marquise de brinvilliers-第17节

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　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　earthat　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　opportunityprobably　the　lastfor　finding　and　analysing　the　substances　which　composed　the　poisons　of　Sainte…　Croix　and　Madame　de　Brinvilliers。





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