she stands accused(她是被告)-第54节
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of the contrary evidence of witnesses； of which the President reminded her；
Mme Lacoste firmly maintained that it was not until the Wednesday…
Thursday night that Lacoste started to vomit。 It was not until that night
that she began to attend to him。 She had given him lemonade； washed
him； and so on。
The President was saying that nobody had been allowed near him； and
that a doctor was not called； when the accused broke in with a lively
denial。 Anybody who wanted to could see him； and a doctor was called。
This was towards the last； the President pointed out。 Mme Lacoste's
advocate intervened here； saying that it was the husband who did not wish
a doctor called； for reasons of his own。 The President begged to be
allowed to hear the accused's own answers。 He pointed out that the
ministrations of the accused had effected no betterment； but that the illness
had rapidly got worse。 The delay in calling a doctor seemed to lend a
strange significance to the events。
Mme Lacoste answered in lively fashion； accenting her phrases with
the use of her hands： ‘‘But； monsieur； you do not take into account that it
was not until the night of Wednesday and the Thursday that my husband
began to vomit； and that it was two days after that hehe succumbed。''
The President said a way remained of fixing the dates and clearing up
the point。 He had a letter written by M。 Lacoste to the doctor in which he
himself explained the state of his illness。 It was pointed out to him that
the letter had been written by Mme Lacoste at her husband's dictation。
The letter was dated the 19th （Friday）。 It was directed to M。 Boubee；
doctor of medicine； in Vic…Fezensac。 Perhaps it would be better to give it
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in the original language。 It is something frank in detail：
Depuis quelque temps j'avais perdu l'appetit et m'endormais de suite
quand j'etais assis。 Mercredi il me vint un secours de nature par un
vomissement extraordinaire。 Ces vomissements m'ont dure pendant un
jour et une nuit； je ne rendais que de la bile。 La nuit passee； je n'en ai pas
rendu； dans ce moment； j'en rends encore。 Vous sentez combien ces
efforts reiteres m'ont fatigue； ces grands efforts m'ont fait partir de la bile
par en bas； je vous demanderai； monsieur； si vous ne trouveriez pas a
propos que je prisse une medecine d'huile de ricin ou autre； celle que vous
jugerez a propos。 Je vous demanderai aussi si je pourrais prendre
quelques bains。 ＇signe＇
LACOSTE PHILIBERT
Je rends beaucoup de vents par en bas。 Pour la boisson； je ne bois
que de l'eau chaude et de l'eau sucree。 （Il n'y a pas eu de fievre encore。）
The Procureur du Roi maintained that this letter showed the invalid
had already been taken with vomiting before it was considered necessary
to call in a doctor。 But Mme Lacoste's advocate pointed out that the
letter was written by her； when she had overcome Lacoste's distaste for
doctors。
The President made much of the fact that Mme Lacoste had
undertaken even the lowliest of the attentions necessary in a sick…room；
when other； more mercenary； hands could have been engaged in them。
The accusation from this was that she did these things from a desire to
destroy incriminating evidences。 Mme Lacoste replied that she had done
everything out of affection for her husband。
Asked by the court why she had not thought to give Dr Boubee any
explanations of the illness； she replied that she knew her husband was
always ill； but that he hid his maladies and was ashamed of them。 He
had； it appeared； hernias； tetters； and other maladies besides。 It was easy
for her to gather as much； in spite of the mystery Lacoste made of them；
she had seen him rubbing his limbs at times with medicaments； and at
others she had seen him taking medicines internally。 He was always
vexed when she found him at it。 She did not know what doctor
prescribed the medicaments； nor the pharmacist who supplied them。 Her
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husband thought he knew more than the doctors； and usually dealt with
quacks。
Mme Lacoste was questioned regarding her husband's will； and on his
longing to have an heir of his own blood。 She knew of the will； but did
not hear any word of his desire to alter it until after his death。 With
regard to Lacoste's attempts to seduce the servants； she declared this was a
vague affair； and she had found the first girl in question a place elsewhere。
Her letter to the Procureur du Roi demanding an exhumation and
justice against her slanderers was read。 Then a second one； in which she
excused her absence； saying that she would give herself up for judgment at
the right time； and begged him to add her letter to the papers of the
process。
The President then returned to the question of her husband's attempts
to seduce the servants。 She denied that this was the cause of quarrels。
There had been no quarrels。 She did not know that her husband was
complaining outside about her。
She denied all knowledge of the arsenic found in Lacoste's body； but
suggested that it might have come from one or other of the medicines he
took。
Questioned with regard to her intimacy with Meilhan； she declared
that she knew nothing of his morals。 She had intervened in the Lescure
affair at the request of Mme Lescure； who came to deny the accusation
made by Lescure。 This woman had never acted as intermediary between
herself and Meilhan。 Meilhan had not been her confidant。 She looked
after her late husband's affairs herself。 She had handed over the Castera
note to Meilhan against his loan of 2000 francs； but she had never given
him money as a present。 Nor had she ever spoken to Meilhan of an
annuity。 But Meilhan； it was objected； had been showing a deed signed
‘‘Euphemie Lacoste。'' The accused quickly replied that she never signed
herself ‘‘Euphemie；'' but as ‘‘Veuve Lacoste。'' Upon this the President
called for several letters written by the accused。 It was found that they
were all signed ‘‘Veuve Lacoste。''
The evidence of the Fourcades regarding her conduct in their house at
Tarbes was biased； she said。 She had refused to take up some people
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recommended by her landlady。 The young man who had visited her
never remained longer than after ten o'clock or half…past； and she saw
nothing singular in that。
The examination…in…chief of Mme Lacoste ended with her firm
declaration that she knew nothing of the poisoning of her husband； and
that she had spoken the truth through all her interrogations。 Some
supplementary questions were answered by her to the effect that she knew；
during her marriage； that her husband had at one time suffered from
venereal disease； and that latterly there had been recrudescences of the
affection； together with the hernia already mentioned； for which her
husband took numerous medicaments。
Throughout this long examination Mme Lacoste showed complete
self…possession； save that at times she exhibited a Gascon impatience in
answering what she conceived to be stupid questions。
％ VI
The experts responsible for the analysis of Lacoste's remains were now
called。
