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make an effort.’
‘Where is the entrance?’
‘Through yonder large door.’
The lawyer left him. In the course of a few moments he
had experienced, almost simultaneously, almost intermin-
gled with each other, all possible emotions. The words of
this indifferent spectator had, in turn, pierced his heart like
needles of ice and like blades of fire. When he saw that noth-
ing was settled, he breathed freely once more; but he could
not have told whether what he felt was pain or pleasure.
He drew near to many groups and listened to what they
were saying. The docket of the session was very heavy; the
president had appointed for the same day two short and
simple cases. They had begun with the infanticide, and now
they had reached the convict, the old offender, the ‘return
horse.’ This man had stolen apples, but that did not appear
to be entirely proved; what had been proved was, that he had
already been in the galleys at Toulon. It was that which lent a
bad aspect to his case. However, the man’s examination and
the depositions of the witnesses had been completed, but
the lawyer’s plea, and the speech of the public prosecutor
were still to come; it could not be finished before midnight.
The man would probably be condemned; the attorney-gen-
eral was very clever, and never missed his culprits; he was a
brilliant fellow who wrote verses.
An usher stood at the door communicating with the hall
of the Assizes. He inquired of this usher:—
‘Will the door be opened soon, sir?’
‘It will not be opened at all,’ replied the usher.