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Updated: June 26, 2025
M. Daubigeon and M. Galpin had not yet recovered from their amazement at this account, when somebody knocked timidly at the door. "Come in!" cried Mechinet. The door opened, and the sergeant of gendarmes appeared. "I have been sent here by the attorney-general," he said; "and the servant told me you were up here. We have just caught Trumence." "That man who had escaped from jail?" "Yes.
Great God, what a man! He fell forward, lying at full-length on the floor. Then I got frightened, and ran away." By a very great effort only could the commonwealth attorney control his intense excitement. His voice, however, betrayed him as he asked Trumence, after a solemn pause, "Why did you not come and tell us all that at once?" The vagabond shook his head, and said,
"Write it down, Mechinet," said the commonwealth attorney with great eagerness, "write that down carefully." The clerk was sure to do it. "What surprised me most," continued Trumence, "was, that the countess seemed to consider M. Jacques guilty, and he thought she was. Each accused the other of the crime.
The scene in Mautrec Street has been seen by a witness: his iron-shod shoes have left, as you say, their marks under the linden-trees nearest to the parlor-window, and little Martha has watched his movements. Who can this witness be unless it is Trumence? Well, we shall lay hands upon him. He was standing so that he could see every thing, and hear every word.
He went through; Jacques followed; and instinctively they hastened towards a place where several trees made a dark shadow. Once there, Jacques handed Trumence a package of five-franc notes, and said, "Add this to the hundred Napoleons I have given you before. Thank you: you are a good fellow, and, if I get out of my trouble, I will not forget you. And now let us part.
"But it is a great secret; and, when one confesses, one does not like anybody else to hear it but the priest. Besides, I should like my deposition to be taken down in writing." Upon a sign made by M. Galpin, the gendarmes withdrew; and Mechinet took his seat at a table, with a blank sheet of paper before him. "Now we can talk," said Trumence: "that's the way I like it.
Count Claudieuse was getting rather better. The agent in Jersey had telegraphed that he was on Suky's track; that he would certainly catch her, but that he could not say when. Michael, finally, had in vain searched the whole district, and been all over Oleron; no one had been able to give him any news of Trumence.
He was still in this state, when, a little after ten o'clock, he heard the grating of the bolts of his cell. He had become so well acquainted with the prison that he knew all its regulations. He knew at what hours his meals were brought, at what time Trumence came to clean up his room, and when he might expect the magistrate. After night, he knew he was his own master till next morning.
Like a true peasant of his promise, Trumence was far too cunning to expose Blangin unnecessarily. Assuming, therefore, the whole responsibility of the evasion, he replied, "The jailer saw nothing. We had no use for him. Was not I, so to say, under-jailer? Had not I been charged by you yourself, M. Galpin, with keeping watch over M. Jacques?
Blangin smiled. "Be sure," he replied, "I won't say the rats did it. I have thought of that too. At the same time with you, another prisoner will run off, who will not come back." "What prisoner?" "Trumence, to be sure. He will be delighted to get away, and he will help you in making the hole in the wall.
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