' Don't call out, madame,' I said to her, softly.
' If you call out, I will kill you!' She stretched
out her arm, but could not reach the bell-ropes.
She began screaming ' Help! help!' At that,
seeing that her fright prevented her listening
to reason, I drew my knife and gave her several
stabs. She made a slight attempt to defend
herself; but soon, her strength failing, she
sank down in the bed with her face on the
counterpane. I then gave her a great many
cuts, until she ceased to stir. If she had not
screamed, I should not have killed her.

"That done, I lighted a candle and took
from the bedside the key of the closet. In the
closet I found the keys of the strong-box,
which I opened without any difficulty. I took
all the gold there was in a purse; it might
amount to five or six thousand francs. I put
that sum into a linen bag which I took out of
the strong-box, and in which there was a little
gold. I then closed the strong-box, and put
the keys in their place in the closet, where I
found a watch which tempted me.

"I put the key of the closet close to the bed
in its usual place; I threw my knife into the
fire. As to my cravat, and the napkin which I
made into a cap, I cannot tell how I lost them.
I took my hat from under the bed and left the
chamber, the key of which I found on a seat
close to the door. I made use of it to shut
the door, fearing if I pulled the door without
the key, to make too much noise. The door of
the ante-chamber was shut; I opened it, and
left it open.

"I then returned to the little attic; it was
bright moonlight. I saw that my hands were
all red, and I washed them with my urine. I
took off my shirt, and left it under the straw.
do not know whether I also left my cravat or
collar there. I put on my under-waistcoat and
coat without any shirt, and went down-stairs.
It might then be an hour after midnight. I
went to the street door and felt if it was bolted;
finding it unbolted, I opened the wicket door
and went out, leaving the door open.

"In case of the bolts being close, I had
brought a rope ladder, by which I meant to
descend from one of the first floor windows. If
I could not do that, I should have followed the
rain-gutter of the great attic until I found an
entrance into some neighbouring house. Once
out of doors, I threw the key of the chamber
into a cellar in the Rue de Maçon, and
returned to the Golden Waggon. A half-asleep
maid-servant let me in, and I then went to
bed."

On concluding this general confession, Berry
added: " What I have just stated is as true as
that God is in heaven and that I hold this
crucifix in my hands." He said nothing about
family complicities or promptings, which were
supposed to be at the bottom of the affair; at
least, if he did, all that part of the business was
suppressed. Berry was executed. He died
with courage.

Lebrun's innocence being completely proved,
lie rehabilitation of his memory, the restitution
of the widow's property, and the payment of his
legacy, ought not to have met with the slightest
difficulty; nevertheless, by a monstrous abuse
of power, seven whole months passed away
without the widow's being able to obtain
redress. By tormenting and intimidating the
unhappy woman, they tried to frighten her
into stopping the action for damages which she
brought against M. de Savonnières. The civil
court had condemned Lebrun to the cruel
torture which was the cause of his death; it was
at least bound to make the widow the only
possible reparation—an indemnity. M. de
Savonnnières was mean enough not to understand
that obligation. He resisted the claim for
damages.

On the 30th of March, 1694, a decree of the
parlement reinstated Lebrun's memory, and, in
spite of Counsellor de Savonnières' resistance,
confirmed the legacy of six thousand francs.
But the De Savonnières carried every other
point. They were simply sentenced to pay the
costs and the interest on the sum bequeathed
from the 27th of November, 1689. The torture
and death of the honest servant, the ruin of his
family, counted for nothing. M. de Savonnières
was a magistrate, influential, rich, held in high
consideration; the valet's widow might deem
herself fortunate in being able to obtain even
partial justice. This is one of the cases which,
constantly accumulating in number and never
decreasing in iniquity, tended to bring about
the terrible social revolt known as the First
French Revolution.

In No. 443, for October the 19th, will be commenced a
NEW SERIAL STORY by the Author of " BELLA DONNA,"
" NEVER FORGOTTEN," &c., entitled
THE DEAR GIRL.
To be continued from Week to Week until completed
in Four Months.

A NEW SERIAL STORY,
BY WILKIE COLLINS,
Will also soon appear in these pages.

On Thursday, 12th December, will be published
THE
EXTRA DOUBLE NUMBER FOR CHRISTMAS,
Written entirely
BY CHARLES DICKENS
AND WILKIE COLLINS.