Pannier, condemned to hard labor for twenty years, was branded and sent to the galleys.The Chaussards and Vauthier received the same sentence, but were pardoned by the Emperor.Melin, Laraviniere and Binet, were condemned to five years' imprisonment.The woman Bourget to twenty years' imprisonment.Chargegrain and Rousseau were acquitted.Those who escaped were all condemned to death, except the girl Godard, who was no other, as you have probably guessed, than our poor Manon--""Manon!" exclaimed Godefroid.
"Oh! you don't know Manon yet," replied the kind old Alain."That devoted creature, condemned to twelve years' imprisonment, gave herself up that she might take care of Madame de la Chanterie, and wait upon her.Our dear vicar was the priest at Mortagne who gave the last sacraments to the Baronne des Tours-Minieres; he had the courage to go with her to the scaffold, and to him she gave her farewell kiss.
That courageous, noble priest had also accompanied the Chevalier du Vissard.Our dear Abbe de Veze has therefore known all the secrets of those days.""I see why his hair is so white," said Godefroid.
"Alas! yes," said Alain."He received from Amedee du Vissard a miniature of Madame des Tours-Minieres, the only portrait of her that exists; therefore, the abbe became almost sacred in Madame de la Chanterie's eyes when she re-entered social existence.""When did that happen?" asked Godefroid.
"Why, at the restoration of Louis XVIII., in 1814.The Marquis du Vissard, eldest brother of the Chevalier, was created peer of France and loaded with honors by the king.The brother of Monsieur d'Herbomez was made a count and receiver-general.The poor banker Pannier died of grief at the galleys.Boislaurier died without children, a lieutenant-general and governor of a royal chateau.Messieurs de Champignelles, de Beauseant, the Duc de Verneuil, and the Keeper of the Seals presented Madame de la Chanterie to the king.'You have suffered greatly for me, madame la baronne; you have every right to my favor and gratitude,' he said to her.'Sire,' she replied, 'your Majesty has so many sorrows to console that I do not wish that mine, which is inconsolable, should be a burden upon you.To live forgotten, to mourn my daughter, and do some good, that is my life.If anything could soften my grief, it is the kindness of my king, it is the pleasure of seeing that Providence has not allowed our long devotion to be useless.'""And what did Louis XVIII.do?" asked Godefroid.
"He restored two hundred thousand francs in money to Madame de la Chanterie, for the estate of Saint-Savin had been sold to pay the costs of the trial.In the decree of pardon issued for Madame la baronne and her servant the king expressed regret for the suffering borne in his cause, adding that 'the zeal of his servants had gone too far in its methods of execution.' But--and this is a horrible thing;it will serve to show you a curious trait in the character of that monarch--he employed Bryond in his detective police throughout his reign.""Oh, kings! kings!" cried Godefroid; "and is the wretch still living?""No; the wretch, as you justly call him, who concealed his real name under that of Contenson, died about the close of the year 1829 or the beginning of 1830.In trying to arrest a criminal who escaped over a roof, he fell into the street.Louis XVIII.shared Napoleon's ideas as to spies and police.Madame de la Chanterie is a saint; she prays constantly for the soul of that man and has two masses said yearly for him.As I have already told you, Madame de la Chanterie knew nothing of the dangers her daughter was incurring until the day when the money was carried to Alencon; nevertheless she was unable to establish her innocence, although defended by one of the greatest lawyers of that time.The president, du Ronceret, and the vice-president, Blondet, of the court of Alencon did their best to save our poor lady.But the influence of the councillor of the Imperial Court who presided at her trial before the Criminal and Special Court, the famous Mergi, and that of Bourlac the attorney-general was such over the other judges that they obtained her condemnation.Both Bourlac and Mergi showed extraordinary bitterness against mother and daughter; they called the Baronne des Tours-Minieres 'the woman Bryond,' and Madame 'the woman Lechantre.' The names of accused persons in those days were all brought to one republican level, and were sometimes unrecognizable.