el frightened. Sainte-Croix, always
in the gay world, encountered the talk in drawing-rooms, and began
to feel a little uneasy. True, no suspicion pointed as yet in his
direction; but it was as well to take precautions, and Sainte-Croix
began to consider how he could be freed from anxiety. There was a
post in the king's service soon to be vacant, which would cost 100,000
crowns; and although Sainte-Croix had no apparent means, it was
rumoured that he was about to purchase it. He first addressed himself
to Belleguise to treat about this affair with Penautier. There was some
difficulty, however, to be encountered in this quarter. The sum was a
large one, and Penautier no longer required help; he had already come
into all the inheritance he looked for, and so he tried to throw cold
water on the project.

Sainte-Croix thus wrote to Belleguise:

"DEAR FRIEND,--Is it possible that you need any more talking to about
the matter you know of, so important as it is, and, maybe, able to give
us peace and quiet for the rest of our days! I really think the devil
must be in it, or else you simply will not be sensible: do show your
common sense, my good man, and look at it from all points of view; take
it at its very worst, and you still ought to feel bound to serve me,
seeing how I have made everything all right for you: all our interests
are together in this matter. Do help me, I beg of you; you may feel
sure I shall be deeply grateful, and you will never before have acted so
agreeably both for me and for yourself. You know quite enough about it,
for I have not spoken so openly even to my own brother as I have to you.
If you can come this afternoon, I shall be either at the house or quite
near at hand, you know where I mean, or I will expect you tomorrow
morning, or I will come and find you, according to what you
reply.--Always yours with all my heart."

The house meant by Sainte-Croix was in the rue des Bernardins, and the
place near at hand where he was to wait for Belleguise was the room
he leased from the widow Brunet, in the blind alley out of the Place
Maubert. It was in this room and at the apothecary Glazer's that
Sainte-Croix made his experiments; but in accordance with poetical
justice, the manipulation of the poisons proved fatal to the workers
themselves. The apothecary fell ill and died; Martin was attacked by
fearful sickness, which brought, him to death's door. Sainte-Croix was
unwell, and could not even go out, tho