she stands accused(她是被告)-第48节
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children to marry mea woman I don't love？''
Upon this answer Kostolo was taken to task by the President of the
court。 M。 Hardouin pointed out that Kostolo lived with a woman who
kept and fed him； giving him money； but that at the same time he was
taking money from Mme Boursier as her lover； protesting the while that he
loved her。 What could the Greek say in justification of such conduct？
‘‘Excuse me； please； everybody；'' Kostolo replied； unabashed。 ‘‘I
don't know quite how to express myself； but surely what I have done is
quite the common thing？ I had no means of living but from what Mme
Boursier gave me。''
The murmurs evoked by the reply Kostolo treated with lofty disdain。
He seemed to find his audience somewhat prudish。
To further questioning he answered that he had never proposed
marriage to the Veuve Boursier。 Possibly something might have been
said in fun。 He knew； of course； that the late Boursier had made a lot of
money。
The cook； Josephine Blin； was called。 At one time she had been
suspect。 Her version of the potage incidents； though generally in
agreement with that of the accused widow； differed from it in two essential
points。 When she took Boursier's soup into the dining…room； she said；
Mme Boursier was in the comptoir； three or four paces away from the
desk on which she put the terrine。 This Mme Boursier denied。 She said
she had been in the same comptoir as her husband。 Josephine declared
that Mme Boursier had ordered her to clean the soup…dish out with sand；
but her mistress maintained she had bade the girl do no more than clean it。
For the rest； Josephine thought about fifteen minutes elapsed before
Boursier came to take the soup。 During that time she had seen Mme
Boursier writing and making up accounts。
Toupie； the medical student； said he had nursed Boursier during the
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previous year。 Boursier was then suffering much in the same way as he
had appeared to suffer during his fatal illness。 He had heard Mme
Boursier consulting with friends about an autopsy； and her refusal had
been on their advice。
The doctors called were far from agreeing on the value of the
experiments they had made。 Orfila； afterwards to intervene in the much
more universally notorious case of Mme Lafarge； stuck to his opinion of
death by arsenic。 If his evidence in the Lafarge case is read it will be
seen that in the twenty years that had passed from the Boursier trial his
notions regarding the proper routine of analysis for arsenic in a supposedly
poisoned body had undergone quite a change。 But by then the Marsh
technique had been evolved。 Here； however； he based his opinion on
experiments properly described as ‘‘very equivocal；'' and stuck to it。 He
was supported by a colleague named Lesieur。
M。 Gardy said he had observed that the greater part of the grains about
the ileum； noted on the 1st of August； had disappeared next day。 The
analysis had been made with quantities too small。 He now doubted
greatly if the substance taken to be arsenic oxide would account for death。
M。 Barruel declared that from the glareous matter removed from the
body only a grain of the supposed arsenic had been extracted； and that
with difficulty。 He had put the substance on glowing charcoal； but； in his
opinion； the experiment was VERY EQUIVOCAL。 It was at first
believed that there was a big amount of arsenic； but he felt impelled to say
that the substance noted was nothing other than small clusters of fat。 The
witness now refused to conclude； as he had concluded on the 1st of August；
that enough poison had been in the body to cause death。
It would almost seem that the medical evidence should have been
enough to destroy the case for the prosecution； but other witnesses were
called。
Bailli； at one time a clerk to Boursier； said he had helped his patron to
distribute arsenic and rat…poison in the shop cellars。 He was well aware
that the whole of the poison had not been used； but in the course of his
interrogation he had failed to remember where the residue of the poisons
had been put。 He now recollected。 The unused portion of the arsenic
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had been put in a niche of a bottle…rack。
In view of evidence given by a subsequent witness Bailli's rather
sudden recovery of memory might have been thought odd if a friend of his
had not been able to corroborate his statement。 The friend was one
Rousselot； another grocer。 He testified that he and Bailli had searched
together。 Bailli had then cudgelled that dull ass； his brain； to some effect；
for they had ultimately come upon the residue of the arsenic bought by
Boursier lying with the remainder of the mort aux rats。 Both the poisons
had been placed at the bottom of a bottle…rack； and a plank had been nailed
over them。
Rousselot； asked why he had not mentioned this fact before； answered
stupidly； ‘‘I thought you knew it！''
The subsequent witness above referred to was an employee in the
Ministere du Roi； a man named Donzelle。 In a stammering and rather
confused fashion he attempted to explain that the vacillations of the
witness Bailli had aroused his suspicions。 He said that Bailli； who at first
had been vociferous in his condemnation of the Widow Boursier； had later
been rather more vociferous in her defence。 The witness （Donzelle） had
it from a third party that Mme Boursier's sister…in…law had corrupted other
witnesses with gifts of money。 Bailli； for example； could have been seen
carrying bags of ecus under his arm； coming out of the house of the
advocate briefed to defend Mme Boursier。
Bailli； recalled； offered to prove that if he had been to Maitre Couture's
house he had come out of it in the same fashion as he had gone inthat
was； with a bag of bay salt under each arm。
Maitre Couture； highly indignant； rose to protest against the
insinuation of the witness Donzelle； but the President of the court and the
Avocat…General hastened to say that the eminent and honourable advocate
was at no need to justify himself。 The President sternly reprimanded
Donzelle and sent him back to his seat。
％ III
The Avocat…General； M。 de Broe； stated the case for the prosecution。
He made； as probably was his duty； as much as he could of the arsenic said
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to have been found in the body （that precipitated as yellow sulphur of
arsenic）； and of the adultery of Mme Boursier with Kostolo。 He dwelt on
the cleaning of the soup…dish； and pointed out that while the soup stood on
the desk Mme Boursier had been here and there near it； never out of arm's
reach。 In regard to Kostolo； the Greek was a low scallywag； but not
culpable。
The prosecution； you observe； rested on the poison's being
administered in the soup。
In his speech for the defence the eloquent Maitre Couture began by
condemning the gossip and the popular rumour on which the case had
been begun。 He denounced the action of the magistrates in instituting
proceedings as deplorably unconsidered and hasty。
Mme Boursier； he pointed out； had everything to lose through the loss
of her husband。 Why should she murder a fine merchant like Boursier
for a doubtful quantity like Kostolo？ He spoke of the happy relationship
that had existed between husband and wife； and； in proo
