The Doll - Bolesaw Prus [312]
The judge was still writing, and I was trying to recall the speech I’d composed the previous day in Mrs Stawska’s defence and to shame the Baroness. But the words and phrases were so muddled in my head that I began looking around the court. Mrs Misiewicz was still quietly praying, and Marianna, next to her, was in tears. Baroness Krzeszowska’s face was grey, her lips drawn, her eyes downcast: but fury could be seen in every fold of her dress. Next to her stood Maruszewicz, staring at the floor, and behind him was the Baroness’s maidservant, as terrified as though they were about to lead her to the scaffold.
Our lawyer stifled his yawns. Wokulski clenched his fists, but Mrs Stawska was gazing at everyone in turn with such benign tranquillity that, had I been a sculptor, I would have taken her as a model for a statue of accused innocence.
Despite Marianna’s efforts, little Helena ran into the courtroom and caught her mother by the hand, asking in an undertone: ‘Mama, why has that gentleman told mama to come here? I’ll whisper something to you: you have been naughty, mama, and now you’ll have to stand in the corner.’
‘Clever little creature,’ said the red-faced biddy to the elder one.
‘Pity you ain’t as clever …’ muttered the coarse voice behind her.
‘Just you try being clever …’ the biddy replied crossly.
‘May you die in convulsions and do your mangling in Hell on the mangle o’mine,’ her enemy retorted.
‘Silence!’ cried the judge. ‘What has Baroness Krzeszowska to say in the case?’
‘Hear me, Your Worship!’ the Baroness began declaiming, placing one leg forward, ‘of my late child was left to me, as my dearest souvenir, a doll, which that lady over yonder very much liked (she pointed at Mrs Stawska), and so her did daughter.’
‘Was the accused ever in your apartment?’
‘Yes, I hired her to do sewing …’
‘And never paid her!’ roared Wirski from the back of the court.
‘Silence!’ the judge thundered at him. ‘Well, and what else?’
‘On the day I dismissed that woman,’ said the Baroness, ‘the doll vanished. I thought I’d die of grief, and at once began suspecting her … I had good cause, for a few days later my friend Mr Maruszewicz saw through the window that this woman, who lives opposite him, had my doll in her apartment and was changing its dress so it wouldn’t be recognised. I went into his apartment with my legal adviser, and looked through opera-glasses, and saw my doll really was in that woman’s apartment. So next day I went and took away the doll, which I see there on the bench, and made a complaint.’
‘Was Mr Maruszewicz certain that it was the same doll as the Baroness’s?’ the judge asked him.
‘That’s to say … properly speaking … I’m not certain.’
‘Why did Mr Maruszewicz say that to the Baroness?’
‘As a matter of fact … I didn’t mean …’
‘Don’t lie, sir!’ the Baroness cried, ‘you came running to tell me, laughing, that Stawska had stolen the doll and that it was just like her …’
Maruszewicz began changing his expression, sweating and even shifting from one foot to the other, which is always proof of great contrition.
‘Wretch!’ muttered Wokulski, quite loudly. But I saw this comment didn’t console Maruszewicz. Indeed, he seemed to grow still more confused. The judge turned to Krzeszowska’s maid servant: ‘Was this doll in the apartment?’
‘I don’t know which …’ the witness murmured. The judge pushed the doll towards her, but the maidservant said not a word, only blinked and wrung her hands.
‘Oh, it’s Mimi!’ exclaimed little Helena.
‘There, your worship!’ the Baroness cried, ‘her own daughter is bearing witness against her!’
‘Do you recognise this doll?’ the judge asked little Helena.
‘Oh, I do! One just like it was in that lady’s room …’
‘Is this the same one?’
‘No, not this one … The other had a grey dress, and black shoes, but this one has brown shoes.’
‘Well, now,’ said the judge, putting the doll down, ‘what has Mrs Stawska to say?’
‘I bought this doll in Mr Wokulski’s store.’
‘And