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The Green Bag
told difierent stories as to whether he was at home or abroad that night. He says that he was afraid of being arrested for smuggling, and fixed his stories in the way he thought they would suit the police, since they are so particular about testimony. The judge sneers at his forms of invention, and the prisoner insists that the chief thing is now that he did not commit the murder. After he is led out of the office, the judge and his assistant discuss the value of the reference to one's children for making a man wish to confess whether guilty or innocent, if only to save them from something. “If I had not had a headache!" says the judge. And he regrets having disclosed to the prisoner the improbability of his story about his alibi. "Never mind," he says, “I can coax his wife and get the truth out of her all right. The devil will be in it if I can't do that." He sends for the prisoner's wife. The wife is a strong, energetic young woman of great spirit. She comes in with an openly defiant air. The judge warns her that if she does not tell the truth he will have her arrested as an accomplice of her husband. She replies that she is not afraid; that she cannot be an accomplice since her husband is not guilty. The judge charges her with knowing more than she will tell. She complains that it is disgraceful to treat her so. The judge. asks her if she still persists in saying that her husband was at home during the night of the murder. She persists. The judge tells her that she lies. She persists in denying. Then the judge says, "Let us examine the value of your testimony." He opens the report made by his detectives and says, “Since your mas riage——ten years ago—your conduct has left nothing to be desired. You are economical, faithful, industrious, honest—"
“Well?" she
says, "what of that?" The judge continues, "Wait. You have two children whom you adore. You are an excellent mother. They even say that when your son was ill your devotion was heroic—" "But what has all that got to do with the accusation against my husband?" she says. The judge says, “Have patience-you will see." "Then let me see," she replies. The judge goes on. “You are entitled all the more to credit because your husband does not practice the same virtue. Sometimes he gets drunk." "No," she says. "Come, now," says the judge. “That is noto rious. He is brutal." “He is not brutal," she says. “It is well known that he has been
convicted three or four times for striking and wounding people." “Possibly—on holiday evenings there are disputes. But that was long ago. Now he is better and I am very happy with him." “That astonishes me," says the judge. "At all events," she asks, “does that prove that he killed the old man?" The judge says, "He is avaricious." She says, “The poor have to be so or die of
hunger.” The judge says, "You defend him well." “Did you think I would accuse him?" she exclaims, with a fine burst of indignation.
Then the judge puts the test question as follows: "Have you ever been convicted of any crime?" "Me?” she asks, with a troubled voice.
“Yes-you." "No," she says, losing all her former force,
"I never was convicted." “That is queer," says the judge. “There was a girl with the same name as yours, who served a month in prison for receiving stolen goods." “Receiving stolen goods," she repeats, feebly. “Now, then, you have not so much assur ance," says the judge, and he banters her until she almost faints and the judge orders his assistant to give her a chair. As she sits down she says half aloud:-— "My God! You know that!" The judge says, "Here is my information,"
and reads, "This girl went to Paris at the age of sixteen as a companion or domestic in the family of Mr. 50 and So." "Is that correct?" "Yes." "I will continue. ‘She soon became inti mate with the son of this family, who was twenty-three years old. Two years later these lovers ran away, taking with them eight thousand francs which the young man had stolen from his father. On the father's com plaint, the girl was arrested and sentenced
to a month's imprisonment for receiving stolen goods. After serving her sentence out she disappeared. It was supposed that she returned to her own district.’ Were you that girl?" "Yes. Oh, God! But I thought that was so long ago-forgotten. It is all true, sir, but remember that for ten years I have con secreted every minute of my life to expiate that, to try to refonn. A moment ago I
