The doctors Quesnay and la Martiniere were
introduced, and desired to make known the result of their operations.
My newly-arrived guests, who as yet understood nothing of what
was going on, were struck with astonishment at hearing it said,
that the four bottles of orange-flower water contained a
considerable proportion of a most active poison, of which a few
drops would be sufficient to cause instantaneous death. Having
thus executed their commission, the medical gentlemen bowed
and retired.
M. d'Aiguillon then explained to my wondering friends the horrible
affair which had occasioned their being sent for so hastily. I
cannot tell you what effect this disclosure produced on M. de la
Vrilliere or M. de Maupeou, my whole attention being fixed upon
M. de Sartines. You may suppose that a lieutenant of police,
particularly one who piqued himself upon knowing every thing,
could not feel very much at his ease, when each word that was
uttered convicted him either of incapacity or negligence. His
brow became contracted, he hemmed, choked, fidgeted about, and
appeared as though he would have given every thing in the world f
or liberty to justify himself, but etiquette forbade it, and he
was only permitted to speak after the secretaries of state then
present, or if called upon by either of them.
When M. d'Aiguillon had ceased speaking, the chancellor in his
turn took up the conversation.
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