"Cuts and wounds which caused death." Such was the charge upon which Leopold
Renard, upholsterer, was summoned before the Court of Assizes.
Round him were the principal witnesses, Madame Flameche, widow of the victim, and
Louis Ladureau, cabinetmaker, and Jean Durdent, plumber.
Near the criminal was his wife, dressed in black, an ugly little woman, who looked like a
monkey dressed as a lady.
This is how Renard (Leopold) recounted the drama.
"Good heavens, it is a misfortune of which I was the prime victim all the time, and with
which my will has nothing to do. The facts are their own commentary, Monsieur le
President. I am an honest man, a hard-working man, an upholsterer, living in the same
street for the last sixteen years, known, liked, respected and esteemed by all, as my
neighbors can testify, even the porter's wife, who is not amiable every day. I am fond of
work, I am fond of saving, I like honest men and respectable amusements. That is what
has ruined me, so much the worse for me; but as my will had nothing to do with it, I
continue to respect myself.
"Every Sunday for the last five years my wife and I have spent the day at Passy. We get
fresh air, and, besides, we are fond of fishing. Oh! we are as fond of it as we are of little
onions. Melie inspired me with that enthusiasm, the jade, and she is more enthusiastic
than I am, the scold, seeing that all the mischief in this business is her fault, as you will
see immediately.
"I am strong and mild tempered, without a pennyworth of malice in me. But she! oh! la!
la! she looks like nothing; she is short and thin. Very well, she does more mischief than a
weasel. I do not deny that she has some good qualities; she has some, and very important
ones for a man in business. But her character! Just ask about it in the neighborhood, and
even the porter's wife, who has just sent me about my business--she will tell you
something about it.
"Every day she used to find fault with my mild temper: 'I would not put up with this! I
would not put up with that.' If I had listened to her, Monsieur le President, I should have
had at least three hand-to-hand fights a month . . . ."
Madame Renard interrupted him: "And for good reasons, too; they laugh best who laugh
last."
He turned toward her frankly: "Well, I can't blame you, since you were not the cause of
it."
