He had appealed to the heart, he now appealed to reason; but, although doubt is essentially contagious, he neither succeeded in convincing the magistrate, nor in shaking his opinion.

His strongest arguments were of no more avail against M.Daburon's absolute conviction than bullets made of bread crumbs would be against a breastplate.

And there was nothing very surprising in that.
Old Tabaret had on his side only a subtle theory, mere words; M.Daburon possessed palpable testimony, facts.

And such was the peculiarity of the case, that all the reasons brought forward by the old man to justify Albert simply reacted against him, and confirmed his guilt.
A repulse at the magistrate's hands had entered too much into M.
Tabaret's anticipations for him to appear troubled or discouraged.

He declared that, for the present, he would insist no more; he had full confidence in the magistrate's wisdom and impartiality.