ORNEY-GENERAL. The jury will decide. We can do no more, all of us,
than bow to its verdict.

VAGRET. Let me tell you, sir, how my convictions have been shaken.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL. I do not wish to know. All that is a matter between
yourself and your conscience. You have the right to explain your
scruples to the jury. You know the proverb: "The pen is a slave, but
speech is free."

VAGRET. I shall follow your advice.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL. I do not give you any advice.

VAGRET. I shall explain my doubts to the jury.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL. It will mean acquittal.

VAGRET. What would you have?

ATTORNEY-GENERAL. Do as you wish; but I should like to tell you one
thing. When a man plans a startling trick of this kind and has the
courage to accomplish it entirely of his own accord, he must have the
courage to accept the sole responsibility of the blunders he may commit.
You are too clever; you want to discover some means by which you need
not be the only one to suffer from the consequences of your
vacillations.

VAGRET. Clever? I? How?

ATTORNEY-GENERAL. Come, come! We are not children, and I can perfectly
well see the trap into which you have lured me. You are sheltering
yourself behind me. If the Chancellery should complain of your attitude,
you will say that you consulted your superior, and I shall be the
victim. And then I shall have a quarrel with the Chancellery on my
hands. You don't care, you don't think of my position or my interests,
of which you know nothing. Some silly idea gets into your head, and
against my will you want to make me responsible for it. I say again, it
is extremely clever, and I congratulate you, but I don't thank you.

VAGRET. You have misunderstood me, sir. I have no wish to burden you
with the responsibilities I am about to assume. I should hardly choose
the moment when I am on the point of being appointed Councillor to
perpetrate such a blunder. I told you of my perplexity, and I asked your
advice. That was all.

THE PRESIDENT. Are you certain one way or the other?

VAGRET. If I were certain, should I ask advice? [_A pause_] If we only
had a cause for cassation, a good--

THE PRESIDENT [_enraged_] What's that you say? Cause for cassation?
Based on an error or on an oversight on my part, no doubt! Really, you
have plenty of imagination! You are attacked by certain doubts, certain
scruples--I don't know what--and in order to quiet your morbidly
distracted conscience you ask me kindly to