CHAPTER III.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 8615, 3 August 1895, Page 4

CHAPTER 111.

Tbe judge of instruction of the tribunal at Corbeil, was M. Antoine Domini , a remarkable man, since called to higher functions. lie was forty years of age, of a prepossessing person, and endowed with a very expressive, but too grave physiognomy. In him seemed typfiied the somewhat stiff solemnity of the magistracy. Penetrated with the dignity of his office, he sacrificed his life to it, rejecting the most simple distractions, and tho most innocent pleasure. He lived alone, Beldora showing himself abroad ; rarely received his friends, not wishing, as he said, that

the weaknesses of the man should derogate from the sacred character of the judge. This latter reason had deterred him from marrying, though he felt the need of a domestic sphere. Always and everywhere he was the magistrate — that is, the representative, even to fanaticism, of what he

thought the most august institution on the earth. Naturally gay, he would double lock himself in, when ho wished to laugh. He was witty ; but if a bright sally escaped him, you may be sure he repented of it. Body land soul he gave to his vocation ; and no one could bring more conscientiousness to the discharge of what he thought to be his duty. He was also inflexible. It was monstrous, in his eyes, to discuss an article of the code. The law spoke ; it was enough ; he "Bhut his eyes, covered his ears, and obeyed. Prom the day when a legal investigation commenced, he did?not sleep, and ho employed every means to discover the truth. Yet he was not regarded as a good judge of instruction ; to contend by tricks with a prisoner was repugnant to him ; to lay a snare for a rogue he thought debasing ; in short, he was obstinate — obstinate to foolishness, sometimes to absurdity, even to denying tho existence of the sun at mid-day. The mayor and papa Plantat hastened to meet M. Domini. He bowed to them gravely, as if he hadg not known them, and presenting to them a man of some sixty yeare who accompanied him. 1 Messieurs,' said he, ' this is Doctor Gendron.'

Papa Plantat shook hands with the doctor ; the mayor smiled graciously at him, for Doctor Gendron was well-known in those parts ; ho was even celebrated, dospite the nearneaß of Paris. Loving his a.rt and exercising it with a passionate energy, he yet owed' his renown less to his science than his manners. People said, 'Heis an original ;' they admired his affection o£ independence, of scepticism, and rudeness. He made his visits from fivo to nine in the morning —all the worae for those for whom these hours were inconvenient. After nine o'clock the doctor was not to be had. The doctor was working for himself, tho doctor was in his laboratory, the doctor was inspecting his cellar. It was rumoured that he sought for secrets of practical chemistry, to augment still more lub twenty thousand hvres of income. And he did not deny it ; for in trutn he was ongaged on poisons, and was perfecting an invention by which could be discovered traces of all the alkaloids which up to that time had escaped analysis. Kkis friends reproached,

him, even jokingly, on sending away sick people in the afternoon, he grew red with rage. •Parbleu!' he answered, 'I find you superb ! lam a doctor four hours ia the day. I am paid by hardly a quarter of my patients — that's three hours I give daily to humanity, which I despise. Let each o£ you do aa much, and we shall see. The mayor conducted the newcomers into the drawing-room, where he installed himself to write down the results of his examination. (To be continued.)

The following ctppearetl Mi cur Sicond Edition of Yesterday :—: —