the memoirs of victor hugo-第30部分

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　which　one　gazed　as　through　a　vague　and　dazzling　veil；　a　sort　of　immense　and　tenebrous　arch；　a　grotto　of　shadow　and　mystery；　could　be　discerned。　　This　grotto　in　which　were　big　trees；　a　copse　threaded　with　paths　and　clearings；　and　a　fountain　that　showered　its　water…diamonds　in　sparkling　spray；　was　simply　the　end　of　the　garden。　　Red　dots　that　resembled　oranges　of　fire　shone　here　and　there　amid　the　foliage。　　It　was　all　like　a　dream。　　The　lanterns　in　the　copse；　when　one　approached　them；　became　great　luminous　tulips　mingled　with　real　camellias　and　roses。

One　seated　one's　self　on　a　garden　seat　with　one's　feet　in　the　grass　and　moss；　and　one　felt　the　warmth　arising　from　a　heat…grating　beneath　this　grass　and　this　moss；　one　happened　upon　an　immense　fireplace　in　which　half　the　trunk　of　a　tree　was　burning；　in　proximity　to　a　clump　of　bushes　shivering　in　the　rain　of　a　fountain。　　There　were　lamps　amid　the　flowers　and　carpets　in　the　alleys。　　Among　the　trees　were　satyrs；　nude　nymphs；　hydras；　all　kinds　of　groups　and　statues　which；　like　the　place　itself；　had　something　impossible　and　living　about　them。

What　were　people　doing　at　this　ball？　　They　danced　a　little；　made　love　a　little；　and　above　all　talked　politics。

There　were　about　fifty　Representatives　present　that　evening。　The　negro　Representative　Louisy　Mathieu；　in　white　gloves；　was　accompanied　by　the　negrophile　Representative　Schoelcher　in　black　gloves。　　People　said：　〃O　fraternity！　they　have　exchanged　hands！〃

Politicians　leaning　against　the　mantels　announced　the　approaching　appearance　of　a　sheet　entitled　the　〃Aristo；〃　a　reactionary　paper。　　The　Brea　affair；*　which　was　being　tried　at　that　very　moment；　was　discussed。　　What　particularly　struck　these　grave　men　in　this　sinister　affair　was　that　among　the　witnesses　was　an　ironmonger　named　〃Lenclume〃　and　a　locksmith　named　〃Laclef。〃

*　　General　Bréa　was　assassinated　on　June　25；　1848；　while　parleying　with　the　insurgents　at　the　Barriêre　de　Fontainebleau。

Such　are　the　trivial　things　men　bring　into　the　events　of　God。





II。　　GENERAL　BREA'S　MURDERERS。

March；　1849。



The　men　condemned　to　death　in　the　Bréa　affair　are　confined　in　the　fort　at　Vanves。　　There　are　five　of　them：　Nourry；　a　poor　child　of　seventeen　whose　father　and　mother　died　insane；　type　of　the　gamin　of　Paris　that　revolutions　make　a　hero　and　riots　a　murderer；　Daix；　blind　of　one　eye；　lame；　and　with　only　one　arm；　a　~bon　pauvre~　of　the　Bicetre　Hospital；　who　underwent　the　operation　of　trepanning　three　years　ago；　and　who　has　a　little　daughter　eight　years　old　whom　he　adores；　Lahr；　nicknamed　the　Fireman；　whose　wife　was　confined　the　day　after　his　condemnation；　giving　life　at　the　moment　she　received　death；　Chopart；　a　bookseller's　assistant；　who　has　been　mixed　up　in　some　rather　discreditable　pranks　of　youth；　and　finally　Vappreaux　junior；　who　pleaded　an　alibi　and　who；　if　the　four　others　are　to　be　believed；　was　not　at　the　Barrière　de　Fontainebleau　at　all　during　the　three　days　of　June。

These　hapless　wights　are　confined　in　a　big　casemate　of　the　fort。　　Their　condemnation　has　crushed　them　and　turned　them　towards　God。　　In　the　casemate　are　five　camp　beds　and　five　rush…bottomed　chairs；　to　this　lugubrious　furniture　of　the　dungeon　an　altar　has　been　added。　　It　was　erected　at　the　end　of　the　casemate　opposite　the　door　and　below　the　venthole　through　which　daylight　penetrates。　　On　the　altar　is　only　a　plaster　statue　of　the　Virgin　enveloped　in　lace。　There　are　no　tapers；　it　being　feared　that　the　prisoners　might　set　fire　to　the　door　with　the　straw　of　their　mattresses。　They　pray　and　work。　　As　Nourry　has　not　been　confirmed　and　wishes　to　be　before　he　dies；　Chopart　is　teaching　him　the　catechism。

Beside　the　altar　is　a　board　laid　upon　two　trestles。　　This　board；　which　is　full　of　bullet　holes；　was　the　target　of　the　fort。　　It　has　been　turned　into　a　dining…table；　a　cruel；　thoughtless　act；　for　it　is　a　continual　reminder　to　the　prisoners　of　their　approaching　death。

A　few　days　ago　an　anonymous　letter　reached　them。　　This　letter　advised　them　to　stamp　upon　the　flagstone　in　the　centre　of　the　casemate；　which；　it　was　affirmed；　covered　the　orifice　of　a　well　communicating　with　old　subterranean　passages　of　the　Abbey　of　Vanves　that　extended　to　Chatillon。　　All　they　had　to　do　was　to　raise　the　flagstone　and　they　could　escape　that　very　night。

They　did　as　the　letter　directed。　　The　stone；　it　was　found；　did　emit　a　hollow　sound　as　though　it　covered　an　opening。　But　either　because　the　police　had　been　informed　of　the　letter；　or　for　some　other　reason；　a　stricter　watch　than　ever　has　been　kept　upon　them　from　that　moment　and　they　have　been　unable　to　profit　by　the　advice。

The　gaolers　and　priests　do　not　leave　them　for　a　minute　either　by　day　or　by　night。　　Guardians　of　the　body　cheek　by　jowl　with　guardians　of　the　soul。　　Sorry　human　justice！



The　execution　of　the　condemned　men　in　the　Bréa　affair　was　a　blunder。　　It　was　the　reappearance　of　the　scaffold。　The　people　had　kicked　over　the　guillotine。　　The　bourgeoisie　raised　it　again。　　A　fatal　mistake。

President　Louis　Bonaparte　was　inclined　to　be　merciful。　The　revision　and　cassation　could　easily　have　been　delayed。　The　Archbishop　of　Paris；　M。　Sibour；　successor　of　a　victim；　had　begged　for　their　lives。　　But　the　stereotyped　phrases　prevailed。　　The　country　must　be　reassured。　　Order　must　be　reconstructed；　legality　rebuilt；　confidence　re…erected！　And　society　at　that　time　was　still　reduced　to　employing　lopped　heads　as　building　material。　　The　Council　of　State；　such　as　it　then　was；　consulted　under　the　terms　of　the　Constitution；　rendered　an　opinion　in　favour　of　the　execution。　M。　Cresson；　counsel　for　Daix　and　Lahr；　waited　upon　the　President。　　He　was　an　emotional　and　eloquent　young　man。　He　pleaded　for　these　men；　for　the　wives　who　were　not　yet　widows；　for　the　children　who　were　not　yet　orphans；　and　while　speaking　he　wept。

Louis　Bonaparte　listened　to　him　in　silence；　then　took　his　hands；　but　merely　remarked：　〃I　am　most　unhappy！〃

In　the　evening　of　the　same　dayit　was　on　the　Thursdaythe　Council　of　Ministers　met。　　The　discussion　was　long　and　animated。　　Only　one　minister　opposed　recourse　to　the　scaffold。　　He　was　supported　by　Louis　Napoleon。　The　discussion　lasted　until　10　o'clock。　　But　the　majority　prevailed；　and　before　the　Cabinet　separated　Odilon　Barrot；　the　Minister　of　Justice；　signed　the　order　for　the　execution　of　three　of　the　condemned　men；　Daix；　Lahr　and　Chopart。　The　sentences　of　Nourry　and　Vappreaux；　junior；　were　commuted　to　penal　servitude　for　life。



The　execution　was　fixed　for　the　next　morning；　Friday。

The　Chancellor's　office　immediately　transmitted　the　order　to　the　Prefect　of　Police；　who　had　to　act　in　concert　with　the　military　authorities；　the　sentence　having　been　imposed　by　a　court…martial。

The　prefect　sent　for　the　executioner。　　But　the　executioner　could　not　be　found。　　He　had　vacated　his　house　in　the　Rue　des　Marais　Saint　Martin　in　February　under　the　impression　that；　like　the　guillotine；　he　had　been　deposed；　and　no　one　knew　what　had　become　of　him。

Considerable　time　was　lost　in　tracing　him　to　his　new　residence；　and　when　they　got　there　he　was　out。　　The　executioner　was　at　the　Opera。　　He　had　gone　to　see　〃The　Devil's　Violin。〃

It　was　near　midnight；　and　in　the　absence　of　the　executioner　the　execution　had　to　be　postponed　for　one　day。

During　the　interval　Representative　Larabit；　whom　Chopart　had　befriended　at　the　barricade　of　the　barriers；　was　notified　and　was　able　to　see　the　President。　　The　President　signed　Chopart's　pardon。

The　day　after　the　execution　the　Prefect　of　Police　summoned　the　executioner　and　reproved　him　for　his　absence。

〃Well；〃　said　Samson；　〃I　was　passing　along　the　street　when　I　saw　a　big　yellow　poster　announcing　The　Devil's　Violin。　　'Hello！'　said　I　to　myself；　'that　must　be　a　queer　piece；'　and　I　went　to　see　it。〃

Thus　a　playbill　saved　a　man's　head。



There　were　some　horrible　details。

On　Friday　night；　while　those　who　formerly　were　called　~les　maitres　des　basses　oeuvres~*　were　erecting　the　scaffold　at　the　Barrière　de　Fontainebleau；　the　~rapporteur~　of　the　court…martial；　accompanied　by　the　clerk　of　the　court；　repaired　to　the　Fort　of　Vanves。

*　　The　executioner　in　France　is　officially　styled　~l'executeur　des　hautes…oeuvres~。　　　Daix　and　Lahr；　who　were　to　die；　were　sleeping。　　They　were　in　casemate　No。　13　with　Nourry　and　Chopart。　　There　was　a　delay。　　It　was　found　that　there　were　no　ropes　with　which　to　bind　the　condemned　men。　　The　latter　were　allowed　to　sleep　on。　　At　5　o'clock　in　the　morning　the　executioner's　assistants　arrived　with　everything　that　was　necessary。

Then　the　casemate　was　entered。　　The　four　men　awoke。　To　Nourry　and　Chopart　the　officials　said：　〃Get　out　of　here！〃　　They　understood；　and；　joyful　and　terror…stricken；　fled　into　the　adjoining　casement。　　Daix　and　Lahr；　however；　did　not　understand。　　They　sat　up　and　gazed　about　them　with　wild；　frightened　eyes。　　The　executioner　and　his　assistants　fell　upon　them　and　bound　them。　　No　one　spoke　a　word。　The　condemned　men　began　to　realise　what　it　all　meant　and　uttered　terrible　cries。　　〃If　we　had　not　bound　them；〃　said　the　executioner；　〃they　would　have　devoured　us！〃

Then　Lahr　collapsed　and　began　to　pray　while　the　decree　for　their　execution　was　read　to　them。

Daix　continued　to　struggle；　sobbing；　and　roaring　with　horror。　　These　men　who　had　killed　so　freely　were　afraid　to　die。

Daix　shouted：　〃Help！　　Help！〃　appealed　to　the　soldiers；　adjured　them；　cursed　them；　pleaded　to　them　in　the　name　of　General　Bréa。

〃Shut　up！　〃growled　a　sergeant。　　〃You　are　a　coward！〃



The　execution　was　performed　with　much　ceremony。　　Let　this　fact　be　noted：　the　first　time　the　guillotine　dared　to　show　itself　after　February　an　army　was　furnished　to　guard　it。　　Twenty…five　thousand　men；　infantry　and　cavalry；　surrounded　the　scaffold。　　Two　generals　were　in　command。　Seven　guns　commanded　the　streets　which　converged　to　the　circus　of　the　Barrière　de　Fontainebleau。

Daix　was　executed　first。　　When　his　head　had　fallen　and　his　body　was　unstrapped；　the　trunk；　from　which　a　stream　of　blood　was　pouring；　fell　upon　the　scaffold　between　the　swing…board　and　the　basket。

The　executioners　were　nervous　and　excited。　　A　man　of　the　people　remarked：　〃Everybody　is　losing　his　head　on　that　guillotine；　including　the　executioner！〃



In　the　faubourgs；　whic