r was the surgeon of the hospital, with an
assistant, and near him stood Doctor Neraud and Vinet. The surgeon wore
his dissecting apron; the assistant had opened a case of instruments and
was handing him a knife.

This scene was interrupted by the noise of the coffin which Brigaut
and the plumber set down upon the floor. Then Brigaut, advancing, was
horrified at the sight of Madame Lorrain, who was now weeping.

"What is the matter?" he asked, standing beside her and grasping the
chisel convulsively in his hand.

"This," said the old woman, "_this_, Brigaut: they want to open the body
of my child and cut into her head, and stab her heart after her death as
they did when she was living."

"Who?" said Brigaut, in a voice that might have deafened the men of law.

"The Rogrons."

"In the sacred name of God!--"

"Stop, Brigaut," said Monsieur Auffray, seeing the lad brandish his
chisel.

"Monsieur Auffray," said Brigaut, as white as his dead companion, "I
hear you because you are Monsieur Auffray, but at this moment I will not
listen to--"

"The law!" said Auffray.

"Is there law? is there justice?" cried the Breton. "Justice, this is
it!" and he advanced to the lawyer and the doctors, threatening them
with his chisel.

"My friend," said the curate, "the law has been invoked by the lawyer of
Monsieur Rogron, who is under the weight of a serious accusation; and
it is impossible for us to refuse him the means of justification. The
lawyer of Monsieur Rogron claims that if the poor child died of an
abscess in her head her former guardian cannot be blamed, for it is
proved that Pierrette concealed the effects of the blow which she gave
to herself--"

"Enough!" said Brigaut.

"My client--" began Vinet.

"Your client," cried the Breton, "shall go to hell and I to the
scaffold; for if one of you dares to touch her whom your client has
killed, I will kill him if my weapon does its duty."

"This is interference with the law," said Vinet. "I shall instantly
inform the court."

The five men left the room.

"Oh, my son!" cried the old woman, rising from her knees and falling on
Brigaut's neck, "let us bury her quick,--they will come back."

"If we solder the lead," said the plumber, "they may not dare to open
it."

Monsieur Auffray hastened to his brother-in-law, Monsieur Lesourd, to
try and settle the matter. Vinet was not unwilling. Pierrette being dead
the suit about the guardianship fell, of course, to the