"
"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.
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