After the soup had been taken away, and while Marie was waiting at table during the eating of the second course, young Duparc complained that he felt something gritty between his teeth. His mother made precisely5 the same remark. Nobody else, however, agreed with them, and the subject was allowed to drop. When the second course was done with, the dessert followed, consisting of a plate of cherries. With the dessert there arrived a visitor, Monsieur Fergant, a relation of Madame Duparc’s. This gentleman placed himself at table with the rest of the company.
Meanwhile, the nurse and Marie were making their dinner in the kitchen off the soup which had been specially6 provided for them — Marie having previously7 placed the dirty plates, and the empty soup-tureen from the dining-room, in the scullery, as usual, to be washed at the proper time. While she and her companion were still engaged over their soup, young Duparc and his mother suddenly burst into the kitchen, followed by the other persons who had partaken of dinner. “We are all poisoned!” cried Madame Duparc, in the greatest terror. “Good heavens! I smell burned arsenic8 in the kitchen!”
Monsieur Fergant, the visitor, hearing these last words, politely stepped forward to echo them. “Burned arsenic, beyond a doubt,” said Monsieur Fergant. When this gentleman was subsequently questioned on the subject, it may not be amiss to mention that he was quite unable to say what burned arsenic smelled like. Neither is it altogether out of place to inquire how Madame Duparc happened to be so amazingly apt at discovering the smell of burned arsenic? The answer to the question does not seem easy to discover.
Having settled that they were all poisoned, and having even found out (thanks to those two intelligent amateur chemists, Madame Duparc and Monsieur Fergant) the very nature of the deadly drug that had been used to destroy them, the next thing the company naturally thought of was the necessity of summoning medical help. Young Monsieur Beauguillot obligingly ran off (it was apparently9 a very mild case of poisoning, so far as he was concerned) to the apothecary10’s shop, and fetched, not the apprentice11 this time, but the master. The master, Monsieur Thierry, arrived in great haste, and found the dinner-eaters all complaining of nausea12 and pains in the stomach. He naturally asked what they had eaten. The reply was, that they had eaten nothing but soup.
This was, to say the least of it, rather an unaccountable answer. The company had had for dinner, besides soup, a second course of boiled meat, and ragout of beef, and a dessert of cherries. Why was this plain fact concealed13? Why was the apothecary’s attention to be fixed14 exclusively on the soup? Was it because the tureen was empty, and because the alleged15 smell of burned arsenic might be accounted for on the theory that the remains16 of the soup brought from the dining-room had been thrown on the kitchen fire? But no remains of soup came down — it had been all consumed by the guests. And what is still more remarkable17, the only person in the kitchen (excepting Marie and the nurse) who could not discover the smell of burned arsenic, was the person of all others who was professionally qualified18 to find it out first — the apothecary himself.
After examining the tureen and the plates, and stirring up the wood-ashes on the fire, and making no sort of discovery, Monsieur Thierry turned to Marie, and asked if she could account for what had happened. She simply replied that she knew nothing at all about it; and thereupon her mistress and the rest of the persons present all overwhelmed her together with a perfect torrent19 of questions. The poor girl, terrified by the hubbub20, worn out by a sleepless21 night and by the hard work and agitation22 of the day preceding it, burst into an hysterical23 fit of tears, and was ordered out of the kitchen to lie down and recover herself. The only person who showed her the least pity and offered her the slightest attention, was a servant-girl like herself, who lived next door, and who stole up to the room in which she was weeping alone, with a cup of warm milk-and-water to comfort her.
Meanwhile the report had spread in the town that the old man, Monsieur De Beaulieu, and the whole Duparc family had been poisoned by their servant. Madame Duparc did her best to give the rumor24 the widest possible circulation. Entirely25 forgetting, as it would seem, that she was on her own showing a poisoned woman, she roamed excitably all over the house with an audience of agitated26 female friends at her heels; telling the burned-arsenic story over and over again to every fresh detachment of visitors that arrived to hear it; and finally leading the whole troop of women into the room where Marie was trying to recover herself. The poor girl was surrounded in a moment; angry faces and shrill27 voices met her on every side; the most insolent28 questions, the most extravagant29 accusations31, assailed32 her; and not one word that she could say in her own defense33 was listened to for an instant. She had sprung up in the bed, on her knees, and was frantically34 entreating35 for permission to speak in her own defense, when a new personage appeared on the scene, and stilled the clamor by his presence. This individual was a surgeon named Hébert, a friend of Madame Duparc’s, who announced that he had arrived to give the family the benefit of his assistance, and who proposed to commence operations by searching the servant’s pockets without further delay.
The instant Marie heard him make this proposal she untied36 her pockets, and gave them to Surgeon Hébert with her own hands. He examined them on the spot. In one he found some copper37 money and a thimble. In the other (to use his own words, given in evidence) he discovered “various fragments of bread, sprinkled over with some minute substance which was white and shining. He kept the fragments of bread, and left the room immediately without saying a word.” By this course of proceeding38 he gave Marie no chance of stating at the outset whether she knew of the fragments of bread being in her pocket, or whether she was totally ignorant how they came there. Setting aside, for the present, the question, whether there was really any arsenic on the crumbs39 at all, it would clearly have been showing the unfortunate maid of all work no more than common justice to have allowed her the opportunity of speaking before the bread was carried away.
It was now seven o’clock in the evening. The next event was the arrival of another officious visitor. The new friend in need belonged to the legal profession — he was an advocate named Friley. Monsieur Friley’s legal instincts led him straightway to a conclusion which seriously advanced the progress of events. Having heard the statement of Madame Duparc and her daughter, he decided40 that it was his duty to lodge41 an information against Marie before the Procurator of the king, at Caen.
The Procurator of the king is, by this time, no stranger to the reader. He was the same Monsieur Revel42 who had taken such an amazingly strong interest in Marie’s fortunes, and who had strongly advised her to try her luck at Caen. Here then, surely, was a friend found at last for the forlorn maid of all work. “We shall see how Monsieur Revel acted, after Friley’s information had been duly lodged43.
The French law of the period, and, it may be added, the commonest principles of justice also, required the Procurator to perform certain plain duties as soon as the accusation30 against Marie had reached his ears.
He was, in the first place, bound to proceed immediately, accompanied by his official colleague, to the spot where the alleged crime of poisoning was supposed to have taken place. Arrived there, it was his business to ascertain44 for himself the condition of the persons attacked with illness; to hear their statements; to examine the rooms, the kitchen utensils45, and the family medicine-chest, if there happened to be one in the house; to receive any statement the accused person might wish to make; to take down her answers to his questions; and, lastly, to keep anything found on the servant (the bread-crumbs, for instance, of which Surgeon Hébert had coolly taken possession), or anything found about the house which it might be necessary to produce in evidence, in a position of absolute security, under the hand and seal of justice.
These were the plain duties which Monsieur Revel, the Procurator, was officially bound to fulfill46. In the case of Marie, he not only neglected to perform any one of them, but actually sanctioned a scheme for entrapping47 her into prison, by sending a commissary of police to the house, in plain clothes, with an order to place her in solitary48 confinement49. To what motive50 could this scandalous violation51 of his duties and of justice be attributed? The last we saw of Monsieur Revel, he was so benevolently52 disposed toward Marie that he condescended53 to advise her about her prospects54 in life, and even went the length of recommending her to seek for a situation in the very town in which he lived himself. And now we find him so suddenly and bitterly hostile toward the former object of his patronage55, that he actually lends the assistance of his high official position to sanction an accusation against her, into the truth or falsehood of which he had not made a single inquiry56! Can it be that Monsieur Revel’s interest in Marie was, after all, not of the purest possible kind, and that the unfortunate girl proved too stubbornly virtuous57 to be taught what the real end was toward which the attentions of her over-benevolent adviser58 privately59 pointed60? There is no evidence attaching to the case (as how should there be?) to prove this. But is there any other explanation of Monsieur Revel’s conduct which at all tends to account for the extraordinary inconsistency of it?
Having received his secret instructions, the Commissary of Police — a man named Bertot — proceeded to the house of Monsieur and Madame Duparc, disguised in plain clothes. His first proceeding was to order Marie to produce the various plates, dishes, and kitchen-utensils which had been used at the dinner of Tuesday, the seventh of August (that being the day on which the poisoning of the company was alleged to have taken place). Marie produced a saucepan, an earthen vessel61, a stew-pan, and several plates piled on each other, in one of which there were the remains of some soup. These articles Bertot locked up in the kitchen cupboard, and took away the key with him. He ought to have taken the additional precaution of placing a seal on the cupboard, so as to prevent any tampering62 with the lock, or any treachery with a duplicate key. But this he neglected to do.
His next proceeding was to tell Marie that the Procurator Revel wished to speak to her, and to propose that she should accompany him to the presence of that gentleman forthwith. Not having the slightest suspicion of any treachery, she willingly consented, and left the house with the Commissary. A friend of the Duparcs, named Vassol, accompanied them.
Once out of the house, Bertot led his unsuspecting prisoner straight to the jail. As soon as she was inside the gates, he informed her that she was arrested, and proceeded to search her person in the presence of Vassol, of the jailer of the prison, and of a woman named Dujardin. The first thing found on her was a little linen63 bag, sewn to her petticoat, and containing a species of religious charm, in the shape of a morsel64 of the sacramental wafer. Her pockets came next under review (the pockets which Surgeon Hébert had previously searched). A little dust was discovered at the bottom of them, which was shaken out on paper, wrapped up along with the linen bag, sealed in one packet, and taken to the Procurator’s office. Finally, the woman Dujardin found in Marie’s bosom65 a little key, which she readily admitted to be the key of her own cupboard.
The search over, one last act of cruelty and injustice66 was all that remained to be committed for that day. The unfortunate girl was placed at once in solitary confinement.
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1
exhaustion
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| n.耗尽枯竭，疲惫，筋疲力尽，竭尽，详尽无遗的论述 | |
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drooped
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| 弯曲或下垂，发蔫( droop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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3
slumber
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| n.睡眠，沉睡状态 | |
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4
awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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5
precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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specially
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| adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地 | |
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7
previously
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| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
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arsenic
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| n.砒霜，砷；adj.砷的 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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apothecary
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| n.药剂师 | |
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apprentice
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| n.学徒，徒弟 | |
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nausea
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| n.作呕，恶心；极端的憎恶(或厌恶) | |
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13
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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14
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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15
alleged
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| a.被指控的，嫌疑的 | |
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16
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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17
remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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18
qualified
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| adj.合格的，有资格的，胜任的，有限制的 | |
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19
torrent
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| n.激流，洪流；爆发，(话语等的)连发 | |
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20
hubbub
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| n.嘈杂；骚乱 | |
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21
sleepless
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| adj.不睡眠的，睡不著的，不休息的 | |
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agitation
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| n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动 | |
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hysterical
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| adj.情绪异常激动的，歇斯底里般的 | |
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24
rumor
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| n.谣言，谣传，传说 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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agitated
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| adj.被鼓动的，不安的 | |
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shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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insolent
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| adj.傲慢的，无理的 | |
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29
extravagant
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| adj.奢侈的；过分的；(言行等)放肆的 | |
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30
accusation
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| n.控告，指责，谴责 | |
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31
accusations
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| n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名 | |
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32
assailed
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| v.攻击( assail的过去式和过去分词 )；困扰；质问；毅然应对 | |
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33
defense
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| n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩 | |
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34
frantically
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| ad.发狂地, 发疯地 | |
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35
entreating
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| 恳求，乞求( entreat的现在分词 ) | |
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36
untied
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| 松开，解开( untie的过去式和过去分词 )； 解除，使自由； 解决 | |
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37
copper
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| n.铜；铜币；铜器；adj.铜(制)的；(紫)铜色的 | |
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38
proceeding
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| n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报 | |
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39
crumbs
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| int. (表示惊讶)哎呀 n. 碎屑 名词crumb的复数形式 | |
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40
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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41
lodge
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| v.临时住宿，寄宿，寄存，容纳；n.传达室，小旅馆 | |
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42
revel
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| vi.狂欢作乐，陶醉；n.作乐，狂欢 | |
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43
lodged
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| v.存放( lodge的过去式和过去分词 )；暂住；埋入；（权利、权威等）归属 | |
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44
ascertain
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| vt.发现，确定，查明，弄清 | |
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45
utensils
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| 器具，用具，器皿( utensil的名词复数 )； 器物 | |
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46
fulfill
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| vt.履行，实现，完成；满足，使满意 | |
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47
entrapping
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| v.使陷入圈套，使入陷阱( entrap的现在分词 ) | |
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48
solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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49
confinement
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| n.幽禁，拘留，监禁；分娩；限制，局限 | |
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50
motive
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| n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的 | |
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51
violation
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| n.违反(行为)，违背(行为)，侵犯 | |
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52
benevolently
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| adv.仁慈地，行善地 | |
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53
condescended
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| 屈尊，俯就( condescend的过去式和过去分词 )； 故意表示和蔼可亲 | |
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54
prospects
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| n.希望，前途(恒为复数) | |
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55
patronage
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| n.赞助，支援，援助；光顾，捧场 | |
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56
inquiry
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| n.打听，询问，调查，查问 | |
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57
virtuous
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| adj.有品德的，善良的，贞洁的，有效力的 | |
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58
adviser
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| n.劝告者，顾问 | |
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59
privately
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| adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地 | |
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60
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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61
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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62
tampering
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| v.窜改( tamper的现在分词 )；篡改；（用不正当手段）影响；瞎摆弄 | |
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63
linen
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| n.亚麻布，亚麻线，亚麻制品；adj.亚麻布制的，亚麻的 | |
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64
morsel
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| n.一口，一点点 | |
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65
bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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66
injustice
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| n.非正义，不公正，不公平，侵犯（别人的）权利 | |
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