marquise de brinvilliers-第3章

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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　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　th