From day to day, however, the abbe, under the pretext of reconciling the
husband and wife, became more pressing upon the matter of the will, and
the marquise, to whom this insistence seemed rather alarming, began to
experience some of her former fears. Finally, the abbe pressed her so
hard as to make her reflect that since, after the precautions which she
had taken at Avignon, a revocation could have no result, it would be
better to seem to yield rather than irritate this man, who inspired her
with so great a fear, by constant and obstinate refusals. The next time
that he returned to the subject she accordingly replied that she was
ready to offer her husband this new proof of her love if it would bring
him back to her, and having ordered a notary to be sent for, she made a
new will, in the presence of the abbe and the chevalier, and constituted
the marquis her residuary legatee. This second instrument bore date the
5th of May 1667. The abbe and the chevalier expressed the greatest joy
that this subject of discord was at last removed, and offered themselves
as guarantees, on their brother's behalf, of a better future. Some days
were passed in this hope, which a letter from the marquis came to
confirm; this letter at the same time announced his speedy return to
Ganges.

On the 16th of May; the marquise, who for a month or two had not been
well, determined to take medicine; she therefore informed the chemist of
what she wanted, and asked him to make her up something at his discretion
and send it to her the next day. Accordingly, at the agreed hour in the
morning, the draught was brought to the marquise; but it looked to her so
black and so thick that she felt some doubt of the skill of its
compounder, shut it up in a cupboard in her room without saying anything
of the matter, and took from her dressing-case some pills, of a less
efficacious nature indeed, but to which she was accustomed, and which