The National tribune., 1882-04-22

! DesplanS letter. putting her some questions
which ne had omitted to ask on the previous
day, and sending some general remarks upon
/ the conduct of her case, with the intention
of reassuring her. He did not notice that
| the usual manner of business coplmnica-
ton. but in all he said he wished to pave
| the way to an offer to place his purse at her
! disposal until the trial was ended. 1t had
! occurred to him in the night that Madame
! Dcsplans's circumstances must be wotully
straitened, and that she possibly had not
enough TO live on in comfort for the next
few weeks setting aside the betrayal of eS-
penscS attendant upon the preEminarles OF
every lawsuit. He was wording his pro
poeal with infinite delicacy, and bidding
Madame Dcsplans regard any loan she would
acccp. as a simple advance on the fortune
she would shortly recover, when one of the
most eminent GroueS in R0uen crossed the
court and touched his shoulder. 1t was NJ
! Boidcux, to whom he had been indebted tn,
many 4 brief
"Vitali," said NJ. Boidoux, 81 sent you a
big brief yesterday, but don't go to work on
it yet, for it viii have to be amended, as the
case is going to be transferred from a civil
suit into a criminal action"
"Very well" replied Vitali, nodding alb
sently. "I haven't yet looked at yesterdays
briefs. Who are the parties to this one?"
"Heulard, VieI, and some others, versus
Desplans, young widow, and we are fol
the plaintiffs"
"What?" exclaimed the Corsican, starting
as if he had been hit.
"You seem to have heard Of the case,
observed N. BoidOux, taking a pinch OF
snuff 1--WE thought at first we had to do
merely with undue influence, but circum-
stances have come to light which show there
was downright murder. Madame Desplans
poisoned -"
"Who told you that?" calculated Vital
with so energetic an expression of indignant
fury that n. Boidoux recoiled.
"Heigh! What dog has bitten you? You
surely don't take an interest in the de-
feDdant?" he asked increduously.
Il am retained for Madame Desplans, and
1 mean to go OH her case to the end, j
answered Fitali hotly.
"Oh no. that / am sure you WON'T" re-
piled NJ. Boidoux, wagging bis gray head
You'll drop her brief like a red coal, for
know you. l don't say but that it would
have been pretty case for you to fight, il
there had been no proofs of murder, for
after all what is undue influence in pretty
woman? Madame Boidoux used no undue
influence on me before our marriage, but il
she had asked me to convert all my fortune
into golden marbles that she might play at
rinG-taw -"
"Come to the point, NJ. Boidoux, l beg
cried Vital, shaking the lawyers arm almost
brutally. "What do you mean by proofs OF
murder?"
"Laudanum in the body" replied NJ
BoidOux positively. "At least we hope to
find some there" he added correcting him
self Examining the deceaseds papers the
Gay. before yesterday, We came upon letters
in Which he expressed fears that Madame
Desp!ans was endeavoring to poison him
These letters had been written by him in
bed; they had been put into envelopes
sealed, addressed, and stamped for posting
and it was evident that Madame Desplans
had suppressed them. This set us insti-
tuting inquiries, and we ascertained that
Madame Desplans had on a certain day pur-
chased laUdanum. OF course we applied
forthwith to the procurator for an order to
have Captain Lacroix's body exhumed, and
that is being done at this moment. Asfo1
Clotilde Desplans, she is in prison; we had
her arrested last night"
Muttering a gTowl and launching full
minating glance at the lawyer, Vital fed
from the court at the moment when all the
parties to the insurance suit were returning
TO it.
He rushed across the pleaders' hall, few
down a staircase, and with his gown stream
ing behind him, made for a courtyard lead
ing 10 the prison-bouse. But on reaching
the open air, he sank discouraged on a stone
bench. He recollected that it would he i'm
possible for him to see Clotilde. In France
prisoner apprehended on criminal charge
1 is kept in solitary confinement (dW secret
till the examination by the juge din
StructiOr is at end; and sometimes this ex-
animation lasts for months Fitali thought
with a shudder of the agonies which the
young widow was going to endure, debarred
from all communications with the outer
world, precluded from seeing any faces save
those Of her goalers and of the examining
magistrate, who day after day would torture
her with insidious crosS-questions intending
TO wiring from her an avowal Of guilt Some
strong men have been known to 90 mad
under this protracted torment; how was 3
weak, impressionable woman likely to bear
up against 1t?
Vitali vent back with aching head and
heart to the court and pleaded for his client
in the insurance case. 1t required miracle
Of self-command to enable him to bring his
mind to what he was doing, but the very
force of his sorrow lent him an artificial
strength, and though he spoke with hag-
gard face and an irritable manner, he won
his suit AS he was leaving the court
BoiGoux accosted him, looking triumphant
II told you how it would be- The post
mortem is over, and they have found lauda-
mum in the body"
Il don't believe it," snarled Vitali
"But come, man-when / tell you so
The doctors say he took dose fit to kill q