r formed an important part
of the evidence against him. Again, the evidence of Goupil, his fellow
prisoner, as to the incriminating statements made to him by Castaing is
given in the Act of Accusation, but Goupil himself was not called at the
trial.

During the reading of the Act of Accusation by the Clerk of the Court
Castaing listened calmly. Only when some allusion was made to his
mistress and their children did he betray any sign of emotion. As soon
as the actual facts of the case were set out he was all attention,
making notes busily. He is described as rather attractive in appearance,
his face long, his features regular, his forehead high, his hair,
fair in colour, brushed back from the brows; he wore rather large
side-whiskers. One of the witnesses at Saint Cloud said that Castaing
looked more like a priest than a doctor; his downcast eyes, gentle
voice, quiet and unassuming demeanour, lent him an air of patience and
humility.

The interrogatory of Castaing by the presiding judge lasted all the
afternoon of the first day of the trial and the morning of the second.
The opening part of it dealt with the murder of Hippolyte Ballet,
and elicited little or nothing that was fresh. Beyond the purchase
of acetate of morphia previous to Hippolyte's death, which Castaing
reluctantly admitted, there was no serious evidence against him, and
before the end of the trial the prosecution abandoned that part of the
charge.

Questioned by the President as to the destruction of Hippolyte Ballet's
will, Castaing admitted that he had seen a draft of a will executed by
Hippolyte in favour of his sister, but he denied having told Auguste
that Lebret had in his possession a copy which he was prepared to
destroy for 100,000 francs. Asked to explain the assertion of Mlle.
Percillie, Auguste's mistress, that statements to this effect had been
made in her presence by both Auguste Ballet and himself, he said that it
was not true; that he had never been to her house. "What motive," he was
asked, "could Mlle. Percillie have for accusing you?" "She hated me,"
was the reply, "because I had tried to separate Auguste from her."
Castaing denied that he had driven with Auguste to Lebret's office on
October 8. Asked to explain his sudden possession of 100,000 francs at a
moment when he was apparently without a penny, he repeated his statement
that Auguste had given him the capital sum as an equivalent for an
income of 4,000 francs which his broth