to grasp certain
signs, that she recalled yesterday strongly enough to declare that the
man who drew the curtains was not Florentin Cormier, against whom so
many charges have accumulated from various sides, and who has only this
testimony in his favor--every sensible person could not but find it
suspicious!"

"But it is true," Saniel said, happy to lend himself to this view of the
matter, which was his own.

"What makes the truth of a thing, my dear sir, is the way of presenting
it; let us change this manner and we falsify it. To arrive at the
conclusion which made you say 'It is true,' I am on the side of the idea
that to-morrow Madame Dammauville's story should be known to the law,
that the brave lady should be heard before the prosecution, and that
time should be allowed to examine this testimony that you suspect. Now
let us look at it from the opposite point. Madame Dammauville's story is
not known to the law, or, if something transpires, we will arrange that
this something is so vague that the prosecution will attach but little
importance to it. And this is possible if we do not base a new defence
on this testimony. We arrive at the judgment, and when the prosecution
has listened to its witnesses which have overwhelmed us--the agent of
affairs Savoureux, the tailor Valerius,--it is Madame Dammauville's
turn. She simply relates what she saw, and declares that the man who
is on the prisoner's bench is not the same who drew the curtains at a
quarter past five. Do you see the 'coup de theatre'? The prosecution had
not foreseen it; it had not inquired into the health of the witness; the
physician would not be there to quote the defects of sight or reason;
very probably it would not think of the dusty windowpanes, or of the
distance. And all the opposing arguments that would be properly arranged
if there were time, would be lacking, and we should carry the acquittal
with a high hand."

Arranged thus, things were too favorable for Saniel for him not to
receive, with a sentiment of relief, this combination which brought
Florentin's acquittal more surely, it seemed to him, than all that
they had arranged for his defence up to this day. However, an objection
occurred to him, which he communicated to Nougarede immediately.

"Would one wish to admit that Madame Dammauville had kept silent on so
grave a matter, and waited for an audience to reveal it?"

"This silence she kept until yesterday; why should she not keep it a