One night, after he had made up his mind in regard to the murder, and as Therese was drinking a glass of sugar and water before him, Laurent remembered that he had seen in this laboratory a small stoneware flagon, containing prussic acid, and that the young dispenser had spoken to him of the terrible effects of this poison, which strikes the victim down with sudden death, leaving but few traces behind. And Laurent said to himself, that this was the poison he required.
Un soir, lorsqu'il se fut décidé au meurtre, Laurent, comme Thérèse buvait devant lui un verre d'eau sucrée, se souvint d'avoir vu dans ce laboratoire un petit flacon de grès, contenant de l'acide prussique. En se rappelant ce que lui avait dit le jeune préparateur sur les effets terribles de ce poison qui foudroie et laisse peu de traces, il songea que c'était là le poison qu'il lui fallait.