marquise de brinvilliers-第5节

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rtin　was　attacked　by　fearful　sickness；　which　brought；　him　to　death's　door。　Sainte…Croix　was　unwell；　and　could　not　even　go　out；　though　he　did　not　know　what　was　the　matter。　　He　had　a　furnace　brought　round　to　his　house　from　Glazer's；　and　ill　as　he　was；　went　on　with　the　experiments。　Sainte…Croix　was　then　seeking　to　make　a　poison　so　subtle　that　the　very　effluvia　might　be　fatal。　　He　had　heard　of　the　poisoned　napkin　given　to　the　young　dauphin；　elder　brother　of　Charles　VII；　to　wipe　his　hands　on　during　a　game　of　tennis；　and　knew　that　the　contact　had　caused　his　death；　and　the　still　discussed　tradition　had　informed　him　of　the　gloves　of　Jeanne　d'Albret；　the　secret　was　lost；　but　Sainte…　Croix　hoped　to　recover　it。　　And　then　there　happened　one　of　those　strange　accidents　which　seem　to　be　not　the　hand　of　chance　but　a　punishment　from　Heaven。　　At　the　very　moment　when　Sainte…Croix　was　bending　over　his　furnace；　watching　the　fatal　preparation　as　it　became　hotter　and　hotter；　the　glass　mask　which　he　wore　over　his　face　as　a　protection　from　any　poisonous　exhalations　that　might　rise　up　from　the　mixture；　suddenly　dropped　off；　and　Sainte…Croix　dropped　to　the　ground　as　though　felled　by　a　lightning　stroke。　　At　supper…time；　his　wife　finding　that　he　did　not　come　out　from　his　closet　where　he　was　shut　in；　knocked　at　the　door；　and　received　no　answer；　knowing　that　her　husband　was　wont　to　busy　himself　with　dark　and　mysterious　matters；　she　feared　some　disaster　had　occurred。　　She　called　her　servants；　who　broke　in　the　door。　　Then　she　found　Sainte…Croix　stretched　out　beside　the　furnace；　the　broken　glass　lying　by　his　side。　　It　was　impossible　to　deceive　the　public　as　to　the　circumstances　of　this　strange　and　sudden　death：　the　servants　had　seen　the　corpse；　and　they　talked。　　The　commissary　Picard　was　ordered　to　affix　the　seals；　and　all　the　widow　could　do　was　to　remove　the　furnace　and　the　fragments　of　the　glass　mask。

The　noise　of　the　event　soon　spread　all　over　Paris。　　Sainte…Croix　was　extremely　well　known；　and　the；　news　that　he　was　about　to　purchase　a　post　in　the　court　had　made　him　known　even　more　widely。　　Lachaussee　was　one　of　the　first　to　learn　of　his　master's　death；　and　hearing　that　a　seal　had　been　set　upon　his　room；　he　hastened　to　put　in　an　objection　in　these　terms：

〃Objection　of　Lachaussee；　who　asserts　that　for　seven　years　he　was　in　the　service　of　the　deceased；　that　he　had　given　into　his　charge；　two　years　earlier；　100　pistoles　and　200　white　crowns；　which　should　be　found　in　a　cloth　bag　under　the　closet　window；　and　in　the　same　a　paper　stating　that　the　said　sum　belonged　to　him；　together　with　the　transfer　of　300　livres　owed　to　him　by　the　late　M。　d'Aubray；　councillor；　the　said　transfer　made　by　him　at　Laserre；　together　with　three　receipts　from　his　master　of　apprenticeship；　100　livres　each：　these　moneys　and　papers　he　claims。〃

To　Lachaussee　the　reply　was　given　that　he　must　wait　till　the　day　when　the　seals　were　broken；　and　then　if　all　was　as　he　said；　his　property　would　be　returned。

But　Lachaussee　was　not　the　only　person　who　was　agitated　about　the　death　of　Sainte…Croix。　　The；　marquise；　who　was　familiar　with　all　the　secrets　of　this　fatal　closet；　had　hurried　to　the　commissary　as　2496　soon　as　she　heard　of　the　event；　and　although　it　was　ten　o'clock　at　night　had　demanded　to　speak　with　him。　　But　he　had　replied　by　his　head　clerk；　Pierre　Frater；　that　he　was　in　bed；　the　marquise　insisted；　begging　them　to　rouse　him　up；　for　she　wanted　a　box　that　she　could　not　allow　to　have　opened。　　The　clerk　then　went　up　to　the　Sieur　Picard's　bedroom；　but　came　back　saying　that　what　the　marquise　demanded　was　for　the　time　being　an　impossibility；　for　the　commissary　was　asleep。　　She　saw　that　it　was　idle　to　insist；　and　went　away；　saying　that　she　should　send　a　man　the　next　morning　to　fetch　the　box。　　In　the　morning　the　man　came；　offering　fifty　Louis　to　the　commissary　on　behalf　of　the　marquise；　if　he　would　give　her　the　box。　　But　he　replied　that　the　box　was　in　the　sealed　room；　that　it　would　have　to　be　opened；　and　that　if　the　objects　claimed　by　the　marquise　were　really　hers；　they　would　be　safely　handed　over　to　her。　　This　reply　struck　the　marquise　like　a　thunderbolt。　　There　was　no　time　to　be　lost：　hastily　she　removed　from　the　rue　Neuve…Saint…Paul；　where　her　town　house　was；　to　Picpus；　her　country　place。　　Thence　she　posted　the　same　evening　to　Liege；　arriving　the　next　morning；　and　retired　to　a　convent。

The　seals　had　been　set　on　the　31st　of　July　1672；　and　they　were　taken　off　on　the　8th　of　August　following。　　Just　as　they　set　to　work　a　lawyer　charged　with　full　powers　of　acting　for　the　marquise；　appeared　and　put　in　the　following　statement：　〃Alexandre　Delamarre；　lawyer　acting　for　the　Marquise　de　Brinvilliers；　has　come　forward；　and　declares　that　if　in　the　box　claimed　by　his　client　there　is　found　a　promise　signed　by　her　for　the　sum　of　30；000　livres；　it　is　a　paper　taken　from　her　by　fraud；　against　which；　in　case　of　her　signature　being　verified；　she　intends　to　lodge　an　appeal　for　nullification。〃　This　formality　over；　they　proceeded　to　open　Sainte…Croix's　closet：　the　key　was　handed　to　the　commissary　Picard　by　a　Carmelite　called　Friar　Victorin。　　The　commissary　opened　the　door；　and　entered　with　the　parties　interested；　the　officers；　and　the　widow；　and　they　began　by　setting　aside　the　loose　papers；　with　a　view　to　taking　them　in　order；　one　at　a　time。　　While　they　were　thus　busy；　a　small　roll　fell　down；　on　which　these　two　words　were　written：　〃　My　Confession。〃　　All　present；　having　no　reason　to　suppose　Sainte…Croix　a　bad　man；　decided　that　this　paper　ought　not　to　be　read。　　The　deputy　for　the　attorney　general　on　being　consulted　was　of　this　opinion；　and　the　confession　of　Sainte…　Croix　was　burnt。　　This　act　of　conscience　performed；　they　proceeded　to　make　an　inventory。　　One　of　the　first　objects　that　attracted　the　attention　of　the　officers　was　the　box　claimed　by　Madame　de　Brinvilliers。　　Her　insistence　had　provoked　curiosity；　so　they　began　with　it。　　Everybody　went　near　to　see　what　was　in　it；　and　it　was　opened。

We　shall　let　the　report　speak：　in　such　cases　nothing　is　so　effective　or　so　terrible　as　the　official　statement。

〃In　the　closet　of　Sainte…Croix　was　found　a　small　box　one　foot　square；　on　the　top　of　which　lay　a　half…sheet　of　paper　entitled　'My　Will；'　written　on　one　side　and　containing　these　words：　'I　humbly　entreat　any　into　whose　hands　this　chest　may　fall　to　do　me　the　kindness　of　putting　it　into　the　hands　of　Madame　the　Marquise　de　Brinvilliers；　resident　in　the　rue　Neuve…Saint…Paul；　seeing　that　all　the　contents　concern　and　belong　to　her　alone；　and　are　of　no　use　to　any　person　in　the　world　apart　from　herself：　in　case　of　her　being　already　dead　before　me；　the　box　and　all　its　contents　should　be　burnt　without　opening　or　disturbing　anything。　　And　lest　anyone　should　plead　ignorance　of　the　contents；　I　swear　by　the　God　I　worship　and　by　all　that　is　most　sacred　that　no　untruth　is　here　asserted。　　If　anyone　should　contravene　my　wishes　that　are　just　and　reasonable　in　this　matter；　I　charge　their　conscience　therewith　in　discharging　my　own　in　this　world　and　the　next；　protesting　that　such　is　my　last　wish。

〃'Given　at　Paris；　the　25th　of　May　after　noon；　1672。　　Signed　by　Sainte…Croix；'

〃And　below　were　written　these　words：　'There　is　one　packet　only　addressed　to　M。　Penautier　which　should　be　delivered。'〃


It　may　be　easily　understood　that　a　disclosure　of　this　kind　only　increased　the　interest　of　the　scene；　there　was　a　murmur　of　curiosity；　and　when　silence　again　reigned；　the　official　continued　in　these　words：

〃A　packet　has　been　found　sealed　in　eight　different　places　with　eight　different　seals。　　On　this　is　written：　'Papers　to　be　burnt　in　case　of　my　death；　of　no　consequence　to　anyone。　　I　humbly　beg　those　into　whose　hands　they　may　fall　to　burn　them。　　I　give　this　as　a　charge　upon　their　conscience；　all　without　opening　the　packet。'　In　this　packet　we　find　two　parcels　of　sublimate。

〃Item；　another　packet　sealed　with　six　different　seals；　on　which　is　a　similar　inscription；　in　which　is　found　more　sublimate；　half　a　pound　in　weight。

〃Item；　another　packet　sealed　with　six　different　seals；　on　which　is　a　similar　inscription；　in　which　are　found　three　parcels；　one　containing　half　an　ounce　of　sublimate；　the　second　2　1/4　ozs。　　of　Roman　vitriol；　and　the　third　some　calcined　prepared　vitriol。　　In　the　box　was　found　a　large　square　phial；　one　pint　in　capacity；　full　of　a　clear　liquid；　which　was　looked　at　by　M。　Moreau；　the　doctor；　he；　however；　could　not　tell　its　nature　until　it　was　tested。

〃Item；　another　phial；　with　half　a　pint　of　clear　liquid　with　a　white　sediment；　about　which　Moreau　said　the　same　thing　as　before。

〃Item；　a　small　earthenware　pot　containing　two　or　three　lumps　of　prepared　opium。

〃Item；　a　folded　paper　containing　two　drachms　of　corrosive　sublimate　powdered。

〃Next；　a　little　box　containing　a　sort　of　stone　known　as　infernal　stone。

〃Next；　a　paper　containing　one　ounce　of　opium。

〃Next；　a　piece　of　pure　antimony　weighing　three　ounces。

〃Next；　a　packet　of　powder　on　which　was　written：　'To　check　the　flow　of　blood。'　　Moreau　said　that　it　was　quince　flower　and　quince　buds　dried。

〃Item；　a　pack　sealed　with　six　seals；　on　which　was　written；　'Papers　to　be　burnt　in　case　of　death。'　　In　this　twenty…four　letters　were　found；　said　to　have　been　written　by　the　Marquise