marquise de brinvilliers-第3节

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uld　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　nothinga　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　animalsfor　their　different　organisation　might　put　the　poisoner's　science　in　the　wrongbut　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　relapsethe　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　lieute