The Count of Monte Cristo

Doctor D’Avrigny Discovers the Lemonade Is Poisoned

Doctor d’Avrigny examines the recovering Barrois, asking about his symptoms—cramps, dizziness, ringing in the ears—and learns that Barrois had only consumed Noirtier’s lemonade. D’Avrigny rushes to the kitchen and seizes the decanter himself, nearly colliding with Madame de Villefort on the stairs. He returns and tastes the lemonade, confirming the bitter taste that both he and Noirtier detected. Recognizing the signs of poisoning, d’Avrigny demands an emetic and attempts to force Barrois’s clenched jaws open. As a second, more violent convulsion grips the old servant, d’Avrigny turns urgently to Noirtier with an abrupt question, while Barrois cries out in agony on the floor.

KAPITEL 79. The Lemonade

Chapter 79, titled “The Lemonade,” depicts Dr. d’Avrigny’s urgent investigation into the sudden illness of Barrois, Noirtier’s loyal servant. Through pointed questioning of Noirtier, interrogation of the dying Barrois, and a chemical test using syrup of violets, d’Avrigny conclusively proves that the lemonade was poisoned. Barrois dies rapidly, and d’Avrigny directly accuses Villefort of presiding over a household plagued by serial poisonings, leaving the prosecutor horrified and overwhelmed.

Noirtier Questioned About the Lemonade

Dr. d’Avrigny questions the paralyzed Noirtier about the lemonade, confirming that Barrois prepared it, that Noirtier did not ask Barrois to drink any, and that it was not Villefort or his wife who offered it—Valentine was the one who brought it to him.

Barrois Questioned on the Lemonade

Turning to the stricken Barrois, d’Avrigny establishes that Barrois himself made the lemonade, left it unattended in the pantry when called away, and that Valentine subsequently brought it into the room. The doctor strikes his forehead in horror at the implication.

Barrois’s Acute Poisoning Symptoms

Barrois suffers a violent fit—his throat closes, his heart and head ache, and he cries out in agony, realizing the gravity of his condition. He begs God for mercy as the pain intensifies.

Attempted Emetic for Barrois

When an emetic finally arrives, prepared by a chemist who accompanied Villefort, d’Avrigny tries to administer it to Barrois, but it is too late. Barrois can no longer swallow, his throat already closing against the poison.

Barrois’s Death

Barrois falls back as if struck by lightning and dies almost immediately. D’Avrigny places his hand on the man’s heart and a glass to his lips, confirming the death. The speed of Barrois’s demise shocks Villefort, who notes how suddenly he has passed.

Confrontation Over Villefort’s Poisoning Pattern

D’Avrigny confronts Villefort with the pattern of sudden deaths in his household, pointing out that both the Saint-Mérans and now Barrois have died with alarming speed. He declares he has never ceased to suspect foul play and insists on his accusation. He reveals his knowledge of a poison that kills without leaving perceptible traces—one he recognizes in all three cases.

Lemonade Poison Test with Syrup of Violets

D’Avrigny obtains syrup of violets from the chambermaid and explains the test to Villefort. He carefully pours drops of the remaining lemonade into the cup. The syrup changes color: from blue to sapphire, from opal to emerald, and finally settles into a distinctive green.

Confirmation of Barrois’s Poisoning

The chemical reaction leaves no doubt. D’Avrigny formally declares that the unfortunate Barrois has been poisoned and vows to maintain this assertion before God and man. Villefort, speechless and horrified, sinks into a chair, overcome by the mounting evidence against his household.

KAPITEL 80. The Accusation

In this chapter, Dr. d’Avrigny confronts Villefort with the devastating accusation that his daughter Valentine is the poisoner responsible for the deaths of M. and Madame de Saint-Méran and the attempted murder of M. Noirtier, whose servant Barrois died accidentally after drinking the poisoned lemonade meant for his master. The doctor methodically traces the pattern of crimes, explaining that Valentine prepared all the medicines and draughts that killed her grandparents, and that she was only spared because Noirtier’s system had become acclimated to the poison through d’Avrigny’s own medical treatments. Villefort, torn between his duty as a magistrate and his love for his daughter, collapses and refuses to condemn her, even threatening to kill himself if d’Avrigny is mistaken. After a tense exchange where d’Avrigny announces he will wait and will no longer attend if anyone falls ill in the house, he departs with instructions to dispose of the cup of violet syrup, and all of Villefort’s servants subsequently quit, declaring that death is in the house. Notably, Villefort observes what he perceives as a cold, satisfied smile flickering across his wife’s thin lips as they watch Valentine weeping.