“But that was nothing at all,” said the vagrant.  “While M. Jacques and the countess were quarrelling in this way, I saw the door of the parlor suddenly open as if by itself, and a phantom appear in it, dressed in a funeral pall.  It was Count Claudieuse himself.  His face looked terrible; and he had a revolver in his hand.  He was leaning against the side of the door; and he listened while his wife and M. Jacques were talking of their former love-affairs.  At certain words, he would raise his pistol as if to fire; then he would lower it again, and go on listening.  It was so awful, I had not a dry thread on my body.  It was very hard not to cry out to M. Jacques and the countess, ’You poor people, don’t you see that the count is there?’ But they saw nothing; for they were both beside themselves with rage and despair:  and at last M. Jacques actually raised his hand to strike the countess.  ‘Do not strike that woman!’ suddenly said the count.  They turn round; they see him, and utter a fearful cry.  The countess fell on a chair as if she were dead.  I was thunderstruck.  I never in my life saw a man behave so beautifully as M. Jacques did at that moment.  Instead of trying to escape, he opened his coat, and baring his breast, he said to the husband, ‘Fire!  You are in your right!’ The count, however, laughed contemptuously, and said, ’The court will avenge me!’—­’You know very well that I am innocent.’—­’All the better.’—­’It would be infamous to let me be condemned.’—­’I shall do more than that.  To make your condemnation sure, I shall say that I recognized you.’  The count was going to step forward, as he said this; but he was dying.  Great God, what a man!  He fell forward, lying at full-length on the floor.  Then I got frightened, and ran away.”

By a very great effort only could the commonwealth attorney control his intense excitement.  His voice, however, betrayed him as he asked Trumence, after a solemn pause,—­

“Why did you not come and tell us all that at once?”

The vagabond shook his head, and said,—­

“I meant to do so; but I was afraid.  You ought to understand what I mean.  I was afraid I might be punished very severely for having run off.”

“Your silence has led the court to commit a grievous mistake.”

“I had no idea M. Jacques would be found guilty.  Big people like him, who can pay great lawyers, always get out of trouble.  Besides, I did not think Count Claudieuse would carry out his threat.  To be betrayed by one’s wife is hard; but to send an innocent man to the galleys”—­

“Still you see”—­

“Ah, if I could have foreseen!  My intentions were good; and I assure you, although I did not come at once to denounce the whole thing, I was firmly resolved to make a clean breast of it if M. Jacques should get into trouble.  And the proof of it is, that instead of running off, and going far away, I very quietly lay concealed at the Red Lamb, waiting for the sentence to be published.  As soon as I heard what was done last night, I did not lose an hour, and surrendered at once to the gendarmes.”