| 256 | 257 | 258 | 259 | 260 |
| 1 | 90 | 180 | 269 | 359 |
|
In this way the journal endeavored to create the impression of an apathy
on the part of the relatives of Marie, inconsistent with the supposition
that these relatives believed the corpse to be hers. Its insinuations
amount to this:--that Marie, with the connivance of her friends, had
absented herself from the city for reasons involving a charge against
her chastity; and that these friends, upon the discovery of a corpse in
the Seine, somewhat resembling that of the girl, had availed themselves
of the opportunity to impress press the public with the belief of her
death. But L'Etoile was again over-hasty. It was distinctly proved
that no apathy, such as was imagined, existed; that the old lady was
exceedingly feeble, and so agitated as to be unable to attend to any
duty, that St. Eustache, so far from receiving the news coolly, was
distracted with grief, and bore himself so frantically, that M. Beauvais
prevailed upon a friend and relative to take charge of him, and prevent
his attending the examination at the disinterment. Moreover, although
it was stated by L'Etoile, that the corpse was re-interred at the public
expense--that an advantageous offer of private sculpture was absolutely
declined by the family--and that no member of the family attended the
ceremonial:--although, I say, all this was asserted by L'Etoile in
furtherance of the impression it designed to convey--yet all this
was satisfactorily disproved. In a subsequent number of the paper, an
attempt was made to throw suspicion upon Beauvais himself. The editor
says:
"Now, then, a change comes over the matter. We are told that on one
258
Page
Quick Jump
|