la constantin-第17章

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heir　clients　to　an　outward　appearance　of　honour；　and　enabled　them　to　maintain　their　reputation　for　virtue。　　The　first　and　second　floors　contained　a　dozen　rooms　in　which　these　abominable　mysteries　were　practised。　　The　large　apartment；　which　served　as　waiting　and　consultation　room；　was　oddly　furnished；　being　crowded　with　objects　of　strange　and　unfamiliar　form。　　It　resembled　at　once　the　operating…room　of　a　surgeon；　the　laboratory　of　a　chemist　and　alchemist；　and　the　den　of　a　sorcerer。　There；　mixed　up　together　in　the　greatest　confusion；　lay　instruments　of　all　sorts；　caldrons　and　retorts；　as　well　as　books　containing　the　most　absurd　ravings　of　the　human　mind。　　There　were　the　twenty　folio　volumes　of　Albertus　Magnus；　the　works　of　his　disciple；　Thomas　de　Cantopre；　of　Alchindus；　of　Averroes；　of　Avicenna；　of　Alchabitius；　of　David　de　Plaine…Campy；　called　L'Edelphe；　surgeon　to　Louis　XIII　and　author　of　the　celebrated　book　The　Morbific　Hydra　Exterminated　by　the　Chemical　Hercules。　　Beside　a　bronze　head；　such　as　the　monk　Roger　Bacon　possessed；　which　answered　all　the　questions　that　were　addressed　to　it　and　foretold　the　future　by　means　of　a　magic　mirror　and　the　combination　of　the　rules　of　perspective；　lay　an　eggshell；　the　same　which　had　been　used　by　Caret；　as　d'Aubigne　tells　us；　when　making　men　out　of　germs；　mandrakes；　and　crimson　silk；　over　a　slow　fire。　　In　the　presses；　which　had　sliding…doors　fastening　with　secret　springs；　stood　Jars　filled　with　noxious　drugs；　the　power　of　which　was　but　too　efficacious；　in　prominent　positions；　facing　each　other；　hung　two　portraits；　one　representing　Hierophilos；　a　Greek　physician；　and　the　other　Agnodice　his　pupil；　the　first　Athenian　midwife。

For　several　years　already　La　Constantin　and　Claude　Perregaud　had　carried　on　their　criminal　practices　without　interference。　　A　number　of　persons　were　of　course　in　the　secret；　but　their　interests　kept　them　silent；　and　the　two　accomplices　had　at　last　persuaded　themselves　that　they　were　perfectly　safe。　　One　evening；　however；　Perregaud　came　home；　his　face　distorted　by　terror　and　trembling　in　every　limb。　　He　had　been　warned　while　out　that　the　suspicions　of　the　authorities　had　been　aroused　in　regard　to　him　and　La　Constantin。　　It　seemed　that　some　little　time　ago；　the　Vicars…General　had　sent　a　deputation　to　the　president　of　the　chief　court　of　justice；　having　heard　from　their　priests　that　in　one　year　alone　six　hundred　women　had　avowed　in　the　confessional　that　they　had　taken　drugs　to　prevent　their　having　children。　　This　had　been　sufficient　to　arouse　the　vigilance　of　the　police；　who　had　set　a　watch　on　Perregaud's　house；　with　the　result　that　that　very　night　a　raid　was　to　be　made　on　it。　　The　two　criminals　took　hasty　counsel　together；　but；　as　usual　under　such　circumstances；　arrived　at　no　practical　conclusions。　　It　was　only　when　the　danger　was　upon　them　that　they　recovered　their　presence　of　mind。　　In　the　dead　of　night　loud　knocking　at　the　street　door　was　heard；　followed　by　the　command　to　open　in　the　name　of　the　king。

〃We　can　yet　save　ourselves！〃　exclaimed　surgeon；　with　a　sudden　flash　of　inspiration。

Rushing　into　the　room　where　the　pretended　chevalier　was　lying；　he　called　out

〃The　police　are　coming　up！　　If　they　discover　your　sex　you　are　lost；　and　so　am　I。　　Do　as　I　tell　you。〃

At　a　sign　from　him；　La　Constantin　went　down　and　opened　the　door。　While　the　rooms　on　the　first　floor　were　being　searched；　Perregaud　made　with　a　lancet　a　superficial　incision　in　the　chevalier's　right　arm；　which　gave　very　little　pain；　and　bore　a　close　resemblance　to　a　sword…cut。　　Surgery　and　medicine　were　at　that　time　so　inextricably　involved；　required　such　apparatus；　and　bristled　with　such　scientific　absurdities；　that　no　astonishment　was　excited　by　the　extraordinary　collection　of　instruments　which　loaded　the　tables　and　covered　the　floors　below：　even　the　titles　of　certain　treatises　which　there　had　been　no　time　to　destroy；　awoke　no　suspicion。

Fortunately　for　the　surgeon　and　his　accomplice；　they　had　only　one　patientthe　chevalierin　their　house　when　the　descent　was　made。　When　the　chevalier's　room　was　reached；　the　first　thing　which　the　officers　of　the　law　remarked　were　the　hat；　spurred　boots；　and　sword　of　the　patient。　　Claude　Perregaud　hardly　looked　up　as　the　room　was　invaded；　he　only　made　a　sign　to　thosewho　came　in　to　be　quiet；　and　went　on　dressing　the　wound。　　Completely　taken　in；　the　officer　in　command　merely　asked　the　name　of　the　patient　and　the　cause　of　the　wound。　　La　Constantin　replied　that　it'　was　the　young　Chevalier　de　Moranges；　nephew　of　Commander　de　Jars；　who　had　had　an　affair　of　honour　that　same　night；　and　being　sightly　wounded　had　been　brought　thither　by　his　uncle　hardly　an　hour　before。　　These　questions　and　the　apparently　trustworthy　replies　elicited　by　them　being　duly　taken　down；　the　uninvited　visitors　retired；　having　discovered　nothing　to　justify　their　visit。

All　might　have　been　well　had　there　been　nothing　the　matter　but　the　wound　on　the　chevalier's　sword…arm。　　But　at　the　moment　when　Perregaud　gave　it　to　him　the　poisonous　nostrums　employed　by　La　Constantin　were　already　working　in　his　blood。　　Violent　fever　ensued；　and　in　three　days　the　chevalier　was　dead。　　It　was　his　funeral　which　had　met　Quennebert's　wedding　party　at　the　church　door。

Everything　turned　out　as　Quennebert　had　anticipated。　　Madame　Quennebert；　furious　at　the　deceit　which　had　been　practised　on　her；　refused　to　listen　to　her　husband's　justification；　and　Trumeau；　not　letting　the　grass　grow　under　his　feet；　hastened　the　next　day　to　launch　an　accusation　of　bigamy　against　the　notary；　for　the　paper　which　had　been　found　in　the　nuptial　camber　was　nothing　less　than　an　attested　copy　of　a　contract　of　marriage　concluded　between　Quennebert　and　Josephine…Charlotte　Boullenois。　　It　was　by　the　merest　chance　that　Trumeau　had　come　on　the　record　of　the　marriage；　and　he　now　challenged　his　rival　to　produce　a　certificate　of　the　death　of　his　first　wife。　Charlotte　Boullenois；　after　two　years　of　marriage；　had　demanded　a　deed　of　separation；　which　demand　Quennebert　had　opposed。　　While　the　case　was　going　on　she　had　retired　to　the　convent　of　La　Raquette；　where　her　intrigue　with　de　Jars　began。　　The　commander　easily　induced　her　to　let　herself　be　carried　off　by　force。　　He　then　concealed　his　conquest　by　causing　her　to　adopt　male　attire；　a　mode　of　dress　which　accorded　marvellously　well　with　her　peculiar　tastes　and　rather　masculine　frame。　　At　first　Quennebert　had　instituted　an　active　but　fruitless　search　for　his　missing　wife；　but　soon　became　habituated　to　his　state　of　enforced　single　blessedness；　enjoying　to　the　full　the　liberty　it　brought　with　it。　　But　his　business　had　thereby　suffered；　and　once　having　made　the　acquaintance　of　Madame　Rapally；　he　cultivated　it　assiduously；　knowing　her　fortune　would　be　sufficient　to　set　him　straight　again　with　the　world；　though　he　was　obliged　to　exercise　the　utmost　caution　and　reserve　in　has　intercourse　with　her；　as　she　on　her　side　displayed　none　of　these　qualities。　　At　last；　however；　matters　came　to　such　a　pass　that　he　must　either　go　to　prison　or　run　the　risk　of　a　second　marriage。　　So　he　reluctantly　named　a　day　for　the　ceremony；　resolving　to　leave　Paris　with　Madame　Rapally　as　soon　as　he　had　settled　with　his　creditors。

In　the　short　interval　which　ensued；　and　while　Trumeau　was　hugging　the　knowledge　of　the　discovery　he　had　made；　a　stroke　of　luck　had　brought　the　pretended　chevalier　to　La　Constantin。　　As　Quennebert　had　kept　an　eye　on　de　Jars　and　was　acquainted　with　all　his　movements；　he　was　aware　of　everything　that　happened　at　Perregaud's；　and　as　Charlotte's　death　preceded　his　second　marriage　by　one　day；　he　knew　that　no　serious　consequences　would　ensue　from　the　legal　proceedings　taken　against　him。　　He　produced　the　declarations　made　by　Mademoiselle　de　Guerchi　and　the　commander；　and　had　the　body　exhumed。　　Extraordinary　and　improbable　as　his　defence　appeared　at　first　to　be；　the　exhumation　proved　the　truth　of　his　assertions。　　These　revelations；　however；　drew　the　eye　of　justice　again　on　Perregaud　and　his　partner　in　crime；　and　this　time　their　guilt　was　brought　home　to　them。　　They　were　condemned　by　parliamentary　decree　to　〃be　hanged　by　the　neck　till　they　were　dead；　on　a　gallows　erected　for　that　purpose　at　the　cross　roads　of　the　Croix…du…Trahoir；　their