dais,_ and, above all, the immense
picture in which were represented Louis XII., the father of his
people, and his virtuous minister and friend, the good Cardinal
d'Amboise--all united to give the great hall an aspect at once
beautiful and imposing. The effect was increased when, on days of
judicial solemnity, a hundred and twenty magistrates were seated in
judgment there, with their long white beards and scarlet robes,
having at their head the presidents, attired in ermine mantles, above
whom was a painting depicting the legislator Moses and the four
evangelists.

It was in this magnificent hall that the parliament assembled, by a
special convocation, on Christmas-eve, in the year 16--. But this
time they were attired in black robes, and their serious countenances
showed they had a rigorous office to perform. This secret meeting of
parliament excited great curiosity throughout the whole town. The
murder of the merchant of Lucca, the arrest of the presumed criminal,
the discovery of the body of his supposed victim, the unhoped-for
testimony given by a blind man at Argenteuil, furnished an
inexhaustible subject of discussion for the crowd that thronged the
avenues of the palace. Every one agreed that the day was come which
would liberate an innocent man, or dismiss a murderer to the
scaffold.

The parliament, after many long debates, had decided that the blind
man of Argenteuil should be heard. Gervais appeared before them. His
frank and circumstantial deposition made a deep impression; but some
doubt still remained. It was a fearful thing to place a man's life at
the mercy of the fugitive reminiscences of a blind man, who could
only trust to his hearing. It seemed almost impossible that Gervais
should recognise faithfully a voice which he had heard but once only.
The parliament determined to prove him, and to bring before him
successively all the prisoners of the Conciergerie, Martel among the
rest. If, after having heard them speak, the blind man spontaneously,
and without once hesitating, should recognise the voice which had
struck him so powerfully, this evidence, united to others, should be
held conclusive. It was not without design that Christmas-eve was
chosen for this strange trial, unheard-of in the annals of justice.
To have brought up the prisoners together on an ordinary day, would
have awakened their suspicions, perhaps suggested to them various
stratagems, and thus left the success of this novel experime