hat ripe and spirited eloquence could effect, to soften La
Regnie's hard heart. In the course of a few hours La Regnie replied
that he was heartily glad to learn that Olivier Brusson had justified
himself so completely in the eyes of his noble and honoured
protectress. As for Olivier's heroic resolve to carry with him into the
grave a secret that had an important bearing upon the crime under
investigation, he was sorry to say that the _Chambre Ardente_ could not
respect such heroic courage, but would rather be compelled to adopt the
strongest means to break it. At the end of three days he hoped to be in
possession of this extraordinary secret, which it might be presumed
would bring wonders to light.

De Scuderi knew only too well what those means were by which the savage
La Regnie intended to break Brusson's heroic constancy. She was now
sure that the unfortunate was threatened with the rack. In her
desperate anxiety it at length occurred to her that the advice of a
doctor of the law would be useful, if only to effectuate a postponement
of the torture. The most renowned advocate in Paris at that time was
Pierre Amaud d'Andilly; and his sound knowledge and liberal mind were
only to be compared to his virtue and his sterling honesty. To him,
therefore, De Scuderi had recourse, and she told him all, so far as she
could, without violating Brusson's secret She expected that D'Andilly
would take up the cause of the innocent man with zeal, but she found
her hopes most bitterly deceived. The lawyer listened calmly to all she
had to say, and then replied in Boileau's words, smiling as he did so,
"_Le vrai peut quelque fois n'etre pas vraisemblable_" (Sometimes truth
wears an improbable garb). He showed De Scuderi that there were most
noteworthy grounds for suspicion against Brusson, that La Regnie's
proceedings could neither be called cruel nor yet hurried, rather they
were perfectly within the law--nay, that he could not act otherwise
without detriment to his duties as judge. He himself did not see his
way to saving Brusson from torture, even by the cleverest defence.
Nobody but Brusson himself could avert it, either by a candid
confession or at least by a most detailed account of all the
circumstances attending Cardillac's murder, and this might then perhaps
furnish grounds for instituting fresh inquiries. "Then I will throw
myself at the king's feet and pray for mercy," said De Scuderi,
distracted, her voice half choked by te