The National tribune., 1882-04-22


astute as lynxes, silent rs confessors. NJ
Ragot would not have whispered a secret to
the Goals on his fire for fear it should be
spread by the smoke I'D the chimney. He
confined himself to telling Nitali that his
case was progressing hopefully, but
Hopefully" in juge d'instructjon's mouth
means that proofs OF crime are thickening,
or that the prisoner is being successfully
hurried into self-accusation.
Vital was fain to be patient. With no
materials to work with other than those
which had been supplied him by Madame
Desplans in one short hours interview. he
had to construct a defensive theory of his
own, but to do this cost him little trouble,
for he considered his whole case to be clear
rs the MONDAY. Captain Lacroix was
madman lahoriDg under that form Of hallu-
cinati0n which doctors call "delirium of per-
secution:" his fears Of being poisoned were
all a result Of his mania and nothing else.
The two servants who testified to Clotilde5
imperiousness were disreputable persons who
had been discharged for misconduct, and who
were now revengiDg themselves. The pur-
chase Of the lauGanum had probably been
made at the sick mans own request, and to
procure him sleep at nights-anyhow, the
fact that Clotilde had openly bought 1t,
giving her real name and address TO the
chemist was irreconcilablc with any theory
of murder. The same might be said with
regard to the suppression Of the sick mans
letters, and with respect to Clotilde's whole
conduct throughout Nothing was more
natural than that she should prevent the
wretched maniacs letters from being posted
to spread alarm among his friends and make
his insanity notorious; but if there had been
intent to murder she would not have allowed
those letters 10 survive rs evidences of her
victims suspicious. TO this Madame Des
planss detractors answered that assassins
have in all times been proverbial for lack Of
foresight, which explains why they are so
often found out; bat Justin Vitali's reply
was that with this system Of putting far
fetched constructions upon everything, there
is not person, however innocent, but would
have guilt affixed on him.
Talk Of pleading unjust causes!-where
was Nitali's talk of abstract justice in the
present case? If PROOF had been forthcon-
ing that ClotIde Desplans had been seen to
pour the poison into the patients mouth, he
would still have brought forward rebutting
arguments. He had become morally deaf
and blind to all pleas that did not tally with
his deliby rate convictions. He did not re-
gard the theories OF the prosecution as things
to be reasoned with, but demolished.
So time wore on, and Vitah's chivalrous
obstinacy and devotion to the cause Of the
suspected murderess came to be rs much
matters Of public rumor as the details of
the murder" itself Vitali's equals and
rivals st the bar of Nj laughed to see
him gone so mad" and rejoiced TO think
that after such an unbroken series of forensic
successes he was at last going to run amuck
and probably cover himself with ridicule.
But the younger barristers who could not
yet compete with the eminent Corsican adj
vocate, and who were disposed to take him
for their model, thought him sublime, and
loudly declared their admiration. 1t was
through them and the younger Journalists at
NJ hat Fitali's fame was being trumpeted
to all the corners OF France. Formerly his
celebrity had been purely local, but now
there was not Il city but was made aware of
the renown he had earned by his peculiar
conscientiousness; and however the trial
might result, it seemed inevitable that the
orator of NJ would be obliged in defer
ence to his national popularity TO forsake the
provincial bar for that of Paris, where a
wider field of honors would be open to him.
Already Partisan solicitors were writing to
him to promise him their patronage in return
for his. 1t was at this iuncture that Vitali
received sudden offer of the procurator-
generalship at Nj. His secret admirer,
the Bonapartist prefect had not forgotten
him, and had exercised his influence so dill
gently that the minister of Justice had al
lowed him to sound the C0rsican as to his
willingness to become a government servant
Before the Desplans case Vital would have
refused the OFFER on pecuniary grounds for
his duty towards his fathers creditors COM
PEELED him to prefer money to hOnors; but
it flashed upon him that if he became pro-
curator the conduct OF the prosecution against
Madame De3plans would devolye uD0n him
ca o0icio. Now public prosecutors enjoy a
good deal of latitude. They receive the com
mitment writs OF the .jugcs d'pstrHctjoa, and
it lies within their discretion to suspend pro-
ccedings on the ground that the evidence
taken before the examining magistrate was
insufficient. Or if the case be brought to
trial, they can abandon the prosecution in
court, declaring that the evidence they have
heard has convinced them of the prisoners
innocence 1t is not often that procurato-s
do this, and Nitali knew that the deputy
procurator OF M, who would have charge
of the case if Re had not, was ore Of those
men who feel professionally bounden to as
sert prisoners guilt to the very end It
sckened him to think that this narrow
headed func:ionary would SLAYER the venom
of his salaried animuS on Cl0tilde'S purity
He reflected that Clotilde would leave the
court with n prou(ler head if her acquitment
instead Of being wrung from the jury by
counsels speech, were brought about by the
public prosecutor abandoning the charge in
the name OF society; and as for getting
another advocate to take his place as the
prisoners counsel, this matter gave him no
uneasiness for he modestly thought that any