as an accessory
to the man's crimes, he must appear as a witness very seriously
compromised."

"Oh! never, never!" she cried aloud, with amazing firmness. "For my
part, I should not hesitate between death and the disaster of seeing
a man whom the world has known to be my dearest friend declared by the
bench to be the accomplice of a convict.--The King has a great regard
for my husband----"

"Madame," said the public prosecutor, also aloud, and with a smile, "the
King has not the smallest power over the humblest examining judge in his
kingdom, nor over the proceedings in any court of justice. That is the
grand feature of our new code of laws. I myself have just congratulated
M. Camusot on his skill----"

"On his clumsiness," said the Countess sharply, though Lucien's intimacy
with a scoundrel really disturbed her far less than his attachment to
Esther.

"If you will read the minutes of the examination of the two prisoners by
Monsieur Camusot, you will see that everything is in his hands----"

After this speech, the only thing the public prosecutor could venture to
say, and a flash of feminine--or, if you will, lawyer-like--cunning, he
went to the door; then, turning round on the threshold, he added:

"Excuse me, madame; I have two words to say to Bauvan." Which,
translated by the worldly wise, conveyed to the Countess: "I do not want
to witness the scene between you and Camusot."

"What is this examination business?" said Leontine very blandly to
Camusot, who stood downcast in the presence of the wife of one of the
most important personages in the realm.

"Madame," said Camusot, "a clerk writes down all the magistrate's
questions and the prisoner's replies. This document is signed by the
clerk, by the judge, and by the prisoner. This evidence is the raw
material of the subsequent proceedings; on it the accused are committed
for trial, and remanded to appear before the Criminal Court."

"Well, then," said she, "if the evidence were suppressed----?"

"Oh, madame, that is a crime which no magistrate could possibly
commit--a crime against society."

"It is a far worse crime against me to have ever allowed it to be
recorded; still, at this moment it is the only evidence against Lucien.
Come, read me the minutes of his examination that I may see if there is
still a way of salvation for us all, monsieur. I do not speak for myself
alone--I should quite calmly kill myself--but Monsieur de Serizy's
happiness is also