But, short and rapid as the doctor's walk had been, it had given him time to reflect, and to grow cool. Instead of breaking out into recriminations, he replied in a tone of mock politeness,--"Yes, I know. It is that poor devil to whom you have given a gendarme for a nurse. Let us go up: I am at your service."The room in which Cocoleu had been put was large, whitewashed, and empty, except that a bed, a table and two chairs, stood about. The bed was no doubt a good one; but the idiot had taken off the mattress and the blankets, and lain down in his clothes on the straw bed. Thus the magistrate and the physician found him as they entered. He rose at their appearance; but, when he saw the gendarme, he uttered a cry, and tried to hide under the bed. M. Galpin ordered the gendarme to pull him out again. Then he walked up to him, and said,--"Don't be afraid, Cocoleu. We want to do you no harm; only you must answer our questions. Do you recollect what happened the other night at Valpinson?"Cocoleu laughed,--the laugh of an idiot,--but he made no reply. And then, for a whole hour, begging, threatening, and promising by turns, the magistrate tried in vain to obtain one word from him. Not even the name of the Countess Claudieuse had the slightest effect. At last, utterly out of patience, he said,--"Let us go. The wretch is worse than a brute.""Was he any better," asked the doctor, "when he denounced M. de Boiscoran?"But the magistrate pretended not to hear; and, when they were about to leave the room, he said to the doctor,--"You know that I expect your report, doctor?""In forty-eight hours I shall have the honor to hand it to you,"replied the latter.
But as he went off, he said half aloud,--"And that report is going to give you some trouble, my good man."The report was ready then, and his reason for not giving it in, was that he thought, the longer he could delay it, the more chance he would probably have to defeat the plan of the prosecution.
"As I mean to keep it two days longer," he thought on his way home, "why should I not show it to this Paris lawyer who has dome down with the marchioness? Nothing can prevent me, as far as I see, since that poor Galpin, in his utter confusion, has forgotten to put me under oath."But he paused. According to the laws of medical jurisprudence, had he the right, or not, to communicate a paper belonging to the case to the counsel of the accused? This question troubled him; for, although he boasted that he did not believe in God, he believed firmly in professional duty, and would have allowed himself to be cut in pieces rather than break its laws.
"But I have clearly the right to do so," he growled. "I can only be bound by my oath. The authorities are clear on that subject. I have in my favor the decisions of the Court of Appeals of 27 November, and 27December, 1828; those of the 13th June, 1835; of the 3d May, 1844; of the 26th June, 1866."The result of this mediation was, that, as soon as he had breakfasted, he put his report in his pocket, and went by side streets to M. de Chandore's house. The marchioness and the two aunts were still at church, where they had thought it best to show themselves; and there was no one in the sitting-room but Dionysia, the old baron, and M.
Folgat. The old gentleman was very much surprised to see the doctor.
The latter was his family physician, it is true; but, except in cases of sickness, the two never saw each other, their political opinions were so very different.
"If you see me here," said the physician, still in the door, "it is simply because, upon my honor and my conscience, I believe M.
Boiscoran is innocent."
Dionysia would have liked to embrace the doctor for these words of his; and with the greatest eagerness she pushed a large easy-chair towards him, and said in her sweetest voice,--"Pray sit down, my dear doctor."
"Thanks," he answered bruskly. "I am very much obliged to you." Then turning to M. Folgat, he said, according to his odd notion,--"I am convinced that M. Boiscoran is the victim of his republican opinions which he has so boldly professed; for, baron, your future son-in-law is a republican."Grandpapa Chandore did not move. If they had come and told him Jacques had been a member of the Commune, he would not have been any more moved. Dionysia loved Jacques. That was enough for him.
"Well," the doctor went on, "I am a Radical, I, M."--"Folgat," supplied the young lawyer.
"Yes, M. Folgat, I am a Radical; and it is my duty to defend a man whose political opinions so closely resemble mine. I come, therefore, to show you my medical report, if you can make any use of it in your defence of M. Boiscoran, or suggest to me any ideas.""Ah!" exclaimed the young man. "That is a very valuable service.""But let us understand each other," said the physician earnestly. "If I speak of listening to your suggestions, I take it for granted that they are based upon facts. If I had a son, and he was to die on the scaffold I would not use the slightest falsehood to save him."He had, meanwhile, drawn the report from a pocket in his long coat, and now put in on the table with these words,--"I shall call for it again to-morrow morning. In the meantime you can think it over. I should like, however, to point out to you the main point, the culminating point, if I may say so."At all events he was "saying so" with much hesitation, and looking fixedly at Dionysia as if to make her understand that he would like her to leave the room. Seeing that she did not take the hint, he added,--"A medical and legal discussion would hardly interest the young lady.""Why, sir, why, should I not be deeply, passionately, interested in any thing that regards the man who is to be my husband?""Because ladies are generally very sensational," said the doctor uncivilly, "very sensitive.""Don't think so, doctor. For Jacques's sake, I promise you I will show you quite masculine energy."The doctor knew Dionysia well enough to see that she did not mean to go: so he growled,--"As you like it."