The Magistrate Madame, if you cannot free yourself from blame with regard to a later event, you may be charged with the crime of poisoning.  We must now proceed to seek proofs either of your innocence or of your guilt.

Gertrude
Where will you seek them?

The Magistrate
From you!  Yesterday you gave Mlle. de Grandchamp an infusion of orange
leaves, in another cup which contained arsenic.

Gertrude
Can it be possible!

The Magistrate
The day before yesterday you declared that the key of your desk, in
which the arsenic was locked, never left your possession.

Gertrude
It is in my dress pocket.

The Magistrate
Have you ever made any use of that arsenic?

Gertrude
No; you will find the parcel still sealed.

Ramel
Ah! madame, I sincerely hope so.

The Magistrate
I very much doubt it; this is one of those audacious criminals—­

Gertrude
The chamber is in disorder, permit me—­

The Magistrate
No, no!  All three of us will enter it.

Ramel
Your innocence is now at stake.

Gertrude
Gentlemen, let us go in together.

Sceneeighth

Vernon (alone)
My poor General!  He kneels by the bed of his daughter; he weeps, he
prays!  Alas!  God alone can give her back to him.

Sceneninth

Vernon, Gertrude, Ramel, the Magistrate and the Sheriff’s Officer.

Gertrude
I scarce can believe my senses; I am dreaming—­I am—­

Ramel
You are ruined, madame.

Gertrude
Yes, sir—­But by whom?

The Magistrate (to the sheriff’s officer) Write down that Madame de Grandchamp having herself unlocked for us the desk in her bedchamber and having herself given into our hands the parcel sealed by M. Baudrillon, this parcel which two days ago was intact is found unsealed and from it has been taken a dose, more than sufficient to produce death.

Gertrude
Death!—­And I?

The Magistrate Madame, it was not without reason that I took from your desk this torn piece of paper.  We have also picked up in Mlle. de Grandchamp’s chamber a piece of paper, which exactly fits to it; and this proves that when you reached your desk, in that confusion which crime always brings upon criminals, you took up this paper to wrap up the dose, which you intended to mix with the infusion.

Gertrude
You said that you were my protector!  And there, see now—­

The Magistrate Give me your attention, madame.  In face of such suspicions, I feel I shall have to change the writ of summons into a writ of bail or imprisonment. (He signs the document.) And now, madame, you must consider yourself under arrest.

Gertrude Of course, I will do all that you wish!  But you told me that your mission was to search for the truth—­Ah!  Let us search for it here—­Let us search for it here!