CAUSES CÉLÈBRES. XV. LESNIER. [1848-1855.] T ISTEN to a story very simple and very y commonplace at its commencement, — the story of a crime inspired by cupidity. The guilty one is convicted upon indispu table evidence, and punished; nothing un usual in all this, and if that were all, it would hardly be worth the recital. But suddenly the scene changes; the drama increases in interest, and transforms itself into a poem of indescribable sufferings, enlisting the sym pathies of all humanity. Reason and con science stand aghast at this astonishing coup de thddtre; and the last words of this impres sive drama resound solemn and terrible, as a warning to all those who are called upon to judge their fellowman. On the night of the 15th of November, 1847, as M. Drauhaut, tradesman of the bourg of Fieu, in the department of Gironde, was about to retire to his bed, he saw a bright light on the horizon. Every one in the house, except himself, was asleep. Drauhaut at once cried, "Fire!" and hastily dressed himself. In a few moments the other members of the household were aroused, and, half dressed, all ran in the direction of the blaze. "It is at Petit-Mass^," said young Drau haut, the tradesman's son; " there is nothing there but the cottage of Father Gay. It is certainly old Gay's house that is on fire." The party presently arrived at the pinewoods surrounding the humble dwelling, that stood upon a little plateau. The house itself, built of rough pine-logs, although cov ered with firebrands, was not yet burning; but a small outbuilding was all in flames, and threatened momentary destruction to the dwelling. Pelerin, a young mason who had accom
panied the Drauhauts, rapped loudly upon the wall of the house at a point correspond ing to the position of old Gay's bed, in order to awaken the aged man if by chance he was still asleep. At the same time the others went around the building, and discov ered that the door and the windows were wide open. Young Drauhaut rushed into the house, and as he entered, he stumbled over some obstacle which barred his pas sage. Drawing back, he looked in through the window, and saw the body of old Gay lying upon the floor, his feet extended toward the door. Various dishes were scat tered on the floor about him, and it was evi dent that the old man had fallen just as he was beginning his supper. He must have struck his head heavily in falling, for on examination they found a large wound be hind the ears, and a handkerchief upon which the head rested was covered with blood. Raising the body tenderly, they bore it from the building, and laid it on the grass beneath the trees. All their efforts to restore life were fruitless. The old man was dead. The house was now on fire, but the party succeeded in extinguishing the flames. Old Gay was not a native of that part of the country. A poor farmer, he had come some years before from Haute-Loire. He was seventy-two years old; he lived alone, sick and infirm, subsisting upon the products of his little patch of land. On the morning of the 16th, M. Viault, the juge de paix of Coutras, was summoned to investigate the cause of this death. The magistrate and a physician, Dr. Soule who accompanied him, at once saw that a crime had been committed. An examination of the wound and an in
