580
PARTISAN REVIEW
This time, Martin honestly hunted for a suitable reply, and
took time to reflect upon it. There had been Mariette's leaving,
Grandgil's strange behavior, his little eyes gleaming with irony, these
mysterious contradictions, which when explained proved to be irri–
tating surprises, and the alert. A bunch of little things, of annoyances
that were somewhat puerile. One of those bad days when everything
goes wrong. There had been the Turkish soldier too. At the age when
boys of good family are still going to school, Martin had been sent
to capture a peninsula with, a knife in his hand. But all these things
were the business of a lawyer. Martin answered simply, in a tone
of composure:
"We don't do what we wish to do, believe me."
One of the policemen began to laugh. Seeing that the two others
remained grave, he stopped himself, embarrassed.
As
they were now
not very far from the police station, the inspector judged it useless
to put handcuffs on the murderer. The two policemen contented
themselves with taking, each, one of Martin's arms. The group re–
sumed its march and re-entered the shaded area. Martin remembered
all at once that he had forgotten to drop in a mailbox the envelope
containing
J
amblier's five thousand francs. It was still in the pocket
of his overcoat. He drew it out and let it fall behind him, without
attracting the attention of his guards. Tomorrow morning, picking
up this envelope, a passerby would put it in the post. Martin did
not doubt the honesty of this anonymous passerby. Never had he
had a faith so complete in the goodness of his kind.
(Translated from the French by Frank and Evalin Frantz)
