marquise de brinvilliers-第4部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　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；　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：