zle of the pistol. Then she saw that she must die indeed, and
choosing of the three forms of death that which seemed to her the least
terrible, "Give me the poison, then," said she, "and may God forgive you
my death!"

With these words she took the glass, but the thick black liquid of which
it was full aroused such repulsion that she would have attempted a
last appeal; but a horrible imprecation from the abbe and a threatening
movement from his brother took from her the very last gleam of hope. She
put the glass to her lips, and murmuring once more, "God! Saviour! have
pity on me!" she swallowed the contents.

As she did so a few drops of the liquid fell upon her breast, and
instantly burned her skin like live coals; indeed, this infernal draught
was composed of arsenic and sublimate infused in aqua-fortis; then,
thinking that no more would be required of her, she dropped the glass.

The marquise was mistaken: the abbe picked it up, and observing that
all the sediment had remained at the bottom, he gathered together on a
silver bodkin all that had coagulated on the sides of the glass and all
that had sunk to the bottom, and presenting this ball, which was about
the size of a nut, to the marquise, on the end of the bodkin, he said,
"Come, madame, you must swallow the holy-water sprinkler."

The marquise opened her lips, with resignation; but instead of doing as
the abbe commanded, she kept this remainder of the poison in her mouth,
threw herself on the bed with a scream, and clasping the pillows, in
her pain, she put out the poison between the sheets, unperceived by her
assassins; and then turning back to them, folded her hands in entreaty
and said, "In the name of God, since you have killed my body, at least
do not destroy my soul, but send me a confessor."

Cruel though the abbe and the chevalier were, they were no doubt
beginning to weary of such a scene; moreover, the mortal deed was
accomplished--after what she had drunk, the marquise could live but
a few minutes; at her petition they went out, locking the door behind
them. But no sooner did the marquise find herself alone than the
possibility of flight presented itself to her. She ran to the window:
this was but twenty-two feet above the ground, but the earth below
was covered with stones and rubbish. The marquise, being only in her
nightdress, hastened to slip on a silk petticoat; but at the moment when
she finished tying it round her waist she heard a step ap