c is all deception?" or did they go off to the mayor, and
register their suspicion? or was the advocate there to hear them? Not
he; but he paints you the whole scene, as though it had existed, and
gives full accounts of suspicions, as if they had been facts, positive,
patent, staring, that everybody could see and swear to.

Having thus primed his audience, and prepared them for the testimony of
the accused party, "Now," says he, with a fine show of justice, "let
us hear Monsieur Peytel;" and that worthy's narrative is given as
follows:--

"He said that he had left Macon on the 31st October, at eleven o'clock
in the morning, in order to return to Belley, with his wife and servant.
The latter drove, or led, an open car; he himself was driving his wife
in a four-wheeled carriage, drawn by one horse: they reached Bourg at
five o'clock in the evening; left it at seven, to sleep at Pont d'Ain,
where they did not arrive before midnight. During the journey, Peytel
thought he remarked that Rey had slackened his horse's pace. When
they alighted at the inn, Peytel bade him deposit in his chamber 7,500
francs, which he carried with him; but the domestic refused to do so,
saying that the inn gates were secure, and there was no danger. Peytel
was, therefore, obliged to carry his money up stairs himself. The next
day, the 1st November, they set out on their journey again, at nine
o'clock in the morning; Louis did not come, according to custom, to take
his master's orders. They arrived at Tenay about three, stopped there a
couple of hours to dine, and it was eight o'clock when they reached the
bourg of Rossillon, where they waited half an hour to bait the horses.

"As they left Rossillon, the weather became bad, and the rain began to
fall: Peytel told his domestic to get a covering for the articles in
the open chariot; but Rey refused to do so, adding, in an ironical tone,
that the weather was fine. For some days past, Peytel had remarked that
his servant was gloomy, and scarcely spoke at all.

"After they had gone about 500 paces beyond the bridge of Andert, that
crosses the river Furans, and ascended to the least steep part of the
hill of Darde, Peytel cried out to his servant, who was seated in the
car, to come down from it, and finish the ascent on foot.

"At this moment a violent wind was blowing from the south, and the rain
was falling heavily: Peytel was seated back in the right corner of the
carriage, and his wife, who was