h; that she was mistaken in
trusting him; and other evil things not fitting to be repeated, which
the wife withstood, enjoining Dumesnil not to use such language again,
as should he do so she would repeat it to her husband; but Dumesnil,
persevering, on divers occasions when St. Aignan had absented himself,
gave the wife of the latter to understand that he (St. Aignan) was dead,
devising proofs thereof and conjectures, and thinking that by this means
he would win her favour and countenance. But she still resisted him,
which seeing, the said Dumesnil gave her to understand that St. Aignan
would often absent himself, and that she would be happier if she had a
husband who remained with her. And plotting to compass the death of
the said St. Aignan, Dumesnil gave her to understand that if she would
consent to the death of her husband he would marry her; and, in fact,
he promised to marry her. And whereas she still refused to consent, the
said Dumesnil found a means to gain a servant woman of the house,
who, St. Aignan being absent and his wife in bed, opened the door to
Dumesnil, who compelled the said wife to let him lie with her. And
thenceforward Dumesnil made divers presents to the servant woman, so
that she should poison the said suppliant; and she consented to his
face; but at Easter confessed the matter to St. Aignan, entreating his
forgiveness, and also saying and declaring it to the neighbours. And
the said Dumesnil, knowing that he would incur blame and reproach if the
matter were brought forward, seized and abducted the said servant woman
in all diligence, and took her away from the town, whereby a scandal was
occasioned.
"Moreover, it would appear that the said Dumesnil had been found several
times by night watching the gardens and the door in view of slaying St.
Aignan, as is notorious in Alencon, by virtue of the admission of the
said Dumesnil himself. Whereupon St. Aignan, seeing his wife thus made
the subject of scandal by Dumesnil, enjoined him to abstain from coming
to his house to see his wife, and to consider the outrage and injury he
had already inflicted upon him; declaring moreover that he could endure
no more. To which Dumesnil refused to listen, declaring that he would
frequent the house in spite of every one; albeit, in doing so, he might
come by his death. Thereupon St. Aignan, being acquainted with the
evil obstinacy of Dumesnil and desirous of avoiding greater misfortune,
departed from the town
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