retired. Half an hour later Lachaussee begged that he
might return, and said that he was guilty; that Sainte-Croix told him
that Madame de Brinvilliers had given him the poison to administer to her
brothers; that he had done it in water and soup, had put the reddish
water in the lieutenant's glass in Paris, and the clear water in the pie
at Villequoy; that Sainte-Croix had promised to keep him always, and to
make him a gift of 100 pistolets; that he gave him an account of the
effect of the poisons, and that Sainte-Croix had given him some of the
waters several times. Sainte-Croix told him that the marquise knew
nothing of his other poisonings, but Lachaussee thought she did know,
because she had often spoken to him about his poisons; that she wanted to
compel him to go away, offering him money if he would go; that she had
asked him for the box and its contents; that if Sainte-Croix had been
able to put anyone into the service of Madame d'Aubray, the lieutenant's
widow, he would possibly have had her poisoned also; for he had a fancy
for her daughter."

This declaration, which left no room for doubt, led to the judgment that
came next, thus described in the Parliamentary register: "Report of the
question and execution on the 24th of March 1673, containing the
declarations and confessions of Jean Amelin Lachaussee; the court has
ordered that the persons mentioned, Belleguise, Martin, Poitevin,
Olivier, Veron pere, the wife of Quesdon the wigmaker, be summoned to
appear before the court to be interrogated and heard concerning matters
arising from the present inquiry, and orders that the decree of arrest
against Lapierre and summons against Penautier decreed by the criminal
lieutenant shall be carried out. In Parliament, 27th March 1673." In
virtue of this judgment, Penautier, Martin, and Belleguise were
interrogated on the 21st, 22nd, and 24th of April. On the 26th of July,
Penautier was discharged; fuller information was desired concerning
Belleguise, and the arrest of Martin was ordered. On the 24th of March,
Lachaussee had been broken on the wheel. As to Exili, the beginner of it
all, he had disappeared like Mephistopheles after Faust's end, and
nothing was heard of him. Towards the end of the year Martin was
released for want of sufficient evidence. But the Marquise de
Brinvilliers remained at Liege, and although she was shut up in a convent
she had by no means abandoned one, at any rate, of the most worldly
ple