the young priest-like doctor the ordeal of his trial was a severe
one. It lasted eight days. It was only at midday on the sixth day that
the evidence was concluded. Not only was Castaing compelled to submit to
a long interrogatory by the President, but, after each witness had given
his or her evidence, the prisoner was called on to refute or explain any
points unfavourable to him. This he did briefly, with varying success;
as the trial went on, with increasing embarrassment. A great deal of
the evidence given against Castaing was hearsay, and would have been
inadmissible in an English court of justice. Statements made by Auguste
to other persons about Castaing were freely admitted. But more serious
was the evidence of Mlle. Percillie, Auguste's mistress. She swore that
on one occasion in her presence Castaing had reproached Auguste with
ingratitude; he had complained that he had destroyed one copy of
Hippolyte Ballet's will, and for Auguste's sake had procured the
destruction of the other, and that yet, in spite of all this, Auguste
hesitated to entrust him with 100,000 francs. Asked what he had to say
to this statement Castaing denied its truth. He had, he said, only been
in Mlle. Percillie's house once, and then not with Auguste Ballet. Mlle.
Percillie adhered to the truth of her evidence, and the President left
it to the jury to decide between them.

A Mme. Durand, a patient of Castaing, gave some curious evidence as to
a story told her by the young doctor. He said that a friend of his,
suffering from lung disease, had been persuaded into making a will in
his sister's favour. The sister had offered a bribe of 80,000 francs to
her brother's lawyer to persuade him to make such a will, and paid one
of his clerks 3,000 francs for drawing it up. Castaing, in his friend's
interest, and in order to expose the fraud, invited the clerk to come
and see him. His friend, hidden in an alcove in the room, overheard the
conversation between Castaing and the clerk, and so learnt the details
of his sister's intrigue. He at once destroyed the will and became
reconciled with his brother, whom he had been about to disinherit. After
his death the brother, out of gratitude, had given Castaing 100,000
francs.

President: Castaing, did you tell this story to Mme. Durand?

Castaing: I don't recollect.

Avocat-General: But Mme. Durand says that you did.

Castaing: I don't recollect.

President: You always say that you don't recollect; t