"No, no, friend," replied the doctor, "you will soon cease to suffer."
"Ah! I understand you," said the unhappy man. "My God, have mercy upon me!" And, uttering a fearful cry, Barrois fell back as if he had been struck by lightning.
D'Avrigny put his hand to his heart, and placed a glass before his lips.
"Well?" said Villefort.
"Go to the kitchen, and get me some syrup of violets."
Villefort went immediately.
"Do not be alarmed, M. Noirtier," said d'Avrigny, "I am going to take my patient into the next room to bleed him; this sort of attack is very frightful to witness."
And, taking Barrois under the arms, he dragged him into an adjoining room; but almost immediately, he returned to fetch the remainder of the lemonade. Noirtier closed his right eye.
"You want Valentine, do you not? I will tell them to send her to you."
Villefort returned, and d'Avrigny met him in the passage.
"Well, how is he now?" asked he.
"Come in here," said d'Avrigny; and he took him into the chamber where the sick man lay.
"Is he still in a fit?" said the procureur du roi.
"He is dead."
Villefort drew back a few steps, and, clasping his hands, exclaimed, with real amazement and sympathy, "Dead! and so soon, too!"
"Yes, it is very soon!" said the doctor, looking at the corpse before him; "but that ought not to astonish you; M. and Mme. de Saint-Méran died as soon. People die very suddenly in your house, M. de Villefort."
"What!" cried the magistrate, with an accent of horror and consternation, "are you still harping on that terrible idea?"
"Still, sir; and I shall always do so," replied d'Avrigny, "for it has never for one instant ceased to retain possession of my mind; and that you may be quite sure I am not mistaken this time, listen well to what I am going to say, M. de Villefort."
The magistrate trembled convulsively.
"There is a poison which destroys life almost without leaving any perceptible traces. I know it well; I have studied it in all its qualities and in the effects which it produces. I recognized the presence of this poison in the case of poor Barrois as well as in that of Madame de Saint-Méran. There is a way of detecting its presence. It restores the blue color of litmus-paper reddened by an acid, and it turns syrup of violets
