marquise de brinvilliers-第8章

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esgrais　had　just　the　manner　of　the　younger　son　of　a　great　house：　he　was　as　flattering　as　a　courtier；　as　enterprising　as　a　musketeer。　　In　this　first　visit　he　made　himself　attractive　by　his　wit　and　his　audacity；　so　much　so　that　more　easily　than　he　had　dared　to　hope；　he　got　leave　to　pay　a　second　call。　　The　second　visit　was　not　long　delayed：　Desgrais　presented　himself　the　very　next　day。　　Such　eagerness　was　flattering　to　the　marquise；　so　Desgrais　was　received　even　better　than　the　night　before。　　She；　a　woman　of　rank　and　fashion；　for　more　than　a　year　had　been　robbed　of　all　intercourse　with　people　of　a　certain　set；　so　with　Desgrais　the　marquise　resumed　her　Parisian　manner。　　Unhappily　the　charming　abbe　was　to　leave　Liege　in　a　few　days；　and　on　that　account　he　became　all　the　more　pressing；　and　a　third　visit；　to　take　place　next　day；　was　formally　arranged。　　Desgrais　was　punctual：　the　marquise　was　impatiently　waiting　him；　but　by　a　conjunction　of　circumstances　that　Desgrais　had　no　doubt　arranged　beforehand；　the　amorous　meeting　was　disturbed　two　or　three　times　just　as　they　were　getting　more　intimate　and　least　wanting　to　be　observed。　Desgrais　complained　of　these　tiresome　checks；　besides；　the　marquise　and　he　too　would　be　compromised：　he　owed　concealment　to　his　cloth：　He　begged　her　to　grant　him　a　rendezvous　outside　the　town；　in　some　deserted　walk；　where　there　would　be　no　fear　of　their　being　recognised　or　followed：　the　marquise　hesitated　no　longer　than　would　serve　to　put　a　price　on　the　favour　she　was　granting；　and　the　rendezvous　was　fixed　for　the　same　evening。

The　evening　came：　both　waited　with　the　same　impatience；　but　with　very　different　hopes。　　The　marquise　found　Desgrais　at　the　appointed　spot：　he　gave　her　his　arm　then　holding　her　hand　in　his　own；　he　gave　a　sign；　the　archers　appeared；　the　lover　threw　off　his　mask；　Desgrais　was　confessed；　and　the　marquise　was　his　prisoner。　　Desgrais　left　her　in　the　hands　of　his　men；　and　hastily　made　his　way　to　the　convent。　　Then；　and　not　before；　he　produced　his　order　from　the　Sixty；　by　means　of　which　he　opened　the　marquise's　room。　　Under　her　bed　he　found　a　box；　which　he　seized　and　sealed；　then　he　went　back　to　her；　and　gave　the　order　to　start。

When　the　marquise　saw　the　box　in　the　hands　of　Desgrais；　she　at　first　appeared　stunned；　quickly　recovering；　she　claimed　a　paper　inside　it　which　contained　her　confession。　　Desgrais　refused；　and　as　he　turned　round　for　the　carriage　to　come　forward；　she　tried　to　choke　herself　by　swallowing　a　pin。　　One　of　the　archers；　called　Claude；　Rolla；　perceiving　her　intention；　contrived　to　get　the　pin　out　of　her　mouth。　After　this；　Desgrais　commanded　that　she　should　be　doubly　watched。

They　stopped　for　supper。　　An　archer　called　Antoine　Barbier　was　present　at　the　meal；　and　watched　so　that　no　knife　or　fork　should　be　put　on　the　table；　or　any　instrument　with　which　she　could　wound　or　kill　herself。　　The　marquise；　as　she　put　her　glass　to　her　mouth　as　though　to　drink；　broke　a　little　bit　off　with　her　teeth；　but　the　archer　saw　it　in　time；　and　forced　her　to　put　it　out　on　her　plate。　Then　she　promised　him；　if　he　would　save　her；　that　she　would　make　his　fortune。　　He　asked　what　he　would　have　to　do　for　that。　　She　proposed　that　he　should　cut　Desgrais'　throat；　but　he　refused；　saying　that　he　was　at　her　service　in　any　other　way。　　So　she　asked　him　for　pen　and　paper；　and　wrote　this　letter：

〃DEAR　THERIA；I　am　in　the　hands　of　Desgrais；　who　is　taking　me　by　road　from　Liege　to　Paris。　　Come　quickly　and　save　me。〃

Antoine　Barbier　took　the　letter；　promising　to　deliver　it　at　the　right　address；　but　he　gave　it　to　Desgrais　instead。　　The　next　day；　finding　that　this　letter　had　not　been　pressing　enough；　she　wrote　him　another；　saying　that　the　escort　was　only　eight　men；　who　could　be　easily　overcome　by　four　or　five　determined　assailants；　and　she　counted　on　him　to　strike　this　bald　stroke。　　But；　uneasy　when　she　got　no　answer　and　no　result　from　her　letters；　she　despatched　a　third　missive　to　Theria。　　In　this　she　implored　him　by　his　own　salvation；　if　he　were　not　strong　enough　to　attack　her　escort　and　save　her；　at　least　to　kill　two　of　the　four　horses　by　which　she　was　conveyed；　and　to　profit　by　the　moment　of　confusion　to　seize　the　chest　and　throw　it　into　the　fire；　otherwise；　she　declared；　she　was　lost。　　Though　Theria　received　none　of　these　letters；　which　were　one　by　one　handed　over　by　Barbier　to　Desgrais；　he　all　the　same　did　go　to　Maestricht；　where　the　marquise　was　to　pass；　of　his　own　accord。　　There　he　tried　to　bribe　the　archers；　offering　much　as　10；000　livres；　but　they　were　incorruptible。　　At　Rocroy　the　cortege　met　M。　Palluau；　the　councillor；　whom　the　Parliament　had　sent　after　the　prisoner；　that　he　might　put　questions　to　her　at　a　time　when　she　least　expected　them；　and　so　would　not　have　prepared　her　answers。　　Desgrais　told　him　all　that　had　passed；　and　specially　called　his　attention　to　the　famous　box；　the　object　of　so　much　anxiety　and　so　many　eager　instructions。　　M。　de　Palluau　opened　it；　and　found　among　other　things　a　paper　headed　〃　My　Confession。〃　This　confession　was　a　proof　that　the　guilty　feel　great　need　of　discovering　their　crimes　either　to　mankind　or　to　a　merciful　God。　Sainte…Croix；　we　know；　had　made　a　confession　that　was　burnt；　and　here　was　the　marquise　equally　imprudent。　　The　confession　contained　seven　articles；　and　began　thus；　〃I　confess　to　God；　and　to　you；　my　father；〃　and　was　a　complete　avowal；　of　all　the　crimes　she　had　committed。

In　the　first　article　she　accused　herself　of　incendiarism　；

In　the　second；　of　having　ceased　to　be　a　virgin　at　seven　years　of　age；

In　the　third　of　having　poisoned　her　father；

In　the　fourth；　of　having　poisoned　her　two　brothers；

In　the　fifth；　that　she　had　tried　to　poison　her　sister；　a　Carmelite　nun。

The　two　other　articles　were　concerned　with　the　description　of　strange　and　unnatural　sins。　　In　this　woman　there　was　something　of　Locusta　and　something　of　Messalina　as　well：　antiquity　could　go　no　further。

M。　de　Palluau；　fortified　by　his　knowledge　of　this　important　document；　began　his　examination　forthwith。　　We　give　it　verbatim；　rejoicing　that　we　may　substitute　an　official　report　for　our　own　narrative。

Asked　why　she　fled　to　Liege；　she　replied　that　she　left　France　on　account　of　some　business　with　her　sister…in…law。

Asked　if　she　had　any　knowledge　of　the　papers　found　in　the　box；　she　replied　that　in　the　box　there　were　several　family　papers；　and　among　them　a　general　confession　which　she　desired　to　make；　when　she　wrote　it；　however；　her　mind　was　disordered；　she　knew　not　what　she　had　said　or　done；　being　distraught　at　the　time；　in　a　foreign　country；　deserted　by　her　relatives；　forced　to　borrow　every　penny。

Asked　as　to　the　first　article；　what　house　it　was　she　had　burnt；　she　replied　that　she　had　not　burnt　anything；　but　when　she　wrote　that　she　was　out　of　her　senses。

Asked　about　the　six　other　articles　she　replied　that　she　had　no　recollection　of　them。

Asked　if　she　had　not　poisoned　her　father　and　brothers；　she　replied　that　she　knew　nothing　at　all　about　it。

Asked　if　it　were　not　Lachaussee　who　poisoned　her　brothers；　she　replied　that　she　knew　nothing　about　it。

Asked　if　she　did　not　know　that　her　sister　could　not　live　long；　having　been　poisoned；　she　said　that　she　expected　her　sister　to　die；　because　she　suffered　in　the　same　way　as　her　brothers；　that　she　had　lost　all　memory　of　the　time　when　she　wrote　this　confession；　admitted　that　she　left　France　by　the　advice　of　her　relations。

Asked　why　her　relations　had　advised　her　thus；　she　replied　that　it　was　in　connection　with　her　brothers'　affairs；　admitted　seeing　Sainte…　Croix　since　his　release　from　the　Bastille。

Asked　if　Sainte…Croix　had　not　persuaded　her　to　get　rid　of　her　father；　she　replied　that　she　could　not　remember；　neither　did　she　remember　if　Sainte…Croix　had　given　her　powders　or　other　drugs；　nor　if　Sainte…　Croix　had　told　her　he　knew　how　to　make　her　rich。

Eight　letters　having　been　produced；　asked　to　whom　she　had　written　them；　she　replied　that　she　did　not　remember。

Asked　why　she　had　promised　to　pay　30；000　livres　to　Sainte…Croix；　she　replied　that　she　intended　to　entrust　this　sum　to　his　care；　so　that　she　might　make　use　of　it　when　she　wanted　it；　believing　him　to　be　her　friend；　she　had　not　wished　this　to　be　known；　by　reason　of　her　creditors