"
"You never went to visit her?"
"Excuse me. I have gone there to see her many times, but I remained only
a few minutes. Madame Gerdy, who has often seen her, and to whom she
talked of all her affairs, could have enlightened you much better than
I."
"But," said the magistrate, "I expect shortly to see Madame Gerdy here;
she, too, must have received a summons."
"I know it, sir, but it is impossible for her to appear. She is ill in
bed."
"Seriously?"
"So seriously that you will be obliged, I think, to give up all hope of
her testimony. She is attacked with a disease which, in the words of my
friend, Dr. Herve, never forgives. It is something like inflammation of
the brain, if I am not mistaken. It may be that her life will be saved,
but she will never recover her reason. If she does not die, she will be
insane."
M. Daburon appeared greatly vexed. "This is very annoying," he muttered.
"And you think, my dear sir, that it will be impossible to obtain any
information from her?"
"It is useless even to hope for it. She has completely lost her reason.
She was, when I left her, in such a state of utter prostration that I
fear she can not live through the day.
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