Alfred de Rosann by G.W.M. Reynolds — page 80: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Alfred de Rosann. 63 now arose, ‘* Whence had Francois procured the one in question y A turnkey confessed he had lent it to him that very afternoon, since the dispute had taken place. Thus circumstantial evidence was strong against the unhappy old man. But the conduct of Edouard excited universal disgust, even in minds long inured to treachery and crime. He declared at his examination, that Francois had imparted to him his intention of being revenged on the inspector, two hours before the murder was discovered, and had endeavoured to persuade him to assist in the nefarious design; that he had positively refused; and that he was himself astonished at Francois carrying his resentment to such a frightful pitch. Edouard moreover begged that particular attention might be paid to the evidertce of the convict who had been the original cause of the dispute, and to that of a sentry present during the quarrel, by which testimony it was fully proven that Francois had uttered many threats, and those without the slightest reserve, the moment the inspector was beyond ear-shot. The Commissa and other authorities, who presided at this examination, were consi- derably struck by the force of these arguments; and Francois was accordingly handed over to the jurisdiction of the criminal judge of the district, at whose hands he did not experience a long delay ere his doom was pronounced. And that doom was death! It was moreover decreed that in order to present the other convicts with a striking example, the execution should take place in the prison itself. It was about a fortnight after the entrance of De Rosann and his companions, that this sentence was made known, with the additional certitude of its being put into force within four and twenty hours. Edouard was set at ‘liberty ; but not a soul spoke to him; he was shunned by the most degraded as well as by the most scrupulous. Even in the eyes of murderers his conduct appeared monstrous ; when contemplated by polluted imaginations and blood-thirsty minds, his behaviour had. an aspect of something inhuman. In what light, then, must it appear to the virtuous reader? The news of Francois’ condemnation to death, and the various collateral circumstances attending it, filled the whole of the bagne with sorrow, and diffused an unusual gloom around. Audible curses were muttered against Edonard—many gave him a blow as they passed—and at night he was under the necessity of feigning indis- position, as an excuse for sleeping at the hospital, apart from his usual companions, of whose taunts and reproaches he was dread- fully afraid. At length the fatal morning dawned; and, when De Rosann arose, he saw the guillotine erected in the spacious court-yard below. With an involuntary shudder he pointed it out to Belle-Rose; the others soon gathered at the windows; and all gazed in silence upon the accursed instrument. At that moment the first rays of the rising sun pierced through the dispersing mists, and fell upon the glittering knife which was hung between the tall spars, at their summits. Those spars were about one foot and three quarters asunder; between them was soon to pass a living being; thence would be withdrawn a headless corpse! The beams of the orb of day appeared to play upon the destructive mechanism as if in COnicbooolks (GO)