e."

"Precisely," replied M. Daburon. Then, calling to mind his promise to
old Tabaret, he added, "If justice has summoned you so promptly, it
is because we have found your name often mentioned in Widow Lerouge's
papers."

"I am not surprised at that," replied the advocate: "we were greatly
interested in that poor woman, who was my nurse; and I know that Madame
Gerdy wrote to her frequently."

"Very well; then you can give me some information about her."

"I fear, sir, that it will be very incomplete. I know very little about
this poor old Madame Lerouge. I was taken from her at a very early
age; and, since I have been a man, I have thought but little about her,
except to send her occasionally a little aid."

"You never went to visit her?"

"Excuse me. I have gone there to see her many times, but I remained only
a few minutes. Madame Gerdy, who has often seen her, and to whom she
talked of all her affairs, could have enlightened you much better than
I."

"But," said the magistrate, "I expect shortly to see Madame Gerdy here;
she, too, must have received a summons."

"I know it, sir, but it is impossible for her to appear. She is ill in
bed."

"Seriously?"

"So seriously that you will be obliged, I think, to give up all hope of
her testimony. She is attacked with a disease which, in the words of my
friend, Dr. Herve, never forgives. It is something like inflammation of
the brain, if I am not mistaken. It may be that her life will be saved,
but she will never recover her reason. If she does not die, she will be
insane."

M. Daburon appeared greatly vexed. "This is very annoying," he muttered.
"And you think, my dear sir, that it will be impossible to obtain any
information from her?"

"It is useless even to hope for it. She has completely lost her reason.
She was, when I left her, in such a state of utter prostration that I
fear she can not live through the day."

"And when was she attacked by this illness?"

"Yesterday evening."

"Suddenly?"

"Yes, sir; at least, apparently so, though I myself think she has been
unwell for the last three weeks at least. Yesterday, however, on rising
from dinner, after having eaten but little, she took up a newspaper;
and, by a most unfortunate hazard, her eyes fell exactly upon the lines
which gave an account of this crime. She at once uttered a loud cry,
fell back in her chair, and thence slipped to the floor, murmuring, 'Oh,
the unhappy man, the unhappy man!'"