FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42  
43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   >>  
monsieur, you see that you must be mistaken.' "'Excuse me, madame, but I am positive that I am not making a mistake. "As the conviction of a notable criminal is at stake, would you be so kind as to send for all your servants?" "At first I refused, but I finally gave in, and sent downstairs for everybody, men and women. "The inspector glanced at them and then declared: "'This isn't all.' "'Excuse me, monsieur, there is no one left but my maid, a young girl whom you could not possibly mistake for a convict.' "He asked: "'May I also see her?' "'Certainly.' "I rang for Rose, who immediately appeared. She had hardly entered the room, when the inspector made a motion, and two men whom I had not seen, hidden behind the door, sprang forward, seized her and tied her hands behind her back. "I cried out in anger and tried to rush forward to defend her. The inspector stopped me: "'This girl, madame, is a man whose name is Jean Nicolas Lecapet, condemned to death in 1879 for assaulting a woman and injuring her so that death resulted. His sentence was commuted to imprisonment for life. He escaped four months ago. We have been looking for him ever since.' "I was terrified, bewildered. I did not believe him. The commissioner continued, laughing: "'I can prove it to you. His right arm is tattooed.' "'The sleeve was rolled up. It was true. The inspector added, with bad taste: "'You can trust us for the other proofs.' "And they led my maid away! "Well, would you believe me, the thing that moved me most was not anger at having thus been played upon, deceived and made ridiculous, it was not the shame of having thus been dressed and undressed, handled and touched by this man--but a deep humiliation--a woman's humiliation. Do you understand?" "I am afraid I don't." "Just think--this man had been condemned for--for assaulting a woman. Well! I thought of the one whom he had assaulted--and--and I felt humiliated--There! Do you understand now?" Madame Margot did not answer. She was looking straight ahead, her eyes fastened on the two shining buttons of the livery, with that sphinx-like smile which women sometimes have. ROSALIE PRUDENT There was a real mystery in this affair which neither the jury, nor the president, nor the public prosecutor himself could understand. The girl Prudent (Rosalie), servant at the Varambots', of Nantes, having become enceinte without the knowledge of her
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   18   19   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42  
43   44   45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   >>  



Top keywords:
inspector
 

understand

 

Excuse

 

forward

 
condemned
 

assaulting

 
madame
 

humiliation

 

monsieur

 

mistake


handled

 

touched

 
undressed
 
dressed
 

ridiculous

 
knowledge
 

deceived

 
enceinte
 

afraid

 

criminal


proofs

 
servants
 

played

 

thought

 
mystery
 

affair

 

PRUDENT

 

ROSALIE

 

Prudent

 

Rosalie


servant

 

prosecutor

 
Nantes
 

president

 
public
 

sphinx

 

Madame

 

humiliated

 

assaulted

 
Margot

answer

 
shining
 

buttons

 

livery

 

fastened

 

straight

 

Varambots

 

sleeve

 

sprang

 

seized