nd
there handed them over to Castaing.

When Jean arrived his master complained to him of feeling very ill.
Jean said that he hoped he would be well enough to go back to Paris the
following day, to which Auguste replied, "I don't think so. But if I am
lucky enough to get away to-morrow, I shall leave fifty francs for
the poor here." About eleven o'clock that night Castaing, in Jean's
presence, gave the sick man a spoonful of the draught prescribed by Dr.
Pigache. Four or five minutes later Auguste was seized with terrible
convulsions, followed by unconsciousness. Dr. Pigache was sent for. He
found Ballet lying on his back unconscious, his throat strained, his
mouth shut and his eyes fixed; the pulse was weak, his body covered
with cold sweat; and every now and then he was seized with strong
convulsions. The doctor asked Castaing the cause of the sudden change in
Ballet's condition. Castaing replied that it had commenced shortly after
he had taken a spoonful of the draught which the doctor had prescribed
for him. Dr. Pigache bled the patient and applied twenty leeches. He
returned about six; Ballet was sinking, and Castaing appeared to be
greatly upset. He told the doctor what an unhappy coincidence it was
that he should have been present at the deathbeds of both Hippolyte and
his brother Auguste; and that the position was the more distressing
for him as he was the sole heir to Auguste's fortune. To M. Pelletan, a
professor of medicine, who had been sent for to St. Cloud in the early
hours of Sunday morning, Castaing appeared to be in a state of great
grief and agitation; he was shedding tears. Pelletan was from the first
impressed by the suspicious nature of the case, and pointed out to
Castaing the awkwardness of his situation as heir to the dying man.
"You're right," replied Castaing, "my position is dreadful, horrible. In
my great grief I had never thought of it till now, but now you make me
see it clearly. Do you think there will be an investigation?" Pelletan
answered that he should be compelled to ask for a post-mortem. "Ah! You
will be doing me the greatest service," said Castaing, "I beg you to
insist on a post-mortem. You will be acting as a second father to me in
doing so." The parish priest was sent for to administer extreme unction
to the dying man. To the parish clerk who accompanied the priest
Castaing said, "I am losing a friend of my childhood," and both priest
and clerk went away greatly edified by the