Within an Inch of His Life eBook

Émile Gaboriau
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 617 pages of information about Within an Inch of His Life.

Within an Inch of His Life eBook

Émile Gaboriau
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 617 pages of information about Within an Inch of His Life.
MONDAY.....  Fraudulent bankruptcy, defalcation, forgery. 
TUESDAY....  Murder, theft. 
WEDNESDAY..  Infanticide, domestic theft. 
THURSDAY...  Incendiarism, and attempted assassination
(case of M. de Boiscoran).

This was, therefore, the great day on which the good people of Sauveterre expected to enjoy the most delightful emotions.  Hence there was an immense pressure brought to bear upon all the principal members of the court to obtain tickets of admission.  People who, the night before, had refused to speak to M. Galpin, would stop him the next day in the street, and beg him to give them a ticket, not for themselves, but for “their lady.”  Finally, the unheard-of fact became known, that tickets were openly sold for money!  One family had actually the incomprehensible courage to write to the Marquis de Boiscoran for three tickets, promising, in return, “by their attitude in court” to contribute to the acquittal of the accused.

In the midst of all these rumors, the city was suddenly startled by a list of subscriptions in behalf of the families of the unfortunate firemen who had perished in the fire at Valpinson.

Who had started this paper?  M. Seneschal tried in vain to discover the hand that had struck this blow.  The secret of this treacherous trick was well kept.  But it was a most atrocious trick to revive thus, on the eve of the trial, such mournful memories and such bitter hatred.

“That man Galpin had a hand in it,” said Dr. Seignebos, grinding his teeth.  “And to think that he may, after all, be triumphant!  Ah, why did not Goudar commence his experiment a little sooner?”

For Goudar, while assuring everybody of certain success, asked for time.  To disarm the mistrust of an idiot like Cocoleu was not the work of a day or a week.  He declared, that, if he should be overhasty, he would most assuredly ruin every thing.

Otherwise, nothing new occurred.

Count Claudieuse was getting rather better.

The agent in Jersey had telegraphed that he was on Suky’s track; that he would certainly catch her, but that he could not say when.

Michael, finally, had in vain searched the whole district, and been all over Oleron; no one had been able to give him any news of Trumence.

Thus, on the day when the session began, a council was held, in which all of Jacques’s friends took part; and here it was resolved that his counsel would not mention the name of the Countess Claudieuse, and would, even if the count should offer to give evidence, adhere to the plan of defence suggested by M. Folgat.

Alas! the chances of success seemed hourly to diminish; for the jury, very much against the usual experience, appeared to be excessively severe.  The bankrupt was sentenced to twenty years’ hard labor.  The man accused of murder could not even obtain the plea of “extenuating circumstances,” and was sentenced to death.

This was on Wednesday.

Copyrights
Project Gutenberg
Within an Inch of His Life from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.