第 41 节
作者:敏儿不觉      更新:2021-02-24 22:58      字数:9322
  prohibition   against   her   serving   at   table;   it   was   Helene   who   brought   the
  peas in。     ‘‘How's this?'' she said to him。         ‘‘You haven't eaten your green
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  peasand   them   so   good!''      Saying   this;   she   snatched   up   the   dish   and
  carried it to the kitchen。       Rosalie ate some of the peas。           No sooner had
  she taken a few spoonfuls; however; than she grew sick; and presently was
  seized   by   vomiting。     Helene   took   no   supper。     She   said   she   was   out   of
  sorts and wanted none。
  The witness did not hear of these facts until next day。               He wanted to
  see the remainder of the peas; but they could not be found。                  Rosalie still
  kept    being   sick;  and   he   bade   her   go  and   see   his  doctor;   M。   Boudin。
  Helene; on a sudden amiable to Rosalie where she had been sulky; offered
  to go   with   her。   Dr   Boudin prescribed an   emetic;  which produced  good
  effects。
  On    the   15th   of  June   Rosalie    seemed     to  have    recovered。     In   the
  meantime a cook presented herself at his house to be engaged in place of
  Helene。      The   latter   was   acquainted   with   the   new…comer。       A  vegetable
  soup   had   been   prescribed   for   Rosalie;   and   this   Helene   prepared。      The
  convalescent   ate   some;   and   at   once   fell   prey   to   violent   sickness。 That
  same day Helene came in search of the witness。                 ‘‘You're never going to
  dismiss     me   for   that  young    girl?''  she  demanded       angrily。   M。     Bidard
  relented。     He    said  that   if  she  would    promise    to  keep    the  peace   with
  Rosalie   he   would   let   her   stay   on。  Helene   seemed   to   be   satisfied;   and
  behaved better to Rosalie; who began to mend again。
  M。 Bidard   went into   the  country  on the  21st of   June;  taking   Rosalie
  with him。      They returned on the 22nd。           The witness himself went to the
  pharmacy to get a final purgative of Epsom salts; which had been ordered
  for   Rosalie   by   the   doctor。   This   the   witness   himself   divided   into   three
  portions; each of which he dissolved in separate glasses of whey prepared
  by   Helene。     The   witness   administered   the   first   dose。    Helene   gave   the
  last。   The invalid vomited it。         She was extremely ill on the night of the
  22nd…23rd;      and   Helene     returned    to  misgivings     about   the   skill  of  the
  doctors。     She kept repeating; ‘‘Ah!         Rosalie will die!      I tell you she will
  die!''   On the day of the 23rd she openly railed against them。                M。 Boudin
  had    prescribed     leeches   and    blisters。   ‘‘Look     at  that  now;    monsieur;''
  Helene      said  to   the  witness。     ‘‘To…morrow's       Rosalie's    name…day;     and
  they're going to put leeches on her!''           Rather disturbed; M。 Bidard wrote
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  to Dr Pinault; who came next day and gave the treatment his approval。
  Dr   Boudin   had   said   the   invalid   might   have   gooseberry   syrup   with
  seltzer water。      Two glasses of the mixture given to Rosalie by her mother
  seemed to do the girl good; but after the third glass she did not want any
  more。     Helene   had   given   her   this   third   glass。  The   invalid   said   to   the
  witness; ‘‘I don't know what Helene has put into my drink; but it burns me
  like red…hot iron。''
  ‘‘Struck by those symptoms;'' added M。 Bidard; ‘‘I questioned Helene
  at   once。   It   has   not   been   given   me   more   than   twice   in   my   life   to   see
  Helene's eyes。       I   saw   at   that   moment the look   she   flung   at   Rosalie。  It
  was the look of a wild beast; a tiger…cat。          At that moment my impulse was
  to go to my work…room for a cord; and to tie her up and drag her to the
  justiciary。    But one reflection stopped me。           What was this I was about to
  dodisgrace a woman on a mere suspicion?                I hesitated。     I did not know
  whether I had before me a poisoner or a woman of admirable devotion。''
  The   witness   enlarged   on   the   tortures   of   mind   he   experienced   during
  the night; but said he found reason to congratulate himself on not having
  given way to his first impulse。          On the morning of the 24th Helene came
  running to him; all happiness; to say that Rosalie was better。
  Three days later Rosalie seemed to be nearly well; so much so that M。
  Bidard felt he might safely go into the country。               Next day; however;  he
  was shocked by the news that Rosalie was as ill as ever。                 He hastened to
  return to Rennes。
  On   the   night   of   the   28th…29th   the   sickness   continued   with   intensity。
  Every two hours the invalid was given calming medicine prescribed by Dr
  Boudin。      Each time the sickness redoubled in violence。              Believing it was
  a   case   of   worms;    the   witness   got  out   of   bed;  and   substituted   for  the
  medicine       a  strong    infusion    of   garlic。    This     stopped     the   sickness
  temporarily。      At six in the morning it began again。
  The witness then ran to Dr Pinault's; but met the doctor in the street
  with his confrere; Dr Guyot。          To the two doctors M。 Bidard expressed the
  opinion that there were either worms in the intestines or else the case was
  one of poisoning。        ‘‘I have thought that;'' said Dr Pinault; ‘‘remembering
  the case of the other girl。''       The doctors went back with M。 Bidard to his
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  house。     Magnesia       was   administered      in  a  strong   dose。   The     vomiting
  stopped。      But it was too late。
  Until   that   day   the   witness's   orders   that   the   ejected   matter   from   the
  invalid should be conserved had been ignored。               The moment a vessel was
  dirty Helene took it away and cleaned it。              But now the witness took the
  vessels himself; and locked them up in a cupboard for which he alone had
  the   key。   His   action   seemed   to   disturb   Helene   Jegado。       From   this   he
  judged that she had intended destroying the poison she had administered。
  From that time Rosalie was put into the care of her mother and a nurse。
  Helene tried hard to be rid of the two women; accusing them of tippling to
  the neglect of the invalid。       ‘‘I will sit up with her;'' she said to the witness。
  The witness did not want her to do so; but he could not prevent her joining
  the mother。
  In   the   meantime   Rosalie   suffered   the   most   dreadful   agonies。       She
  could   neither   sit   up   nor   lie   down;   but   threw   herself   about   with   great
  violence。     During      this   time  Helene    was   constantly   coming      and   going
  about her victim。       She had not the courage; however; to watch her victim
  die。    At five in the morning she went out to market; leaving the mother
  alone with her child。        The poor mother; worn out with her exertions; also
  went out; to ask for help from friends。           Rosalie died in the presence of the
  witness     at  seven   o'clock    in  the  morning     of  the   1st  of  July。   Helene
  returned。     ‘‘It is all over;'' said the witness。       Helene's first move was to
  look for the vessels containing the ejections of the invalid to throw them
  out。    These were green in hue。           M。 Bidard stopped her; and locked the
  vessels up。     That same day justice was invoked。
  M。   Bidard's   deposition   had   held   his   hearers   spellbound   for   over   an
  hour and a half。       He had believed; he added finally; that; in spite of her
  criminal   conduct;   Helene   at   least   was   a   faithful   servant。   He   had   been
  wrong。      She had put his cellar to pillage; and in her chest they had found
  many      things   belonging     to  him;    besides   a   diamond     belonging     to  his
  daughter and her wedding…ring。
  The    President     questioned     Helene    on   the  points    of  this  important
  deposition。      Helene simply denied everything。             It had not been she who
  was jealous of Rosalie; but Rosalie who had been jealous of her。                  She had
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  given the two girls all the nursing she could; with no intention but that of
  helping   them   to