led, a 'paraphernal'
estate that is to say that, falling in, after marriage? it was not
included in the dowry brought by the wife, and that she could
dispose freely both of the capital and the income, which might not be
administered even by her husband without a power of attorney, and of
which she could dispose at pleasure, by donation or by will. And in
fact, a few days after the marquise had entered into possession of her
grandfather's estate, her husband and his brothers learned that she had
sent for a notary in order to be instructed as to her rights. This step
betokened an intention of separating this inheritance from the common
property of the marriage; for the behaviour of the marquis towards his
wife--of which within himself he often recognised the injustice--left
him little hope of any other explanation.

About this time a strange event happened. At a dinner given by the
marquise, a cream was served at dessert: all those who partook of this
cream were ill; the marquis and his two brothers, who had not touched
it, felt no evil effects. The remainder of this cream, which was
suspected of having caused illness to the guests, and particularly to
the marquise, who had taken of it twice, was analysed, and the presence
of arsenic in it demonstrated. Only, having been mixed with milk, which
is its antidote, the poison had lost some of its power, and had produced
but half the expected effect. As no serious disaster had followed this
occurrence, the blame was thrown upon a servant, who was said to have
mistaken arsenic for sugar, and everybody forgot it, or appeared to
forget it.

The marquis, however, seemed to be gradually and naturally drawing
nearer again to his wife; but this time Madame de Ganges was not
deceived by his returning kindness. There, as in his alienation, she saw
the selfish hand of the abbe: he had persuaded his brother that seven
hundred thousand livres more in the house would make it worth while
to overlook some levities of behaviour; and the marquis, obeying the
impulse given, was trying, by kind dealing, to oppose his wife's still
unsettled intention of making a will.

Towards the autumn there was talk of going to spend that season at
Ganges, a little town situated in Lower Languedoc, in the diocese of
Montpellier, seven leagues from that town, and nineteen from Avignon.
Although this was natural enough, since the marquis was lord of the town
and had a castle there, the marquise was seized by a