FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176  
177   178   179   180   181   182   183   184   185   186   187   188   189   190   191   192   193   >>  
ume and placed it on the table. It was M. Joyeuse, formerly cashier for Hemerlingue and Son. But I had no time to present my respects to him. "Who did that?" the magistrate asked me, opening the book at a place where a leaf had been torn out. "Come, do not lie about it." I did not lie, for I had no idea, as I never concerned myself about the books. However, I thought it my duty to mention M. de Gery, the Nabob's secretary, who used often to come to our offices at night and shut himself up alone in the counting-room for hours at a time. Thereupon little Pere Joyeuse turned red with anger. "What he says is absurd, Monsieur le Juge d'Instruction. Monsieur de Gery is the young man I mentioned to you. He went to the _Territoriale_ solely for the purpose of keeping an eye on affairs there, and felt too deep an interest in poor Monsieur Jansoulet to destroy the receipts for his contributions, the proofs of his blind but absolute honesty. However, Monsieur de Gery, who has been detained a long while in Tunis, is now on his way home, and will soon be able to afford all necessary explanations." I felt that my zeal was likely to compromise me. "Be careful, Passajon," said the judge very sternly. "You are here only as a witness; but if you try to give the investigation a wrong turn you may return as a suspect."--Upon my word the monster seemed to desire it.--"Come, think, who tore out this page?" Thereupon I very opportunely remembered that, a few days before leaving Paris, our Governor had told me to bring the books to his house, where they had remained until the following day. The clerk made a note of my declaration, whereupon the magistrate dismissed me with a wave of the hand, warning me that I must hold myself at his disposal. When I was at the door he recalled me: "Here, Monsieur Passajon, take this; I have no further use for it." He handed me the papers he had been consulting while he questioned me; and my confusion can be imagined when I saw on the cover the word "_Memoirs_" written in my roundest hand. I had myself furnished justice with weapons, with valuable information which the suddenness of our catastrophe had prevented me from rescuing from the general cleaning out executed by the police in our offices. My first impulse, on returning, was to tear these tale-bearing sheets in pieces; then, after reflection, having satisfied myself that there was nothing in these _Memoirs_ to compromise me, I decided
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176  
177   178   179   180   181   182   183   184   185   186   187   188   189   190   191   192   193   >>  



Top keywords:
Monsieur
 

However

 
Memoirs
 

Thereupon

 
Joyeuse
 

offices

 

magistrate

 
Passajon
 

compromise

 

investigation


declaration
 

dismissed

 

warning

 

opportunely

 

remembered

 
monster
 

desire

 
suspect
 
Governor
 

leaving


return

 

remained

 

imagined

 

executed

 

police

 

cleaning

 

general

 

suddenness

 

catastrophe

 

prevented


rescuing
 

impulse

 

returning

 
reflection
 

satisfied

 

decided

 

bearing

 

sheets

 
pieces
 
information

valuable

 

handed

 
papers
 

disposal

 

recalled

 

consulting

 

questioned

 

roundest

 

written

 

furnished