marquise de brinvilliers-第12章

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s　with　God；　I　am　ready；　madame；　to　give　you　certain　definite　rules。　　I　do　not　yet　know　whether　you　are　guilty　at　all；　and　I　suspend　my　judgment　as　to　all　the　crimes　you　are　accused　of；　since　of　them　I　can　learn　nothing　except　through　your　confession。　　Thus　it　is　my　duty　still　to　doubt　your　guilt。　　But　I　cannot　be　ignorant　of　what　you　are　accused　of：　this　is　a　public　matter；　and　has　reached　my　ears；　for；　as　you　may　imagine；　madame；　your　affairs　have　made　a　great　stir；　and　there　are　few　people　who　know　nothing　about　them。〃

〃Yes；〃　she　said；　smiling；　〃I　know　there　has　been　a　great　deal　of　talk；　and　I　am　in　every　man's　mouth。〃

〃Then；〃　replied　the　doctor；　〃the　crime　you　are　accused　of　is　poisoning。　　If　you　are　guilty；　as　is　believed；　you　cannot　hope　that　God　will　pardon　you　unless　you　make　known　to　your　judges　what　the　poison　is；　what　is　its　composition　and　what　its　antidote；　also　the　names　of　your　accomplices。　　Madame；　we　must　lay　hands　on　all　these　evil…doers　without　exception；　for　if　you　spared　them；　they　would　be　able　to　make　use　of　your　poison；　and　you　would　then　be　guilty　of　all　the　murders　committed　by　them　after　your　death；　because　you　did　not　give　them　over　to　the　judges　during　your　life；　thus　one　might　say　you　survive　yourself；　for　your　crime　survives　you。　　You　know；　madame；　that　a　sin　in　the　moment　of　death　is　never　pardoned；　and　that　to　get　remission　for　your　crimes；　if　crimes　you　have；　they　must　die　when　you　die：　for　if　you　slay　them　not；　be　very　sure　they　will　slay　you。〃

〃Yes；　I　am　sure　of　that；〃　replied　the　marquise；　after　a　moment　of　silent　thought；　〃and　though　I　will　not　admit　that　I　am　guilty；　I　promise；　if　I　am　guilty；　to　weigh　your　words。　　But　one　question；　sir；　and　pray　take　heed　that　an　answer　is　necessary。　　Is　there　not　crime　in　this　world　that　is　beyond　pardon？　　Are　not　some　people　guilty　of　sins　so　terrible　and　so　numerous　that　the　Church　dares　not　pardon　them；　and　if　God；　in　His　justice；　takes　account　of　them；　He　cannot　for　all　His　mercy　pardon　them？　　See；　I　begin　with　this　question；　because；　if　I　am　to　have　no　hope；　it　is　needless　for　me　to　confess。〃

〃I　wish　to　think；　madame；〃　replied　the　doctor；　in　spite　of　himself　half　frightened　at　the　marquise；　〃that　this　your　first　question　is　only　put　by　way　of　a　general　thesis；　and　has　nothing　to　do　with　your　own　state。　　I　shall　answer　the　question　without　any　personal　application。　　No；　madame；　in　this　life　there　are　no　unpardonable　sinners；　terrible　and　numerous　howsoever　their　sins　may　be。　　This　is　an　article　of　faith；　and　without　holding　it　you　could　not　die　a　good　Catholic。　　Some　doctors；　it　is　true；　have　before　now　maintained　the　contrary；　but　they　have　been　condemned　as　heretics。　　Only　despair　and　final　impenitence　are　unpardonable；　and　they　are　not　sins　of　our　life　but　in　our　death。〃

〃Sir；〃　replied　the　marquise；　〃God　has　given　me　grace　to　be　convinced　by　what　you　say；　and　I　believe　He　will　pardon　all　sinsthat　He　has　often　exercised　this　power。　　Now　all　my　trouble　is　that　He　may　not　deign　to　grant　all　His　goodness　to　one　so　wretched　as　I　am；　a　creature　so　unworthy　of　the　favours　already　bestowed　on　her。〃

The　doctor　reassured　her　as　best　he　could；　and　began　to　examine　her　attentively　as　they　conversed　together。　　〃She　was；〃　he　said；　〃a　woman　naturally　courageous　and　fearless；　naturally　gentle　and　good；　not　easily　excited；　clever　and　penetrating；　seeing　things　very　clearly　in　her　mind；　and　expressing　herself　well　and　in　few　but　careful　words；　easily　finding　a　way　out　of　a　difficulty；　and　choosing　her　line　of　conduct　in　the　most　embarrassing　circumstances；　light…minded　and　fickle；　unstable；　paying　no　attention　if　the　same　thing　were　said　several　times　over。　For　this　reason；〃　continued　the　doctor；　〃I　was　obliged　to　alter　what　I　had　to　say　from　time　to　time；　keeping　her　but　a　short　time　to　one　subject；　to　which；　however；　I　would　return　later；　giving　the　matter　a　new　appearance　and　disguising　it　a　little。　She　spoke　little　and　well；　with　no　sign　of　learning　and　no　affectation；　always；　mistress　of　herself；　always　composed　and　saying　just　what　she　intended　to　say。　　No　one　would　have　supposed　from　her　face　or　from　her　conversation　that　she　was　so　wicked　as　she　must　have　been；　judging　by　her　public　avowal　of　the　parricide。　　It　is　surprising；　thereforeand　one　must　bow　down　before　the　judgment　of　God　when　He　leaves　mankind　to　himselfthat　a　mind　evidently　of　some　grandeur；　professing　fearlessness　in　the　most　untoward　and　unexpected　events；　an　immovable　firmness　and　a　resolution　to　await　and　to　endure　death　if　so　it　must　be；　should　yet　be　so　criminal　as　she　was　proved　to　be　by　the　parricide　to　which　she　confessed　before　her　judges。　　She　had　nothing　in　her　face　that　would　indicate　such　evil。　　She　had　very　abundant　chestnut　hair；　a　rounded；　well…shaped　face；　blue　eyes　very　pretty　and　gentle；　extraordinarily　white　skin；　good　nose；　and　no　disagreeable　feature。　　Still；　there　was　nothing　unusually　attractive　in　the　face：　already　she　was　a　little　wrinkled；　and　looked　older　than　her　age。　　Something　made　me　ask　at　our　first　interview　how　old　she　was。　　'Monsieur；'　she　said；　'if　I　were　to　live　till　Sainte…　Madeleine's　day　I　should　be　forty…six。　　On　her　day　I　came　into　the　world；　and　I　bear　her　name。　　I　was　christened　Marie…Madeleine。　　But　near　to　the　day　as　we　now　are；　I　shall　not　live　so　long：　I　must　end　to…day；　or　at　latest　to…morrow；　and　it　will　be　a　favour　to　give　me　the　one　day。　　For　this　kindness　I　rely　on　your　word。'　　Anyone　would　have　thought　she　was　quite　forty…eight。　　Though　her　face　as　a　rule　looked　so　gentle；　whenever　an　unhappy　thought　crossed　her　mind　she　showed　it　by　a　contortion　that　frightened　one　at　first；　and　from　time　to　time　I　saw　her　face　twitching　with　anger；　scorn；　or　ill…will。　I　forgot　to　say　that　she　was　very　little　and　thin。　　Such　is；　roughly　given；　a　description　of　her　body　and　mind；　which　I　very　soon　came　to　know；　taking　pains　from　the　first　to　observe　her；　so　as　to　lose　no　time　in　acting　on　what　I　discovered。〃

As　she　was　giving　a　first　brief　sketch　of　her　life　to　her　confessor；　the　marquise　remembered　that　he　had　not　yet　said　mass；　and　reminded　him　herself　that　it　was　time　to　do　so；　pointing　out　to　him　the　chapel　of　the　Conciergerie。　　She　begged　him　to　say　a　mass　for　her　and　in　honour　of　Our　Lady；　so　that　she　might　gain　the　intercession　of　the　Virgin　at　the　throne　of　God。　　The　Virgin　she　had　always　taken　for　her　patron　saint；　and　in　the　midst　of　her　crimes　and　disorderly　life　had　never　ceased　in　her　peculiar　devotion。　　As　she　could　not　go　with　the　priest；　she　promised　to　be　with　him　at　least　in　the　spirit。　　He　left　her　at　half…past　ten　in　the　morning；　and　after　four　hours　spent　alone　together；　she　had　been　induced　by　his　piety　and　gentleness　to　make　confessions　that　could　not　be　wrung　from　her　by　the　threats　of　the　judges　or　the　fear　of　the　question。　　The　holy　and　devout　priest　said　his　mass；　praying　the　Lord's　help　for　confessor　and　penitent　alike。　After　mass；　as　he　returned；　he　learned　from　a　librarian　called　Seney；　at　the　porter's　lodge；　as　he　was　taking　a　glass　of　wine；　that　judgment　had　been　given；　and　that　Madame　de　Brinvilliers　was　to　have　her　hand　cut　off。　　This　severityas　a　fact；　there　was　a　mitigation　of　the　sentencemade　him　feel　yet　more　interest　in　his　penitent；　and　he　hastened　back　to　her　side。

As　soon　as　she　saw　the　door　open；　she　advanced　calmly　towards　him；　and　asked　if　he　had　truly　prayed　for　her；　and　when　he　assured　her　of　this；　she　said；　〃Father；　shall　I　have　the　consolation　of　receiving　the　viaticum　before　I　die？〃

〃Madame；〃　replied　the　doctor；　〃if　you　are　condemned　to　death；　you　must　die　without　that　sacrament；　and　I　should　be　deceiving　you　if　I　let　you　hope　for　it。　　We　have　heard　of　the　death　of　the　constable　of　Saint…Paul　without　his　obtaining　this　grace；　in　spite　of　all　his　entreaties。　　He　was　executed　in　sight　of　the　towers　of　Notre…Dame。　He　offered　his　own　prayer；　as　you　may　offer　yours；　if　you　suffer　the　same　fate。　　But　that　is　all：　God；　in　His　goodness；　allows　it　to　suffice。〃

〃But；〃　replied　the　marquise；　〃I　believe　M。　de　Cinq…Mars　and　M。　de　Thou　communicated　before　their　death。〃

〃I　think　not；　madame；〃　said　the　doctor；　〃　for　it　is　not　so　said　in　the　pages　of　Montresor　or　any　other　book　that　describes　their