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diff --git a/2756.txt b/2756.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 8d7a422..0000000 --- a/2756.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,3047 +0,0 @@ - THE MARQUISE DE BRINVILLIERS - - -This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this ebook or online at -http://www.gutenberg.org/license. If you are not located in the United -States, you'll have to check the laws of the country where you are -located before using this ebook. - - - -Title: The Marquise de Brinvilliers -Author: Alexandre Dumas, Pere -Release Date: August 15, 2006 [EBook #2756] -Reposted: November 28, 2016 [corrections made] -Language: English -Character set encoding: US-ASCII - - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MARQUISE DE BRINVILLIERS -*** - - - - -Produced by David Widger. - - - - - - *THE MARQUISE DE BRINVILLIERS* - - _By_ - - *Alexandre Dumas, Pere* - - _From the set of Eight Volumes of "Celebrated Crimes"_ - - - 1910 - - - - -CONTENTS - - - *THE MARQUISE DE BRINVILLIERS* - - - - -*THE MARQUISE DE BRINVILLIERS* - - -Towards the end of the year 1665, on a fine autumn evening, there was a -considerable crowd assembled on the Pont-Neuf where it makes a turn down -to the rue Dauphine. The object of this crowd and the centre of -attraction was a closely shut, carriage. A police official was trying to -force open the door, and two out of the four sergeants who were with him -were holding the horses back and the other two stopping the driver, who -paid no attention to their commands, but only endeavoured to urge his -horses to a gallop. The struggle had been going on same time, when -suddenly one of the doors violently pushed open, and a young officer in -the uniform of a cavalry captain jumped down, shutting the door as he -did so though not too quickly for the nearest spectators to perceive a -woman sitting at the back of the carriage. She was wrapped in cloak and -veil, and judging by the precautions she, had taken to hide her face -from every eye, she must have had her reasons for avoiding recognition. - -"Sir," said the young man, addressing the officer with a haughty air, "I -presume, till I find myself mistaken, that your business is with me -alone; so I will ask you to inform me what powers you may have for thus -stopping my coach; also, since I have alighted, I desire you to give -your men orders to let the vehicle go on." - -"First of all," replied the man, by no means intimidated by these lordly -airs, but signing to his men that they must not release the coach or the -horses, "be so good as to answer my questions." - -"I am attending," said the young man, controlling his agitation by a -visible effort. - -"Are you the Chevalier Gaudin de Sainte-Croix?" - -"I am he." - -"Captain of the Tracy, regiment?" - -"Yes, sir." - -"Then I arrest you in the king's name." - -"What powers have you?" - -"This warrant." - -Sainte-Croix cast a rapid glance at the paper, and instantly recognised -the signature of the minister of police: he then apparently confined his -attention to the woman who was still in the carriage; then he returned -to his first question. - -"This is all very well, sir," he said to the officer, "but this warrant -contains no other name than mine, and so you have no right to expose -thus to the public gaze the lady with whom I was travelling when you -arrested me. I must beg of you to order your assistants to allow this -carriage to drive on; then take me where you please, for I am ready to -go with you." - -To the officer this request seemed a just one: he signed to his men to -let the driver and the horses go on; and, they, who had waited only for -this, lost no time in breaking through the crowd, which melted away -before them; thus the woman escaped for whose safety the prisoner seemed -so much concerned. - -Sainte-Croix kept his promise and offered no resistance; for some -moments he followed the officer, surrounded by a crowd which seemed to -have transferred all its curiosity to his account; then, at the corner -of the Quai de d'Horloge, a man called up a carriage that had not been -observed before, and Sainte-Croix took his place with the same haughty -and disdainful air that he had shown throughout the scene we have just -described. The officer sat beside him, two of his men got up behind, and -the other two, obeying no doubt their master's orders, retired with a -parting direction to the driver. - -"The Bastille!" - -Our readers will now permit us to make them more fully acquainted with -the man who is to take the first place in the story. The origin of -Gaudin de Sainte-Croix was not known: according to one tale, he was the -natural son of a great lord; another account declared that he was the -offspring of poor people, but that, disgusted with his obscure birth, he -preferred a splendid disgrace, and therefore chose to pass for what he -was not. The only certainty is that he was born at Montauban, and in -actual rank and position he was captain of the Tracy regiment. At the -time when this narrative opens, towards the end of 1665, Sainte-Croix -was about twenty-eight or thirty, a fine young man of cheerful and -lively appearance, a merry comrade at a banquet, and an excellent -captain: he took his pleasure with other men, and was so impressionable -a character that he enjoyed a virtuous project as well as any plan for a -debauch; in love he was most susceptible, and jealous to the point of -madness even about a courtesan, had she once taken his fancy; his -prodigality was princely, although he had no income; further, he was -most sensitive to slights, as all men are who, because they are placed -in an equivocal position, fancy that everyone who makes any reference to -their origin is offering an intentional insult. - -We must now see by what a chain of circumstances he had arrived at his -present position. About the year 1660, Sainte-Croix, while in the army, -had made the acquaintance of the Marquis de Brinvilliers, maitre-de-camp -of the Normandy regiment. - -Their age was much the same, and so was their manner of life: their -virtues and their vices were similar, and thus it happened that a mere -acquaintance grew into a friendship, and on his return from the field -the marquis introduced Sainte-Croix to his wife, and he became an -intimate of the house. The usual results followed. Madame de -Brinvilliers was then scarcely eight-and-twenty: she had married the -marquis in 1651-that is, nine years before. He enjoyed an income of -30,000 livres, to which she added her dowry of 200,000 livres, exclusive -of her expectations in the future. Her name was Marie-Madeleine; she had -a sister and two brothers: her father, M. de Dreux d'Aubray; was civil -lieutenant at the Chatelet de Paris. At the age of twenty-eight the -marquise was at the height of her beauty: her figure was small but -perfectly proportioned; her rounded face was charmingly pretty; her -features, so regular that no emotion seemed to alter their beauty, -suggested the lines of a statue miraculously endowed with life: it was -easy enough to mistake for the repose of a happy conscience the cold, -cruel calm which served as a mask to cover remorse. - -Sainte-Croix and the marquise loved at first sight, and she was soon his -mistress. The marquis, perhaps endowed with the conjugal philosophy -which alone pleased the taste of the period, perhaps too much occupied -with his own pleasure to see what was going on before his eyes, offered -no jealous obstacle to the intimacy, and continued his foolish -extravagances long after they had impaired his fortunes: his affairs -became so entangled that the marquise, who cared for him no longer, and -desired a fuller liberty for the indulgence of her new passion, demanded -and obtained a separation. She then left her husband's house, and -henceforth abandoning all discretion, appeared everywhere in public with -Sainte-Croix. This behaviour, authorised as it was by the example of the -highest nobility, made no impression upon the. Marquis of Brinvilliers, -who merrily pursued the road to ruin, without worrying about his wife's -behaviour. Not so M. de Dreux d'Aubray: he had the scrupulosity of a -legal dignitary. He was scandalised at his daughter's conduct, and -feared a stain upon his own fair name: he procured a warrant for the -arrest of Sainte-Croix wheresoever the bearer might chance to encounter -him. We have seen how it was put in execution when Sainte-Croix was -driving in the carriage of the marquise, whom our readers will doubtless -have recognised as the woman who concealed herself so carefully. - -From one's knowledge of the character of Sainte-Croix, it is easy to -imagine that he had to use great self-control to govern the anger he -felt at being arrested in the middle of the street; thus, although -during the whole drive he uttered not a single word, it was plain to see -that a terrible storm was gathering, soon to break. But he preserved the -same impossibility both at the opening and shutting of the fatal gates, -which, like the gates of hell, had so often bidden those who entered -abandon all hope on their threshold, and again when he replied to the -formal questions put to him by the governor. His voice was calm, and -when they gave him they prison register he signed it with a steady hand. -At once a gaoler, taking his orders from the governor, bade him follow: -after traversing various corridors, cold and damp, where the daylight -might sometimes enter but fresh air never, he opened a door, and -Sainte-Croix had no sooner entered than he heard it locked behind him. - -At the grating of the lock he turned. The gaoler had left him with no -light but the rays of the moon, which, shining through a barred window -some eight or ten feet from the ground, shed a gleam upon a miserable -truckle-bed and left the rest of the room in deep obscurity. The -prisoner stood still for a moment and listened; then, when he had heard -the steps die away in the distance and knew himself to be alone at last, -he fell upon the bed with a cry more like the roaring of a wild beast -than any human sound: he cursed his fellow-man who had snatched him from -his joyous life to plunge him into a dungeon; he cursed his God who had -let this happen; he cried aloud to whatever powers might be that could -grant him revenge and liberty. - -Just at that moment, as though summoned by these words from the bowels -of the earth, a man slowly stepped into the circle of blue light that -fell from the window-a man thin and pale, a man with long hair, in a -black doublet, who approached the foot of the bed where Sainte-Croix -lay. Brave as he was, this apparition so fully answered to his prayers -(and at the period the power of incantation and magic was still believed -in) that he felt no doubt that the arch-enemy of the human race, who is -continually at hand, had heard him and had now come in answer to his -prayers. He sat up on the bed, feeling mechanically at the place where -the handle of his sword would have been but two hours since, feeling his -hair stand on end, and a cold sweat began to stream down his face as the -strange fantastic being step by step approached him. At length the -apparition paused, the prisoner and he stood face to face for a moment, -their eyes riveted; then the mysterious stranger spoke in gloomy tones. - -"Young man," said he, "you have prayed to the devil for vengeance on the -men who have taken you, for help against the God who has abandoned you. -I have the means, and I am here to proffer it. Have you the courage to -accept?" - -"First of all," asked Sainte-Croix; "who are you?" - -"Why seek you to know who I am," replied the unknown, "at the very -moment when I come at your call, and bring what you desire?" - -"All the same," said Sainte-Croix, still attributing what he heard to a -supernatural being, "when one makes a compact of this kind, one prefers -to know with whom one is treating." - -"Well, since you must know," said the stranger, "I am the Italian -Exili." - -Sainte-Croix shuddered anew, passing from a supernatural vision to a -horrible reality. The name he had just heard had a terrible notoriety at -the time, not only in France but in Italy as well. Exili had been driven -out of Rome, charged with many poisonings, which, however, could not be -satisfactorily brought home to him. He had gone to Paris, and there, as -in his native country, he had drawn the eyes of the authorities upon -himself; but neither in Paris nor in Rome was he, the pupil of Rene and -of Trophana, convicted of guilt. All the same, though proof was wanting, -his enormities were so well accredited that there was no scruple as to -having him arrested. A warrant was out against him: Exili was taken up, -and was lodged in the Bastille. He had been there about six months when -Sainte-Croix was brought to the same place. The prisoners were numerous -just then, so the governor had his new guest put up in the same room as -the old one, mating Exili and Sainte-Croix, not knowing that they were a -pair of demons. Our readers now understand the rest. Sainte-Croix was -put into an unlighted room by the gaoler, and in the dark had failed to -see his companion: he had abandoned himself to his rage, his -imprecations had revealed his state of mind to Exili, who at once seized -the occasion for gaining a devoted and powerful disciple, who once out -of prison might open the doors for him, perhaps, or at least avenge his -fate should he be incarcerated for life. - -The repugnance felt by Sainte-Croix for his fellow-prisoner did not last -long, and the clever master found his pupil apt. Sainte-Croix, a strange -mixture of qualities good and evil, had reached the supreme crisis of -his life, when the powers of darkness or of light were to prevail. -Maybe, if he had met some angelic soul at this point, he would have been -led to God; he encountered a demon, who conducted him to Satan. - -Exili was no vulgar poisoner: he was a great artist in poisons, -comparable with the Medici or the Borgias. For him murder was a fine -art, and he had reduced it to fixed and rigid rules: he had arrived at a -point when he was guided not by his personal interest but by a taste for -experiment. God has reserved the act of creation for Himself, but has -suffered destruction to be within the scope of man: man therefore -supposes that in destroying life he is God's equal. Such was the nature -of Exili's pride: he was the dark, pale alchemist of death: others might -seek the mighty secret of life, but he had found the secret of -destruction. - -For a time Sainte-Croix hesitated: at last he yielded to the taunts of -his companion, who accused Frenchmen of showing too much honour in their -crimes, of allowing themselves to be involved in the ruin of their -enemies, whereas they might easily survive them and triumph over their -destruction. In opposition to this French gallantry, which often -involves the murderer in a death more cruel than that he has given, he -pointed to the Florentine traitor with his amiable smile and his deadly -poison. He indicated certain powders and potions, some of them of dull -action, wearing out the victim so slowly that he dies after long -suffering; others violent and so quick, that they kill like a flash of -lightning, leaving not even time for a single cry. Little by little -Sainte-Croix became interested in the ghastly science that puts the -lives of all men in the hand of one. He joined in Exili's experiments; -then he grew clever enough to make them for himself; and when, at the -year's end, he left the Bastille, the pupil was almost as accomplished -as his master. - -Sainte-Croix returned into that society which had banished him, -fortified by a fatal secret by whose aid he could repay all the evil he -had received. Soon afterwards Exili was set free--how it happened is not -known--and sought out Sainte-Croix, who let him a room in the name of -his steward, Martin de Breuille, a room situated in the blind, alley off -the Place Maubert, owned by a woman called Brunet. - -It is not known whether Sainte-Croix had an opportunity of seeing the -Marquise de Brinvilliers during his sojourn in the Bastille, but it is -certain that as soon as he was a free man the lovers were more attached -than ever. They had learned by experience, however, of what they had to -fear; so they resolved that they would at once make trial of -Sainte-Croix's newly acquired knowledge, and M. d'Aubray was selected by -his daughter for the first victim. At one blow she would free herself -from the inconvenience of his rigid censorship, and by inheriting his -goods would repair her own fortune, which had been almost dissipated by -her husband. But in trying such a bold stroke one must be very sure of -results, so the marquise decided to experiment beforehand on another -person. Accordingly, when one day after luncheon her maid, Francoise -Roussel, came into her room, she gave her a slice of mutton and some -preserved gooseberries for her own meal. The girl unsuspiciously ate -what her mistress gave her, but almost at once felt ill, saying she had -severe pain in the stomach, and a sensation as though her heart were -being pricked with pins. But she did not die, and the marquise perceived -that the poison needed to be made stronger, and returned it to -Sainte-Croix, who brought her some more in a few days' time. - -The moment had come for action. M. d'Aubray, tired with business, was to -spend a holiday at his castle called Offemont. The marquise offered to -go with him. M. d'Aubray, who supposed her relations with Sainte-Croix -to be quite broken off, joyfully accepted. Offemont was exactly the -place for a crime of this nature. In the middle of the forest of Aigue, -three or four miles from Compiegne, it would be impossible to get -efficient help before the rapid action of the poison had made it -useless. - - M. d'Aubray started with his daughter and one servant only. Never had - the marquise been so devoted to her father, so especially - attentive, as she was during this journey. And M. d'Aubray, like - Christ--who though He had no children had a father's heart--loved - his repentant daughter more than if she had never strayed. And then - the marquise profited by the terrible calm look which we have - already noticed in her face: always with her father, sleeping in a - room adjoining his, eating with him, caring for his comfort in - every way, thoughtful and affectionate, allowing no other person to - do anything for him, she had to present a smiling face, in which - the most suspicious eye could detect nothing but filial tenderness, - though the vilest projects were in her heart. With this mask she - one evening offered him some soup that was poisoned. He took it; - with her eyes she saw him put it to his lips, watched him drink it - down, and with a brazen countenance she gave no outward sign of - that terrible anxiety that must have been pressing on her heart. - When he had drunk it all, and she had taken with steady hands the - cup and its saucer, she went back to her own room, waited and - listened.... - -The effect was rapid. The marquise heard her father moan; then she heard -groans. At last, unable to endure his sufferings, he called out to his -daughter. The marquise went to him. But now her face showed signs of the -liveliest anxiety, and it was for M. d'Aubray to try to reassure her -about himself! He thought it was only a trifling indisposition, and was -not willing that a doctor should be disturbed. But then he was seized by -a frightful vomiting, followed by such unendurable pain that he yielded -to his daughter's entreaty that she should send for help. A doctor -arrived at about eight o'clock in the morning, but by that time all that -could have helped a scientific inquiry had been disposed of: the doctor -saw nothing, in M. d'Aubray's story but what might be accounted for by -indigestion; so he dosed him, and went back to Compiegne. - -All that day the marquise never left the sick man. At night she had a -bed made up in his room, declaring that no one else must sit up with -him; thus she, was able to watch the progress of the malady and see with -her own eyes the conflict between death and life in the body of her -father. The next day the doctor came again: M. d'Aubray was worse; the -nausea had ceased, but the pains in the stomach were now more acute; a -strange fire seemed to burn his vitals; and a treatment was ordered -which necessitated his return to Paris. He was soon so weak that he -thought it might be best to go only so far as Compiegne, but the -marquise was so insistent as to the necessity for further and better -advice than anything he could get away from home, that M. d'Aubray -decided to go. He made the journey in his own carriage, leaning upon his -daughter's shoulder; the behaviour of the marquise was always the same: -at last M. d'Aubray reached Paris. All had taken place as the marquise -desired; for the scene was now changed: the doctor who had witnessed the -symptoms would not be present at the death; no one could discover the -cause by studying the progress of the disorder; the thread of -investigation was snapped in two, and the two ends were now too distant -to be joined again. In spite, of every possible attention, M. d'Aubray -grew continually worse; the marquise was faithful to her mission, and -never left him for an hour. At list, after four days of agony, he died -in his daughter's arms, blessing the woman who was his murderess. Her -grief then broke forth uncontrolled. Her sobs and tears were so vehement -that her brothers' grief seemed cold beside hers. Nobody suspected a -crime, so no autopsy was held; the tomb was closed, and not the -slightest suspicion had approached her. - -But the marquise had only gained half her purpose. She had now more -freedom for her love affairs, but her father's dispositions were not so -favourable as she expected: the greater part of his property, together -with his business, passed to the elder brother and to the second -brother, who was Parliamentary councillor; the position of, the marquise -was very little improved in point of fortune. - -Sainte-Croix was leading a fine and joyous life. Although nobody -supposed him to be wealthy, he had a steward called Martin, three -lackeys called George, Lapierre, and Lachaussee, and besides his coach -and other carriages he kept ordinary bearers for excursions at night. As -he was young and good-looking, nobody troubled about where all these -luxuries came from. It was quite the custom in those days that a -well-set-up young gentleman should want for nothing, and Sainte-Croix -was commonly said to have found the philosopher's stone. In his life in -the world he had formed friendships with various persons, some noble, -some rich: among the latter was a man named Reich de Penautier, -receiver-general of the clergy and treasurer of the States of Languedoc, -a millionaire, and one of those men who are always successful, and who -seem able by the help of their money to arrange matters that would -appear to be in the province of God alone. This Penautier was connected -in business with a man called d'Alibert, his first clerk, who died all -of a sudden of apoplexy. The attack was known to Penautier sooner than -to his own family: then the papers about the conditions of partnership -disappeared, no one knew how, and d'Alibert's wife and child were -ruined. D'Alibert's brother-in-law, who was Sieur de la Magdelaine, felt -certain vague suspicions concerning this death, and wished to get to the -bottom of it; he accordingly began investigations, which were suddenly -brought to an end by his death. - -In one way alone Fortune seemed to have abandoned her favourite: Maitre -Penautier had a great desire to succeed the Sieur of Mennevillette, who -was receiver of the clergy, and this office was worth nearly 60,000 -livres. Penautier knew that Mennevillette was retiring in favour of his -chief clerk, Messire Pierre Hannyvel, Sieur de Saint-Laurent, and he had -taken all the necessary, steps for buying the place over his head: the -Sieur de Saint-Laurent, with the full support of the clergy, obtained -the reversion for nothing--a thing that never happened before. Penautier -then offered him 40,000 crowns to go halves, but Saint-Laurent refused. -Their relations, however, were not broken off, and they continued to -meet. Penautier was considered such a lucky fellow that it was generally -expected he would somehow or other get some day the post he coveted so -highly. People who had no faith in the mysteries of alchemy declared -that Sainte-Croix and Penautier did business together. - -Now, when the period for mourning was over, the relations of the -marquise and Sainte-Croix were as open and public as before: the two -brothers d'Aubray expostulated with her by the medium of an older sister -who was in a Carmelite nunnery, and the marquise perceived that her -father had on his death bequeathed the care and supervision of her to -her brothers. Thus her first crime had been all but in vain: she had -wanted to get rid of her father's rebukes and to gain his fortune; as a -fact the fortune was diminished by reason of her elder brothers, and she -had scarcely enough to pay her debts; while the rebukes were renewed -from the mouths of her brothers, one of whom, being civil lieutenant, -had the power to separate her again from her lover. This must be -prevented. Lachaussee left the service of Sainte-Croix, and by a -contrivance of the marquise was installed three months later as servant -of the elder brother, who lived with the civil lieutenant. The poison to -be used on this occasion was not so swift as the one taken by M. -d'Aubray so violent a death happening so soon in the same family might -arouse suspicion. Experiments were tried once more, not on animals--for -their different organisation might put the poisoner's science in the -wrong--but as before upon human subjects; as before, a 'corpus vili' was -taken. The marquise had the reputation of a pious and charitable lady; -seldom did she fail to relieve the poor who appealed: more than this, -she took part in the work of those devoted women who are pledged to the -service of the sick, and she walked the hospitals and presented wine and -other medicaments. No one was surprised when she appeared in her -ordinary way at l'Hotel-Dieu. This time she brought biscuits and cakes -for the convalescent patients, her gifts being, as usual, gratefully -received. A month later she paid another visit, and inquired after -certain patients in whom she was particularly interested: since the last -time she came they had suffered a relapse--the malady had changed in -nature, and had shown graver symptoms. It was a kind of deadly fatigue, -killing them by a slows strange decay. She asked questions of the -doctors but could learn nothing: this malady was unknown to them, and -defied all the resources of their art. A fortnight later she returned. -Some of the sick people were dead, others still alive, but desperately -ill; living skeletons, all that seemed left of them was sight, speech, -and breath. At the end of two months they were all dead, and the -physicians had been as much at a loss over the post-mortems as over the -treatment of the dying. - -Experiments of this kind were reassuring; so Lachaussee had orders to -carry out his instructions. One day the civil lieutenant rang his bell, -and Lachaussee, who served the councillor, as we said before, came up -for orders. He found the lieutenant at work with his secretary, Couste -what he wanted was a glass of wine and water. In a moment Lachaussee -brought it in. The lieutenant put the glass to his lips, but at the -first sip pushed it away, crying, "What have you brought, you wretch? I -believe you want to poison me." Then handing the glass to his secretary, -he added, "Look at it, Couste: what is this stuff?" The secretary put a -few drops into a coffee-spoon, lifting it to his nose and then to his -mouth: the drink had the smell and taste of vitriol. Meanwhile -Lachaussee went up to the secretary and told him he knew what it must -be: one of the councillor's valets had taken a dose of medicine that -morning, and without noticing he must have brought the very glass his -companion had used. Saying this, he took the glass from the secretary's -hand, put it to his lips, pretending to taste it himself, and then said -he had no doubt it was so, for he recognised the smell. He then threw -the wine into the fireplace. - -As the lieutenant had not drunk enough to be upset by it, he soon forgot -this incident and the suspicions that had been aroused at the moment in -his mind. Sainte-Croix and the marquise perceived that they had made a -false step, and at the risk of involving several people in their plan -for vengeance, they decided on the employment of other means. Three -months passed without any favourable occasion presenting itself; at -last, on one of the early days of April 1670, the lieutenant took his -brother to his country place, Villequoy, in Beauce, to spend the Easter -vacation. Lachaussee was with his master, and received his instructions -at the moment of departure. - -The day after they arrived in the country there was a pigeon-pie for -dinner: seven persons who had eaten it felt indisposed after the meal, -and the three who had not taken it were perfectly well. Those on whom -the poisonous substance had chiefly acted were the lieutenant, the -councillor, and the commandant of the watch. He may have eaten more, or -possibly the poison he had tasted on the former occasion helped, but at -any rate the lieutenant was the first to be attacked with vomiting two -hours later, the councillor showed the same symptoms; the commandant and -the others were a prey for several hours to frightful internal pains; -but from the beginning their condition was not nearly so grave as that -of the two brothers. This time again, as usual, the help of doctors was -useless. On the 12th of April, five days after they had been poisoned, -the lieutenant and his brother returned to Paris so changed that anyone -would have thought they had both suffered a long and cruel illness. -Madame de Brinvilliers was in the country at the time, and did not come -back during the whole time that her brothers were ill. From the very -first consultation in the lieutenant's case the doctors entertained no -hope. The symptoms were the same as those to which his father had -succumbed, and they supposed it was an unknown disease in the family. -They gave up all hope of recovery. Indeed, his state grew worse and -worse; he felt an unconquerable aversion for every kind of food, and the -vomiting was incessant. The last three days of his life he complained -that a fire was burning in his breast, and the flames that burned within -seemed to blaze forth at his eyes, the only part of his body that -appeared to live, so like a corpse was all the rest of him. On the 17th -of June 1670 he died: the poison had taken seventy-two days to complete -its work. Suspicion began to dawn: the lieutenant's body was opened, and -a formal report was drawn up. The operation was performed in the -presence of the surgeons Dupre and Durant, and Gavart, the apothecary, -by M. Bachot, the brothers' private physician. They found the stomach -and duodenum to be black and falling to pieces, the liver burnt and -gangrened. They said that this state of things must have been produced -by poison, but as the presence of certain bodily humours sometimes -produces similar appearances, they durst not declare that the -lieutenant's death could not have come about by natural causes, and he -was buried without further inquiry. - -It was as his private physician that Dr. Bachot had asked for the -autopsy of his patient's brother. For the younger brother seemed to have -been attacked by the same complaint, and the doctor hoped to find from -the death of the one some means for preserving the life of the other. -The councillor was in a violent fever, agitated unceasingly both in body -and mind: he could not bear any position of any kind for more than a few -minutes at a time. Bed was a place of torture; but if he got up, he -cried for it again, at least for a change of suffering. At the end of -three months he died. His stomach, duodenum, and liver were all in the -same corrupt state as his brother's, and more than that, the surface of -his body was burnt away. This, said the doctors; was no dubious sign of -poisoning; although, they added, it sometimes happened that a -'cacochyme' produced the same effect. Lachaussee was so far from being -suspected, that the councillor, in recognition of the care he had -bestowed on him in his last illness, left him in his will a legacy of a -hundred crowns; moreover, he received a thousand francs from -Sainte-Croix and the marquise. - -So great a disaster in one family, however, was not only sad but -alarming. Death knows no hatred: death is deaf and blind, nothing more, -and astonishment was felt at this ruthless destruction of all who bore -one name. Still nobody suspected the true culprits, search was -fruitless, inquiries led nowhere: the marquise put on mourning for her -brothers, Sainte-Croix continued in his path of folly, and all things -went on as before. Meanwhile Sainte-Croix had made the acquaintance of -the Sieur de Saint Laurent, the same man from whom Penautier had asked -for a post without success, and had made friends with him. Penautier had -meanwhile become the heir of his father-in-law, the Sieur Lesecq, whose -death had most unexpectedly occurred; he had thereby gained a second -post in Languedoc and an immense property: still, he coveted the place -of receiver of the clergy. Chance now once more helped him: a few days -after taking over from Sainte-Croix a man-servant named George, M. de -Saint-Laurent fell sick, and his illness showed symptoms similar to -those observed in the case of the d'Aubrays, father and sons; but it was -more rapid, lasting only twenty-four hours. Like them, M. de -Saint-Laurent died a prey to frightful tortures. The same day an officer -from the sovereign's court came to see him, heard every detail connected -with his friend's death, and when told of the symptoms said before the -servants to Sainfray the notary that it would be necessary to examine -the body. An hour later George disappeared, saying nothing to anybody, -and not even asking for his wages. Suspicions were excited; but again -they remained vague. The autopsy showed a state of things not precisely -to be called peculiar to poisoning cases the intestines, which the fatal -poison had not had time to burn as in the case of the d'Aubrays, were -marked with reddish spots like flea-bites. In June Penautier obtained -the post that had been held by the Sieur de Saint-Laurent. - -But the widow had certain suspicions which were changed into something -like certainty by George's flight. A particular circumstance aided and -almost confirmed her doubts. An abbe who was a friend of her husband, -and knew all about the disappearance of George, met him some days -afterwards in the rue des Masons, near the Sorbonne. They were both on -the same side, and a hay-cart coming along the street was causing a -block. George raised his head and saw the abbe, knew him as a friend of -his late master, stooped under the cart and crawled to the other side, -thus at the risk of being crushed escaping from the eyes of a man whose -appearance recalled his crime and inspired him with fear of punishment. -Madame de Saint-Laurent preferred a charge against George, but though he -was sought for everywhere, he could never be found. Still the report of -these strange deaths, so sudden and so incomprehensible, was bruited -about Paris, and people began to feel frightened. Sainte-Croix, always -in the gay world, encountered the talk in drawing-rooms, and began to -feel a little uneasy. True, no suspicion pointed as yet in his -direction; but it was as well to take precautions, and Sainte-Croix -began to consider how he could be freed from anxiety. There was a post -in the king's service soon to be vacant, which would cost 100,000 -crowns; and although Sainte-Croix had no apparent means, it was rumoured -that he was about to purchase it. He first addressed himself to -Belleguise to treat about this affair with Penautier. There was some -difficulty, however, to be encountered in this quarter. The sum was a -large one, and Penautier no longer required help; he had already come -into all the inheritance he looked for, and so he tried to throw cold -water on the project. - -Sainte-Croix thus wrote to Belleguise: - -"DEAR FRIEND,--Is it possible that you need any more talking to about -the matter you know of, so important as it is, and, maybe, able to give -us peace and quiet for the rest of our days! I really think the devil -must be in it, or else you simply will not be sensible: do show your -common sense, my good man, and look at it from all points of view; take -it at its very worst, and you still ought to feel bound to serve me, -seeing how I have made everything all right for you: all our interests -are together in this matter. Do help me, I beg of you; you may feel sure -I shall be deeply grateful, and you will never before have acted so -agreeably both for me and for yourself. You know quite enough about it, -for I have not spoken so openly even to my own brother as I have to you. -If you can come this afternoon, I shall be either at the house or quite -near at hand, you know where I mean, or I will expect you tomorrow -morning, or I will come and find you, according to what you -reply.--Always yours with all my heart." - -The house meant by Sainte-Croix was in the rue des Bernardins, and the -place near at hand where he was to wait for Belleguise was the room he -leased from the widow Brunet, in the blind alley out of the Place -Maubert. It was in this room and at the apothecary Glazer's that -Sainte-Croix made his experiments; but in accordance with poetical -justice, the manipulation of the poisons proved fatal to the workers -themselves. The apothecary fell ill and died; Martin was attacked by -fearful sickness, which brought, him to death's door. Sainte-Croix was -unwell, and could not even go out, though he did not know what was the -matter. He had a furnace brought round to his house from Glazer's, and -ill as he was, went on with the experiments. Sainte-Croix was then -seeking to make a poison so subtle that the very effluvia might be -fatal. He had heard of the poisoned napkin given to the young dauphin, -elder brother of Charles VII, to wipe his hands on during a game of -tennis, and knew that the contact had caused his death; and the still -discussed tradition had informed him of the gloves of Jeanne d'Albret; -the secret was lost, but Sainte-Croix hoped to recover it. And then -there happened one of those strange accidents which seem to be not the -hand of chance but a punishment from Heaven. At the very moment when -Sainte-Croix was bending over his furnace, watching the fatal -preparation as it became hotter and hotter, the glass mask which he wore -over his face as a protection from any poisonous exhalations that might -rise up from the mixture, suddenly dropped off, and Sainte-Croix dropped -to the ground as though felled by a lightning stroke. At supper-time, -his wife finding that he did not come out from his closet where he was -shut in, knocked at the door, and received no answer; knowing that her -husband was wont to busy himself with dark and mysterious matters, she -feared some disaster had occurred. She called her servants, who broke in -the door. Then she found Sainte-Croix stretched out beside the furnace, -the broken glass lying by his side. It was impossible to deceive the -public as to the circumstances of this strange and sudden death: the -servants had seen the corpse, and they talked. The commissary Picard was -ordered to affix the seals, and all the widow could do was to remove the -furnace and the fragments of the glass mask. - -The noise of the event soon spread all over Paris. Sainte-Croix was -extremely well known, and the, news that he was about to purchase a post -in the court had made him known even more widely. Lachaussee was one of -the first to learn of his master's death; and hearing that a seal had -been set upon his room, he hastened to put in an objection in these -terms: - -"Objection of Lachaussee, who asserts that for seven years he was in the -service of the deceased; that he had given into his charge, two years -earlier, 100 pistoles and 200 white crowns, which should be found in a -cloth bag under the closet window, and in the same a paper stating that -the said sum belonged to him, together with the transfer of 300 livres -owed to him by the late M. d'Aubray, councillor; the said transfer made -by him at Laserre, together with three receipts from his master of -apprenticeship, 100 livres each: these moneys and papers he claims." - -To Lachaussee the reply was given that he must wait till the day when -the seals were broken, and then if all was as he said, his property -would be returned. - -But Lachaussee was not the only person who was agitated about the death -of Sainte-Croix. The, marquise, who was familiar with all the secrets of -this fatal closet, had hurried to the commissary as 2496 soon as she -heard of the event, and although it was ten o'clock at night had -demanded to speak with him. But he had replied by his head clerk, Pierre -Frater, that he was in bed; the marquise insisted, begging them to rouse -him up, for she wanted a box that she could not allow to have opened. -The clerk then went up to the Sieur Picard's bedroom, but came back -saying that what the marquise demanded was for the time being an -impossibility, for the commissary was asleep. She saw that it was idle -to insist, and went away, saying that she should send a man the next -morning to fetch the box. In the morning the man came, offering fifty -Louis to the commissary on behalf of the marquise, if he would give her -the box. But he replied that the box was in the sealed room, that it -would have to be opened, and that if the objects claimed by the marquise -were really hers, they would be safely handed over to her. This reply -struck the marquise like a thunderbolt. There was no time to be lost: -hastily she removed from the rue Neuve-Saint-Paul, where her town house -was, to Picpus, her country place. Thence she posted the same evening to -Liege, arriving the next morning, and retired to a convent. - -The seals had been set on the 31st of July 1672, and they were taken off -on the 8th of August following. Just as they set to work a lawyer -charged with full powers of acting for the marquise, appeared and put in -the following statement: "Alexandre Delamarre, lawyer acting for the -Marquise de Brinvilliers, has come forward, and declares that if in the -box claimed by his client there is found a promise signed by her for the -sum of 30,000 livres, it is a paper taken from her by fraud, against -which, in case of her signature being verified, she intends to lodge an -appeal for nullification." This formality over, they proceeded to open -Sainte-Croix's closet: the key was handed to the commissary Picard by a -Carmelite called Friar Victorin. The commissary opened the door, and -entered with the parties interested, the officers, and the widow, and -they began by setting aside the loose papers, with a view to taking them -in order, one at a time. While they were thus busy, a small roll fell -down, on which these two words were written: "My Confession." All -present, having no reason to suppose Sainte-Croix a bad man, decided -that this paper ought not to be read. The deputy for the attorney -general on being consulted was of this opinion, and the confession of -Sainte-Croix was burnt. This act of conscience performed, they proceeded -to make an inventory. One of the first objects that attracted the -attention of the officers was the box claimed by Madame de Brinvilliers. -Her insistence had provoked curiosity, so they began with it. Everybody -went near to see what was in it, and it was opened. - -We shall let the report speak: in such cases nothing is so effective or -so terrible as the official statement. - -"In the closet of Sainte-Croix was found a small box one foot square, on -the top of which lay a half-sheet of paper entitled 'My Will,' written -on one side and containing these words: 'I humbly entreat any into whose -hands this chest may fall to do me the kindness of putting it into the -hands of Madame the Marquise de Brinvilliers, resident in the rue -Neuve-Saint-Paul, seeing that all the contents concern and belong to her -alone, and are of no use to any person in the world apart from herself: -in case of her being already dead before me, the box and all its -contents should be burnt without opening or disturbing anything. And -lest anyone should plead ignorance of the contents, I swear by the God I -worship and by all that is most sacred that no untruth is here asserted. -If anyone should contravene my wishes that are just and reasonable in -this matter, I charge their conscience therewith in discharging my own -in this world and the next, protesting that such is my last wish. - -"'Given at Paris, the 25th of May after noon, 1672. Signed by -Sainte-Croix,' - -"And below were written these words: 'There is one packet only addressed -to M. Penautier which should be delivered.'" - -It may be easily understood that a disclosure of this kind only -increased the interest of the scene; there was a murmur of curiosity, -and when silence again reigned, the official continued in these words: - -"A packet has been found sealed in eight different places with eight -different seals. On this is written: 'Papers to be burnt in case of my -death, of no consequence to anyone. I humbly beg those into whose hands -they may fall to burn them. I give this as a charge upon their -conscience; all without opening the packet.' In this packet we find two -parcels of sublimate. - -"Item, another packet sealed with six different seals, on which is a -similar inscription, in which is found more sublimate, half a pound in -weight. - -"Item, another packet sealed with six different seals, on which is a -similar inscription, in which are found three parcels, one containing -half an ounce of sublimate, the second 2 1/4 ozs. of Roman vitriol, and -the third some calcined prepared vitriol. In the box was found a large -square phial, one pint in capacity, full of a clear liquid, which was -looked at by M. Moreau, the doctor; he, however, could not tell its -nature until it was tested. - -"Item, another phial, with half a pint of clear liquid with a white -sediment, about which Moreau said the same thing as before. - -"Item, a small earthenware pot containing two or three lumps of prepared -opium. - -"Item, a folded paper containing two drachms of corrosive sublimate -powdered. - -"Next, a little box containing a sort of stone known as infernal stone. - -"Next, a paper containing one ounce of opium. - -"Next, a piece of pure antimony weighing three ounces. - -"Next, a packet of powder on which was written: 'To check the flow of -blood.' Moreau said that it was quince flower and quince buds dried. - -"Item, a pack sealed with six seals, on which was written, 'Papers to be -burnt in case of death.' In this twenty-four letters were found, said to -have been written by the Marquise de Brinvilliers. - -"Item, another packet sealed with six seals, on which a similar -inscription was written. In this were twenty-seven pieces of paper on -each of which was written: 'Sundry curious secrets.' - -"Item, another packet with six more seals, on which a similar -inscription was written. In this were found seventy-five livres, -addressed to different persons. Besides all these, in the box there were -two bonds, one from the marquise for 30,000, and one from Penautier for -10,000 francs, their dates corresponding to the time of the deaths of M. -d'Aubray and the Sieur de St. Laurent." - -The difference in the amount shows that Sainte-Croix had a tariff, and -that parricide was more expensive than simple assassination. Thus in his -death did Sainte-Croix bequeath the poisons to his mistress and his -friend; not content with his own crimes in the past, he wished to be -their accomplice in the future. - -The first business of the officials was to submit the different -substances to analysis, and to experiment with them on animals. The -report follows of Guy Simon, an apothecary, who was charged to undertake -the analysis and the experiments: - -"This artificial poison reveals its nature on examination. It is so -disguised that one fails to recognise it, so subtle that it deceives the -scientific, so elusive that it escapes the doctor's eye: experiments -seem to be at fault with this poison, rules useless, aphorisms -ridiculous. The surest experiments are made by the use of the elements -or upon animals. In water, ordinary poison falls by its own weight. The -water is superior, the poison obeys, falls downwards, and takes the -lower place. - -"The trial by fire is no less certain: the fire evaporates and disperses -all that is innocent and pure, leaving only acrid and sour matter which -resists its influence. The effect produced by poisons on animals is -still more plain to see: its malignity extends to every part that it -reaches, and all that it touches is vitiated; it burns and scorches all -the inner parts with a strange, irresistible fire. - -"The poison employed by Sainte-Croix has been tried in all the ways, and -can defy every experiment. This poison floats in water, it is the -superior, and the water obeys it; it escapes in the trial by fire, -leaving behind only innocent deposits; in animals it is so skilfully -concealed that no one could detect it; all parts of the animal remain -healthy and active; even while it is spreading the cause of death, this -artificial poison leaves behind the marks and appearance of life. Every -sort of experiment has been tried. The first was to pour out several -drops of the liquid found into oil of tartar and sea water, and nothing -was precipitated into the vessels used; the second was to pour the same -liquid into a sanded vessel, and at the bottom there was found nothing -acrid or acid to the tongue, scarcely any stains; the third experiment -was tried upon an Indian fowl, a pigeon, a dog, and some other animals, -which died soon after. When they were opened, however, nothing was found -but a little coagulated blood in the ventricle of the heart. Another -experiment was giving a white powder to a cat, in a morsel of mutton. -The cat vomited for half an hour, and was found dead the next day, but -when opened no part of it was found to be affected by the poison. A -second trial of the same poison was made upon a pigeon, which soon died. -When opened, nothing peculiar was found except a little reddish water in -the stomach." - -These experiments proved that Sainte-Croix was a learned chemist, and -suggested the idea that he did not employ his art for nothing; everybody -recalled the sudden, unexpected deaths that had occurred, and the bonds -from the marquise and from Penautier looked like blood-money. As one of -these two was absent, and the other so powerful and rich that they dared -not arrest him without proofs, attention was now paid to the objection -put in by Lachaussee. - -It was said in the objection that Lachaussee had spent seven years in -the service of Sainte-Croix, so he could not have considered the time he -had passed with the d'Aubrays as an interruption to this service. The -bag containing the thousand pistoles and the three bonds for a hundred -livres had been found in the place indicated; thus Lachaussee had a -thorough knowledge of this closet: if he knew the closet, he would know -about the box; if he knew about the box, he could not be an innocent -man. This was enough to induce Madame Mangot de Villarceaux, the -lieutenant's widow, to lodge an accusation against him, and in -consequence a writ was issued against Lachaussee, and he was arrested. - -When this happened, poison was found upon him. The trial came on before -the Chatelet. Lachaussee denied his guilt obstinately. The judges -thinking they had no sufficient proof, ordered the preparatory question -to be applied. Mme. Mangot appealed from a judgment which would probably -save the culprit if he had the strength to resist the torture and own to -nothing; - -[Note: There were two kinds of question, one before and one after the -sentence was passed. In the first, an accused person would endure -frightful torture in the hope of saving his life, and so would often -confess nothing. In the second, there was no hope, and therefore it was -not worth while to suffer additional pains.] - -so, in virtue of this appeal, a judgment, on March 4th, 1673, declared -that Jean Amelin Lachaussee was convicted of having poisoned the -lieutenant and the councillor; for which he was to be broken alive on -the wheel, having been first subjected to the question both ordinary and -extraordinary, with a view to the discovery of his accomplices. At the -same time Madame de Brinvilliers was condemned in default of appearance -to have her head cut off. - -Lachaussee suffered the torture of the boot. This was having each leg -fastened between two planks and drawn together in an iron ring, after -which wedges were driven in between the middle planks; the ordinary -question was with four wedges, the extraordinary with eight. At the -third wedge Lachaussee said he was ready to speak; so the question was -stopped, and he was carried into the choir of the chapel stretched on a -mattress, where, in a weak voice--for he could hardly speak--he begged -for half an hour to recover himself. We give a verbatim extract from the -report of the question and the execution of the death-sentence: - -"Lachaussee, released from the question and laid on the mattress, the -official reporter retired. Half an hour later Lachaussee begged that he -might return, and said that he was guilty; that Sainte-Croix told him -that Madame de Brinvilliers had given him the poison to administer to -her brothers; that he had done it in water and soup, had put the reddish -water in the lieutenant's glass in Paris, and the clear water in the pie -at Villequoy; that Sainte-Croix had promised to keep him always, and to -make him a gift of 100 pistolets; that he gave him an account of the -effect of the poisons, and that Sainte-Croix had given him some of the -waters several times. Sainte-Croix told him that the marquise knew -nothing of his other poisonings, but Lachaussee thought she did know, -because she had often spoken to him about his poisons; that she wanted -to compel him to go away, offering him money if he would go; that she -had asked him for the box and its contents; that if Sainte-Croix had -been able to put anyone into the service of Madame d'Aubray, the -lieutenant's widow, he would possibly have had her poisoned also; for he -had a fancy for her daughter." - -This declaration, which left no room for doubt, led to the judgment that -came next, thus described in the Parliamentary register: "Report of the -question and execution on the 24th of March 1673, containing the -declarations and confessions of Jean Amelin Lachaussee; the court has -ordered that the persons mentioned, Belleguise, Martin, Poitevin, -Olivier, Veron pere, the wife of Quesdon the wigmaker, be summoned to -appear before the court to be interrogated and heard concerning matters -arising from the present inquiry, and orders that the decree of arrest -against Lapierre and summons against Penautier decreed by the criminal -lieutenant shall be carried out. In Parliament, 27th March 1673." In -virtue of this judgment, Penautier, Martin, and Belleguise were -interrogated on the 21st, 22nd, and 24th of April. On the 26th of July, -Penautier was discharged; fuller information was desired concerning -Belleguise, and the arrest of Martin was ordered. On the 24th of March, -Lachaussee had been broken on the wheel. As to Exili, the beginner of it -all, he had disappeared like Mephistopheles after Faust's end, and -nothing was heard of him. Towards the end of the year Martin was -released for want of sufficient evidence. But the Marquise de -Brinvilliers remained at Liege, and although she was shut up in a -convent she had by no means abandoned one, at any rate, of the most -worldly pleasures. She had soon found consolation for the death of -Sainte-Croix, whom, all the same, she had loved so much as to be willing -to kill herself for his sake. But she had adopted a new lover, Theria by -name. About this man it has been impossible to get any information, -except that his name was several times mentioned during the trial. Thus, -all the accusations had, one by one, fallen upon her, and it was -resolved to seek her out in the retreat where she was supposed to be -safe. The mission was difficult and very delicate. Desgrais, one of the -cleverest of the officials, offered to undertake it. He was a handsome -man, thirty-six years old or thereabouts: nothing in his looks betrayed -his connection with the police; he wore any kind of dress with equal -ease and grace, and was familiar with every grade in the social scale, -disguising himself as a wretched tramp or a noble lord. He was just the -right man, so his offer was accepted. - -He started accordingly for Liege, escorted by several archers, and, -fortified by a letter from the king addressed to the Sixty of that town, -wherein Louis xiv demanded the guilty woman to be given up for -punishment. After examining the letter, which Desgrais had taken pains -to procure, the council authorised the extradition of the marquise. - -This was much, but it was not all. The marquise, as we know, had taken -refuge in a convent, where Desgrais dared not arrest her by force, for -two reasons: first, because she might get information beforehand, and -hide herself in one of the cloister retreats whose secret is known only -to the superior; secondly, because Liege was so religious a town that -the event would produce a great sensation: the act might be looked upon -as a sacrilege, and might bring about a popular rising, during which the -marquise might possibly contrive to escape. So Desgrais paid a visit to -his wardrobe, and feeling that an abbe's dress would best free him from -suspicion, he appeared at the doors of the convent in the guise of a -fellow-countryman just returned from Rome, unwilling to pass through -Liege without presenting his compliments to the lovely and unfortunate -marquise. Desgrais had just the manner of the younger son of a great -house: he was as flattering as a courtier, as enterprising as a -musketeer. In this first visit he made himself attractive by his wit and -his audacity, so much so that more easily than he had dared to hope, he -got leave to pay a second call. The second visit was not long delayed: -Desgrais presented himself the very next day. Such eagerness was -flattering to the marquise, so Desgrais was received even better than -the night before. She, a woman of rank and fashion, for more than a year -had been robbed of all intercourse with people of a certain set, so with -Desgrais the marquise resumed her Parisian manner. Unhappily the -charming abbe was to leave Liege in a few days; and on that account he -became all the more pressing, and a third visit, to take place next day, -was formally arranged. Desgrais was punctual: the marquise was -impatiently waiting him; but by a conjunction of circumstances that -Desgrais had no doubt arranged beforehand, the amorous meeting was -disturbed two or three times just as they were getting more intimate and -least wanting to be observed. Desgrais complained of these tiresome -checks; besides, the marquise and he too would be compromised: he owed -concealment to his cloth: He begged her to grant him a rendezvous -outside the town, in some deserted walk, where there would be no fear of -their being recognised or followed: the marquise hesitated no longer -than would serve to put a price on the favour she was granting, and the -rendezvous was fixed for the same evening. - -The evening came: both waited with the same impatience, but with very -different hopes. The marquise found Desgrais at the appointed spot: he -gave her his arm then holding her hand in his own, he gave a sign, the -archers appeared, the lover threw off his mask, Desgrais was confessed, -and the marquise was his prisoner. Desgrais left her in the hands of his -men, and hastily made his way to the convent. Then, and not before, he -produced his order from the Sixty, by means of which he opened the -marquise's room. Under her bed he found a box, which he seized and -sealed; then he went back to her, and gave the order to start. - -When the marquise saw the box in the hands of Desgrais, she at first -appeared stunned; quickly recovering, she claimed a paper inside it -which contained her confession. Desgrais refused, and as he turned round -for the carriage to come forward, she tried to choke herself by -swallowing a pin. One of the archers, called Claude, Rolla, perceiving -her intention, contrived to get the pin out of her mouth. After this, -Desgrais commanded that she should be doubly watched. - -They stopped for supper. An archer called Antoine Barbier was present at -the meal, and watched so that no knife or fork should be put on the -table, or any instrument with which she could wound or kill herself. The -marquise, as she put her glass to her mouth as though to drink, broke a -little bit off with her teeth; but the archer saw it in time, and forced -her to put it out on her plate. Then she promised him, if he would save -her, that she would make his fortune. He asked what he would have to do -for that. She proposed that he should cut Desgrais' throat; but he -refused, saying that he was at her service in any other way. So she -asked him for pen and paper, and wrote this letter: - -"DEAR THERIA,--I am in the hands of Desgrais, who is taking me by road -from Liege to Paris. Come quickly and save me." - -Antoine Barbier took the letter, promising to deliver it at the right -address; but he gave it to Desgrais instead. The next day, finding that -this letter had not been pressing enough, she wrote him another, saying -that the escort was only eight men, who could be easily overcome by four -or five determined assailants, and she counted on him to strike this -bald stroke. But, uneasy when she got no answer and no result from her -letters, she despatched a third missive to Theria. In this she implored -him by his own salvation, if he were not strong enough to attack her -escort and save her, at least to kill two of the four horses by which -she was conveyed, and to profit by the moment of confusion to seize the -chest and throw it into the fire; otherwise, she declared, she was lost. -Though Theria received none of these letters, which were one by one -handed over by Barbier to Desgrais, he all the same did go to -Maestricht, where the marquise was to pass, of his own accord. There he -tried to bribe the archers, offering much as 10,000 livres, but they -were incorruptible. At Rocroy the cortege met M. Palluau, the -councillor, whom the Parliament had sent after the prisoner, that he -might put questions to her at a time when she least expected them, and -so would not have prepared her answers. Desgrais told him all that had -passed, and specially called his attention to the famous box, the object -of so much anxiety and so many eager instructions. M. de Palluau opened -it, and found among other things a paper headed "My Confession." This -confession was a proof that the guilty feel great need of discovering -their crimes either to mankind or to a merciful God. Sainte-Croix, we -know, had made a confession that was burnt, and here was the marquise -equally imprudent. The confession contained seven articles, and began -thus, "I confess to God, and to you, my father," and was a complete -avowal, of all the crimes she had committed. - -In the first article she accused herself of incendiarism; - -In the second, of having ceased to be a virgin at seven years of age; - -In the third of having poisoned her father; - -In the fourth, of having poisoned her two brothers; - -In the fifth, that she had tried to poison her sister, a Carmelite nun. - -The two other articles were concerned with the description of strange -and unnatural sins. In this woman there was something of Locusta and -something of Messalina as well: antiquity could go no further. - - M. de Palluau, fortified by his knowledge of this important document, - began his examination forthwith. We give it verbatim, rejoicing - that we may substitute an official report for our own narrative. - -Asked why she fled to Liege, she replied that she left France on account -of some business with her sister-in-law. - -Asked if she had any knowledge of the papers found in the box, she -replied that in the box there were several family papers, and among them -a general confession which she desired to make; when she wrote it, -however, her mind was disordered; she knew not what she had said or -done, being distraught at the time, in a foreign country, deserted by -her relatives, forced to borrow every penny. - -Asked as to the first article, what house it was she had burnt, she -replied that she had not burnt anything, but when she wrote that she was -out of her senses. - -Asked about the six other articles she replied that she had no -recollection of them. - -Asked if she had not poisoned her father and brothers, she replied that -she knew nothing at all about it. - -Asked if it were not Lachaussee who poisoned her brothers, she replied -that she knew nothing about it. - -Asked if she did not know that her sister could not live long, having -been poisoned, she said that she expected her sister to die, because she -suffered in the same way as her brothers; that she had lost all memory -of the time when she wrote this confession; admitted that she left -France by the advice of her relations. - -Asked why her relations had advised her thus, she replied that it was in -connection with her brothers' affairs; admitted seeing Sainte-Croix -since his release from the Bastille. - -Asked if Sainte-Croix had not persuaded her to get rid of her father, -she replied that she could not remember; neither did she remember if -Sainte-Croix had given her powders or other drugs, nor if Sainte-Croix -had told her he knew how to make her rich. - -Eight letters having been produced, asked to whom she had written them, -she replied that she did not remember. - -Asked why she had promised to pay 30,000 livres to Sainte-Croix, she -replied that she intended to entrust this sum to his care, so that she -might make use of it when she wanted it, believing him to be her friend; -she had not wished this to be known, by reason of her creditors; that -she had an acknowledgment from Sainte-Croix, but had lost it in her -travels; that her husband knew nothing about it. - -Asked if the promise was made before or after the death of her brothers, -she replied that she could not remember, and it made no difference. - -Asked if she knew an apothecary called Glazer, she replied that she had -consulted him three times about inflammation. - -Asked why she wrote to Theria to get hold of the box, she replied that -she did not understand. - -Asked why, in writing to Theria, she had said she was lost unless he got -hold of the box, she replied that she could not remember. - -Asked if she had seen during the journey with her father the first -symptoms of his malady, she replied that she had not noticed that her -father was ill on the journey, either going or coming back in 1666. - -Asked if she had not done business with Penautier, she replied that -Penautier owed her 30,000 livres. - -Asked how this was, she replied that she and her husband had lent -Penautier 10,000 crowns, that he had paid it back, and since then they -had had no dealings with him. - -The marquise took refuge, we see, in a complete system of denial: -arrived in Paris, and confined in the Conciergerie, she did the same; -but soon other terrible charges were added, which still further -overwhelmed her. - -The sergeant Cluet deposed: that, observing a lackey to M. d'Aubray, the -councillor, to be the man Lachaussee, whom he had seen in the service of -Sainte-Croix, he said to the marquise that if her brother knew that -Lachaussee had been with Sainte-Croix he would not like it, but that -Madame de Brinvilliers exclaimed, "Dear me, don't tell my brothers; they -would give him a thrashing, no doubt, and he may just as well get his -wages as any body else." He said nothing to the d'Aubrays, though he saw -Lachaussee paying daily visits to Sainte-Croix and to the marquise, who -was worrying Sainte-Croix to let her have her box, and wanted her bill -for two or three thousand pistoles. Other wise she would have had him -assassinated. She often said that she was very anxious that no one -should see the contents of the box; that it was a very important matter, -but only concerned herself. After the box was opened, the witness added, -he had told the marquise, that the commissary Picard said to Lachaussee -that there were strange things in it; but the lady blushed, and changed -the subject. He asked her if she were not an accomplice. She said, -"What! I?" but then muttered to herself: "Lachaussee ought to be sent -off to Picardy." The witness repeated that she had been after -Sainte-Croix along time about the box, and if she had got it she would -have had his throat cut. The witness further said that when he told -Briancourt that Lachaussee was taken and would doubtless confess all, -Briancourt, speaking of the marquise, remarked, "She is a lost woman." -That d'Aubray's daughter had called Briancourt a rogue, but Briancourt -had replied that she little knew what obligations she was under to him; -that they had wanted to poison both her and the lieutenant's widow, and -he alone had hindered it. He had heard from Briancourt that the marquise -had often said that there are means to get rid of people one dislikes, -and they can easily be put an end to in a bowl of soup. - -The girl Edme Huet, a woman of Brescia, deposed that Sainte-Croix went -to see the marquise every day, and that in a box belonging to that lady -she had seen two little packets containing sublimate in powder and in -paste: she recognised these, because she was an apothecary's daughter. -She added that one day Madame de Brinvilliers, after a dinner party, in -a merry mood, said, showing her a little box, "Here is vengeance on -one's enemies: this box is small, but holds plenty of successsions!" -That she gave back the box into her hands, but soon changing from her -sprightly mood, she cried, "Good heavens, what have I said? Tell -nobody." That Lambert, clerk at the palace, told her he had brought the -packets to Madame from Sainte-Croix; that Lachaussee often went to see -her; and that she herself, not being paid ten pistoles which the -marquise owed her, went to complain to Sainte-Croix, threatening to tell -the lieutenant what she had seen; and accordingly the ten pistoles were -paid; further, that the marquise and Sainte-Croix always kept poison -about them, to make use of, in case of being arrested. - -Laurent Perrette, living with Glazer, said that he had often seen a lady -call on his mistress with Sainte-Croix; that the footman told him she -was the Marquise de Brinvilliers; that he would wager his head on it -that they came to Glazer's to make poison; that when they came they used -to leave their carriage at the Foire Saint-Germain. - -Marie de Villeray, maid to the marquise, deposed that after the death of -M. d'Aubray the councillor, Lachaussee came to see the lady and spoke -with her in private; that Briancourt said she had caused the death of a -worthy men; that Briancourt every day took some electuary for fear of -being poisoned, and it was no doubt due to this precaution that he was -still alive; but he feared he would be stabbed, because she had told him -the secret about the poisoning; that d'Aubray's daughter had to be -warned; and that there was a similar design against the tutor of M. de -Brinvillier's children. Marie de Villeray added that two days after the -death of the councillor, when Lachaussee was in Madame's bedroom, -Couste, the late lieutenant's secretary, was announced, and Lachaussee -had to be hidden in the alcove by the bed. Lachaussee brought the -marquise a letter from Sainte-Croix. - -Francois Desgrais, officer, deposed that when he was given the king's -orders he arrested the marquise at Liege; that he found under her bed a -box which he sealed; that the lady had demanded a paper which was in it, -containing her confession, but he refused it; that on the road to Paris -the marquise had told him that she believed it was Glazer who made the -poisons for Sainte-Croix; that Sainte-Croix, who had made a rendezvous -with her one day at the cross Saint-Honore, there showed her four little -bottles, saying, "See what Glazer has sent me." She asked him for one, -but Sainte-Croix said he would rather die than give it up. He added that -the archer Antoine Barbier had given him three letters written by the -marquise to Theria; that in the first she had told him to come at once -and snatch her from the hands of the soldiers; that in the second she -said that the escort was only composed of eight persons, who could he -worsted by five men; that in the third she said that if he could not -save her from the men who were taking her away, he should at least -approach the commissary, and killing his valet's horse and two other -horses in his carriage, then take the box, and burn it; otherwise she -was lost. - -Laviolette, an archer, deposed that on the evening of the arrest, the -marquise had a long pin and tried to put it in her mouth; that he -stopped her, and told her that she was very wicked; that he perceived -that people said the truth and that she had poisoned all her family; to -which she replied, that if she had, it was only through following bad -advice, and that one could not always be good. - -Antoine Barbier, an archer, said that the marquise at table took up a -glass as though to drink, and tried to swallow a piece of it; that he -prevented this, and she promised to make his fortune if only he would -save her; that she wrote several letters to Theria; that during the -whole journey she tried all she could to swallow pins, bits of glass, -and earth; that she had proposed that he should cut Desgrais' throat, -and kill the commissary's valet; that she had bidden him get the box and -burn it, and bring a lighted torch to burn everything; that she had -written to Penautier from the Conciergerie; that she gave him, the -letter, and he pretended to deliver it. - -Finally, Francoise Roussel deposed that she had been in the service of -the marquise, and the lady had one day given her some preserved -gooseberries; that she had eaten some on the point of her knife, and at -once felt ill. She also gave her a slice of mutton, rather wet, which -she ate, afterwards suffering great pain in the stomach, feeling as -though she had been pricked in the heart, and for three years had felt -the same, believing herself poisoned. - -It was difficult to continue a system of absolute denial in face of -proofs like these. The marquise persisted, all the same, that she was in -no way guilty; and Maitre Nivelle, one of the best lawyers of the -period, consented to defend her cause. - -He combated one charge after another, in a remarkably clever way, owning -to the adulterous connection of the marquise with Sainte-Croix, but -denying her participation in the murders of the d'Aubrays, father and -sons: these he ascribed entirely to the vengeance desired by -Sainte-Croix. As to the confession, the strongest and, he maintained, -the only evidence against Madame de Brinvilliers, he attacked its -validity by bringing forward certain similar cases, where the evidence -supplied by the accused against themselves had not been admitted by -reason of the legal action: 'Non auditur perire volens'. He cited three -instances, and as they are themselves interesting, we copy them verbatim -from his notes. - -FIRST CASE - -Dominicus Soto, a very famous canonist and theologian, confessor to -Charles V, present at the first meetings of the Council of Trent under -Paul III, propounds a question about a man who had lost a paper on which -he had written down his sins. It happened that this paper fell into the -hands of an ecclesiastical judge, who wished to put in information -against the writer on the strength of this document. Now this judge was -justly punished by his superior, because confession is so sacred that -even that which is destined to constitute the confession should be -wrapped in eternal silence. In accordance with this precedent, the -following judgment, reported in the 'Traite des Confesseurs', was given -by Roderic Acugno. A Catalonian, native of Barcelona, who was condemned -to death for homicide and owned his guilt, refused to confess when the -hour of punishment arrived. However strongly pressed, he resisted, and -so violently, giving no reason, that all were persuaded that his mind -was unhinged by the fear of death. Saint-Thomas of Villeneuve, -Archbishop of Valencia, heard of his obstinacy. Valencia was the place -where his sentence was given. The worthy prelate was so charitable as to -try to persuade the criminal to make his confession, so as not to lose -his soul as well as his body. Great was his surprise, when he asked the -reason of the refusal, to hear the doomed man declare that he hated -confessors, because he had been condemned through the treachery of his -own priest, who was the only person who knew about the murder. In -confession he had admitted his crime and said where the body was buried, -and all about it; his confessor had revealed it all, and he could not -deny it, and so he had been condemned. He had only just learned, what he -did not know at the time he confessed, that his confessor was the -brother of the man he had killed, and that the desire for vengeance had -prompted the bad priest to betray his confession. Saint-Thomas, hearing -this, thought that this incident was of more importance than the trial, -which concerned the life of only one person, whereas the honour of -religion was at stake, with consequences infinitely more important. He -felt he must verify this statement, and summoned the confessor. When he -had admitted the breach of faith, the judges were obliged to revoke -their sentence and pardon the criminal, much to the gratification of the -public mind. The confessor was adjudged a very severe penance, which -Saint-Thomas modified because of his prompt avowal of his fault, and -still more because he had given an opportunity for the public exhibition -of that reverence which judges themselves are bound to pay to -confessions. - -SECOND CASE - -In 1579 an innkeeper at Toulouse killed with his own hand, unknown to -the inmates of his house, a stranger who had come to lodge with him, and -buried him secretly in the cellar. The wretch then suffered from -remorse, and confessed the crime with all its circumstances, telling his -confessor where the body was buried. The relations of the dead man, -after making all possible search to get news of him, at last proclaimed -through the town a large reward to be given to anyone who would discover -what had happened to him. The confessor, tempted by this bait, secretly -gave word that they had only to search in the innkeeper's cellar and -they would find the corpse. And they found it in the place indicated. -The innkeeper was thrown into prison, was tortured, and confessed his -crime. But afterwards he always maintained that his confessor was the -only person who could have betrayed him. Then the Parliament, indignant -with such means of finding out the truth, declared him innocent, failing -other proof than what came through his confessor. The confessor was -himself condemned to be hanged, and his body was burnt. So fully did the -tribunal in its wisdom recognise the importance of securing the sanctity -of a sacrament that is indispensable to salvation. - -THIRD CASE - -An Armenian woman had inspired a violent passion in a young Turkish -gentleman, but her prudence was long an obstacle to her lover's desires. -At last he went beyond all bounds, and threatened to kill both her and -her husband if she refused to gratify him. Frightened by this threat, -which she knew too well he would carry out, she feigned consent, and -gave the Turk a rendezvous at her house at an hour when she said her -husband would be absent; but by arrangement the husband arrived, and -although the Turk was armed with a sabre and a pair of pistols, it so -befell that they were fortunate enough to kill their enemy, whom they -buried under their dwelling unknown to all the world. But some days -after the event they went to confess to a priest of their nation, and -revealed every detail of the tragic story. This unworthy minister of the -Lord supposed that in a Mahommedan country, where the laws of the -priesthood and the functions of a confessor are either unknown or -disapproved, no examination would be made into the source of his -information, and that his evidence would have the same weight as any -other accuser's. So he resolved to make a profit and gratify his own -avarice. Several times he visited the husband and wife, always borrowing -considerable sums, and threatening to reveal their crime if they refused -him. The first few times the poor creatures gave in to his exactions; -but the moment came at last when, robbed of all their fortune, they were -obliged to refuse the sum he demanded. Faithful to his threat, the -priest, with a view to more reward, at once denounced them to the dead -man's father. He, who had adored his son, went to the vizier, told him -he had identified the murderers through their confessor, and asked for -justice. But this denunciation had by no means the desired effect. The -vizier, on the contrary, felt deep pity for the wretched Armenians, and -indignation against the priest who had betrayed them. He put the accuser -into a room which adjoined the court, and sent for the Armenian bishop -to ask what confession really was, and what punishment was deserved by a -priest who betrayed it, and what was the fate of those whose crimes were -made known in this fashion. The bishop replied that the secrets of -confession are inviolable, that Christians burn the priest who reveals -them, and absolve those whom he accuses, because the avowal made by the -guilty to the priest is proscribed by the Christian religion, on pain of -eternal damnation. The vizier, satisfied with the answer, took the -bishop into another room, and summoned the accused to declare all the -circumstances: the poor wretches, half dead, fell at the vizier's feet. -The woman spoke, explaining that the necessity of defending life and -honour had driven them to take up arms to kill their enemy. She added -that God alone had witnessed their crime, and it would still be unknown -had not the law of the same God compelled them to confide it to the ear -of one of His ministers for their forgiveness. Now the priest's -insatiable avarice had ruined them first and then denounced them. The -vizier made them go into a third room, and ordered the treacherous -priest to be confronted with the bishop, making him again rehearse the -penalties incurred by those who betray confessions. Then, applying this -to the guilty priest, he condemned him to be burnt alive in a public -place;--in anticipation, said he, of burning in hell, where he would -assuredly receive the punishment of his infidelity and crimes. The -sentence was executed without delay. - -In spite of the effect which the advocate intended to produce by these -three cases, either the judges rejected them, or perhaps they thought -the other evidence without the confession was enough, and it was soon -clear to everyone, by the way the trial went forward, that the marquise -would be condemned. Indeed, before sentence was pronounced, on the -morning of July 16th, 1676, she saw M. Pirot, doctor of the Sorbonne, -come into her prison, sent by the chief president. This worthy -magistrate, foreseeing the issue, and feeling that one so guilty should -not be left till the last moment, had sent the good priest. The latter, -although he had objected that the Conciergerie had its own two -chaplains, and added that he was too feeble to undertake such a task, -being unable even to see another man bled without feeling ill, accepted -the painful mission, the president having so strongly urged it, on the -ground that in this case he needed a man who could be entirely trusted. -The president, in fact, declared that, accustomed as he was to dealing -with criminals, the strength of the marquise amazed him. The day before -he summoned M. Pirot, he had worked at the trial from morning to night, -and for thirteen hours the accused had been confronted with Briancourt, -one of the chief witnesses against her. On that very day, there had been -five hours more, and she had borne it all, showing as much respect -towards her judges as haughtiness towards the witness, reproaching him -as a miserable valet, given to drink, and protesting that as he had been -dismissed for his misdemeanours, his testimony against her ought to go -for nothing. So the chief president felt no hope of breaking her -inflexible spirit, except by the agency of a minister of religion; for -it was not enough to put her to death, the poisons must perish with her, -or else society would gain nothing. The doctor Pirot came to the -marquise with a letter from her sister, who, as we know, was a nun -bearing the name of Sister Marie at the convent Saint-Jacques. Her -letter exhorted the marquise, in the most touching and affectionate -terms, to place her confidence in the good priest, and look upon him not -only as a helper but as a friend. - -When M. Pirot came before the marquise, she had just left the dock, -where she had been for three hours without confessing anything, or -seeming in the least touched by what the president said, though he, -after acting the part of judge, addressed her simply as a Christian, and -showing her what her deplorable position was, appearing now for the last -time before men, and destined so soon to appear before God, spoke to her -such moving words that he broke down himself, and the oldest and most -obdurate judges present wept when they heard him. When the marquise -perceived the doctor, suspecting that her trial was leading her to -death, she approached him, saying: - -"You have come, sir, because----" - -But Father Chavigny, who was with M. Pirot; interrupted her, saying: - -"Madame, we will begin with a prayer." - -They all fell on their knees invoking the Holy Spirit; then the marquise -asked them to add a prayer to the Virgin, and, this prayer finished, she -went up to the doctor, and, beginning afresh, said: - -"Sir, no doubt the president has sent you to give me consolation: with -you I am to pass the little life I have left. I have long been eager to -see you." - -"Madame," the doctor replied, "I come to render you any spiritual office -that I can; I only wish it were on another occasion." - -"We must have resolution, sir," said she, smiling, "for all things." - -Then turning to Father Chavigny, she said: - -"My father, I am very grateful to you for bringing the doctor here, and -for all the other visits you have been willing to pay me. Pray to God -for me, I entreat you; henceforth I shall speak with no one but the -doctor, for with him I must speak of things that can only be discussed -tete-a-tete. Farewell, then, my father; God will reward you for the -attention you have been willing to bestow upon me." - -With these words the father retired, leaving the marquise alone with the -doctor and the two men and one woman always in attendance on her. They -were in a large room in the Montgomery tower extending, throughout its -whole length. There was at the end of the room a bed with grey curtains -for the lady, and a folding-bed for the custodian. It is said to have -been the same room where the poet Theophile was once shut up, and near -the door there were still verses in his well-known style written by his -hand. - -As soon as the two men and the woman saw for what the doctor had come, -they retired to the end of the room, leaving the marquise free to ask -for and receive the consolations brought her by the man of God. Then the -two sat at a table side by side. The marquise thought she was already -condemned, and began to speak on that assumption; but the doctor told -her that sentence was not yet given, and he did not know precisely when -it would be, still less what it would be; but at these words the -marquise interrupted him. - -"Sir," she said, "I am not troubled about the future. If my sentence is -not given yet, it soon will be. I expect the news this morning, and I -know it will be death: the only grace I look for from the president is a -delay between the sentence and its execution; for if I were executed -to-day I should have very little time to prepare, and I feel I have need -for more." - -The doctor did not expect such words, so he was overjoyed to learn what -she felt. In addition to what the president had said, he had heard from -Father Chavigny that he had told her the Sunday before that it was very -unlikely she would escape death, and indeed, so far as one could judge -by reports in the town, it was a foregone conclusion. When he said so, -at first she had appeared stunned, and said with an air of great terror, -"Father, must I die?" And when he tried to speak words of consolation, -she had risen and shaken her head, proudly replying-- - -"No, no, father; there is no need to encourage me. I will play my part, -and that at once: I shall know how to die like a woman of spirit." - -Then the father had told her that we cannot prepare for death so quickly -and so easily; and that we have to be in readiness for a long time, not -to be taken by surprise; and she had replied that she needed but a -quarter of an hour to confess in, and one moment to die. - -So the doctor was very glad to find that between Sunday and Thursday her -feelings had changed so much. - -"Yes," said she, "the more I reflect the more I feel that one day would -not be enough to prepare myself for God's tribunal, to be judged by Him -after men have judged me." - -"Madame," replied the doctor, "I do not know what or when your sentence -will be; but should it be death, and given to-day, I may venture to -promise you that it will not be carried out before to-morrow. But -although death is as yet uncertain, I think it well that you should be -prepared for any event." - -"Oh, my death is quite certain," said she, "and I must not give way to -useless hopes. I must repose in you the great secrets of my whole life; -but, father, before this opening of my heart, let me hear from your lips -the opinion you have formed of me, and what you think in my present -state I ought to do." - -"You perceive my plan," said the doctor, "and you anticipate what I was -about to say. Before entering into the secrets of your conscience, -before opening the discussion of your affairs with God, I am ready, -madame, to give you certain definite rules. I do not yet know whether -you are guilty at all, and I suspend my judgment as to all the crimes -you are accused of, since of them I can learn nothing except through -your confession. Thus it is my duty still to doubt your guilt. But I -cannot be ignorant of what you are accused of: this is a public matter, -and has reached my ears; for, as you may imagine, madame, your affairs -have made a great stir, and there are few people who know nothing about -them." - -"Yes," she said, smiling, "I know there has been a great deal of talk, -and I am in every man's mouth." - -"Then," replied the doctor, "the crime you are accused of is poisoning. -If you are guilty, as is believed, you cannot hope that God will pardon -you unless you make known to your judges what the poison is, what is its -composition and what its antidote, also the names of your accomplices. -Madame, we must lay hands on all these evil-doers without exception; for -if you spared them, they would be able to make use of your poison, and -you would then be guilty of all the murders committed by them after your -death, because you did not give them over to the judges during your -life; thus one might say you survive yourself, for your crime survives -you. You know, madame, that a sin in the moment of death is never -pardoned, and that to get remission for your crimes, if crimes you have, -they must die when you die: for if you slay them not, be very sure they -will slay you." - -"Yes, I am sure of that," replied the marquise, after a moment of silent -thought; "and though I will not admit that I am guilty, I promise, if I -am guilty, to weigh your words. But one question, sir, and pray take -heed that an answer is necessary. Is there not crime in this world that -is beyond pardon? Are not some people guilty of sins so terrible and so -numerous that the Church dares not pardon them, and if God, in His -justice, takes account of them, He cannot for all His mercy pardon them? -See, I begin with this question, because, if I am to have no hope, it is -needless for me to confess." - -"I wish to think, madame," replied the doctor, in spite of himself half -frightened at the marquise, "that this your first question is only put -by way of a general thesis, and has nothing to do with your own state. I -shall answer the question without any personal application. No, madame, -in this life there are no unpardonable sinners, terrible and numerous -howsoever their sins may be. This is an article of faith, and without -holding it you could not die a good Catholic. Some doctors, it is true, -have before now maintained the contrary, but they have been condemned as -heretics. Only despair and final impenitence are unpardonable, and they -are not sins of our life but in our death." - -"Sir," replied the marquise, "God has given me grace to be convinced by -what you say, and I believe He will pardon all sins--that He has often -exercised this power. Now all my trouble is that He may not deign to -grant all His goodness to one so wretched as I am, a creature so -unworthy of the favours already bestowed on her." - -The doctor reassured her as best he could, and began to examine her -attentively as they conversed together. "She was," he said, "a woman -naturally courageous and fearless; naturally gentle and good; not easily -excited; clever and penetrating, seeing things very clearly in her mind, -and expressing herself well and in few but careful words; easily finding -a way out of a difficulty, and choosing her line of conduct in the most -embarrassing circumstances; light-minded and fickle; unstable, paying no -attention if the same thing were said several times over. For this -reason," continued the doctor, "I was obliged to alter what I had to say -from time to time, keeping her but a short time to one subject, to -which, however, I would return later, giving the matter a new appearance -and disguising it a little. She spoke little and well, with no sign of -learning and no affectation, always, mistress of herself, always -composed and saying just what she intended to say. No one would have -supposed from her face or from her conversation that she was so wicked -as she must have been, judging by her public avowal of the parricide. It -is surprising, therefore--and one must bow down before the judgment of -God when He leaves mankind to himself--that a mind evidently of some -grandeur, professing fearlessness in the most untoward and unexpected -events, an immovable firmness and a resolution to await and to endure -death if so it must be, should yet be so criminal as she was proved to -be by the parricide to which she confessed before her judges. She had -nothing in her face that would indicate such evil. She had very abundant -chestnut hair, a rounded, well-shaped face, blue eyes very pretty and -gentle, extraordinarily white skin, good nose, and no disagreeable -feature. Still, there was nothing unusually attractive in the face: -already she was a little wrinkled, and looked older than her age. -Something made me ask at our first interview how old she was. -'Monsieur,' she said, 'if I were to live till Sainte-Madeleine's day I -should be forty-six. On her day I came into the world, and I bear her -name. I was christened Marie-Madeleine. But near to the day as we now -are, I shall not live so long: I must end to-day, or at latest -to-morrow, and it will be a favour to give me the one day. For this -kindness I rely on your word.' Anyone would have thought she was quite -forty-eight. Though her face as a rule looked so gentle, whenever an -unhappy thought crossed her mind she showed it by a contortion that -frightened one at first, and from time to time I saw her face twitching -with anger, scorn, or ill-will. I forgot to say that she was very little -and thin. Such is, roughly given, a description of her body and mind, -which I very soon came to know, taking pains from the first to observe -her, so as to lose no time in acting on what I discovered." - -As she was giving a first brief sketch of her life to her confessor, the -marquise remembered that he had not yet said mass, and reminded him -herself that it was time to do so, pointing out to him the chapel of the -Conciergerie. She begged him to say a mass for her and in honour of Our -Lady, so that she might gain the intercession of the Virgin at the -throne of God. The Virgin she had always taken for her patron saint, and -in the midst of her crimes and disorderly life had never ceased in her -peculiar devotion. As she could not go with the priest, she promised to -be with him at least in the spirit. He left her at half-past ten in the -morning, and after four hours spent alone together, she had been induced -by his piety and gentleness to make confessions that could not be wrung -from her by the threats of the judges or the fear of the question. The -holy and devout priest said his mass, praying the Lord's help for -confessor and penitent alike. After mass, as he returned, he learned -from a librarian called Seney, at the porter's lodge, as he was taking a -glass of wine, that judgment had been given, and that Madame de -Brinvilliers was to have her hand cut off. This severity--as a fact, -there was a mitigation of the sentence--made him feel yet more interest -in his penitent, and he hastened back to her side. - -As soon as she saw the door open, she advanced calmly towards him, and -asked if he had truly prayed for her; and when he assured her of this, -she said, "Father, shall I have the consolation of receiving the -viaticum before I die?" - -"Madame," replied the doctor, "if you are condemned to death, you must -die without that sacrament, and I should be deceiving you if I let you -hope for it. We have heard of the death of the constable of Saint-Paul -without his obtaining this grace, in spite of all his entreaties. He was -executed in sight of the towers of Notre-Dame. He offered his own -prayer, as you may offer yours, if you suffer the same fate. But that is -all: God, in His goodness, allows it to suffice." - -"But," replied the marquise, "I believe M. de Cinq-Mars and M. de Thou -communicated before their death." - -"I think not, madame," said the doctor; "for it is not so said in the -pages of Montresor or any other book that describes their execution." - -"But M. de Montmorency?" said she. - -"But M. de Marillac?" replied the doctor. - -In truth, if the favour had been granted to the first, it had been -refused to the second, and the marquise was specially struck thereby, -for M. de Marillac was of her own family, and she was very proud of the -connection. No doubt she was unaware that M. de Rohan had received the -sacrament at the midnight mass said for the salvation of his soul by -Father Bourdaloue, for she said nothing about it, and hearing the -doctor's answer, only sighed. - -"Besides," he continued, "in recalling examples of the kind, madame, you -must not build upon them, please: they are extraordinary cases, not the -rule. You must expect no privilege; in your case the ordinary laws will -be carried out, and your fate will not differ from the fate of other -condemned persons. How would it have been had you lived and died before -the reign of Charles VI? Up to the reign of this prince, the guilty died -without confession, and it was only by this king's orders that there was -a relaxation of this severity. Besides, communion is not absolutely -necessary to salvation, and one may communicate spiritually in reading -the word, which is like the body; in uniting oneself with the Church, -which is the mystical substance of Christ; and in suffering for Him and -with Him, this last communion of agony that is your portion, madame, and -is the most perfect communion of all. If you heartily detest your crime -and love God with all your soul, if you have faith and charity, your -death is a martyrdom and a new baptism." - -"Alas, my God," replied the marquise, "after what you tell me, now that -I know the executioner's hand was necessary to my salvation, what should -I have become had I died at Liege? Where should I have been now? And -even if I had not been taken, and had lived another twenty years away -from France, what would my death have been, since it needed the scaffold -for my purification? Now I see all my wrong-doings, and the worst of all -is the last--I mean my effrontery before the judges. But all is not yet -lost, God be thanked; and as I have one last examination to go through, -I desire to make a complete confession about my whole life. You, Sir, I -entreat specially to ask pardon on my behalf of the first president; -yesterday, when I was in the dock, he spoke very touching words to me, -and I was deeply moved; but I would not show it, thinking that if I made -no avowal the evidence would not be sufficiently strong to convict me. -But it has happened otherwise, and I must have scandalised my judges by -such an exhibition of hardihood. Now I recognise my fault, and will -repair it. Furthermore, sir, far from feeling angry with the president -for the judgment he to-day passes against me, far from complaining of -the prosecutor who has demanded it, I thank them both most humbly, for -my salvation depends upon it." - -The doctor was about to answer, encouraging her, when the door opened: -it was dinner coming in, for it was now half-past one. The marquise -paused and watched what was brought in, as though she were playing -hostess in her own country house. She made the woman and the two men who -watched her sit down to the table, and turning to the doctor, said, -"Sir, you will not wish me to stand on ceremony with you; these good -people always dine with me to keep me company, and if you approve, we -will do the same to-day. This is the last meal," she added, addressing -them, "that I shall take with you." Then turning to the woman, "Poor -Madame du Rus," said she, "I have been a trouble to you for a long time; -but have a little patience, and you will soon be rid of me. To-morrow -you can go to Dravet; you will have time, for in seven or eight hours -from now there will be nothing more to do for me, and I shall be in the -gentleman's hands; you will not be allowed near me. After then, you can -go away for good; for I don't suppose you will have the heart to see me -executed." All this she said quite calmly, but not with pride. From time -to time her people tried to hide their tears, and she made a sign of -pitying them. Seeing that the dinner was on the table and nobody eating, -she invited the doctor to take some soup, asking him to excuse the -cabbage in it, which made it a common soup and unworthy of his -acceptance. She herself took some soup and two eggs, begging her -fellow-guests to excuse her for not serving them, pointing out that no -knife or fork had been set in her place. - -When the meal was almost half finished, she begged the doctor to let her -drink his health. He replied by drinking hers, and she seemed to be -quite charmed by, his condescension. "To-morrow is a fast day," said -she, setting down her glass, "and although it will be a day of great -fatigue for me, as I shall have to undergo the question as well as -death, I intend to obey the orders of the Church and keep my fast." - -"Madame," replied the doctor, "if you needed soup to keep you up, you -would not have to feel any scruple, for it will be no self-indulgence, -but a necessity, and the Church does not exact fasting in such a case." - -"Sir," replied the marquise, "I will make no difficulty about it, if it -is necessary and if you order it; but it will not be needed, I think: if -I have some soup this evening for supper, and some more made stronger -than usual a little before midnight, it will be enough to last me -through to-morrow, if I have two fresh eggs to take after the question." - -"In truth," says the priest in the account we give here, "I was alarmed -by this calm behaviour. I trembled when I heard her give orders to the -concierge that the soup was to be made stronger than usual and that she -was to have two cups before midnight. When dinner was over, she was -given pen and ink, which she had already asked for, and told me that she -had a letter to write before I took up my pen to put down what she -wanted to dictate." The letter, she explained, which was difficult to -write, was to her husband. She would feel easier when it was written. -For her husband she expressed so much affection, that the doctor, -knowing what had passed, felt much surprised, and wishing to try her, -said that the affection was not reciprocated, as her husband had -abandoned her the whole time of the trial. The marquise interrupted him: - -"My father, we must not judge things too quickly or merely by -appearances. M. de Brinvilliers has always concerned himself with me, -and has only failed in doing what it was impossible to do. Our -interchange of letters never ceased while I was out of the kingdom; do -not doubt but that he would have come to Paris as soon as he knew I was -in prison, had the state of his affairs allowed him to come safely. But -you must know that he is deeply in debt, and could not appear in Paris -without being arrested. Do not suppose that he is without feeling for -me." - -She then began to write, and when her letter was finished she handed it -to the doctor, saying, "You, sir, are the lord and master of all my -sentiments from now till I die; read this letter, and if you find -anything that should be altered, tell me." - -This was the letter-- - -"When I am on the point of yielding up my soul to God, I wish to assure -you of my affection for you, which I shall feel until the last moment of -my life. I ask your pardon for all that I have done contrary to my duty. -I am dying a shameful death, the work of my enemies: I pardon them with -all my heart, and I pray you to do the same. I also beg you to forgive -me for any ignominy that may attach to you herefrom; but consider that -we are only here for a time, and that you may soon be forced to render -an account to God of all your actions, and even your idle words, just as -I must do now. Be mindful of your worldly affairs, and of our children, -and give them a good example; consult Madame Marillac and Madame Couste. -Let as many prayers as possible be said for me, and believe that in my -death I am still ever yours, D'AUBRAY." - -The doctor read this letter carefully; then he told her that one of her -phrases was not right--the one about her enemies. "For you have no other -enemies," said he, "than your own crimes. Those whom you call your -enemies are those who love the memory of your father and brothers, whom -you ought to have loved more than they do." - -"But those who have sought my death," she replied, "are my enemies, are -they not, and is it not a Christian act to forgive them?" - -"Madame," said the doctor, "they are not your enemies, but you are the -enemy of the human race: nobody can think without, horror of your -crimes." - -"And so, my father," she replied, "I feel no resentment towards them, -and I desire to meet in Paradise those who have been chiefly -instrumental in taking me and bringing me here." - -"Madame," said the doctor, "what mean you by this? Such words are used -by some when they desire people's death. Explain, I beg, what you mean." - -"Heaven forbid," cried the marquise, "that you should understand me -thus! Nay, may God grant them long prosperity in this world and infinite -glory in the next! Dictate a new letter, and I will write just what you -please." - -When a fresh letter had been written, the marquise would attend to -nothing but her confession, and begged the doctor to take the pen for -her. "I have done so many wrong thing's," she said, "that if I only gave -you a verbal confession, I should never be sure I had given a complete -account." - -Then they both knelt down to implore the grace of the Holy Spirit. They -said a 'Veni Creator' and a 'Salve Regina', and the doctor then rose and -seated himself at a table, while the marquise, still on her knees, began -a Confiteor and made her whole confession. At nine o'clock, Father -Chavigny, who had brought Doctor Pirot in the morning, came in again. -The marquise seemed annoyed, but still put a good face upon it. "My -father," said she, "I did not expect to see you so late; pray leave me a -few minutes longer with the doctor." He retired. "Why has he come?" -asked the marquise. - -"It is better for you not to be alone," said the doctor. - -"Then do you mean to leave me?" cried the marquise, apparently -terrified. - -"Madame, I will do as you wish," he answered; "but you would be acting -kindly if you could spare me for a few hours. I might go home, and -Father Chavigny would stay with you." - -"Ah!" she cried, wringing her hands, "you promised you would not leave -me till I am dead, and now you go away. Remember, I never saw you before -this morning, but since then you have become more to me than any of my -oldest friends." - -"Madame," said the good doctor, "I will do all I can to please you. If I -ask for a little rest, it is in order that I may resume my place with -more vigour to-morrow, and render you better service than I otherwise -could. If I take no rest, all I say or do must suffer. You count on the -execution for tomorrow; I do not know if you are right; but if so, -to-morrow will be your great and decisive day, and we shall both need -all the strength we have. We have already been working for thirteen or -fourteen hours for the good of your salvation; I am not a strong man, -and I think you should realise, madame, that if you do not let me rest a -little, I may not be able to stay with you to the end." - -"Sir," said the marquise, "you have closed my mouth. To-morrow is for me -a far more important day than to-day, and I have been wrong: of course -you must rest to-night. Let us just finish this one thing, and read over -what we have written." - -It was done, and the doctor would have retired; but the supper came in, -and the marquise would not let him go without taking something. She told -the concierge to get a carriage and charge it to her. She took a cup of -soup and two eggs, and a minute later the concierge came back to say the -carriage was at the door. Then the marquise bade the doctor good-night, -making him promise to pray for her and to be at the Conciergerie by six -o'clock the next morning. This he promised her. - -The day following, as he went into the tower, he found Father Chavigny, -who had taken his place with the marquise, kneeling and praying with -her. The priest was weeping, but she was calm, and received the doctor -in just the same way as she had let him go. When Father Chavigny saw -him, he retired. The marquise begged Chavigny to pray for her, and -wanted to make him promise to return, but that he would not do. She then -turned to the doctor, saying, "Sir, you are punctual, and I cannot -complain that you have broken your promise; but oh, how the time has -dragged, and how long it has seemed before the clock struck six!" - -"I am here, madame," said the doctor; "but first of all, how have you -spent the night?" - -"I have written three letters," said the marquise, "and, short as they -were, they took a long time to write: one was to my sister, one to -Madame de Marillac, and the third to M. Couste. I should have liked to -show them to you, but Father Chavigny offered to take charge of them, -and as he had approved of them, I could not venture to suggest any -doubts. After the letters were written, we had some conversation and -prayer; but when the father took up his breviary and I my rosary with -the same intention, I felt so weary that I asked if I might lie on my -bed; he said I might, and I had two good hours' sleep without dreams or -any sort of uneasiness; when I woke we prayed together, and had just -finished when you came back." - -"Well, madame," said the doctor, "if you will, we can pray again; kneel -down, and let us say the 'Veni Sancte Spiritus'." - -She obeyed, and said the prayer with much unction and piety. The prayer -finished, M. Pirot was about to take up the pen to go on with the -confession, when she said, "Pray let me submit to you one question which -is troubling me. Yesterday you gave me great hope of the mercy of God; -but I cannot presume to hope I shall be saved without spending a long -time in purgatory; my crime is far too atrocious to be pardoned on any -other conditions; and when I have attained to a love of God far greater -than I can feel here, I should not expect to be saved before my stains -have been purified by fire, without suffering the penalty that my sins -have deserved. But I have been told that the flames of purgatory where -souls are burned for a time are just the same as the flames of hell -where those who are damned burn through all eternity tell me, then, how -can a soul awaking in purgatory at the moment of separation from this -body be sure that she is not really in hell? how can she know that the -flames that burn her and consume not will some day cease? For the -torment she suffers is like that of the damned, and the flames wherewith -she is burned are even as the flames of hell. This I would fain know, -that at this awful moment I may feel no doubt, that I may know for -certain whether I dare hope or must despair." - -"Madame," replied the doctor, "you are right, and God is too just to add -the horror of uncertainty to His rightful punishments. At that moment -when the soul quits her earthly body the judgment of God is passed upon -her: she hears the sentence of pardon or of doom; she knows whether she -is in the state of grace or of mortal sin; she sees whether she is to be -plunged forever into hell, or if God sends her for a time to purgatory. -This sentence, madame, you will learn at the very instant when the -executioner's axe strikes you; unless, indeed, the fire of charity has -so purified you in this life that you may pass, without any purgatory at -all, straight to the home of the blessed who surround the throne of the -Lord, there to receive a recompense for earthly martyrdom." - -"Sir," replied the marquise, "I have such faith in all you say that I -feel I understand it all now, and I am satisfied." - -The doctor and the marquise then resumed the confession that was -interrupted the night before. The marquise had during the night -recollected certain articles that she wanted to add. So they continued, -the doctor making her pause now and then in the narration of the heavier -offences to recite an act of contrition. - -After an hour and a half they came to tell her to go down. The registrar -was waiting to read her the sentence. She listened very calmly, -kneeling, only moving her head; then, with no alteration in her voice, -she said, "In a moment: we will have one word more, the doctor and I, -and then I am at your disposal." She then continued to dictate the rest -of her confession. When she reached the end, she begged him to offer a -short prayer with her, that God might help her to appear with such -becoming contrition before her judges as should atone for her scandalous -effrontery. She then took up her cloak, a prayer-book which Father -Chavigny had left with her, and followed the concierge, who led her to -the torture chamber, where her sentence was to be read. - -First, there was an examination which lasted five hours. The marquise -told all she had promised to tell, denying that she had any accomplices, -and affirming that she knew nothing of the composition of the poisons -she had administered, and nothing of their antidotes. When this was -done, and the judges saw that they could extract nothing further, they -signed to the registrar to read the sentence. She stood to hear it: it -was as follows: - -"That by the finding of the court, d'Aubray de Brinvilliers is convicted -of causing the death by poison of Maitre Dreux d'Aubray, her father, and -of the two Maitres d'Aubray, her brothers, one a civil lieutenant, the -other a councillor to the Parliament, also of attempting the life of -Therese d'Aubray, her sister; in punishment whereof the court has -condemned and does condemn the said d'Aubray de Brinvilliers to make the -rightful atonement before the great gate of the church of Paris, whither -she shall be conveyed in a tumbril, barefoot, a rope on her neck, -holding in her hands a burning torch two pounds in weight; and there on -her knees she shall say and declare that maliciously, with desire for -revenge and seeking their goods, she did poison her father, cause to be -poisoned her two brothers, and attempt the life of her sister, whereof -she doth repent, asking pardon of God, of the king, and of the judges; -and when this is done, she shall be conveyed and carried in the same -tumbril to the Place de Greve of this town, there to have her head cut -off on a scaffold to be set up for the purpose at that place; afterwards -her body to be burnt and the ashes scattered; and first she is to be -subjected to the question ordinary and extraordinary, that she may -reveal the names of her accomplices. She is declared to be deprived of -all successions from her said father, brothers, and sister, from the -date of the several crimes; and all her goods are confiscated to the -proper persons; and the sum of 4000 livres shall be paid out of her -estate to the king, and 400 livres to the Church for prayers to be said -on behalf of the poisoned persons; and all the costs shall be paid, -including those of Amelin called Lachaussee. In Parliament, 16th July -1676." - -The marquise heard her sentence without showing any sign of fear or -weakness. When it was finished, she said to the registrar, "Will you, -sir, be so kind as to read it again? I had not expected the tumbril, and -I was so much struck by that that I lost the thread of what followed." - -The registrar read the sentence again. From that moment she was the -property of the executioner, who approached her. She knew him by the -cord he held in his hands, and extended her own, looking him over coolly -from head to foot without a word. The judges then filed out, disclosing -as they did so the various apparatus of the question. The marquise -firmly gazed upon the racks and ghastly rings, on which so many had been -stretched crying and screaming. She noticed the three buckets of water - -[Note: The torture with the water was thus administered. There were -eight vessels, each containing 2 pints of water. Four of these were -given for the ordinary, and eight for the extraordinary. The executioner -inserted a horn into the patient's mouth, and if he shut his teeth, -forced him to open them by pinching his nose with the finger and thumb.] - -prepared for her, and turned to the registrar--for she would not address -the executioner--saying, with a smile, "No doubt all this water is to -drown me in? I hope you don't suppose that a person of my size could -swallow it all." The executioner said not a word, but began taking off -her cloak and all her other garments, until she was completely naked. He -then led her up to the wall and made her sit on the rack of the ordinary -question, two feet from the ground. There she was again asked to give -the names of her accomplices, the composition of the poison and its -antidote; but she made the same reply as to the doctor, only adding, "If -you do not believe me, you have my body in your hands, and you can -torture me." - -The registrar signed to the executioner to do his duty. He first -fastened the feet of the marquise to two rings close together fixed to a -board; then making her lie down, he fastened her wrists to two other -rings in the wall, distant about three feet from each other. The head -was at the same height as the feet, and the body, held up on a trestle, -described a half-curve, as though lying over a wheel. To increase the -stretch of the limbs, the man gave two turns to a crank, which pushed -the feet, at first about twelve inches from the rings, to a distance of -six inches. And here we may leave our narrative to reproduce the -official report. - -"On the small trestle, while she was being stretched, she said several -times, 'My God! you are killing me! And I only spoke the truth.' - -"The water was given: she turned and twisted, saying, 'You are killing -me!' - -"The water was again given. - -"Admonished to name her accomplices, she said there was only one man, -who had asked her for poison to get rid of his wife, but he was dead. - -"The water was given; she moved a little, but would not say anything. - -"Admonished to say why, if she had no accomplice, she had written from -the Conciergerie to Penautier, begging him to do all he could for her, -and to remember that his interests in this matter were the same as her -own, she said that she never knew Penautier had had any understanding -with Sainte-Croix about the poisons, and it would be a lie to say -otherwise; but when a paper was found in Sainte-Croix's box that -concerned Penautier, she remembered how often she had seen him at the -house, and thought it possible that the friendship might have included -some business about the poisons; that, being in doubt on the point, she -risked writing a letter as though she were sure, for by doing so she was -not prejudicing her own case; for either Penautier was an accomplice of -Sainte-Croix or he was not. If he was, he would suppose the marquise -knew enough to accuse him, and would accordingly do his best to save -her; if he was not, the letter was a letter wasted, and that was all. - -"The water was again given; she turned and twisted much, but said that -on this subject she had said all she possibly could; if she said -anything else, it would be untrue." - -The ordinary question was at an end. The marquise had now taken half the -quantity of water she had thought enough to drown her. The executioner -paused before he proceeded to the extraordinary question. Instead of the -trestle two feet and a half high on which she lay, they passed under her -body a trestle of three and a half feet, which gave the body a greater -arch, and as this was done without lengthening the ropes, her limbs were -still further stretched, and the bonds, tightly straining at wrists and -ankles, penetrated the flesh and made the blood run. The question began -once more, interrupted by the demands of the registrar and the answers -of the sufferer. Her cries seemed not even to be heard. - -"On the large trestle, during the stretching, she said several times, 'O -God, you tear me to, pieces! Lord, pardon me! Lord, have mercy upon me!' - -"Asked if she had nothing more to tell regarding her accomplices, she -said they might kill her, but she would not tell a lie that would -destroy her soul. - -"The water was given, she moved about a little, but would not speak. - -"Admonished that she should tell the composition of the poisons and -their antidotes, she said that she did not know what was in them; the -only thing she could recall was toads; that Sainte-Croix never revealed -his secret to her; that she did not believe he made them himself, but -had them prepared by Glazer; she seemed to remember that some of them -contained nothing but rarefied arsenic; that as to an antidote, she knew -of no other than milk; and Sainte-Croix had told her that if one had -taken milk in the morning, and on the first onset of the poison took -another glassful, one would have nothing to fear. - -"Admonished to say if she could add anything further, she said she had -now told everything; and if they killed her, they could not extract -anything more. - -"More water was given; she writhed a little, and said she was dead, but -nothing more. - -"More water was given; she writhed more violently, but would say no -more. - -"Yet again water was given; writhing and twisting, she said, with a deep -groan, 'O my God, I am killed!' but would speak no more." - -Then they tortured her no further: she was let down, untied, and placed -before the fire in the usual manner. While there, close to the fire, -lying on the mattress, she was visited by the good doctor, who, feeling -he could not bear to witness the spectacle just described, had asked her -leave to retire, that he might say a mass for her, that God might grant -her patience and courage. It is plain that the good priest had not -prayed in vain. - -"Ah," said the marquise, when she perceived him, "I have long been -desiring to see you again, that you might comfort me. My torture has -been very long and very painful, but this is the last time I shall have -to treat with men; now all is with God for the future. See my hands, -sir, and my feet, are they not torn and wounded? Have not my -executioners smitten me in the same places where Christ was smitten?" - -"And therefore, madame," replied the priest, "these sufferings now are -your happiness; each torture is one step nearer to heaven. As you say, -you are now for God alone; all your thoughts and hopes must be fastened -upon Him; we must pray to Him, like the penitent king, to give you a -place among His elect; and since nought that is impure can pass thither, -we must strive, madame, to purify you from all that might bar the way to -heaven." - -The marquise rose with the doctor's aid, for she could scarcely stand; -tottering, she stepped forward between him and the executioner, who took -charge of her immediately after the sentence was read, and was not -allowed to leave her before it was completely carried out. They all -three entered the chapel and went into the choir, where the doctor and -the marquise knelt in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. At that moment -several persons appeared in the nave, drawn by curiosity. They could not -be turned out, so the executioner, to save the marquise from being -annoyed, shut the gate of the choir, and let the patient pass behind the -altar. There she sat down in a chair, and the doctor on a seat opposite; -then he first saw, by the light of the chapel window, how greatly -changed she was. Her face, generally so pale, was inflamed, her eyes -glowing and feverish, all her body involuntarily trembling. The doctor -would have spoken a few words of consolation, but she did not attend. -"Sir," she said, "do you know that my sentence is an ignominious one? Do -you know there is fire in the sentence?" - -The doctor gave no answer; but, thinking she needed something, bade the -gaoler to bring her wine. A minute later he brought it in a cup, and the -doctor handed it to the marquise, who moistened her lips and then gave -it back. She then noticed that her neck was uncovered, and took out her -handkerchief to cover it, asking the gaoler for a pin to fasten it with. -When he was slow in finding a pin, looking on his person for it, she -fancied that he feared she would choke herself, and shaking her head, -said, with a smile, "You have nothing to fear now; and here is the -doctor, who will pledge his word that I will do myself no mischief." - -"Madame," said the gaoler, handing her the pin she wanted, "I beg your -pardon for keeping you waiting. I swear I did not distrust you; if -anyone distrusts you, it is not I." - -Then kneeling before her, he begged to kiss her hand. She gave it, and -asked him to pray to God for her. "Ah yes," he cried, sobbing, "with all -my heart." She then fastened her dress as best she could with her hands -tied, and when the gaoler had gone and she was alone with the doctor, -said:-- - -"Did you not hear what I said, sir? I told you there was fire in my -sentence. And though it is only after death that my body is to be burnt, -it will always be a terrible disgrace on my memory. I am saved the pain -of being burnt alive, and thus, perhaps, saved from a death of despair, -but the shamefulness is the same, and it is that I think of." - -"Madame," said the doctor, "it in no way affects your soul's salvation -whether your body is cast into the fire and reduced to ashes or whether -it is buried in the ground and eaten by worms, whether it is drawn on a -hurdle and thrown upon a dung-heap, or embalmed with Oriental perfumes -and laid in a rich man's tomb. Whatever may be your end, your body will -arise on the appointed day, and if Heaven so will, it will come forth -from its ashes more glorious than a royal corpse lying at this moment in -a gilded casket. Obsequies, madame, are for those who survive, not for -the dead." - -A sound was heard at the door of the choir. The doctor went to see what -it was, and found a man who insisted on entering, all but fighting with -the executioner. The doctor approached and asked what was the matter. -The man was a saddler, from whom the marquise had bought a carriage -before she left France; this she had partly paid for, but still owed him -two hundred livres. He produced the note he had had from her, on which -was a faithful record of the sums she had paid on account. The marquise -at this point called out, not knowing what was going on, and the doctor -and executioner went to her. "Have they come to fetch me already?" said -she. "I am not well prepared just at this moment; but never mind, I am -ready." - -The doctor reassured her, and told her what was going on. "The man is -quite right," she said to the executioner; "tell him I will give orders -as far as I can about the money." Then, seeing the executioner retiring, -she said to the doctor, "Must I go now, sir? I wish they would give me a -little more time; for though I am ready, as I told you, I am not really -prepared. Forgive me, father; it is the question and the sentence that -have upset me it is this fire burning in my eyes like hell-flames. - -"Had they left me with you all this time, there would now be better hope -of my salvation." - -"Madame," said the doctor, "you will probably have all the time before -nightfall to compose yourself and think what remains for you to do." - -"Ah, sir," she replied, with a smile, "do not think they will show so -much consideration for a poor wretch condemned to be burnt. That does -not depend on ourselves; but as soon as everything is ready, they will -let us know, and we must start." - -"Madame," said the doctor, "I am certain that they will give you the -time you need." - -"No, no," she replied abruptly and feverishly, "no, I will not keep them -waiting. As soon as the tumbril is at this door, they have only to tell -me, and I go down." - -"Madame," said he, "I would not hold you back if I found you prepared to -stand before the face of God, for in your situation it is right to ask -for no time, and to go when the moment is come; but not everyone is so -ready as Christ was, who rose from prayer and awaked His disciples that -He might leave the garden and go out to meet His enemies. You at this -moment are weak, and if they come for you just now I should resist your -departure." - -"Be calm; the time is not yet come," said the executioner, who had heard -this talk. He knew his statement must be believed, and wished as far as -possible to reassure the marquise. "There is no hurry, and we cannot -start for another two of three hours." - -This assurance calmed the marquise somewhat, and she thanked the man. -Then turning to the doctor, she said, "Here is a rosary that I would -rather should not fall into this person's hands. Not that he could not -make good use of it; for, in spite of their trade, I fancy that these -people are Christians like ourselves. But I should prefer to leave this -to somebody else." - -"Madame," said the doctor, "if you will tell me your wishes in this -matter, I will see that they are carried out." - -"Alas!" she said, "there is no one but my sister; and I fear lest she, -remembering my crime towards her, may be too horrified to touch anything -that belonged to me. If she did not mind, it would be a great comfort to -me to think she would wear it after my death, and that the sight of it -would remind her to pray for me; but after what has passed, the rosary -could hardly fail to revive an odious recollection. My God, my God! I am -desperately wicked; can it be that you will pardon me?" - -"Madame," replied the doctor, "I think you are mistaken about Mlle, -d'Aubray. You may see by her letter what are her feelings towards you, -and you must pray with this rosary up to the very end. Let not your -prayers be interrupted or distracted, for no guilty penitent must cease -from prayer; and I, madame, will engage to deliver the rosary where it -will be gladly received." - -And the marquise, who had been constantly distracted since the morning, -was now, thanks to the patient goodness of the doctor, able to return -with her former fervour to her prayers. She prayed till seven o'clock. -As the clock struck, the executioner without a word came and stood -before her; she saw that her moment had come, and said to the doctor, -grasping his arm, "A little longer; just a few moments, I entreat." - -"Madame," said the doctor, rising, "we will now adore the divine blood -of the Sacrament, praying that you may be thus cleansed from all soil -and sin that may be still in your heart. Thus shall you gain the respite -you desire." - -The executioner then tied tight the cords round her hands that he had -let loose before, and she advanced pretty firmly and knelt before the -altar, between the doctor and the chaplain. The latter was in his -surplice, and chanted a 'Veni Creator, Salve Regina, and Tantum ergo'. -These prayers over, he pronounced the blessing of the Holy Sacrament, -while the marquise knelt with her face upon the ground. The executioner -then went forward to get ready a shirt, and she made her exit from the -chapel, supported on the left by the doctor's arm, on the right by the -executioner's assistant. Thus proceeding, she first felt embarrassment -and confusion. Ten or twelve people were waiting outside, and as she -suddenly confronted them, she made a step backward, and with her hands, -bound though they were, pulled the headdress down to cover half her -face. She passed through a small door, which was closed behind her, and -then found herself between the two doors alone, with the doctor and the -executioner's man. Here the rosary, in consequence of her violent -movement to cover her face, came undone, and several beads fell on the -floor. She went on, however, without observing this; but the doctor -stopped her, and he and the man stooped down and picked up all the -beads, which they put into her hand. Thanking them humbly for this -attention, she said to the man, "Sir, I know I have now no worldly -possessions, that all I have upon me belongs to you, and I may not give -anything away without your consent; but I ask you kindly to allow me to -give this chaplet to the doctor before I die: you will not be much the -loser, for it is of no value, and I am giving it to him for my sister. -Kindly let me do this." - -"Madame," said the man, "it is the custom for us to get all the property -of the condemned; but you are mistress of all you have, and if the thing -were of the very greatest value you might dispose of it as you pleased." - -The doctor, whose arm she held, felt her shiver at this gallantry, which -for her, with her natural haughty disposition, must have been the worst -humiliation imaginable; but the movement was restrained, and her face -gave no sign. She now came to the porch of the Conciergerie, between the -court and the first door, and there she was made to sit down, so as to -be put into the right condition for making the 'amende honorable'. Each -step brought her nearer to the scaffold, and so did each incident cause -her more uneasiness. Now she turned round desperately, and perceived the -executioner holding a shirt in his hand. The door of the vestibule -opened, and about fifty people came in, among them the Countess of -Soissons, Madame du Refuge, Mlle. de Scudery, M. de Roquelaure, and the -Abbe de Chimay. At the sight the marquise reddened with shame, and -turning to the doctor, said, "Is this man to strip me again, as he did -in the question chamber? All these preparations are very cruel; and, in -spite of myself, they divert my thoughts, from God." - -Low as her voice was, the executioner heard, and reassured her, saying -that they would take nothing off, only putting the shirt over her other -clothes. - -He then approached, and the marquise, unable to speak to the doctor with -a man on each side of her, showed him by her looks how deeply she felt -the ignominy of her situation. Then, when the shirt had been put on, for -which operation her hands had to be untied, the man raised the headdress -which she had pulled down, and tied it round her neck, then fastened her -hands together with one rope and put another round her waist, and yet -another round her neck; then, kneeling before her, he took off her shoes -and stockings. Then she stretched out her hands to the doctor. - -"Oh, sir," she cried, "in God's name, you see what they have done to me! -Come and comfort me." - -The doctor came at once, supporting her head upon his breast, trying to -comfort her; but she, in a tone of bitter lamentation, gazing at the -crowd, who devoured her with all their eyes, cried, "Oh, sir, is not -this a strange, barbarous curiosity?" - -"Madame," said he, the tears in his eyes, "do not look at these eager -people from the point of view of their curiosity and barbarity, though -that is real enough, but consider it part of the humiliation sent by God -for the expiation of your crimes. God, who was innocent, was subject to -very different opprobrium, and yet suffered all with joy; for, as -Tertullian observes, He was a victim fattened on the joys of suffering -alone." - -As the doctor spoke these words, the executioner placed in the -marquise's hands the lighted torch which she was to carry to Notre-Dame, -there to make the 'amende honorable', and as it was too heavy, weighing -two pounds, the doctor supported it with his right hand, while the -registrar read her sentence aloud a second time. The doctor did all in -his power to prevent her from hearing this by speaking unceasingly of -God. Still she grew frightfully pale at the words, "When this is done, -she shall be conveyed on a tumbril, barefoot, a cord round her neck, -holding in her hands a burning torch two pounds in weight," and the -doctor could feel no doubt that in spite of his efforts she had heard. -It became still worse when she reached the threshold of the vestibule -and saw the great crowd waiting in the court. Then her face worked -convulsively, and crouching down, as though she would bury her feet in -the earth, she addressed the doctor in words both plaintive and wild: -"Is it possible that, after what is now happening, M. de Brinvilliers -can endure to go on living?" - -"Madame," said the doctor, "when our Lord was about to leave His -disciples, He did not ask God to remove them from this earth, but to -preserve them from all sin. 'My Father,' He said, 'I ask not that You -take them from the world, but keep them safe from evil.' If, madame, you -pray for M. de Brinvilliers, let it be only that he may be kept in -grace, if he has it, and may attain to it if he has it not." - -But the words were useless: at that moment the humiliation was too great -and too public; her face contracted, her eyebrows knit, flames darted -from her eyes, her mouth was all twisted. Her whole appearance was -horrible; the devil was once more in possession. During this paroxysm, -which lasted nearly a quarter of an hour, Lebrun, who stood near, got -such a vivid impression of her face that the following night he could -not sleep, and with the sight of it ever before his eyes made the fine -drawing which--is now in the Louvre, giving to the figure the head of a -tiger, in order to show that the principal features were the same, and -the whole resemblance very striking. - -The delay in progress was caused by the immense crowd blocking the -court, only pushed aside by archers on horseback, who separated the -people. The marquise now went out, and the doctor, lest the sight of the -people should completely distract her, put a crucifix in her hand, -bidding her fix her gaze upon it. This advice she followed till they -gained the gate into the street where the tumbril was waiting; then she -lifted her eyes to see the shameful object. It was one of the smallest -of carts, still splashed with mud and marked by the stones it had -carried, with no seat, only a little straw at the bottom. It was drawn -by a wretched horse, well matching the disgraceful conveyance. - -The executioner bade her get in first, which she did very rapidly, as if -to escape observation. There she crouched like a wild beast, in the left -corner, on the straw, riding backwards. The doctor sat beside her on the -right. Then the executioner got in, shutting the door behind him, and -sat opposite her, stretching his legs between the doctor's. His man, -whose business it was to guide the horse, sat on the front, back to back -with the doctor and the marquise, his feet stuck out on the shafts. Thus -it is easy to understand how Madame de Sevigne, who was on the Pont -Notre-Dame, could see nothing but the headdress of the marquise as she -was driven to Notre-Dame. - -The cortege had only gone a few steps, when the face of the marquise, -for a time a little calmer, was again convulsed. From her eyes, fixed -constantly on the crucifix, there darted a flaming glance, then came a -troubled and frenzied look which terrified the doctor. He knew she must -have been struck by something she saw, and, wishing to calm her, asked -what it was. - -"Nothing, nothing," she replied quickly, looking towards him; "it was -nothing." - -"But, madame," said he, "you cannot give the lie to your own eyes; and a -minute ago I saw a fire very different from the fire of love, which only -some displeasing sight can have provoked. What may this be? Tell me, -pray; for you promised to tell me of any sort of temptation that might -assail you." - -"Sir," she said, "I will do so, but it is nothing." Then, looking -towards the executioner, who, as we know, sat facing the doctor, she -said, "Put me in front of you, please; hide that man from me." And she -stretched out her hands towards a man who was following the tumbril on -horseback, and so dropped the torch, which the doctor took, and the -crucifix, which fell on the floor. The executioner looked back, and then -turned sideways as she wished, nodding and saying, "Oh yes, I -understand." The doctor pressed to know what it meant, and she said, "It -is nothing worth telling you, and it is a weakness in me not to be able -to bear the sight of a man who has ill-used me. The man who touched the -back of the tumbril is Desgrais, who arrested me at Liege, and treated -me so badly all along the road. When I saw him, I could not control -myself, as you noticed." - -"Madame," said the doctor, "I have heard of him, and you yourself spoke -of him in confession; but the man was sent to arrest you, and was in a -responsible position, so that he had to guard you closely and -rigorously; even if he had been more severe, he would only have been -carrying out his orders. Jesus Christ, madame, could but have regarded -His executioners as ministers of iniquity, servants of injustice, who -added of their own accord every indignity they could think of; yet all -along the way He looked on them with patience and more than patience, -and in His death He prayed for them." - -In the heart of the marquise a hard struggle was passing, and this was -reflected on her face; but it was only for a moment, and after a last -convulsive shudder she was again calm and serene; then she said:-- - -"Sir, you are right, and I am very wrong to feel such a fancy as this: -may God forgive me; and pray remember this fault on the scaffold, when -you give me the absolution you promise, that this too may be pardoned -me." Then she turned to the executioner and said, "Please sit where you -were before, that I may see M. Desgrais." The man hesitated, but on a -sign from the doctor obeyed. The marquise looked fully at Desgrais for -some time, praying for him; then, fixing her eyes on the crucifix, began -to pray for herself: this incident occurred in front of the church of -Sainte-Genevieve des Ardents. - -But, slowly as it moved, the tumbril steadily advanced, and at last -reached the place of Notre-Dame. The archers drove back the crowding -people, and the tumbril went up to the steps, and there stopped. The -executioner got down, removed the board at the back, held out his arms -to the marquise, and set her down on the pavement. The doctor then got -down, his legs quite numb from the cramped position he had been in since -they left the Conciergerie. He mounted the church steps and stood behind -the marquise, who herself stood on the square, with the registrar on her -right, the executioner on her left, and a great crowd of people behind -her, inside the church, all the doors being thrown open. She was made to -kneel, and in her hands was placed the lighted torch, which up to that -time the doctor had helped to carry. Then the registrar read the 'amende -honorable' from a written paper, and she began to say it after him, but -in so low a voice that the executioner said loudly, "Speak out as he -does; repeat every word. Louder, louder!" Then she raised her voice, and -loudly and firmly recited the following apology. - -"I confess that, wickedly and for revenge, I poisoned my father and my -brothers, and attempted to poison my sister, to obtain possession of -their goods, and I ask pardon of God, of the king, and of my country's -laws." - -The 'amende honorable' over, the executioner again carried her to the -tumbril, not giving her the torch any more: the doctor sat beside her: -all was just as before, and the tumbril went on towards La Greve. From -that moment, until she arrived at the scaffold, she never took her eyes -off the crucifix, which the doctor held before her the whole time, -exhorting her with religious words, trying to divert her attention from -the terrible noise which the people made around the car, a murmur -mingled with curses. - -When they reached the Place de Greve, the tumbril stopped at a little -distance from the scaffold. Then the registrar M. Drouet, came up on -horseback, and, addressing the marquise, said, "Madame, have you nothing -more to say? If you wish to make any declaration, the twelve -commissaries are here at hand, ready to receive it." - -"You see, madame," said the doctor, "we are now at the end of our -journey, and, thank God, you have not lost your power of endurance on -the road; do not destroy the effect of all you have suffered and all you -have yet to suffer by concealing what you know, if perchance you do know -more than you have hitherto said." - -"I have told all I know," said the marquise, "and there is no more I can -say." - -"Repeat these words in a loud voice," said the doctor, "so that -everybody may hear." - -Then in her loudest voice the marquise repeated-- - -"I have told all I know, and there is no more I can say." - -After this declaration, they were going to drive the tumbril nearer to -the scaffold, but the crowd was so dense that the assistant could not -force a way through, though he struck out on every side with his whip. -So they had to stop a few paces short. The executioner had already got -down, and was adjusting the ladder. In this terrible moment of waiting, -the marquise looked calmly and gratefully at the doctor, and when she -felt that the tumbril had stopped, said, "Sir, it is not here we part: -you promised not to leave me till my head is cut off. I trust you will -keep your word." - -"To be sure I will," the doctor replied; "we shall not be separated -before the moment of your death: be not troubled about that, for I will -never forsake you." - -"I looked for this kindness," she said, "and your promise was too solemn -for you to think for one moment of failing me. Please be on the scaffold -and be near me. And now, sir, I would anticipate the final -farewell,--for all the things I shall have to do on the scaffold may -distract me,--so let me thank you here. If I am prepared to suffer the -sentence of my earthly judge, and to hear that of my heavenly judge, I -owe it to your care for me, and I am deeply grateful. I can only ask -your forgiveness for the trouble I have given you." Tears choked the -doctor's speech, and he could not reply. "Do you not forgive me?" she -repeated. At her words, the doctor tried to reassure her; but feeling -that if he opened his mouth he must needs break into sobs, he still kept -silent. The marquise appealed to him a third time. "I entreat you, sir, -forgive me; and do not regret the time you have passed with me. You will -say a De Profundus at the moment of my death, and a mass far me -to-morrow: will you not promise?" - -"Yes, madame," said the doctor in a choking voice; "yes, yes, be calm, -and I will do all you bid me." - -The executioner hereupon removed the board, and helped the marquise out -of the tumbril; and as they advanced the few steps towards the scaffold, -and all eyes were upon them, the doctor could hide his tears for a -moment without being observed. As he was drying his eyes, the assistant -gave him his hand to help him down. Meanwhile the marquise was mounting -the ladder with the executioner, and when they reached the platform he -told her to kneel down in front of a block which lay across it. Then the -doctor, who had mounted with a step less firm than hers, came and knelt -beside her, but turned in the other direction, so that he might whisper -in her ear--that is, the marquise faced the river, and the doctor faced -the Hotel de Ville. Scarcely had they taken their place thus when the -man took down her hair and began cutting it at the back and at the -sides, making her turn her head this way and that, at times rather -roughly; but though this ghastly toilet lasted almost half an hour, she -made no complaint, nor gave any sign of pain but her silent tears. When -her hair was cut, he tore open the top of the shirt, so as to uncover -the shoulders, and finally bandaged her eyes, and lifting her face by -the chin, ordered her to hold her head erect. She obeyed, unresisting, -all the time listening to the doctor's words and repeating them from -time to time, when they seemed suitable to her own condition. Meanwhile, -at the back of the scaffold, on which the stake was placed, stood the -executioner, glancing now and again at the folds of his cloak, where -there showed the hilt of a long, straight sabre, which he had carefully -concealed for fear Madame de Brinvilliers might see it when she mounted -the scaffold. When the doctor, having pronounced absolution, turned his -head and saw that the man was not yet armed, he uttered these prayers, -which she repeated after him: "Jesus, Son of David and Mary, have mercy -upon me; Mary, daughter of David and Mother of Jesus, pray for me; my -God, I abandon my body, which is but dust, that men may burn it and do -with it what they please, in the firm faith that it shall one day arise -and be reunited with my soul. I trouble not concerning my body; grant, O -God, that I yield up to Thee my soul, that it may enter into Thy rest; -receive it into Thy bosom; that it may dwell once more there, whence it -first descended; from Thee it came, to Thee returns; Thou art the source -and the beginning; be thou, O God, the centre and the end!" - -The marquise had said these words when suddenly the doctor heard a dull -stroke like the sound of a chopper chopping meat upon a block: at that -moment she ceased to speak. The blade had sped so quickly that the -doctor had not even seen a flash. He stopped, his hair bristling, his -brow bathed in sweat; for, not seeing the head fall, he supposed that -the executioner had missed the mark and must needs start afresh. But his -fear was short-lived, for almost at the same moment the head inclined to -the left, slid on to the shoulder, and thence backward, while the body -fell forward on the crossway block, supported so that the spectators -could see the neck cut open and bleeding. Immediately, in fulfilment of -his promise, the doctor said a De Profundis. - -When the prayer was done and the doctor raised his head, he saw before -him the executioner wiping his face. "Well, sir," said he, "was not that -a good stroke? I always put up a prayer on these occasions, and God has -always assisted me; but I have been anxious for several days about this -lady. I had six masses said, and I felt strengthened in hand and heart." -He then pulled out a bottle from under his cloak, and drank a dram; and -taking the body under one arm, all dressed as it was, and the head in -his other hand, the eyes still bandaged, he threw both upon the faggots, -which his assistant lighted. - -"The next day," says Madame de Sevigne, "people were looking for the -charred bones of Madame de Brinvilliers, because they said she was a -saint." - -In 1814, M. d'Offemont, father of the present occupier of the castle -where the Marquise de Brinvilliers poisoned her father, frightened at -the approach of all the allied troops, contrived in one of the towers -several hiding-places, where he shut up his silver and such other -valuables as were to be found in this lonely country in the midst of the -forest of Laigue. The foreign troops were passing backwards and forwards -at Offemont, and after a three months' occupation retired to the farther -side of the frontier. - -Then the owners ventured to take out the various things that had been -hidden; and tapping the walls, to make sure nothing had been overlooked, -they detected a hollow sound that indicated the presence of some -unsuspected cavity. With picks and bars they broke the wall open, and -when several stones had come out they found a large closet like a -laboratory, containing furnaces, chemical instruments, phials -hermetically sealed full of an unknown liquid, and four packets of -powders of different colours. Unluckily, the people who made these -discoveries thought them of too much or too little importance; and -instead of submitting the ingredients to the tests of modern science, -they made away with them all, frightened at their probably deadly -nature. - -Thus was lost this great opportunity--probably the last--for finding and -analysing the substances which composed the poisons of Sainte-Croix and -Madame de Brinvilliers. - - - - - ---- - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MARQUISE DE BRINVILLIERS *** - - - - -A Word from Project Gutenberg - - -We will update this book if we find any errors. - -This book can be found under: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2756 - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, so -the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright royalties. -Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this -license, apply to copying and distributing Project Gutenberg(tm) -electronic works to protect the Project Gutenberg(tm) concept and -trademark. 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