Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-02-16
CHAPTER XIV.

htSS Nuen ilb tHOuEHb vi tIt uctChNlOu
of Jacques Dantin. Without doubt all
prisoners, all accused persons, are reti
cent. They try to hide their guilt under
voluntary silence. They do not speak
because they have sworn not to. They
are bound, one knows not by whom, by
an oath which they cannot break IL is
the ordinary system Of the guilty who
cannot defend themselves. Mystery
seems to them safety.
But Dantin, intimately acquainted
with Revere life, might be acquaint-
ed with some secret which he could not
disclose and which did not pertain to
him at all. What secret? Had not an
examining magistrate right to know
everything? Had not ar accused man a
right to speak? Either Dantin had moth
ing to reveal and be was playing a COM
edy and was guilty or, if by Il few
words, by confidence made to the
magistrate he could escape al accusa
ton, recover his liberty, without doubt
he would speak after having kept an
inexplcable silence How could one
suppose that an innocent man would
hold for long time to this mute sys-
TEN?
The discovery of the portrait in Mmo.
Colard's shop ought, naturally, to give
to the affair new turn The arrest of
Charles Prades brought an important
element to these researches. He would
be examined by NJ. Ginory the next
morning, after having been questioned
by the commissary of police.
Bernardet, spruce, freshly shaver,
was there and seemed in his well brush
ed redingote like little abbe come to
assist at some curious ceremony.
On the contrary, Prades, after sleep
less night, night Of agony, paler than
the evening before his face fierce and
its muscles contracted, had a haggard
expression, and he blinked his eyes like
night bird suddenly brought into glar-
ing sunlight. lie repeated before the
examining magistrate what he had said
to the brigadier. But his voice, vibrant
a few hours before, had become heavy,
almost raucous, as the naughty express
sion of his face had become sullen and
\ tragic.
The examining magistrate had cited
Nine. Colard, the shopleeper, to appear
before him. She instantly recognized
in this Prades the man who had sold
her the little panel by Paul Baudry.
He denied it. He did not know of
what they Were talking. He had never
Seen this woman. He knew nothing
about any portrait.
ut belonged to NJ Revere" the
magistrate replied--"M. Revere, the
murdered man; VI. Revere, who was
consul at Buenos AyreS, and you spoke
yesterday of Buenos Ayres in the exam
ination at The station house i'll the Rue
de Ia RoChefOucauld, -
IN. Revere: Buenos Ayrcs:' repeat
ed the young man, rolling his sOmbrero
around his fingers.
He repeated that he did not know the
ex-cunsul that he had never been in
South America that he had come FROM
Sydney.
Bernardet at this moment interrupt
ed him by taking his hat from him
without saying word, and Prades cast
avery argry look at the little man.
NJ Ginory understood Bernardet' 5
move and approved with a smile. Ho
looked i'll the inside of the sombrero
which Bornardet handed to him.
The hat bore the address Of Gordon,
Smithson g. Co., Berner street. London.
"But, after all, " thought the magis.
trate, "Buenos Ayres is one Of the mar
kets for English goods -
"That is a hat bought at Sydney"
Prades (wbc had UNDERSTOOD explained.
Before the bold, decided, almost vio-
lent aflirmations which Nine. Colard
made that this was certainly the seller
of the portrait the young man lost coun-
tenance little, He kept saying over
and over: "You deceive yourself
Madame, have never spoken to you.
have never seen you.
When NJ Ginory asked her if she
still persisted in saying that this was
the man who had sold her the picture,
she said:
''Do [ still persist? With my neck
under the Ruillotine l would persist .
And she kept repeating: 81 am sure Of
it. am sure Of it. "
This preliminary examination brought
about no decisive result. 1t was Ger
tain if this portrait had been in the
possession Of this young man and beer
sold by him that he (Charles Prades
was an accomplish of Dantin's, ii moi
the author Of the crime. They ought
then to be- brought face to face, ant
possibly this might bring about an i'm
mediate result. And why not have thi'
meeting take place at once before
Prades was sent where Dantn was, a
Mazas?
M. Ginory, who had uttered thi
word "Mazas" noticed the expression
of terror which flashed across and sud
denly TRANSPORTED the young man s face
Prades stammercd:
"Then-you will hold me? Then
am not free:"
NJ. Ciinory did not reply. He gave al
order that this Trades should be guarded
until tho arrival Of Dantin from Mazas
In NlaZas in that walled prison, il
the cell which had already made hin
ILL., Jacques Edntin sat This man witt
the troopers air seemed almost to be il
state of collapse. When the guarc
came to his cell, he drew himself VI
and endeaYorcd to collect all his energy
and when the door was opened and h
was called he appeared quite like him
self. When he saw the prison Wagon
which had brought him to Mazas ant
now awaited to take him to the Palai
de Justice, he instinctively recoiled
then. recovering himself he ontored th