surpassing interest, comes this trivial fact about cats and dogs.

It makes an unfavourable impression, because it is dramatically
out of keeping with the tragedy of the story. But we are not
here to construct a drama. No, gentlemen, look at it merely as a
trivial incident of ordinary, everyday life, and you will see it
in its proper light." M. Roussel concluded by saying that
Castaing's most eloquent advocate, if he could have been present,
would have been Auguste Ballet. "If Providence had permitted him
to enter this court, he would cry out to you, `Save my friend's
life! His heart is undefiled! He is innocent!'"

M. Roussel concluded his speech at ten o'clock on Sunday night,
November 16. The next morning Berryer addressed the jury. His
speech in defence of Castaing is not considered one of his most
successful efforts. He gave personal testimony as to the taste
of acetate of morphia. He said that with the help of his own
chemist he had put a quarter of a grain of the acetate into a
large spoonful of milk, and had found it so insupportably bitter
to the taste that he could not keep it in his mouth. If, he
contended, Ballet had been poisoned by tartar emetic, then twelve
grains given in milk would have given it an insipid taste, and
vomiting immediately after would have got rid of the poison.
Later investigations have shown that, in cases of antimonial
poisoning, vomiting does not necessarily get rid of all the
poison, and the convulsions in which Auguste Ballet died are
symptomatic of poisoning either by morphia or antimony. In
conclusion, Berryer quoted the words addressed by one of the
Kings of France to his judges: "When God has not vouchsafed
clear proof of a crime, it is a sign that He does not wish that