she might gain the intercession of the Virgin at the
throne of God. The Virgin she had always taken for her patron saint, and
in the midst of her crimes and disorderly life had never ceased in her
peculiar devotion. As she could not go with the priest, she promised to
be with him at least in the spirit. He left her at half-past ten in the
morning, and after four hours spent alone together, she had been induced
by his piety and gentleness to make confessions that could not be wrung
from her by the threats of the judges or the fear of the question.
The holy and devout priest said his mass, praying the Lord's help for
confessor and penitent alike. After mass, as he returned, he learned
from a librarian called Seney, at the porter's lodge, as he was taking
a glass of wine, that judgment had been given, and that Madame de
Brinvilliers was to have her hand cut off. This severity--as a fact,
there was a mitigation of the sentence--made him feel yet more interest
in his penitent, and he hastened back to her side.

As soon as she saw the door open, she advanced calmly towards him, and
asked if he had truly prayed for her; and when he assured her of
this, she said, "Father, shall I have the consolation of receiving the
viaticum before I die?"

"Madame," replied the doctor, "if you are condemned to death, you must
die without that sacrament, and I should be deceiving you if I let you
hope for it. We have heard of the death of the constable of Saint-Paul
without his obtaining this grace, in spite of all his entreaties. He
was executed in sight of the towers of Notre-Dame. He offered his own
prayer, as you may offer yours, if you suffer the same fate. But that is
all: God, in His goodness, allows it to suffice."

"But," replied the marquise, "I believe M. de Cinq-Mars and M. de Thou
communicated before their death."

"I think not, madame," said the doctor; "for it is not so said in the
pages of Montresor or any other book that describes their execution."

"But M. de Montmorency?" said she.

"But M. de Marillac?" replied the doctor.

In truth, if the favour had been granted to the first, it had been
refused to the second, and the marquise was specially struck thereby,
for M. de Marillac was of her own family, and she was very proud of the
connection. No doubt she was unaware that M. de Rohan had received the
sacrament at the midnight mass said for the salvation of his soul
by Father Bourdaloue, for she said nothing about it,