English
Whenshere–enteredtheaudiencehall,paleandlimping,shewasreceivedwithageneralmurmurofpleasure.
Onthepartoftheaudiencetherewasthefeelingofimpatiencegratifiedwhichoneexperiencesatthetheatreattheendofthelastentr'acteofthecomedy,whenthecurtainrisesandtheconclusionisabouttobegin.
Onthepartofthejudges,itwasthehopeofgettingtheirsupperssooner.
Thelittlegoatalsobleatedwithjoy.Hetriedtoruntowardshismistress,buttheyhadtiedhimtothebench.
Nightwasfullysetin.Thecandles,whosenumberhadnotbeenincreased,castsolittlelight,thatthewallsofthehallcouldnotbeseen.
Theshadowsthereenvelopedallobjectsinasortofmist.
Afewapatheticfacesofjudgesalonecouldbedimlydiscerned.
Oppositethem,attheextremityofthelonghail,theycouldseeavaguelywhitepointstandingoutagainstthesombrebackground.Thiswastheaccused.
Shehaddraggedherselftoherplace.WhenCharmoluehadinstalledhimselfinamagisterialmannerinhisown,heseatedhimself,thenroseandsaid,withoutexhibitingtoomuchself–complacencyathissuccess,—"Theaccusedhasconfessedall."
"Bohemiangirl,"thepresidentcontinued,"haveyouavowedallyourdeedsofmagic,prostitution,andassassinationonPhoebusdeChâteaupers."
Herheartcontracted.Shewasheardtosobamidthedarkness.
"Anythingyoulike,"sherepliedfeebly,"butkillmequickly!"
"Monsieur,procuratorofthekingintheecclesiasticalcourts,"saidthepresident,"thechamberisreadytohearyouinyourcharge."
MasterCharmolueexhibitedanalarmingnotebook,andbegantoread,withmanygesturesandtheexaggeratedaccentuationofthepleader,anorationinLatin,whereinalltheproofsofthesuitwerepiledupinCiceronianperiphrases,flankedwithquotationsfromPlautus,hisfavoritecomicauthor.
Weregretthatwearenotabletooffertoourreadersthisremarkablepiece.
Theoratorpronounceditwithmarvellousaction.
Beforehehadfinishedtheexordium,theperspirationwasstartingfromhisbrow,andhiseyesfromhisbead.
Allatonce,inthemiddleofafineperiod,heinterruptedhimself,andhisglance,ordinarilysogentleandevenstupid,becamemenacing.
"Gentlemen,"heexclaimed(thistimeinFrench,foritwasnotinhiscopybook),"Satanissomixedupinthisaffair,thathereheispresentatourdebates,andmakingsportoftheirmajesty.Behold!"
Sosaying,hepointedtothelittlegoat,who,onseeingCharmoluegesticulating,had,inpointoffact,thoughtitappropriatetodothesame,andhadseatedhimselfonhishaunches,reproducingtothebestofhisability,withhisforepawsandhisbeardedheadthepatheticpantomineoftheking'sprocuratorintheecclesiasticalcourt.
Thiswas,ifthereaderremembers,oneofhisprettiestaccomplishments.
Thisincident,thislastproof,producedagreateffect.
Thegoat'shoofsweretied,andtheking'sprocuratorresumedthethreadofhiseloquence.
Itwasverylong,buttheperorationwasadmirable.Hereistheconcludingphrase;letthereaderaddthehoarsevoiceandthebreathlessgesturesofMasterCharmolue,
"~Ideo,domni,coramstrygademonstrata,criminepatente,intentionecriminisexistente,innorninesanctoeecclesioeNostroe–DominceParisiensisquoeestinsaisinahabendiomnimodamaltametbassamjustitiaminillahacintemerataCivitatisinsula,tenoreproesentiumdeclaremusnosrequirere,primo,aliquamdampecuniariamindemnitatem;secundo,amendationemhonorabilemanteportaliummaximumNostroe–Dominoe,ecclesioecathedralis;tertio,sententianiinvirtutecujusistastyrgacumsuacapella,seuintriviovulgariterdicto~laGrève,~seuininsulaexeunteinfluvioSecanoe,juxtapointamjuardiniregalis,executatoesint~!"
*
*Thesubstanceofthisexordiumiscontainedinthepresident'ssentence.
Heputonhiscapagainandseatedhimself.
"Eheu!"sighedthebroken–heartedGringoire,"~bassalatinitas~—bastardlatin!"
Anothermaninablackgownroseneartheaccused;hewasherlawyer.—Thejudges,whowerefasting,begantogrumble.
"Advocate,bebrief,"saidthepresident.
"MonsieurthePresident,"repliedtheadvocate,"sincethedefendanthasconfessedthecrime,Ihaveonlyonewordtosaytothesegentlemen.
HereisatextfromtheSaliclaw;'Ifawitchhatheatenaman,andifshebeconvictedofit,sheshallpayafineofeightthousanddeniers,whichamounttotwohundredsousofgold.'
Mayitpleasethechambertocondemnmyclienttothefine?"
"Anabrogatedtext,"saidtheadvocateextraordinaryoftheking.
"Nego,Idenyit,"repliedtheadvocate.
"Putittothevote!"saidoneofthecouncillors;"thecrimeismanifest,anditislate."
Theyproceededtotakeavotewithoutleavingtheroom.
Thejudgessignifiedtheirassentwithoutgivingtheirreasons,theywereinahurry.
Theircappedheadswereseenuncoveringoneaftertheother,inthegloom,atthelugubriousquestionaddressedtothembythepresidentinalowvoice.
Thepooraccusedhadtheappearanceoflookingatthem,buthertroubledeyenolongersaw.
Thentheclerkbegantowrite;thenhehandedalongparch–menttothepresident.
Thentheunhappygirlheardthepeoplemoving,thepikesclashing,andafreezingvoicesayingtoher,—"Bohemianwench,onthedaywhenitshallseemgoodtoourlordtheking,atthehourofnoon,youwillbetakeninatumbrel,inyourshift,withbarefeet,andaropeaboutyourneck,beforethegrandportalofNotre–Dame,andyouwilltheremakeanapologywithawaxtorchoftheweightoftwopoundsinyourhand,andthenceyouwillbeconductedtothePlacedeGrève,whereyouwillbehangedandstrangledonthetowngibbet;andlikewiseyourgoat;andyouwillpaytotheofficialthreelionsofgold,inreparationofthecrimesbyyoucommittedandbyyouconfessed,ofsorceryandmagic,debaucheryandmurder,uponthepersonoftheSieurPhoebusdeChâteaupers.
MayGodhavemercyonyoursoul!"
"Oh!'tisadream!"shemurmured;andshefeltroughhandsbearingheraway.
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