第52章 ARSENIC A LA BRETONNE(9)

On Sunday, the 3rd of November, 1850, M.Bidard, who had been in the country, returned to Rennes.After dinner that day, a meal which she had taken in common with Helene, Rose was seized with violent sickness.Helene lavished on her the most motherly attention.She made tea, and sat up the night with the invalid.In the morning, though she still felt ill, Rose got up.Helene made tea for her again.Rose once more was sick, violently, and her sickness endured until the witness himself had administered copious draughts of tea prepared by himself.Rose passed a fairly good night, and Dr Pinault, who was called in, saw nothing more in the sickness than some nervous affection.But on the day of the 5th the vomitings returned.Helene exclaimed, The doctors do not understand the disease.Rose is going to die!'' The prediction seemed foolish as far as immediate appearances were concemed, for Rose had an excellent pulse and no trace of fever.

In the night between Tuesday and Wednesday the patient was calm, but on the morning of Wednesday she had vomitings with intense stomach pains.From this time on, said the witness, the life of Rose, which was to last only thirty-six hours, was nothing but a long-drawn and heart-rending cry of agony.She drew her last breath on the Thursday evening at half- past five.During her whole illness, added M.Bidard, Rose was attended by none save Helene and himself.

Rose's mother came.In Rose the poor woman had lost a beloved child and her sole support.She was prostrated.Helene's grief seemed to equal the mother's.Tears were ever in her eyes, and her voice trembled.Her expressions of regret almost seemed to be exaggerated.

There was a moment when the witness had his doubts.It was on the way back from the cemetery.For a fleeting instant he thought that the shaking of Helene's body was more from glee than sorrow, and hemomentarily accused her in his mind of hypocrisy.But in the following days Helene did nothing but talk of that poor Rose,'' and M.Bidard, before her persistence, could only believe he had been mistaken.Ah!'' Helene said.I loved her as I did that poor girl who died in the Bout-du- Monde.''

The witness wanted to find some one to take Rose's place.Helene tried to dissuade him.Never mind another femme de chambre,'' she said.I will do everything.'' M.Bidard contented himself with engaging another girl, Francoise Huriaux, strong neither in intelligence nor will, but nevertheless a sweet little creature.Not many days passed before Helene began to make the girl unhappy.It's a lazy-bones,'' Helene told the witness.She does not earn her keep.'' (Le pain qu'elle mange, elle le vole.'') M.Bidard shut her up.That was his affair, he said.

Francoise meantime conceived a fear of Helene.She was so scared of the older woman that she obeyed all her orders without resistance.The witness, going into the kitchen one day, found Helene eating her soup at one end of the table, while Francoise dealt with hers at the other extreme.He told Helene that in future she was to serve the repast in common, on a tablecloth, and that it was to include dessert from his table.This order seemed to vex Helene extremely.That girl seems to live without eating,'' she said, and she never seems to sleep.''

One day the witness noticed that the hands and face of Francoise were puffy.He spoke to Helene about it, who became angry.She accused her companion of getting up in the night to make tea, so wasting the sugar, and she swore she would lock the sugar up.M.Bidard told her to do nothing of the sort.He said if Francoise had need of sugar she was to have it.All right--I see,'' Helene replied sullenly, obviously put out.

The swelling M.Bidard had seen in the face and hands of Francoise attacked her legs, and all service became impossible for the girl.The witness was obliged to entrust Helene with the job of finding another chambermaid.It was then that she brought Rosalie Sarrazin to him.

A very good girl,'' she said.If her dress is poor it is because she gives everything to her mother.''

The words, M.Bidard commented, were said by Helene with remarkable sincerity.It was said that Helene had no moral sense.It seemed to him, from her expressions regarding that poor girl, who, like herself, devoted herself to her mother, that Helene was far from lacking in that quality.

Engaging Rosalie, the witness said to his new domestic, You will find yourself dealing with a difficult companion.Do not let her be insolent to you.You must assert yourself from the start.I do not want Helene to rule you as she ruled Francoise.'' At the same time he repeated his order regarding the service of the kitchen meals.Helene manifested a sullen opposition.Who ever heard of tablecloths for the servants?'' she said.It is ridiculous!''

In the first days the tenderness between Helene and the new girl was quite touching.But circumstance arose to end the harmony.Rosalie could write.On the 23rd of May the witness told Helene that he would like her to give him an account of expenses.The request made Helene angry, and increased her spite against the more educated Rosalie.Helene attempting to order Rosalie about, the latter laughingly told her, M.Bidard pays me to obey him.If I have to obey you also you'll have to pay me too.'' From that time Helene conceived an aversion from the girl.

About the time when Helene began to be sour to Rosalie she herself was seized by vomitings.She complained to Mlle Bidard, a cousin of the witness, that Rosalie neglected her.But when the latter went up to her room Helene yelled at her, Get out, you ugly brute! In you I've brought into the house a stick for my own back!''

This sort of quarrelling went on without ceasing.At the beginning of June the witness said to Helene, If this continues you'll have to look for another place.'' That's it!'' Helene yelled, in reply.Because of that girl I'll have to go!''