During the reading of the Act of Accusation by the Clerk of the
Court Castaing listened calmly. Only when some allusion was made
to his mistress and their children did he betray any sign of
emotion. As soon as the actual facts of the case were set out he
was all attention, making notes busily. He is described as
rather attractive in appearance, his face long, his features
regular, his forehead high, his hair, fair in colour, brushed
back from the brows; he wore rather large side-whiskers. One of
the witnesses at Saint Cloud said that Castaing looked more like
a priest than a doctor; his downcast eyes, gentle voice, quiet
and unassuming demeanour, lent him an air of patience and
humility.

The interrogatory of Castaing by the presiding judge lasted all
the afternoon of the first day of the trial and the morning of
the second. The opening part of it dealt with the murder of
Hippolyte Ballet, and elicited little or nothing that was fresh.
Beyond the purchase of acetate of morphia previous to Hippolyte's
death, which Castaing reluctantly admitted, there was no serious
evidence against him, and before the end of the trial the
prosecution abandoned that part of the charge.

Questioned by the President as to the destruction of Hippolyte
Ballet's will, Castaing admitted that he had seen a draft of a
will executed by Hippolyte in favour of his sister, but he denied
having told Auguste that Lebret had in his possession a copy
which he was prepared to destroy for 100,000 francs. Asked to
explain the assertion of Mlle. Percillie, Auguste's
mistress, that statements to this effect had been made in her