:26:55
  Speaker 1: We can yet save ourselves, exclaimed Surgeon with a sudden
• 2:27:00
  Speaker 1: flash of inspiration. Rushing into the room where the pretendant
• 2:27:03
  Speaker 1: to Chevalier was lying, he called out, the police are
• 2:27:06
  Speaker 1: coming up. If they discover your sex, you are lost,
• 2:27:10
  Speaker 1: and so am I Do as I tell you. At
• 2:27:13
  Speaker 1: a sign from him, La Consentane went down and opened
• 2:27:15
  Speaker 1: the door. While the rooms on the first floor were
• 2:27:18
  Speaker 1: being searched, Paragoud made with a lance at a superficial
• 2:27:22
  Speaker 1: incision in the chevalier's right arm, which gave very little
• 2:27:25
  Speaker 1: pain and bore a close resemblance to a sword cut.
• 2:27:28
  Speaker 1: Surgery and medicine were at that time so inextricably involved,
• 2:27:33
  Speaker 1: required such apparatus, and bristled with such scientific absurdities, and
• 2:27:37
  Speaker 1: that no astonishment was excited by the extraordinary collection of
• 2:27:40
  Speaker 1: instruments which loaded the tables and covered the floors below.
• 2:27:44
  Speaker 1: Even the titles of certain treestises, which there had been
• 2:27:47
  Speaker 1: no time to destroy, awoke no suspicion. Fortunately for the
• 2:27:52
  Speaker 1: surgeon and his accomplice, they had only one patient, the Chevalier,
• 2:27:57
  Speaker 1: in their house when the descent was made. When the
• 2:27:59
  Speaker 1: Chevre's room was reached, the first thing which the officers
• 2:28:02
  Speaker 1: of the ball remarked were the hat, spurred boots and
• 2:28:05
  Speaker 1: sword of the patient. Cloud Peagoud hardly looked up as
• 2:28:09
  Speaker 1: the room was invaded. He only made a sign to
• 2:28:12
  Speaker 1: those who came in to be quiet, and went on
• 2:28:14
  Speaker 1: dressing the wound. Completely taken in the officer in command
• 2:28:18
  Speaker 1: merely asked the name of the patient and the cause
• 2:28:20
  Speaker 1: of the wound. La Consantin replied that it was the
• 2:28:23
  Speaker 1: young Chevalert Demrange, nephew of commanded Ajars, who had had
• 2:28:28
  Speaker 1: an affair of honor that same night, and, being slightly wounded,
• 2:28:31
  Speaker 1: had been brought thither by his uncle heartily an hour
• 2:28:34
  Speaker 1: before these questions, and the apparently trustworthy replies elicited by
• 2:28:38
  Speaker 1: them being duly taken down. The uninvited visitors retired, having
• 2:28:42
  Speaker 1: discovered nothing to justify their visit. All might have been
• 2:28:46
  Speaker 1: well had there been nothing the matter but the wound
• 2:28:48
  Speaker 1: on the Chevalert's sword arm. But at the moment when
• 2:28:51
  Speaker 1: Paragaud gave it to him, the poisonous nostrums employed by
• 2:28:54
  Speaker 1: La Costantin were already working in his blood. Violent fever ensued,
• 2:29:00
  Speaker 1: and in three days the chevalier was dead. It was
• 2:29:03
  Speaker 1: his funeral, which had met Quennebert's wedding party at the
• 2:29:06
  Speaker 1: church door. Everything turned out as Quennebert had anticipated. Madame Quenebet,
• 2:29:13
  Speaker 1: furious at the deceit which had been practiced on her,
• 2:29:15
  Speaker 1: refused to listen to her husband's justification, and Trumeau, not
• 2:29:19
  Speaker 1: letting the grass grow under his feet. Hasten the next
• 2:29:22
  Speaker 1: day to launch an accusation of bigamy against the notary,
• 2:29:25
  Speaker 1: for the paper which had been found in the nuptial
• 2:29:28
  Speaker 1: chamber was nothing less than an attested copy of a
• 2:29:30
  Speaker 1: contract of marriage concluded between Quennebert and Josephine Charlotte to
• 2:29:35
  Speaker 1: a Boulenois. It was by the merest chance that Troummeau
• 2:29:39
  Speaker 1: had come on the record of the marriage, and he
• 2:29:41
  Speaker 1: now challenged his rival to produce a certificate of the
• 2:29:44
  Speaker 1: death of his first wife, Charlotte to Boulonnois, after two
• 2:29:48
  Speaker 1: years of marriage, had demanded a deed of separation, which
• 2:29:51
  Speaker 1: demand Quennebert had opposed. While the case was going on,
• 2:29:55
  Speaker 1: she had retired to the convent of La Roquette, where
• 2:29:57
  Speaker 1: her intrigue with Desjarres began. The commander easily induced her
• 2:30:01
  Speaker 1: to let herself be carried off by force. He then
• 2:30:04
  Speaker 1: concealed his conquest by causing her to adopt a male attire,
• 2:30:08
  Speaker 1: a mode of dress which accorded marvelously well with her
• 2:30:10
  Speaker 1: peculiar tastes and rather masculine frame. At first, Buenebert had
• 2:30:15
  Speaker 1: instituted an active but fruitless search for his missing wife,
• 2:30:19
  Speaker 1: but soon became habituated to his state of enforced single blessedness,
• 2:30:23
  Speaker 1: enjoying to the fool the liberty had brought with it,
• 2:30:26
  Speaker 1: but as business had thereby suffered, and once having made
• 2:30:29
  Speaker 1: the acquaintance of Madame Rapallie, he cultivated it assiduously, knowing
• 2:30:33
  Speaker 1: her fortune would be sufficient to set him straight again
• 2:30:36
  Speaker 1: with the world, though he was obliged to exercise the
• 2:30:39
  Speaker 1: utmost caution and reserve in his intercourse with her, as she,
• 2:30:43
  Speaker 1: on her side, displayed none of these qualities. At last, however,
• 2:30:47
  Speaker 1: matters came to such a pass that he must either
• 2:30:49
  Speaker 1: go to prison or run the risk of a second marriage.
• 2:30:52
  Speaker 1: So he reluctantly named a day for the ceremony, resolving
• 2:30:56
  Speaker 1: to leave Paris with Madame Rapellie as soon as he
• 2:30:59
  Speaker 1: had settled with his creditors. In the short interval which ensued,
• 2:31:03
  Speaker 1: and while Troumau was hugging the knowledge of the discovery,
• 2:31:06
  Speaker 1: he had made a stroke of luck had brought the
• 2:31:08
  Speaker 1: pretended chevalier to La Constantine. As Quenebert had kept an
• 2:31:13
  Speaker 1: eye on de Jars and was acquainted with all his movements,
• 2:31:16
  Speaker 1: he was aware of everything that happened at Paragaude's, and
• 2:31:19
  Speaker 1: as Charlotte's death preceded his second marriage by one day,
• 2:31:23
  Speaker 1: he knew that no serious consequences would ensue from the
• 2:31:26
  Speaker 1: legal proceedings taken against him. He produced the declarations made
• 2:31:30
  Speaker 1: by Mademoiselle de Gerci and the Commander, and had the
• 2:31:33
  Speaker 1: body exhumed. Extraordinary and improbable as his defense appeared at
• 2:31:37
  Speaker 1: first be, the exhumation proved the truth of his assertions.
• 2:31:42
  Speaker 1: These revelations, however, drew the eye of justice again on
• 2:31:45
  Speaker 1: Peregaud and his partner in crime, and this time their
• 2:31:48
  Speaker 1: guilt was brought home to them. They were condemned by
• 2:31:51
  Speaker 1: parliamentary decree to be hanged by the neck till they
• 2:31:54
  Speaker 1: were dead on a gallows erected for that purpose at
• 2:31:57
  Speaker 1: the cross roads of the Coua Detoijarre, their bodies to
• 2:32:00
  Speaker 1: remain there for twenty four hours, then to be cut
• 2:32:02
  Speaker 1: down and brought back to Paris, where they were to
• 2:32:05
  Speaker 1: be exposed on a gibbet et cetera, et cetera. It
• 2:32:09
  Speaker 1: was proved that they had amassed immense fortunes in the
• 2:32:12
  Speaker 1: exercise of their infamous calling. The entries in the books
• 2:32:16
  Speaker 1: seized at their house, though sparse, would have led, if
• 2:32:19
  Speaker 1: made public, to scandals involving many in high places. It
• 2:32:23
  Speaker 1: was therefore judged best to limit the accusation to the
• 2:32:26
  Speaker 1: two deaths by blood poisoning of Enngelique de Quercy and
• 2:32:30
  Speaker 1: Charlotte Boulenois. End of Chapter eight. End of Celebrated Crimes,
• 2:32:38
  Speaker 1: Volume five, Part two, La Consentine by Alexandre Dumas, recording
• 2:32:42
  Speaker 1: by John Van Stan Savannah, Georgia,