Part 32 (1/2)
Once more the surgeon drew Henrietta's letter from his pocket, and handed it to the lawyer, saying,- ”I know who they are, the really guilty ones. I know Daniel's enemies,-Sarah Brandon, Maxime de Brevan, and the others.”
But the magistrate waved back the letter, and replied,- ”It is not enough for us to know them, doctor; we want evidence against them,-clear, positive, irrefutable evidence. This evidence we will get from Crochard. Oh, I know the ways of these rascals! As soon as they see they are overwhelmed by the evidence against them, and feel they are in real danger, they hasten to denounce their accomplices, and to aid justice, with all their perversity to discover them. The accused will do the same. When I shall have established the fact that he was hired to murder M. Champcey, he will tell me by whom he was hired; and he will have to confess that he was thus hired, when I show him how much of the money he received for the purpose is now left.”
The old surgeon once more jumped up from his chair.
”What!” he said, ”you have found Crochard's treasure?”
”No,” replied the lawyer, ”not yet; but”- He could hardly keep from smiling grimly; but he added at once,- ”But I know where it is, I think. Ah! I can safely say it was not on the first day exactly that I saw where the truth probably was hid. I have had a good deal of perplexity and trouble. Morally sure as I was, after the first examination of the accused, that he had a relatively large sum hidden somewhere, I first gave all my attention to his chamber. a.s.sisted by a clever police-agent, I examined that room for a whole fortnight, till I was furious. The furniture was taken to pieces, and examined, the lining taken out of the chairs, and even the paper stripped from the walls. All in vain. I was in despair, when a thought struck me,-one of those simple thoughts which make you wonder why it did not occur to you at once. I said to myself, 'I have found it!' And, anxious to ascertain if I was right, I immediately sent for the man with whom Crochard had made the bet about swimming across the Dong-Nai. He came; and-But I prefer reading you his deposition.”
He took from the large bundle of papers a single sheet, and, a.s.suming an air of great modesty, read the affidavit.
”Magistrate.-At what point of the river did Crochard swim across?
”Witness.-A little below the town.
”M.-Where did he undress?
”W.-At the place where he went into the water, just opposite the tile-factory of M. w.a.n.g-Tai.
”M.-What did he do with his clothes?
”W. (very much surprised).-Nothing.
”M.-Excuse me; he must have done something. Try to recollect.
”W. (striking his forehead).-Why, yes! I remember now. When Bagnolet had undressed, I saw he looked annoyed, as if he disliked going into the water. But no! that was not it. He was afraid about his clothes; and he did not rest satisfied till I had told him I would keep watch over them. Now, his clothes consisted of a mean pair of trousers and a miserable blouse. As they were in my way, I put them down on the ground, at the foot of a tree. He had in the meantime done his work, and came back; but, instead of listening to my compliments, he cried furiously, 'My clothes!'-'Well,' I said, 'they are not lost. There they are.' Thereupon he pushed me back fiercely, without saying a word, and ran like a madman to pick up his clothes.”
The chief surgeon was electrified; he rose, and said,- ”I understand; yes, I understand.”
XXV.
Thus proceeding from one point to another, and by the unaided power of his sagacity, coupled with indefatigable activity, the magistrate had succeeded in establis.h.i.+ng Crochard's guilt, and the existence of accomplices who had instigated the crime. No one could doubt that he was proud of it, and that his self-esteem had increased, although he tried hard to preserve his stiff and impa.s.sive appearance. He had even affected a certain dislike to the idea of reading Henrietta's letter, until he should have proved that he could afford to do without such a.s.sistance.
But, now that he had proved this so amply, he very quickly asked for the letter, and read it. Like the chief surgeon, he, also, was struck and amazed by the wickedness of M. de Brevan.
”But here is exactly what we want,” he exclaimed,-”an irrefragable proof of complicity. He would never have dared to abuse Miss Ville- Handry's confidence in so infamous a manner, if he had not been persuaded, in fact been quite sure, that Lieut. Champcey would never return to France.”
Then, after a few minutes' reflection, he added,- ”And yet I feel that there is something underneath still, which we do not see. Why had they determined upon M. Champcey's death even before he sailed? What direct and pressing interest could M. de Brevan have in wis.h.i.+ng him dead at that time? Something must have happened between the two which we do not know.”
”What?”
”Ah! that is what I cannot conceive. But remember what I say, doctor: the future reserves some fearful mysteries yet to be revealed to us hereafter.”
The two men had been so entirely preoccupied with their thoughts, that they were unconscious of the flight of time; and they were not a little astonished, therefore, when they now noticed that the day was gone, and night was approaching. The lawyer rose, and asked, returning Henrietta's letter to the doctor,- ”Is this the only one M. Champcey has received?”
”No; but it is the only one he has opened.”
”Would you object to handing me the others?”
The excellent doctor hesitated.
”I will hand them to you,” he said at last, ”if you will a.s.sure me that the interests of justice require it. But why not wait”- He did not dare say, ”Why not wait for M. Champcey's death?” but the lawyer understood him.
”I will wait,” he said.
While thus talking, they had reached the door. They shook hands; and the chief surgeon, his heart fall of darkest presentiments, slowly made his way to the hospital.
A great surprise awaited him there. Daniel, whom he had left in a desperate condition, almost dying,-Daniel slept profoundly, sweetly. His pale face had recovered its usual expression; and his respiration was free and regular.
”It is almost indescribable,” said the old doctor, whose experience was utterly at fault. ”I am an a.s.s; and our science is a bubble.”
Turning to Lefloch, who had respectfully risen at his entrance, he asked,- ”Since when has your master been sleeping in this way?”
”For an hour, commandant.”
”How did he fall asleep?”
”Quite naturally, commandant. After you left, the lieutenant was for some time pretty wild yet; but soon he quieted down, and finally he asked for something to drink. I gave him a cup of your tea; he took it, and then asked me to help him turn over towards the wall. I did so, and I saw him remain so, his arm bent, and his head in his hand, like a man who is thinking profoundly. But about a quarter of an hour later, all of a sudden, I thought I heard him gasp. I came up softly on tiptoe, and looked. I was mistaken; the lieutenant was not gasping, he was crying like a baby; and what I had heard were sobs. Ah, commandant! I felt as if somebody had kicked me in the stomach. Because, you see, I know him; and I know, that, before a man such as he is goes to crying like a little child, he must have suffered more than death itself. Holy G.o.d! If I knew where I could catch them, these rascals who give him all this trouble”- His fists rose instinctively, and most undoubtedly something bright started from his eyes which looked prodigiously like a tear rolling slowly down one of the deep furrows in his cheek.
”Now,” he continued in a half-stifled voice, ”I saw why the lieutenant had wished to turn his face to the wall, and I went back without making a noise. A moment after that, he began talking aloud. But he was right in his senses now, I tell you.”
”What did he say?”
”Ah! he said something like, 'Henrietta, Henrietta!' Always that good friend of his, for whom he was forever calling when he had the fever. And then he said, 'I am killing her, I! I am the cause of her death. Fool, stupid, idiot that I am! He has sworn to kill me and Henrietta, the wretch! He swore it no doubt, the very day on which I, fool as I was, confided Henrietta and my whole fortune to him.'”
”Did he say that?”
”The very words, commandant, but better, a great deal better.”
The old surgeon seemed to be amazed.
”That cunning lawyer had judged rightly,” he said. ”He suspected there was something else; and here it is.”
”You say, commandant?” asked the good sailor.
”Nothing of interest to you. Go on.”
”Well, after that-but there is nothing more to tell, except that I heard nothing more. The lieutenant remained in the same position till I came to light the lamp; then he ordered me to make him tack s.h.i.+p, and to let down the screen over the lamp. I did so. He gave out two or three big sighs, and then goodnight, and nothing more. He was asleep as you see him now.”
”And how did his eyes look when he fell asleep?”
”Quite calm and bright.”
The doctor looked like a man to whom something has happened which is utterly inexplicable to him, and said in a low voice,- ”He will pull through, I am sure now. I said there could not be another miracle; and here it is!”