French legal arguments never commend themselves to the Anglo-Saxon
mind; there seems to be a radical divergence of comprehension as to how
truth can be got at, and Balzac's argument is certainly not convincing.
But with the events of the past year before our minds we cannot be sure
that prejudice and injustice on the other side may not have justified
it.
The Court of Cassation rejected the appeal, and Peytel was executed
as stated in the text. A history of this case is given in "Le Notaire
Assassin," by Paul d'Orcières. Paris. 1884.