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Chapter2 HISTORY OF A CRIME Victor Hugo
Chapter2 HISTORY OF A CRIME Victor Hugo
On the 2d December, 1851, Representative Versigny, of the Haute-Saône, who resided at Paris, at No. 4,
Rue Léonie, was asleep. He slept soundly; he had been working till late at night. Versigny was a young
man of thirty-two, soft-featured and fair-complexioned, of a courageous spirit, and a mind tending
towards social and economical studies. He had passed the first hours of the night in the perusal of a
book by Bastiat, in which he was making marginal notes, and, leaving the book open on the table, he
had fallen asleep. Suddenly he awoke with a start at the sound of a sharp ring at the bell. He sprang up
in surprise. It was dawn. It was about seven o'clock in the morning. Never dreaming what could be the
motive for so early a visit, andthinking that someone had mistaken the door, he again lay down, and was
about to resume his slumber, when a second ring at the bell, still louder than the first, completely
aroused him. He got up in his night-shirt and opened the door. Michel de Bourges and Théodore Bac
entered. Michel de Bourges was the neighbor of Versigny; he lived at No. 16, Rue de Milan. Théodore
Bac and Michel were pale, and appeared greatly agitated. "Versigny," said Michel, "dress yourself at
once--Baune has just been arrested." "Bah!" exclaimed Versigny. " Is the Mauguin business beginning
again?" "It is more than that," replied Michel. "Baune's wife and daughter came to me half-an-hour ago.
They awoke me. Baune was arrested in bed at sixo'clock this morning." "What does that mean?" asked
Versigny. The bell rang again. "This will probably tell us," answered Michel de Bourges. Versigny opened
the door. It was the Representative Pierre Lefranc. He brought, in truth, the solution of the enigma.
"Do you know what is happening?" said he. "Yes," answered Michel. "Baune is in prison." "It is the
Republic who is a prisoner," said Pierre Lefranc. "Have you read the placards?" "No. "Pierre Lefranc
explained to them that the walls at that moment were covered with placards which the curious crowd
were thronging to read, that he had glanced over one of them at the corner of his street, and that the
blow had fallen. "The blow!" exclaimed Michel. "Say rather the crime. "Pierre Lefranc added that there
were three placards--one decree and two proclamations--all three on white paper, and pasted close
together. The decree was printed in large letters. The ex- Constituent Laissac, who lodged, like Michel
de Bourges, in the neighborhood (No. 4, Cité Gaillard), then came in. He brought the same news, and
announced further arrests which had been made during the night. There was not a minute to lose. They
went to impart the news to Yvan, the Secretary of the Assembly, who had been appointed by the Left,
and who lived in the Rue de Boursault. An immediate meeting was necessary. Those Republican
Representatives whowere still at liberty must be warned and brought together without delay. Versigny
said, "I will go and find Victor Hugo." It was eight o'clock in the morning. I was awake and was working in
bed. My servant entered and said, with an air of alarm,--"A Representative of the people is outside who
wishes to speak to you,sir." "Who is it?" "Monsieur Versigny:" "Show him in." Versigny entered, and told
me the state of affairs. I sprang out of bed. He told me of the "rendezvous" at the rooms of the
ex-Constituent Laissac."Go at once and inform the other Representatives," said I. He left me.
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KABANATA II. TULOG ANG PARIS—TUMUNOG ANG KAMPANA
Noong ika-2 ng Disyembre, 1851, ang Kinatawan na si Versigny ng Haute-Saône, na naninirahan sa Paris,
sa Numero 4, Rue Léonie, ay natutulog. Matindi ang kanyang pagtulog; nagtrabaho siya hanggang sa
madaling araw. Si Versigny ay isang binatang may gulang na tatlongpu't dalawa, may malaumbok na
mukha at maliwanag na kutis, may matapang na espiritu, at isang isip na nakatingin sa mga pag-aaral sa
lipunan at ekonomiya. Ibinabad niya ang unang mga oras ng gabi sa pagbabasa ng isang aklat ni Bastiat,
kung saan siya ay naglalagay ng mga pahiwatig sa gilid, at iniwan niya ang libro na nakabukas sa mesa
bago siya nakatulog. Bigla siyang nagising sa tunog ng malakas na ring sa doorbell. Siya'y biglang nagising
sa gulat. Madaling araw na. Mga alas-siyete ng umaga na. Hindi niya naisip kung ano ang maaaring
maging motibo para sa napakagaan na pagbisita, at iniisip na maaaring nagkamali lamang ang isang tao
sa pinto, muli siyang humiga, at malapit na siyang bumalik sa pagtulog, nang biglang mag-ring ang
doorbell, mas malakas kaysa sa una, at ganap na siyang magising. Siya'y bumangon na naka-night-shirt
at binuksan ang pinto. Pumasok sina Michel de Bourges at Théodore Bac. Si Michel de Bourges ay
kapitbahay ni Versigny; nakatira siya sa Numero 16, Rue de Milan. Si Théodore Bac at si Michel ay
maputla, at tila lubhang nagulat. "Versigny," sabi ni Michel, "bihis ka kaagad--sinampahan si Baune ng
kaso." "Bah!" sigaw ni Versigny. "Nagsisimula na naman ba ang gulo ni Mauguin?" "Hindi lang 'yon,"
sagot ni Michel. "Ang asawa at anak ni Baune ay pumunta sa akin kalahating oras na ang nakalipas.
Ginising nila ako. Si Baune ay hinuli habang natutulog pa sa kama alas-kuwatro ng umaga." "Ano ba ang
ibig sabihin nito?" tanong ni Versigny. Nag-ring ulit ang bell. "Malamang ito ay magpapaliwanag sa atin,"
sagot ni Michel de Bourges. Binuksan ni Versigny ang pinto. Si Kinatawan Pierre Lefranc ang pumasok.
Siya ang nagdala, sa katotohanan, ng solusyon sa enigma. "Alam mo ba ang nangyayari?" sabi niya.
"Oo," sagot ni Michel. "Si Baune ay nasa bilangguan." "Ang Republika ang bilanggo," sabi ni Pierre
Lefranc. "Nabasa mo ba ang mga placard?" "Hindi pa." Ipinaliwanag ni Pierre Lefranc sa kanila na ang
mga pader sa oras na iyon ay puno ng mga placard na binabaklas ng mga tao, na may mga
nag-aalimbukay para magbasa, na siya ay nagmasid sa isa sa kanila sa kanto ng kanyang kalsada, at na
ang suntok ay dumating. "Ang suntok!" sigaw ni Michel. "Sabihin mo na lang ang krimen." Nagdagdag si
Pierre Lefranc na may tatlong placard--isang dekreto at dalawang proklamasyon--lahat na nakasulat sa
puting papel, at dikit-dikit na ipinaskil. Ang dekreto ay nakaimprenta sa malalaking titik. Pumasok si
Laissac, ang dating Constituent, na tulad ni Michel de Bourges, sa kapitbahay (Numero 4, Cité Gaillard).
Nagdala siya ng parehong balita, at nag-anunsyo pa ng karagdagang mga pag-aresto na nangyari sa gabi.
Walang minuto na dapat sayangin. Nagpunta sila upang ipaalam ang balita kay Yvan, ang Sekretaryo ng
Asamblea, na itinalaga ng Kaliwa, at naninirahan sa Rue de Boursault. Kinakailangan ang agaranang
pagpupulong. Dapat ipaalam at pagsamahin ang mga Kinatawang Republikano na hanggang sa ngayon
ay malaya. Sinabi ni Versigny, "Ako ang pupunta at hahanapin si Victor Hugo." Ika-walong oras ng umaga
na iyon. Gising na ako at nagtatrabaho sa kama. Pumasok ang aking katulong at sinabi, na may simbuyo
ng alarm,--"May Kinatawan ng bayan sa labas na nais makipag-usap sa inyo, ginoo." "Sino siya?" "Si
Monsieur Versigny." "Pakilusin mo siya." Pumasok si Versigny, at isinalaysay sa akin ang kalagayan ng
mga pangyayari. Nagtampisaw ako sa kama. Isinalaysay niya ang "rendezvous" sa silid ni dating
Constituent Laissac. "Pumunta ka agad at ipaalam sa ibang mga Kinatawan," sabi ko. Iniwan niya ako.
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