marquise de brinvilliers-第13节

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g　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　registrarfor　she　would　not　address　the　executionersaying；　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