t that he was Dr. Castaing
himself. An hour later Castaing arrived at the shop of another chemist,
Chevalier, with whom he had already some acquaintance; he had bought
acetate of morphia from him some months before, and had discussed with
him then the effects of vegetable poisons. On this particular morning he
bought of his assistant thirty-six grains of acetate of morphia, paying,
as a medical man, three francs fifty centimes for it instead of the
usual price of four francs. Later in the morning Castaing returned to
Saint Cloud, a distance of ten miles from Paris, and said that he had
been out for a long walk. He found Auguste ill in bed. Castaing asked
for some cold milk, which was taken up to the bedroom by one of the
servants. Shortly after this Castaing went out again. During his absence
Auguste was seized with violent pains and sickness. When Castaing
returned he found his friend in the care of the people of the hotel. He
told them to throw away the matter that had been vomited, as the smell
was offensive, and Auguste told them to do as his friend directed.
Castaing proposed to send for a doctor from Paris, but Auguste insisted
that a local doctor should be called in at once.

Accordingly Dr. Pigache of Saint Cloud was summoned. He arrived at the
hotel about eleven o'clock. Before seeing the patient Castaing told the
doctor that he believed him to be suffering from cholera. Pigache asked
to see the matter vomited but was told that it had been thrown away. He
prescribed a careful diet, lemonade and a soothing draught.

Dr. Pigache returned at three o'clock, when he found that the patient
had taken some lemonade, but, according to Castaing, had refused to take
the draught. He called again that afternoon. Ballet was much better;
he said that he would be quite well if he could get some sleep, and
expressed a wish to return to Paris. Dr. Pigache dissuaded him from this
and left, saying that he would come again in the evening. Castaing said
that that would be unnecessary, and it was agreed that Pigache should
see the patient again at eight o'clock the next morning. During the
afternoon Castaing sent a letter to Paris to Jean, Auguste's negro
servant, telling him to take the two keys of his master's desk to his
cousin Malassis. But the negro distrusted Castaing. He knew of the will
which his master had made in the doctor's favour. Rather than compromise
himself by any injudicious act, he brought the keys to Saint Cloud a