profoundest suspicions of his guilt.

Blassemare instantly tendered his evidence, and in the course of it was
forced to make disclosures very little creditable to himself. The old
woman, Gertrude Peltier, who resided in the house, and had attended upon
Lucille, was also examined, and a servant named St. Jean, a sort of
groom, who had been a long time in Le Prun's service, also deposed to
some important facts. This evidence, collected and reduced to a
narrative form, was to the following effect:--

It seemed that, about twenty-four years before, Le Prun had privately
married an actress of the Theatre ----, named Emilie Guadin. They had
lived together--not very happily--by reason, as was supposed, of her
violent temper. Her sister, Marie Guadin, resided with them. After about
four years it began to be rumored that Monsieur Le Prun was about to be
married to the widow of an immensely rich merchant of Bourdeaux. The
strict privacy and isolation in which his wife and her sister were
compelled by him to live, prevented the rumor from reaching them, and
the circumstance of his existing marriage had been kept so strict a
secret, that it was not suspected by any but the immediate parties to
the ceremony.

Monsieur Le Prun, about this time, visited the country-seat where he had
placed his wife and sister-in-law. He affected an unusual kindness
towards the former; but he had not been there a week, when she became
ill. A physician was called in, and appeared perplexed by the nature of
her disease, which, notwithstanding his treatment, seemed to be rapidly
gaining ground. As matters were in this state, one night Le Prun entered
his wife's bedroom; her sister Marie was sitting at the further side of
the bed, in the shadow of the curtains, which, as well as the unusual
hour, prevented Le Prun's suspecting her presence. He looked stealthily
round the room. His wife was sleeping, and with her face away from him,
and a draught ordered by the physician was upon the table waiting her
awaking.

From a small vial he dropped some fluid into this, and was about to
replace it, when Marie, nerved with terror, glided swiftly to his side,
snatched the vial from his hand, and cried, in a thrilling voice--

"Emilie, awake! he is poisoning you!"

The sleeping girl started up, and at the same moment the vial, which in
her horror Marie had flung from her hand, fell beside her, on the
pillow. Le Prun was first confounded and speechless--then furio