Messengers of Evil

ng paper La Capitale published the f

whose generous patroness she was, has been found dead in the studio of the ceramic painter, Jacques Dollon. The young painter, rendered completely helpless by a soporific, lay stretched out beside her when the

olice, in the course of which he made remarks of so suspicious a nature that the examining magistrate put him under arrest then and there. At police headquarters they are absol

overy of

ttending to her customary duties. She had been on the premises about half an hour, and, so far, had not noticed anything abnormal; however, astonished at not hearing any movements on the floor above, for the painter generally rose pretty early, Madame Béju deci

in the studio: a

om, on the floor, lay the inanimate form of a person whom Madame Béju knew well, for she had seen her at the painter's house many a tim

de of these two persons, she realised th

n a state of ferment: house porters, neighbours, male and female, crowded round Madame Béju, endeavouring to un

he studio door; from that standpoint, a rapid glance round enabled them to get a clear idea of the truth of the housekeeper's sta

e must be informed!' c

ame Béju, exerted herself to keep out the people of the neighbourhood w

e Nu

situated at number 47. It is separated from the street by a strong iron gate, the porter's lodge being at the side. The Close consists of a series of little dwellings, separated by wooden

eur Jacques Dollon, then a student at the Fine Arts School. It has been continuously occupied by the tenant and his sister, Miss Elizabeth Dollon, who has kept house for her brother

rs to be beyond criticism. The artist has led a regular and hard-worki

attached to her brother. In that very Bohemian neighbourhood sh

ather showy colours; she was considered eccentric, but was also known to be good and generous. She took a particular interest in the Dollons, whose family, so it was said, she h

Verifi

of the Clignancourt Quarter, appeared at the entrance to the Close. Accompanied by his secretary, he at once entered Number 6, charging

n terror-struck by the dreadful spectacle which had met her eyes there. When she entered with the superintendent of police nothing had been altered. Madame de Vibray, horribly pale, her

ed by heavy furniture dragged over the waxed boards of the flooring. A pungent medicinal odour caugh

,' was his order. After casting an observant e

ate of diso

egular in their habits, especially the young lady. It is true that she has been absent for nearly a month, b

Dollon have

come in; and then there was that poor lady lying there

s Doll

endent of police pointed out to this Dr. Mayran the two inanimate figures. A glance of the doctor's trained eye sufficed to

a bed or a table?' he asked. 'It see

Madame Béju. 'Oh, heavens above! If o

perintendent and a policeman, transp

It seems to me a case of suspended animation! There is partial

tion was concentrated on Jacques Dollon. Monsieur Agram was searching for some indication which might throw light on the drama. So far he had been unable to formulate any hypothesis. Should

ves! Bring me a

nightmare, the young man stretched his limbs, opened his eyes: he turned a dull gaze on those about him, a gaze which became

e...,' and fell back

whispered Mo

ctor s

t to wake up. He has certainly swallowed some powerful narcotic and

octor spok

violent effort, sat up. Casting scared an

u want of me?... Ah, the

or they have called in to attend to you! Be calm!... You

his hands to his fore

What has happened to me?... Let me see

intendent had stationed himself besi

se, the doctor asked him, in a father

men, clothed in long black garments: they flung themselves on me. Before I could make a movement I was gagged, bound with cords.... I felt something pointed driven into my leg-into my arm.... Then an overpoweri

ing more?' ask

s reflection Ja

t is

nt was evidently painful: 'It hurts,' he said,

tor, and was preparing to examine the pl

nsi

. The magistrate left his post by

this paper under the chair in which Monsieur Dollon

aper: it was a letter, couc

Mad

am preparing for the Salon: you will be welcome, and will confer on us a great pleasure. I say 'us,' because

respectful

es Do

y, saying: 'Keep it carefully.' Then he went into the bedroom, where the

: I did not think I ought to hide from him tha

Can you help me to discover w

'But have you nothing further to tell us? Can you not recollect whether

onsieur, no

r here in

wound. A slight swelling above the broken skin possibly indicates an intra-muscular puncture, which might have

been steadily observing

lone yesterday evening? Were you not expecting anyone?... Are you certain that you did not

es-eyes of stupefaction-and

monsi

gram. Then stopping short, and dr

t state to bear a severe mor

glanced at

te himself again: you can a

nfabulation, and vaguely uneasy, was,

nto your studio, monsie

rd. No sooner did he cross the thres

e quivering; every feature expressed horrified

bray!' he barely articulate

made by the young painter, keeping a lynx-eyed watch on ev

e Vibray, dead-assassinated, no

who appeared overwhelmed: 'I d

istrate

u not asked her to come some evening soon? Had you

he had been found unconscious. Whilst he was recovering, Monsieur Agram continued his investigations. He opened a little cupboard, in which were several poi

at this woman's dea

s like it.... A po

Ar

r, Monsieur Agram went

eur, do you not make use of various poison

, in a faint voice: 'But it is a very

ood, mo

an order to his policemen: they were to drive back the crowd. Soon a cab brou

ed by two people, desce

ur spread that he

our was

olice Headquarters-Proba

have been able to procure from those who were present. But the m

is aggravated by a scratch. According to the doctors, soporific, injected into the human body by the de Pravaz syringe, acts

him unconscious; but, on reflection, this explanation would not hold water. Murderous house-thieves do not send people to sleep: the

studio, and was there precisely because the artist himself had asked her to come. We know that the B

names of those personages-Dollon, Vibray-implicated in the drama of the rue Norv

nation which has remained a mystery, which was perpetrated a few years ago, and brought i

tragically done to death, was an intima

is a son of Madame de La

drama which ended in the execution of Gurn,[1] but we cannot pass over in silence the strange coincidence

return to o

t of police, declared that he very rarely made use of the

r were still to be found on the floor. This powder is now being analysed, whilst the faculty are engaged in a post-mortem examination of the unfortunate victim's body; but, at

examination will certainly bring to light, the artist has poisoned his patroness; and, in order to put the authorities on the wrong scent (perhaps

clared that the puncture, clumsily made, might ve

er Monsieur Dollon's house yesterday evening: as a rule, she come

abandon the line of defence he has adopt

all have sensational revelations reg

t H

phed that a serious accident has happened to her brother, has sent a r

have left at once for the frontier, where they will meet her, and shadow her as far as Paris, in case she shoul

promises to be a day

on the first page of L

me F