official　pen　narrated　in　red　ink　the　principal　details　of　the　affair
  stirred　his　imagination。　Concise；　abbreviated　narratives　are　to　some
  minds　texts　into　the　hidden　meaning　of　which　they　love　to　burrow。
  In　the　middle　of　the　night；　aided　by　the　silence；　by　the　darkness；　by
  the　terrible　relation　intimated　by　the　worthy　Alain　between　the　facts
  of　that　document　and　Madame　de　la　Chanterie；　Godefroid　applied　all　the
  forces　of　his　intellect　to　decipher　the　dreadful　theme。
  Evidently　the　name　Lechantre　stood　for　la　Chanterie；　in　all　probably
  the　aristocracy　of　the　name　was　intentionally　thus　concealed　during
  the　Revolution　and　under　the　Empire。
  Godefroid　saw；　in　imagination；　the　landscape　and　the　scenes　where　this
  drama　had　taken　place。　The　forms　and　faces　of　the　accomplices　passed
  before　his　eyes。　He　pictured　to　himself　not　〃one　Rifoel〃　but　a
  Chevalier　du　Vissard；　a　young　man　something　like　the　Fergus　of　Walter
  Scott；　a　French　Jacobite。　He　developed　the　romance　of　an　ardent　young
  girl　grossly　deceived　by　an　infamous　husband　（a　style　of　romance　then
  much　the　fashion）；　loving　the　young　and　gallant　leader　of　a　rebellion
  against　the　Empire；　giving　herself；　body　and　soul；　like　another　Diana
  Vernon；　to　the　conspiracy；　and　then；　once　launched　on　that　fatal
  incline；　unable　to　stop　herself。　Had　she　rolled　to　the　scaffold？
  The　young　man　saw　in　his　own　mind　a　whole　world；　and　he　peopled　it。　He
  wandered　in　the　shade　of　those　Norman　groves；　he　saw　the　Breton　hero
  and　Madame　Bryond　among　the　gorse　and　shrubbery；　he　inhabited　the　old
  chateau　of　Saint…Savin；　he　shared　in　the　diverse　acts　of　all　those
  many　personages；　picturing　to　himself　the　notary；　the　merchant；　and
  those　bold　Chouans。　His　mind　conceived　the　state　of　that　wild　country
  where　lingered　still　the　memory　of　the　Comtes　de　Bauvan；　de　Longuy；
  the　exploits　of　Marche…a…Terre；　the　massacre　at　La　Vivetiere；　the
  death　of　the　Marquis　de　Montauranof　whose　prowess　Madame　de　la
  Chanterie　had　told　him。
  This　sort　of　vision　of　things；　of　men；　of　places　was　rapid。　When　he
  remembered　that　this　drama　must　relate　to　the　dignified；　noble；　deeply
  religious　old　woman　whose　virtue　was　acting　upon　him　so　powerfully　as
  to　be　upon　the　point　of　metamorphosing　him；　Godefroid　was　seized　with
  a　sort　of　terror；　and　turned　hastily　to　the　second　document　which
  Monsieur　Alain　had　given　him。　This　was　entitled：
  Summary　on　behalf　of　Madame　Henriette　Bryond　des　Tours…Minieres；
  nee　Lechantre　de　la　Chanterie。
  〃No　longer　any　doubt！〃　murmured　Godefroid。
  We　are　condemned　and　guilty；　but　if　ever　the　Sovereign　had　reason
  to　exercise　his　right　of　clemency　it　is　surely　in　a　case　like
  this。
  Here　is　a　young　woman；　about　to　become　a　mother；　and　condemned　to
  death。
  From　a　prison　cell；　with　the　scaffold　before　her；　this　woman　will
  tell　the　truth。
  The　trial　before　the　Criminal　Court　of　Alencon　had；　as　in　all
  cases　where　there　are　many　accused　persons　in　a　conspiracy
  inspired　by　party…spirit；　certain　portions　which　were　seriously
  obscure。
  The　Chancellor　of　His　Imperial　and　Royal　Majesty　knows　now　the
  truth　about　the　mysterious　personage　named　Le　Marchand；　whose
  presence　in　the　department　of　the　Orne　was　not　denied　by　the
  government　during　the　trial；　but　whom　the　prosecution　did　not
  think　proper　to　call　as　witness；　and　whom　the　defence　had　neither
  the　power　nor　the　opportunity　to　find。
  That　personage　is；　as　the　prosecuting　officer；　the　police　of
  Paris；　and　the　Chancellor　of　His　Imperial　and　Royal　Majesty　well
  know；　the　Sieur　Bernard…Polydor　Bryond　des　Tours…Minieres；　the
  correspondent；　since　1794；　of　the　Comte　de　Lille；known　elsewhere
  as　the　Baron　des　Tours…Minieres；　and　on　records　of　the　Parisian
  police　under　the　name　of　Contenson。
  He　is　notorious。　His　youth　and　name　were　degraded　by　vices　so
  imperative；　an　immorality　so　profound；　conduct　so　criminal；　that
  his　infamous　life　must　have　ended　on　the　scaffold　if　he　had　not
  possessed　the　ability　to　play　a　double　part；　as　indicated　by　his
  names。　Hereafter；　as　his　passions　rule　him　more　and　more；　he　will
  end　by　falling　to　the　depths　of　infamy　in　spite　of　his
  incontestable　ability　and　a　remarkable　mind。
  ＇Well；　falling　to　the　ground　from　the　roof　of　a　house；　at　any　rate；
  courtesy　of　Collin　in　Scenes。JB。＇
  When　the　Comte　de　Lille　became　aware　of　this　man's　character　he　no
  longer　permitted　him　to　take　part　in　the　royalist　councils　or　to
  handle　the　money　sent　to　France；　he　thus　lost　the　resources
  derived　from　these　masters；　whose　service　had　been　profitable　to
  him。
  It　was　then　that　he　returned　to　his　country　home；　crippled　with
  debt。
  His　traitorous　connection　with　the　intrigues　of　England　and　the
  Comte　de　Lille；　won　him　the　confidence　of　the　old　families
  attached　to　the　cause　now　vanquished　by　the　genius　of　our　immortal
  Emperor。　He　there　met　one　of　the　former　leaders　of　the　rebellion；
  with　whom　at　the　time　of　the　expedition　to　Quberon；　and　later；　at
  the　time　of　the　last　uprising　of　the　Chouans；　he　had　held　certain
  relations　as　an　envoy　from　England。　He　encouraged　the　schemes　of
  this　young　agitator；　Rifoel；　who　has　since　paid　with　his　life　on
  the　scaffold　for　his　plots　against　the　State。　Through　him　Bryond
  was　able　to　penetrate　once　more　into　the　secrets　of　that　party
  which　has　misunderstood　both　the　glory　of　H。M。　the　Emperor
  Napoleon　I。　and　the　true　interests　of　the　nation　united　in　his
  august　person。
  At　the　age　of　thirty…five；　this　man；　then　known　under　his　true
  name　of　des　Tours…Minieres；　affecting　a　sincere　piety；　professing
  the　utmost　devotion　to　the　interests　of　the　Comte　de　Lille　and　a
  reverence　for　the　memory　of　the　insurgents　who　lost　their　lives　at
  the　West；　disguising　with　great　ability　the　secrets　of　his
  exhausted　youth；　and　powerfully　protected　by　the　silence　of
  creditors；　and　by　the　spirit　of　caste　which　exists　among　all
  country　/ci…devants/；this　man；　truly　a　whited　sepulchre；　was
  introduced；　as　possessing　every　claim　for　consideration；　to　Madame
  Lechantre；　who　was　supposed　to　be　the　possessor　of　a　large
  fortune。
  All　parties　conspired　to　promote　a　marriage　between　the　young
  Henriette；　only　daughter　of　Madame　Lechantre；　and　this　protege　of
  the　/ci…devants/。　Priests；　nobles；　creditors；　each　with　a
  different　interest；　loyal　in　some；　selfish　in　others；　blind　for
  the　most　part；　all　united　in　furthering　the　union　of　Bernard
  Bryond　des　Tours…Minieres　with　Henriette　Lechantre。
  The　good　sense　of　the　notary　who　had　charge　of　Madame　Lechantre's
  affairs；　and　perhaps　his　distrust；　were　the　actual　cause　of　the
  disaster　of　this　young　girl。　The　Sieur　Chesnel；　notary　at　Alencon；
  put　the　estate　of　Saint…Savin；　the　sole　property　of　the　bride；
  under　the　dower　system；　reserving　the　right　of　habitation　and　a
  modest　income　to　the　mother。
  The　creditors；　who　supposed；　from　Madame　Lechantre's　orderly　and
  frugal　way　of　living；　that　she　had　capital　laid　by；　were　deceived
  in　their　expectations；　and　they　then　began　suits　which　revealed
  the　precarious　financial　condition　of　Bryond。
  Serious　differences　now　arose　between　the　newly　married　pair；　and
  the　young　wife　had　occasion　to　know　the　depraved　habits；　the
  political　and　religious　atheism　andshall　I　say　the　word？the
  infamy　of　the　man　to　whom　her　life　had　been　so　fatally　united。
  Bryond；　forced　to　let　his　wife　into　the　secret　of　the　royalist
  plots；　gave　a　home　in　his　house　to　their　chief　agent；　Rifoel　du
  Vissard。
  The　character　of　Rifoel；　adventurous；　brave；　generous；　exercised　a
  charm　on　all　who　came　in　contact　with　him；　as　was　abundantly
  proved　during　his　trials　before　three　successive　criminal　courts。
  The　irresistible　influence；　the　absolute　empire　he　acquired　over
  the　mind　of　a　young　woman　who　saw　herself　suddenly　cast　into　the
  abyss　of　a　fatal　marriage；　is　but　too　visible　in　this　catastrophe
  which　now　brings　her　a　suppliant　to　the　foot　of　the　Throne。　But
  that　which　the　Chancellor　of　His　Imperial　and　Royal　Majesty　can
  easily　verify　is　the　infamous　encouragement　given　by　Bryond　to
  this　intimacy。　Far　from　fulfilling　his　duty　as　guide　and
  counsellor　to　a　child　whose　poor　deceived　mother　had　trusted　her
  to　him；　he　took　pleasure　in　drawing　closer　still　the　bonds　that
  united　the　young　Henriette　to　the　rebel　leader。
  The　plan　of　this　odious　being；　who　takes　pride　in　despising　all
  things　and　considers　nothing　but　the　satisfaction　of　his　passions；
  admitting　none　of　the　restraints　imposed　by　civil　or　religious
  morality；　was　as　follows：
  We　must　first　remark；　however；　that　such　plotting　was　familiar　to
  a　man　who；　ever　since　1794　has　played　a　double　part；　who　for　eight
  years　deceived　the　Comte　de　Lille　and　his　adherents；　and　probably
  deceived　at　the　same　time　the　police　of　the　Republic　and　the
  Empire：　such　men　belong　only　to　those　who　pay　them　most。
  Bryond　pushed　Rifoel　to　crime；　he　instigated　the　attacks　of　armed
  men　upon　the　mail…coaches　bearing　the　moneys　of　the　government；
  and　the　levying　of　a　heavy　tribute　from　the　purchasers　of　the
  National　domain；