On the 10th of June M.Bidard gave Helene definite notice.It was to take effect on St John's Day.At his evening meal he was served with a roast and some green peas.These last he did not touch.In spite of his prohibition against her serving at table, it was Helene who brought the peas in.How's this?'' she said to him.You haven't eaten your greenpeas--and them so good!'' Saying this, she snatched up the dish and carried it to the kitchen.Rosalie ate some of the peas.No sooner had she taken a few spoonfuls, however, than she grew sick, and presently was seized by vomiting.Helene took no supper.She said she was out of sorts and wanted none.
The witness did not hear of these facts until next day.He wanted to see the remainder of the peas, but they could not be found.Rosalie still kept being sick, and he bade her go and see his doctor, M.Boudin.Helene, on a sudden amiable to Rosalie where she had been sulky, offered to go with her.Dr Boudin prescribed an emetic, which produced good effects.
On the 15th of June Rosalie seemed to have recovered.In the meantime a cook presented herself at his house to be engaged in place of Helene.The latter was acquainted with the new-comer.A vegetable soup had been prescribed for Rosalie, and this Helene prepared.The convalescent ate some, and at once fell prey to violent sickness.That same day Helene came in search of the witness.You're never going to dismiss me for that young girl?'' she demanded angrily.M.Bidard relented.He said that if she would promise to keep the peace with Rosalie he would let her stay on.Helene seemed to be satisfied, and behaved better to Rosalie, who began to mend again.
M.Bidard went into the country on the 21st of June, taking Rosalie with him.They returned on the 22nd.The witness himself went to the pharmacy to get a final purgative of Epsom salts, which had been ordered for Rosalie by the doctor.This the witness himself divided into three portions, each of which he dissolved in separate glasses of whey prepared by Helene.The witness administered the first dose.Helene gave the last.The invalid vomited it.She was extremely ill on the night of the 22nd-23rd, and Helene returned to misgivings about the skill of the doctors.She kept repeating, Ah! Rosalie will die! I tell you she will die!'' On the day of the 23rd she openly railed against them.M.Boudin had prescribed leeches and blisters.Look at that now, monsieur,'' Helene said to the witness.To-morrow's Rosalie's name-day, and they're going to put leeches on her!'' Rather disturbed, M.Bidard wroteto Dr Pinault, who came next day and gave the treatment his approval.
Dr Boudin had said the invalid might have gooseberry syrup with seltzer water.Two glasses of the mixture given to Rosalie by her mother seemed to do the girl good, but after the third glass she did not want any more.Helene had given her this third glass.The invalid said to the witness, I don't know what Helene has put into my drink, but it burns me like red-hot iron.''
Struck by those symptoms,'' added M.Bidard, I questioned Helene at once.It has not been given me more than twice in my life to see Helene's eyes.I saw at that moment the look she flung at Rosalie.It was the look of a wild beast, a tiger-cat.At that moment my impulse was to go to my work-room for a cord, and to tie her up and drag her to the justiciary.But one reflection stopped me.What was this I was about to do--disgrace a woman on a mere suspicion? I hesitated.I did not know whether I had before me a poisoner or a woman of admirable devotion.''
The witness enlarged on the tortures of mind he experienced during the night, but said he found reason to congratulate himself on not having given way to his first impulse.On the morning of the 24th Helene came running to him, all happiness, to say that Rosalie was better.
Three days later Rosalie seemed to be nearly well, so much so that M.Bidard felt he might safely go into the country.Next day, however, he was shocked by the news that Rosalie was as ill as ever.He hastened to return to Rennes.
On the night of the 28th-29th the sickness continued with intensity.Every two hours the invalid was given calming medicine prescribed by Dr Boudin.Each time the sickness redoubled in violence.Believing it was a case of worms, the witness got out of bed, and substituted for the medicine a strong infusion of garlic.This stopped the sickness temporarily.At six in the morning it began again.
The witness then ran to Dr Pinault's, but met the doctor in the street with his confrere, Dr Guyot.To the two doctors M.Bidard expressed the opinion that there were either worms in the intestines or else the case was one of poisoning.I have thought that,'' said Dr Pinault, remembering the case of the other girl.''The doctors went back with M.Bidard to hishouse.Magnesia was administered in a strong dose.The vomiting stopped.But it was too late.
Until that day the witness's orders that the ejected matter from the invalid should be conserved had been ignored.The moment a vessel was dirty Helene took it away and cleaned it.But now the witness took the vessels himself, and locked them up in a cupboard for which he alone had the key.His action seemed to disturb Helene Jegado.From this he judged that she had intended destroying the poison she had administered.
From that time Rosalie was put into the care of her mother and a nurse.Helene tried hard to be rid of the two women, accusing them of tippling to the neglect of the invalid.I will sit up with her,'' she said to the witness.The witness did not want her to do so, but he could not prevent her joining the mother.
