to,
but I couldn't. It would have hurt him too much. For he's a good man,
Monsieur, I swear he is. [_Mouzon makes a gesture_] Yes, I know,
sometimes when he's been drinking, he's violent. I was going to tell you
about that. I don't want to tell you any more untruths. But it's very
seldom he's violent now. [_Weeping_] Oh, don't let him know, Monsieur,
don't let him know. He'd go away--he'd leave me--he'd take my children
from me. [_She gives a despairing cry_] Ah, he'd take my children from
me! I don't know what to say to you--but it isn't possible--you can't
tell him--now you know all the harm it would do. You won't? Of course I
was guilty--but I didn't understand--I didn't know. I wasn't seventeen,
sir, when I went to Paris. My master and mistress had a son; he forced
me almost--and I loved him--and then he wanted to take me away because
his parents wanted to send him away by himself. I did what he asked me.
That money--I didn't know he had stolen it--I swear I didn't know--

MOUZON. That's all right; control yourself.

YANETTA. Yes, Monsieur.

MOUZON. We'll put that on one side for the moment.

YANETTA. Yes, Monsieur.

MOUZON. Now your husband--

YANETTA. Yes, Monsieur.

MOUZON [_with great sincerity_] You will have need of all your courage,
my poor woman. Your husband is guilty.

YANETTA. It's impossible! It's impossible!

MOUZON [_with great sincerity_] He has not confessed it, but he is on
the point of doing so. I myself know what happened that night after he
left your house--witnesses have told me.

YANETTA. No! No! My God, my God! Witnesses? What witnesses? It isn't
true!

MOUZON. Well, then, don't be so obstinate! In your own interest, don't
be so stubborn! Shall I tell you what will be the end of it? You will
ruin your husband! If you insist on contradicting the evidence, that he
passed the night away from the house, you'll ruin him, I tell you. On
the other hand, if you will only tell me the truth, then if he is not
the murderer, he will tell us what he did do and who his companions
were.

YANETTA. He hadn't any.

MOUZON. Then he went out alone?

YANETTA. Yes.

MOUZON. At ten o'clock?

YANETTA. At ten.

MOUZON. He returned alone at five in the morning?

YANETTA. Yes, all alone.

MOUZON. But perhaps you are thinking of some other night. It was really
the night of Ascension Day when he went out alone?

YANETTA. Yes.

MOUZON. Benoit, have you got that written down?

RECORDER. Yes,