marquise de brinvilliers-第4节

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y　favourable　occasion　presenting　itself；　at　last；　on　one　of　the　early　days　of　April　1670；　the　lieutenant　took　his　brother　to　his　country　place；　Villequoy；　in　Beauce；　to　spend　the　Easter　vacation。　　Lachaussee　was　with　his　master；　and　received　his　instructions　at　the　moment　of　departure。

The　day　after　they　arrived　in　the　country　there　was　a　pigeon…pie　for　dinner：　seven　persons　who　had　eaten　it　felt　indisposed　after　the　meal；　and　the　three　who　had　not　taken　it　were　perfectly　well。　　Those　on　whom　the　poisonous　substance　had　chiefly　acted　were　the　lieutenant；　the　councillor；　and　the　commandant　of　the　watch。　　He　may　have　eaten　more；　or　possibly　the　poison　he　had　tasted　on　the　former　occasion　helped；　but　at　any　rate　the　lieutenant　was　the　first　to　be　attacked　with　vomiting　two　hours　later；　the　councillor　showed　the　same　symptoms；　the　commandant　and　the　others　were　a　prey　for　several　hours　to　frightful　internal　pains；　but　from　the　beginning　their　condition　was　not　nearly　so　grave　as　that　of　the　two　brothers。　　This　time　again；　as　usual；　the　help　of　doctors　was　useless。　　On　the　12th　of　April；　five　days　after　they　had　been　poisoned；　the　lieutenant　and　his　brother　returned　to　Paris　so　changed　that　anyone　would　have　thought　they　had　both　suffered　a　long　and　cruel　illness。　　Madame　de　Brinvilliers　was　in　the　country　at　the　time；　and　did　not　come　back　during　the　whole　time　that　her　brothers　were　ill。　　From　the　very　first　consultation　in　the　lieutenant's　case　the　doctors　entertained　no　hope。　　The　symptoms　were　the　same　as　those　to　which　his　father　had　succumbed；　and　they　supposed　it　was　an　unknown　disease　in　the　family。　They　gave　up　all　hope　of　recovery。　　Indeed；　his　state　grew　worse　and　worse；　he　felt　an　unconquerable　aversion　for　every　kind　of　food；　and　the　vomiting　was　incessant。　　The　last　three　days　of　his　life　he　complained　that　a　fire　was　burning　in　his　breast；　and　the　flames　that　burned　within　seemed　to　blaze　forth　at　his　eyes；　the　only　part　of　his　body　that　appeared　to　live；　so　like　a　corpse　was　all　the　rest　of　him。　On　the　17th　of　June　1670　he　died：　the　poison　had　taken　seventy…two　days　to　complete　its　work。　　Suspicion　began　to　dawn：　the　lieutenant's　body　was　opened；　and　a　formal　report　was　drawn　up。　　The　operation　was　performed　in　the　presence　of　the　surgeons　Dupre　and　Durant；　and　Gavart；　the　apothecary；　by　M。　Bachot；　the　brothers'　private　physician。　　They　found　the　stomach　and　duodenum　to　be　black　and　falling　to　pieces；　the　liver　burnt　and　gangrened。　　They　said　that　this　state　of　things　must　have　been　produced　by　poison；　but　as　the　presence　of　certain　bodily　humours　sometimes　produces　similar　appearances；　they　durst　not　declare　that　the　lieutenant's　death　could　not　have　come　about　by　natural　causes；　and　he　was　buried　without　further　inquiry。

It　was　as　his　private　physician　that　Dr。　Bachot　had　asked　for　the　autopsy　of　his　patient's　brother。　　For　the　younger　brother　seemed　to　have　been　attacked　by　the　same　complaint；　and　the　doctor　hoped　to　find　from　the　death　of　the　one　some　means　for　preserving　the　life　of　the　other。　　The　councillor　was　in　a　violent　fever；　agitated　unceasingly　both　in　body　and　mind：　he　could　not　bear　any　position　of　any　kind　for　more　than　a　few　minutes　at　a　time。　　Bed　was　a　place　of　torture；　but　if　he　got　up；　he　cried　for　it　again；　at　least　for　a　change　of　suffering。　　At　the　end　of　three　months　he　died。　　His　stomach；　duodenum；　and　liver　were　all　in　the　same　corrupt　state　as　his　brother's；　and　more　than　that；　the　surface　of　his　body　was　burnt　away。　　This；　said　the　doctors；　was　no　dubious　sign　of　poisoning；　although；　they　added；　it　sometimes　happened　that　a　'cacochyme'　produced　the　same　effect。　　Lachaussee　was　so　far　from　being　suspected；　that　the　councillor；　in　recognition　of　the　care　he　had　bestowed　on　him　in　his　last　illness；　left　him　in　his　will　a　legacy　of　a　hundred　crowns；　moreover；　he　received　a　thousand　francs　from　Sainte…Croix　and　the　marquise。

So　great　a　disaster　in　one　family；　however；　was　not　only　sad　but　alarming。　　Death　knows　no　hatred：　death　is　deaf　and　blind；　nothing　more；　and　astonishment　was　felt　at　this　ruthless　destruction　of　all　who　bore　one　name。　　Still　nobody　suspected　the　true　culprits；　search　was　fruitless；　inquiries　led　nowhere：　the　marquise　put　on　mourning　for　her　brothers；　Sainte…Croix　continued　in　his　path　of　folly；　and　all　things　went　on　as　before。　　Meanwhile　Sainte…Croix　had　made　the　acquaintance　of　the　Sieur　de　Saint　Laurent；　the　same　man　from　whom　Penautier　had　asked　for　a　post　without　success；　and　had　made　friends　with　him。　　Penautier　had　meanwhile　become　the　heir　of　his　father…in…　law；　the　Sieur　Lesecq；　whose　death　had　most　unexpectedly　occurred；　he　had　thereby　gained　a　second　post　in　Languedoc　and　an　immense　property：　still；　he　coveted　the　place　of　receiver　of　the　clergy。　Chance　now　once　more　helped　him：　a　few　days　after　taking　over　from　Sainte…Croix　a　man…servant　named　George；　M。　de　Saint…Laurent　fell　sick；　and　his　illness　showed　symptoms　similar　to　those　observed　in　the　case　of　the　d'Aubrays；　father　and　sons；　but　it　was　more　rapid；　lasting　only　twenty…four　hours。　　Like　them；　M。　de　Saint…Laurent　died　a　prey　to　frightful　tortures。　　The　same　day　an　officer　from　the　sovereign's　court　came　to　see　him；　heard　every　detail　connected　with　his　friend's　death；　and　when　told　of　the　symptoms　said　before　the　servants　to　Sainfray　the　notary　that　it　would　be　necessary　to　examine　the　body。　　An　hour　later　George　disappeared；　saying　nothing　to　anybody；　and　not　even　asking　for　his　wages。　　Suspicions　were　excited；　but　again　they　remained　vague。　　The　autopsy　showed　a　state　of　things　not　precisely　to　be　called　peculiar　to　poisoning　cases　the　intestines；　which　the　fatal　poison　had　not　had　time　to　burn　as　in　the　case　of　the　d'Aubrays；　were　marked　with　reddish　spots　like　flea…　bites。　　In　June　Penautier　obtained　the　post　that　had　been　held　by　the　Sieur　de　Saint…Laurent。

But　the　widow　had　certain　suspicions　which　were　changed　into　something　like　certainty　by　George's　flight。　　A　particular　circumstance　aided　and　almost　confirmed　her　doubts。　　An　abbe　who　was　a　friend　of　her　husband；　and　knew　all　about　the　disappearance　of　George；　met　him　some　days　afterwards　in　the　rue　des　Masons；　near　the　Sorbonne。　　They　were　both　on　the　same　side；　and　a　hay…cart　coming　along　the　street　was　causing　a　block。　　George　raised　his　head　and　saw　the　abbe；　knew　him　as　a　friend　of　his　late　master；　stooped　under　the　cart　and　crawled　to　the　other　side；　thus　at　the　risk　of　being　crushed　escaping　from　the　eyes　of　a　man　whose　appearance　recalled　his　crime　and　inspired　him　with　fear　of　punishment。　　Madame　de　Saint…Laurent　preferred　a　charge　against　George；　but　though　he　was　sought　for　everywhere；　he　could　never　be　found。　　Still　the　report　of　these　strange　deaths；　so　sudden　and　so　incomprehensible；　was　bruited　about　Paris；　and　people　began　to　feel　frightened。　　Sainte…Croix；　always　in　the　gay　world；　encountered　the　talk　in　drawing…rooms；　and　began　to　feel　a　little　uneasy。　　True；　no　suspicion　pointed　as　yet　in　his　direction；　but　it　was　as　well　to　take　precautions；　and　Sainte…Croix　began　to　consider　how　he　could　be　freed　from　anxiety。　　There　was　a　post　in　the　king's　service　soon　to　be　vacant；　which　would　cost　100；000　crowns；　and　although　Sainte…Croix　had　no　apparent　means；　it　was　rumoured　that　he　was　about　to　purchase　it。　　He　first　addressed　himself　to　Belleguise　to　treat　about　this　affair　with　Penautier。　There　was　some　difficulty；　however；　to　be　encountered　in　this　quarter。　　The　sum　was　a　large　one；　and　Penautier　no　longer　required　help；　he　had　already　come　into　all　the　inheritance　he　looked　for；　and　so　he　tried　to　throw　cold　water　on　the　project。

Sainte…Croix　thus　wrote　to　Belleguise：

〃DEAR　FRIEND；Is　it　possible　that　you　need　any　more　talking　to　about　the　matter　you　know　of；　so　important　as　it　is；　and；　maybe；　able　to　give　us　peace　and　quiet　for　the　rest　of　our　days！　　I　really　think　the　devil　must　be　in　it；　or　else　you　simply　will　not　be　sensible：　do　show　your　common　sense；　my　good　man；　and　look　at　it　from　all　points　of　view；　take　it　at　its　very　worst；　and　you　still　ought　to　feel　bound　to　serve　me；　seeing　how　I　have　made　everything　all　right　for　you：　all　our　interests　are　together　in　this　matter。　　Do　help　me；　I　beg　of　you；　you　may　feel　sure　I　shall　be　deeply　grateful；　and　you　will　never　before　have　acted　so　agreeably　both　for　me　and　for　yourself。　　You　know　quite　enough　about　it；　for　I　have　not　spoken　so　openly　even　to　my　own　brother　as　I　have　to　you。　　If　you　can　come　this　afternoon；　I　shall　be　either　at　the　house　or　quite　near　at　hand；　you　know　where　I　mean；　or　I　will　expect　you　tomorrow　morning；　or　I　will　come　and　find　you；　according　to　what　you　reply。Always　yours　with　all　my　heart。〃


The　house　meant　by　Sainte…Croix　was　in　the　rue　des　Bernardins；　and　the　place　near　at　hand　where　he　was　to　wait　for　Belleguise　was　the　room　he　leased　from　the　widow　Brunet；　in　the　blind　alley　out　of　the　Place　Maubert。　　It　was　in　this　room　and　at　the　apothecary　Glazer's　that　Sainte…Croix　made　his　experiments；　but　in　accordance　with　poetical　justice；　the　manipulation　of　the　poisons　proved　fatal　to　the　workers　themselves。　　The　apothecary　fell　ill　and　died；　Martin　was　attacked　by　fearful　sickness；　which　brought；　him　to　death's　door。　Sainte…Croix　was　unwell；