ee his paramour tried for her life! If by chance
he should be subpoenaed as a witness, he may amuse himself by saying
to the persons desirous of having the poor girl executed as soon as
possible, for the greater edification of the public morals, 'I have
something important to disclose to justice.' 'Speak!' 'Gentlemen of the
jury,--This unhappy female was pure and virtuous, it is true. I seduced
her,--that is equally true; she bore me a child,--that is also true.
After that, as she has a light complexion, I completely forsook her for
a pretty brunette,--that is still more true; but, in doing so, I have
only followed out an imprescriptible right, a sacred right which society
recognizes and accords to me.' 'The truth is, this young man is
perfectly in the right,' the jury would say one to another; 'there is no
law which prevents a young man from seducing a fair girl, and then
forsaking her for a brunette; he is a gay young chap, and that's all.'
'Now, gentlemen of the jury, this unhappy girl is said to have killed
her child,--I will say our child,--because I abandoned her; because,
finding herself alone and in the deepest misery, she became frightened,
and lost her senses! And wherefore? Because having, as she says, to
bring up and feed her child, it was impossible that she could continue
to work regularly at her occupation, and gain a livelihood for herself
and this pledge of our love! But I think these reasons quite unworthy of
consideration, allow me to say, gentlemen of the jury. Could she not
have gone to the Lying-in Hospital, if there was room for her? Could she
not, at the critical moment, have gone to the magistrate of her district
and made a declaration of her shame, so that she might have had
authority for placing her child in the Enfants Trouves? In fact, could
she not, whilst I was playing billiards at the coffee-house, whilst
awaiting my other mistress, could she not have extricated herself from
this affair by some genteeler mode than this? For, gentlemen of the
jury, I will admit that I consider this way of disposing of the pledge
of our loves as rather too unceremonious and rude, under the idea of
thus quietly escaping all future care and trouble. What, is it enough
for a young girl to lose her character, brave contempt, infamy, and have
an illegitimate child? No; but she must also educate the child, take
care of it, bring it up, give it a business, and make an honest man of
it, if it be a boy, like its fathe