marquise de brinvilliers-第14章

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The　doctor　read　this　letter　carefully；　then　he　told　her　that　one　of　her　phrases　was　not　rightthe　one　about　her　enemies。　　〃For　you　have　no　other　enemies；〃　said　he；　〃than　your　own　crimes。　　Those　whom　you　call　your　enemies　are　those　who　love　the　memory　of　your　father　and　brothers；　whom　you　ought　to　have　loved　more　than　they　do。〃

〃But　those　who　have　sought　my　death；〃　she　replied；　〃are　my　enemies；　are　they　not；　and　is　it　not　a　Christian　act　to　forgive　them？〃

〃Madame；〃　said　the　doctor；　〃they　are　not　your　enemies；　but　you　are　the　enemy　of　the　human　race：　nobody　can　think　without；　horror　of　your　crimes。〃

〃And　so；　my　father；〃　she　replied；　〃I　feel　no　resentment　towards　them；　and　I　desire　to　meet　in　Paradise　those　who　have　been　chiefly　instrumental　in　taking　me　and　bringing　me　here。〃

〃Madame；〃　said　the　doctor；　〃what　mean　you　by　this？　　Such　words　are　used　by　some　when　they　desire　people's　death。　　Explain；　I　beg；　what　you　mean。〃

〃Heaven　forbid；〃　cried　the　marquise；　〃that　you　should　understand　me　thus！　　Nay；　may　God　grant　them　long　prosperity　in　this　world　and　infinite　glory　in　the　next！　　Dictate　a　new　letter；　and　I　will　write　just　what　you　please。〃

When　a　fresh　letter　had　been　written；　the　marquise　would　attend　to　nothing　but　her　confession；　and　begged　the　doctor　to　take　the　pen　for　her。　　〃I　have　done　so　many　wrong　thing's；〃　she　said；　〃that　if　I　only　gave　you　a　verbal　confession；　I　should　never　be　sure　I　had　given　a　complete　account。〃

Then　they　both　knelt　down　to　implore　the　grace　of　the　Holy　Spirit。　They　said　a　'Veni　Creator'　and　a　'Salve　Regina'；　and　the　doctor　then　rose　and　seated　himself　at　a　table；　while　the　marquise；　still　on　her　knees；　began　a　Confiteor　and　made　her　whole　confession。　　At　nine　o'clock；　Father　Chavigny；　who　had　brought　Doctor　Pirot　in　the　morning；　came　in　again。　　The　marquise　seemed　annoyed；　but　still　put　a　good　face　upon　it。　　〃My　father；〃　said　she；　〃I　did　not　expect　to　see　you　so　late；　pray　leave　me　a　few　minutes　longer　with　the　doctor。〃　　He　retired。　　〃　Why　has　he　come？〃　asked　the　marquise。

〃It　is　better　for　you　not　to　be　alone；〃　said　the　doctor。

〃Then　do　you　mean　to　leave　me？〃　cried　the　marquise；　apparently　terrified。

〃Madame；　I　will　do　as　you　wish；〃　he　answered；　〃but　you　would　be　acting　kindly　if　you　could　spare　me　for　a　few　hours。　　I　might　go　home；　and　Father　Chavigny　would　stay　with　you。〃

〃Ah！〃　she　cried；　wringing　her　hands；　〃you　promised　you　would　not　leave　me　till　I　am　dead；　and　now　you　go　away。　　Remember；　I　never　saw　you　before　this　morning；　but　since　then　you　have　become　more　to　me　than　any　of　my　oldest　friends。〃

〃Madame；〃　said　the　good　doctor；　〃I　will　do　all　I　can　to　please　you。　If　I　ask　for　a　little　rest；　it　is　in　order　that　I　may　resume　my　place　with　more　vigour　to…morrow；　and　render　you　better　service　than　I　otherwise　could。　　If　I　take　no　rest；　all　I　say　or　do　must　suffer。　You　count　on　the　execution　for　tomorrow；　I　do　not　know　if　you　are　right；　but　if　so；　to…morrow　will　be　your　great　and　decisive　day；　and　we　shall　both　need　all　the　strength　we　have。　　We　have　already　been　working　for　thirteen　or　fourteen　hours　for　the　good　of　your　salvation；　I　am　not　a　strong　man；　and　I　think　you　should　realise；　madame；　that　if　you　do　not　let　me　rest　a　little；　I　may　not　be　able　to　stay　with　you　to　the　end。〃

〃Sir；〃　said　the　marquise；　〃you　have　closed　my　mouth。　　To…morrow　is　for　me　a　far　more　important　day　than　to…day；　and　I　have　been　wrong：　of　course　you　must　rest　to…night。　　Let　us　just　finish　this　one　thing；　and　read　over　what　we　have　written。〃

It　was　done；　and　the　doctor　would　have　retired；　but　the　supper　came　in；　and　the　marquise　would　not　let　him　go　without　taking　something。　She　told　the　concierge　to　get　a　carriage　and　charge　it　to　her。　　She　took　a　cup　of　soup　and　two　eggs；　and　a　minute　later　the　concierge　came　back　to　say　the　carriage　was　at　the　door。　　Then　the　marquise　bade　the　doctor　good…night；　making　him　promise　to　pray　for　her　and　to　be　at　the　Conciergerie　by　six　o'clock　the　next　morning。　　This　he　promised　her。

The　day　following；　as　he　went　into　the　tower；　he　found　Father　Chavigny；　who　had　taken　his　place　with　the　marquise；　kneeling　and　praying　with　her。　　The　priest　was　weeping；　but　she　was　calm；　and　received　the　doctor　in　just　the　same　way　as　she　had　let　him　go。　　When　Father　Chavigny　saw　him；　he　retired。　　The　marquise　begged　Chavigny　to　pray　for　her；　and　wanted　to　make　him　promise　to　return；　but　that　he　would　not　do。　　She　then　turned　to　the　doctor；　saying；　〃Sir；　you　are　punctual；　and　I　cannot　complain　that　you　have　broken　your　promise；　but　oh；　how　the　time　has　dragged；　and　how　long　it　has　seemed　before　the　clock　struck　six！〃

〃I　am　here；　madame；〃　said　the　doctor；　〃but　first　of　all；　how　have　you　spent　the　night？〃

〃I　have　written　three　letters；〃　said　the　marquise；　〃and；　short　as　they　were；　they　took　a　long　time　to　write：　one　was　to　my　sister；　one　to　Madame　de　Marillac；　and　the　third　to　M。　Couste。　　I　should　have　liked　to　show　them　to　you；　but　Father　Chavigny　offered　to　take　charge　of　them；　and　as　he　had　approved　of　them；　I　could　not　venture　to　suggest　any　doubts。　　After　the　letters　were　written；　we　had　some　conversation　and　prayer；　but　when　the　father　took　up　his　breviary　and　I　my　rosary　with　the　same　intention；　I　felt　so　weary　that　I　asked　if　I　might　lie　on　my　bed；　he　said　I　might；　and　I　had　two　good　hours'　sleep　without　dreams　or　any　sort　of　uneasiness；　when　I　woke　we　prayed　together；　and　had　just　finished　when　you　came　back。〃

〃Well；　madame；〃　said　the　doctor；　〃if　you　will；　we　can　pray　again；　kneel　down；　and　let　us　say　the　'Veni　Sancte　Spiritus'。〃

She　obeyed；　and　said　the　prayer　with　much　unction　and　piety。　　The　prayer　finished；　M。　Pirot　was　about　to　take　up　the　pen　to　go　on　with　the　confession；　when　she　said；　〃Pray　let　me　submit　to　you　one　question　which　is　troubling　me。　　Yesterday　you　gave　me　great　hope　of　the　mercy　of　God；　but　I　cannot　presume　to　hope　I　shall　be　saved　without　spending　a　long　time　in　purgatory；　my　crime　is　far　too　atrocious　to　be　pardoned　on　any　other　conditions；　and　when　I　have　attained　to　a　love　of　God　far　greater　than　I　can　feel　here；　I　should　not　expect　to　be　saved　before　my　stains　have　been　purified　by　fire；　without　suffering　the　penalty　that　my　sins　have　deserved。　　But　I　have　been　told　that　the　flames　of　purgatory　where　souls　are　burned　for　a　time　are　just　the　same　as　the　flames　of　hell　where　those　who　are　damned　burn　through　all　eternity　tell　me；　then；　how　can　a　soul　awaking　in　purgatory　at　the　moment　of　separation　from　this　body　be　sure　that　she　is　not　really　in　hell？　how　can　she　know　that　the　flames　that　burn　her　and　consume　not　will　some　day　cease？　　For　the　torment　she　suffers　is　like　that　of　the　damned；　and　the　flames　wherewith　she　is　burned　are　even　as　the　flames　of　hell。　　This　I　would　fain　know；　that　at　this　awful　moment　I　may　feel　no　doubt；　that　I　may　know　for　certain　whether　I　dare　hope　or　must　despair。〃

〃Madame；〃　replied　the　doctor；　〃you　are　right；　and　God　is　too　just　to　add　the　horror　of　uncertainty　to　His　rightful　punishments。　　At　that　moment　when　the　soul　quits　her　earthly　body　the　judgment　of　God　is　passed　upon　her：　she　hears　the　sentence　of　pardon　or　of　doom；　she　knows　whether　she　is　in　the　state　of　grace　or　of　mortal　sin；　she　sees　whether　she　is　to　be　plunged　forever　into　hell；　or　if　God　sends　her　for　a　time　to　purgatory。　　This　sentence；　madame；　you　will　learn　at　the　very　instant　when　the　executioner's　axe　strikes　you；　unless；　indeed；　the　fire　of　charity　has　so　purified　you　in　this　life　that　you　may　pass；　without　any　purgatory　at　all；　straight　to　the　home　of　the　blessed　who　surround　the　throne　of　the　Lord；　there　to　receive　a　recompense　for　earthly　martyrdom。〃

〃Sir；〃　replied　the　marquise；　〃I　have　such　faith　in　all　you　say　that　I　feel　I　understand　it　all　now；　and　I　am　satisfied。〃

The　doctor　and　the　marquise　then　resumed　the　confession　that　was　interrupted　the　night　before。　　The　marquise　had　during　the　night　recollected　certain　articles　that　she　wanted　to　add。　　So　they　continued；　the　doctor　making　her　pause　now　and　then　in　the　narration　of　the　heavier　offences　to　recite　an　act　of　contrition。

After　an　hour　and　a　half　they　came　to　tell　her　to　go　down。　　The　registrar　was　waiting　to　read　her　the　sentence。　　She　listened　v