By midday all Provins was in a stir over the strange reports of what had taken place at the Rogrons’ in the course of the past night. Pierrette’s screams had been remotely heard in the Square, but they had not lasted long; no one had got up; but everybody had asked in the morning, “Did you hear the noise and screaming at about one o’clock? What was it?” Gossip and comment had given such magnitude to the horrible drama that a crowd collected in front of Frappier’s shop, everybody cross-questioning the honest joiner, who described the girl’s arrival at his house with her hand bleeding and her fingers mangled.
At about one in the afternoon a post-chaise, containing Doctor Bianchon, by whom sat Brigaut, stopped at Frappier’s door, and Madame Frappier went off to the hospital to fetch Monsieur Martener and the head surgeon. Thus the reports heard in the town received confirmation.
The Rogrons were accused of having intentionally maltreated their young cousin, and endangered her life. The news reached Vinet at the Law Courts; he left his business and hurried to the Rogrons’. Rogron and his sister had just finished breakfast. Sylvie had avoided telling her brother of her defeat during the night; she allowed him to question her, making no reply but: “It does not concern you.” And she bustled to and fro between the kitchen and dining-room to avoid all discussion.
She was alone when Vinet walked in.
“Do you know nothing of what is going on?” asked the lawyer.
“No,” said Sylvie.
“You are going to have a criminal action brought against you for the way in which matters stand with Pierrette.”
“A criminal action!” said Rogron, coming in. “Why? What for?”
“In the first place,” said Vinet, looking at Sylvie, “tell me exactly, without subterfuge, all that took place last night, as though you were before God, for there is some talk of cutting off Pierrette’s hand.”
Sylvie turned ashy pale and shivered.
“Then there was something!” said the lawyer.
Mademoiselle Rogron told the story, trying to justify herself; but on being cross-questioned, related all the details of the horrible conflict.
“If you have only broken her fingers, you will only appear in the Police Court; but if her hand has to be amputated, you will find yourself brought up at the Assizes. The Tiphaines will do anything to get you there.”
Sylvie, more dead than alive, confessed her jealousy, and, which was even harder to bring out, how her suspicions had blundered.
“What a case for trial!” exclaimed Vinet. “You and your brother may be ruined by it; you will be thrown over by many of your friends even if you gain it. If you do not come out clear, you will have to leave Provins.”
“Oh! my dear Monsieur Vinet—you who are such an able lawyer,” cried Rogron, horrified, “advise us, save us!”
Vinet dexterously fomented the fears of these two fools to the utmost, and declared positively that Madame and Mademoiselle de Chargeboeuf would hesitate to go to their house again. To be forsaken by these two ladies would be a fatal condemnation. In short, after an hour of magnificent manoeuvring, it was agreed that in order to induce Vinet to save the Rogrons, he must have an interest at stake in defending him in the eyes of all Provins. In the course of the evening Rogron’s engagement to marry Mademoiselle de Chargeboeuf was to be announced. The banns were to be published on Sunday. The marriage-contract would at once be drawn up by Cournant, and Mademoiselle Rogron would figure in it as abandoning, in consideration of this alliance, the capital of her share of the estate by a deed of gift to her brother, reserving only a life-interest. Vinet impressed on Rogron and his sister the necessity of having a draft of this deed drawn up two or three days before that event, so as to put Madame and Mademoiselle de Chargeboeuf under the necessity, in public opinion, of continuing their visits to the Rogrons.
“Sign that contract, and I will undertake to get you out of the scrape,” said the lawyer. “It will no doubt be a hard fight, but I will go into it body and soul, and you will owe me a very handsome taper.”
“Yes, indeed,” said Rogron.
By half-past eleven the lawyer was empowered to act for them, alike as to the contract and as to the management of the case. At noon the President was informed that a summons was applied for by Vinet against Brigaut and the widow Lorrain for abducting Pierrette Lorrain, a minor, from the domicile of her guardian. Thus the audacious Vinet took up the offensive, putting Rogron in the position of a man having the law on his side. This, indeed, was the tone in which the matter was commented on in the Law Courts. The President postponed hearing the parties till four o’clock. The excitement of the town over all these events need not be described. The President knew that the medical consultation would be ended by three o’clock; he wished that the legal guardian should appear armed with the physicians’ verdict.
The announcement of Rogron’s engagement to the fair Bathilde de Chargeboeuf, and of the deed of gift added by Sylvie to the contract, promptly made the Rogrons two enemies—Mademoiselle Habert and the Colonel, who thus saw all their hopes dashed. Céleste Habert and the Colonel remained ostensibly friends to the Rogrons, but only to damage them more effectually. So, as soon as Monsieur
