monarch

About 5 minutes later, the bailiff returned to the hall, and behind him was a tall middle-aged man about 40 years old with gray hair and beard. He looked a little uneasy, and he held his cuffs tightly with both hands. Almost tore the thread out there.

The man walked to the center of the court and saw the king sitting on the throne for the first time. He quickly took off his hat and bowed deeply. The stiffness of his movements caused a burst of titters in the audience.

The king glanced at the auditorium, and the laughter stopped abruptly. The laughter of many people was strangled when it was still in the throat, making them feel as if they were being strangled. Then it rose red.

"Sit down, sir." The king said kindly, pointing to the witness stand.

The man showed gratitude on his face, held the hat in both hands, and bowed several times to His Majesty before taking a seat on the witness stand.

The king raised his eyes to signal to the chief minister that he could continue.

"Sir, this court appreciates your willingness to provide what you know about this case." The Chief Minister asked, "May I ask your name?"

"Simon Flint, sir."

"your age?"

"46 is old."

"What about your occupation?"

"I'm a doctor and I have my own practice in Harley Street."

The rustle of the stenographer's pen was interrupted by the words of Bishop Gardiner, "Dr. Flint is one of the most famous gynecologists in Harley Street. He used to be the doctor of the Lord Protector. He went to the Lord Protector's mansion every week. Three times, to take care of her body."

There was a whisper in the auditorium, what does the gynecologist have to do with this case?Everyone's eyes turned to the Lord Protector, but to everyone's surprise, the Lord Protector, who was supposed to make use of the topic, didn't say a word. He looked at the witness stand a little wanderingly, and there was a trace of confusion mixed in with the obvious surprise. The fearful breath that was still there caused many people to murmur in their hearts.

"Sir, do you swear that what you have said before your king and court today is the truth as you know it, and there is no falsehood?"

"I swear." The doctor trembled with excitement.

"Then please begin your testimony."

All eyes turned to the doctor. The doctor was obviously very uncomfortable under the eyes of so many people. He cleared his throat, as if to increase his confidence.

"As Bishop Gardiner said, I go to the Lord Protector's mansion three times a week to recuperate for the Lord Protector. The Lady Protector is a neurotic, very sensitive lady. Her nerves are not as good as hers. My husband is generally strong, but on the contrary, she is often prone to fainting due to external stimuli. I prepared sedatives, peppermint tablets and Hoffman drops for her. From time to time, when she had a panic attack, I would also use acid smelling salts to deal with it. She was prodding so she wouldn't suffocate because she couldn't breathe."

"One afternoon in April 1546, I went to the residence of the Lord Protector as usual to see the Lady Protector. When I arrived at the Lady Protector's room, His Excellency the Lord Protector was there. I was about to retire , but he stopped me so that I don't have to worry about his presence."

"Mrs. Protector's breathing was a little messy, and she was obviously mentally unstable. She usually gets sick in spring, so I immediately noticed the signs of the coming onset, so I immediately went to get the smelling salt bottle."

"However, when I opened the medicine box, I found that the smelling salt bottle was not in it. At this moment, the Lord Protector yelled, and I turned around in horror, and found that the Lord Protector's wife had fainted."

"I rushed forward, lifted her neck, and tried to pry open her clenched teeth, but her lower jaw was clenched and motionless, and I couldn't get her to swallow the pill."

"At this moment, I suddenly had a flash of inspiration. In my medicine box, there was a medicine I used for another patient who was paralyzed in bed. Someone once used it to give first aid to a fainting patient, but this medicine It is very dangerous, and you must be extremely careful when using it, once the dosage is slightly off, then this medicine is no longer a panacea for saving people, but a deadly poison."

"I took out the small glass bottle containing the medicine from my medicine chest, unscrewed the cap, and put three drops of the medicine on the pale lips of the Duchess Protector."

"The medicine had an amazing effect. The eyes of Mrs. Protector opened quickly, and the blood flowed from all parts of her body back to her pale face. Although she was still weak, it was obvious that she had recovered from the pain just now. out of danger."

"I let out a long breath, and turned my head to put the medicine bottle back into my medicine box. At this moment, I found that the protector of the country was staring at the bottle in my hand with great interest. In fact, he was a little fascinated by it. .”

"'What kind of medicine is this, doctor?' he said curiously. 'I have never seen anything so miraculous. It looks exactly like the elixir that only appears in mythology to bring the dead back to life.' "

"I smiled at him, 'No, my lord, it's just an extract of nuxychon seeds, and it's also called strychnine, which is actually a plant toxin.'"

"'You said it was poison?' He looked even more surprised. 'And you just woke my wife up with this potion.'"

"'Poison is a relative concept,' I replied, 'what is poison to one man is good medicine to another patient; Cool, three tablespoons will kill you. Take the strychnine that I just used. It stimulates the nerves, so I used it in the treatment of a paralyzed patient. Today It happened that your wife was in a coma due to nerve reasons, so I thought of using this potion to give her a proper stimulation, and it turned out that I was right. However, if the dosage is slightly different, for example, a few drops more, then drink The nerves and blood vessels of the brain of the person who takes this medicine will be overstimulated, resulting in a stroke.'”

"'Stroke?' Duke Protector said this word softly. Although he was still looking at me, his gaze was a little wandering, obviously immersed in his own thoughts. I had to stand aside and didn't dare to disturb him. "

"After about half a minute, Duke Protector finally said again, 'What you said is very interesting, the potion that causes a stroke... I have never heard of it, what is the difference between this stroke and a normal stroke Woolen cloth?"

"'There is no difference, it is exactly the same as a normal stroke.' Although I am a little strange about this question, after all, this kind of inquiry is not beyond the scope of curiosity,' in fact, there have been some such stories in the circle of doctors before. Well, in some cases of so-called strokes, the doctor gave the wrong dose ... but who can say for sure?'”

"I felt that I was talking too much, so I stopped immediately."

"However, Your Excellency the Protector seems to be very interested in this question, 'Oh, what kind of story is it?' He asked, 'You have aroused my curiosity... Please tell me this story .'"

"I quickly said no, 'This is just a rumor in some medical circles, you don't have to take it seriously.'"

"'Are you afraid?' the Lord Protector laughed. 'You don't need to worry about anything... I'm just satisfying my curiosity. No one will be held accountable for what you say.' He said, holding out his hand I opened a drawer on the bedside table, and the light from the gold coins shone straight into my eyes."

"'Please think again.' His voice was seductive, like a siren luring sailors to steer their ships straight to the reef."

"Under such temptations, I must say that it did not take long for me to succumb. 'I only heard about it. There was a Baron Latimer before. Have you ever heard of it?'"

"The Lord Protector nodded, 'Her Majesty's ex-husband, yes, of course I have heard of it.'"

"'I seem to have heard it said that Lord Latimer's doctor had given the Baron this medicine, and that the morning after the Baron's death he found that there seemed to be less medicine in the bottle than usual... …But he doesn’t seem to be sure if his eyes are blurry… Anyway, it’s over.’”

"The Lord Protector didn't answer me. He just looked at the opposite wall quietly without saying a word. After a while, he pointed to the drawer that was still open and motioned me to take the money from it. I quickly I took out my money bag and poured the gold coins into it. I was worried that he would go back on his word, so I immediately bowed and left."

"After that, I felt terrified for a while, but the Duke Protector didn't bother me after that, and he didn't ask anyone to take the money back. I gradually forgot about it."

"However, after the death of the first queen, the veil of this conspiracy was finally lifted, and I discovered what I said before, and I understood the reaction of the Lord Protector... Seeds are planted in the soil!" His legs softened, and he knelt on the ground, covering his face and crying, "But I really didn't mean it!"

"You don't have to worry about this, the court does not intend to hold you accountable." The chief minister said in relief.

"Oh, thank you!" replied the witness, in exaggerated tones, gratefully.

"Do you have anything to add?"

"No more, my lord."

The Chief Minister turned to the Lord Protector again, "Your Excellency, do you admit what Dr. Simon Flint said?"

The Duke Protector's face looked a little unnatural, "This doctor did serve my wife once, and I do know him, but I have never had those conversations with him. I don't know."

The crowd had listened intently to the doctor's testimony, and now they were whispering again, but this time it seemed many were divided.

"It seems that the bishop has won the game." Miss Jane Gray is now beginning to see the doorway. "I don't know where he found this witness."

"I think he's telling the truth," said Princess Elizabeth in a low voice.

"How can you be so sure?" asked Miss Jane Gray in amazement. "I hear many people around us arguing among themselves."

"I don't know, maybe it's a feeling." She yawned slightly, watching the doctor bow and being led out of the court by the guards backwards, "He doesn't look like he can tell lies naturally. people."

"This is the first witness I want to introduce to the court." Bishop Gardner stood up again. "There is a second witness waiting outside. I request the court to hear his testimony."

"Agreed." The Chief Minister replied.

A little later, as before, the bailiff brought another witness into the room.This person doesn't look tall and is a bit thin, with a mask on his face. Although the weather has become hot, his whole body is still wrapped in a thick cloak, and his exposed hands are also full of calluses. I used to do physical work.

"Your name, sir?" asked the First Minister as before.

"Luca Giovanni, sir." His voice sounded very hoarse, reminiscent of the sound of broken porcelain rubbing against each other.

Duke Protector didn't recognize this person at first, but when he heard this name suddenly, his face changed drastically as if he saw the head of a Medusa basilisk.

The audience all noticed the abnormal performance of Duke Protector, and their doubts deepened.

"Your occupation, sir?"

"I was a doctor, then a wanderer, hunting rabbits, picking wild berries, and doing odd jobs in the woods of southern England."

The crowd whispered again, and the chief minister knocked on the table in displeasure, "Silence!"

He turned to the witness again, "You said you were a doctor?"

"Yes, I used to be Baron Latimer's doctor." What the man said undoubtedly dropped a blockbuster among the crowd.

"Sir, I am not doubting the authenticity of what you said," the voice of the Chief Minister hesitated, "but you are wearing a mask, and it is difficult for us to be sure that you are who you say you are."

"I wear a mask because my face has been destroyed." Mr. Giovanni pointed to the Duke Protector standing on the dock, "and the one standing in front of me turned me into a person who was neither human nor ghost." The originator of the look."

He unfastened the bag tied behind his head, and the plaster mask fell to the floor, shattering.

There was a gasp of horror from the audience, and the ministers sitting on the judge's bench shrank back in their chairs.

Under the mask is a face distorted by burns, old scars are mixed with tender red new flesh, and some festering wounds are still dripping yellow pus.There were only a few strands of hair hanging from the scalp, which looked like an old mop.

There was no blood on the Duke Protector's face. He looked at that terrifying face as if he was staring at an evil ghost crawling out of hell.

There was another noise from the auditorium: it seemed that a lady had fainted from fright.

"Regarding the identity of Mr. Giovanni," Bishop Gardner interrupted again, "we have obtained the testimony of several friends of Mr. Giovanni. Although his face is illegible, his speaking habits and daily actions are still the same The same as before. In addition, he also knows a lot of information that is difficult for anyone to know except Mr. Giovanni himself and his close friends. Therefore, these friends are willing to swear that this is Mr. Giovanni himself. They are also proving that I signed my name on the book."

As the bishop said, he found the certificate from the mountain of files in front of him, and handed it to the guard beside him. The guard held the document and came to the chief minister.

The Chief Minister unfolded the letter of proof and read it from beginning to end.

"In the eyes of this court, you are Mr. Giovanni himself. There is no doubt about it." The chief minister put down the document, raised his head, and looked at the witness. "What testimony do you want to provide to the court?"

Don Giovanni turned to the judge, and said:

"My name is Luca Giovanni, I am 52 years old, and I was born at No. 8 Raven Lane, Florence. My father is a doctor. Naturally, I also inherited my father's career and became a doctor. After his death, I took over his clinic. I thought I was quite good at medicine, so I soon gained a good reputation, married a wife I had known since childhood, and had two angelic daughters."

Speaking of this, his tone was already a little choked up, and big tears poured out from the eyelids that couldn't be closed due to burns.

He wiped his tears with his hand and woke up his nose.There was silence in the room, and all the audience stared at him with wide eyes.

"One of my aunts married to England when I was a child, and in 1542 I received word of her death, childless, and appointed me as her heir."

"Naturally, I needed to come to England, but my wife and daughter were unwilling to suffer the pain of parting, so we embarked on the journey to England together."

"My aunt left me a house in the country and a modest savings, and when we got there we were planning to dispose of the house and go back to Italy with the money. But at this moment , my wife fell ill because of acclimatization."

"Thank goodness I am a doctor and can treat my wife, but the money to buy medicinal materials is still pouring out like a torrent, and soon the small savings will be used up... We are stuck in a foreign country, and we have no relatives or friends to turn to. , so I could only start practicing medicine in England and treat my wife at the same time."

"Winter is coming to spring, my wife is gradually recovering, and my small clinic has gradually gained many customers. The villagers in the village are willing to come to see a doctor... Everyone knows that Italian doctors are the best." His tone Li could not help but bring a trace of pride.

"When we were about to shut down the clinic and pack our bags home, the housekeeper of a nobleman who lived nearby asked me to take care of his paralyzed gentleman due to a stroke, and the gentleman's name was Ratty Baron Mo is a member of the National Assembly and has quite a status, so the consultation fee he promised is quite expensive."

"We came to England this time to inherit the inheritance, but in the end we couldn't make ends meet. Now that such an opportunity is in front of us, I naturally agreed without hesitation."

"This Baron Latimer is not a likable character. He is very rough with his own family, let alone a doctor from out of town like me. To be honest, if it is not for the generous consultation fee for each visit. , I don’t want to go to the door at all.”

"After repeated attempts, Baron Latimer finally lost his patience. He called me a quack and a liar, and threatened to arrest me... Out of helplessness, I could only adopt a more radical treatment."

"The radical treatment you mentioned must be taking the so-called strychnine?" the chief minister asked.

"You are right." Dr. Giovanni replied, "In Pavia and Verona, there have been successful cases of this kind of treatment. Although it is a bit dangerous, I don't think there will be any problems with my medical skills. .”

"However, for Baron Latimer, this therapy did not have any effect... I kept increasing the dose, first one drop, then three drops, and finally five drops. However, half a year has passed, Latti Baron Mo is still paralyzed in bed."

"At that time, I couldn't stand his insult to me anymore, and I planned to hang up my crown and leave. I planned to submit my resignation after completing the last course of treatment."

"One evening, I prepared Lord Latimer's medicine in the kitchen according to the usual dosage. I had just put the medicine on the tray and was about to be served by the maid. But at this time there seemed to be a commotion upstairs again. Lord Latimer He often takes pleasure in beating his wife, and today he seems to be getting worse. I rang the bell for the maid, but there was no answer, so I opened the kitchen door and went out into the hallway. The scene of the incident upstairs."

"Just then I felt a cramping pain in my stomach. I had no choice but to go to the servants' toilet at the other end of the house--Lord Latimer never allowed me to use anything upstairs. "

"When I came back from the bathroom, I went back to the kitchen to find Baroness Latimer, later Her Majesty, sitting there weeping, with a maid bandaging her wound. So I had to start I went back to the servants' room and waited until she went up the stairs leading to the hall, and then I went back to the kitchen, where the maid had carried the tray."

"So I packed my medicine box and went home to rest."

"However, in the middle of the night, people from the baron's house suddenly knocked on my door. They said that the baron had fallen ill again, and this time the attack was fierce, completely different from any previous one."

"I quickly followed them back to the mansion. When I arrived, I found that Baron Latimer's mouth and eyes were crooked, his face was flushed red, and his eyeballs seemed to pop out of their sockets at any moment, as if someone had grabbed him. his neck."

"I saw at a glance that it was an acute stroke, so I immediately stepped forward and tried to pry his mouth open so that he could breathe smoothly. At the same time, I also tried to give him a little sedative, but the medicine flowed down his lips. come down."

"It wasn't long before he died."

The audience in the hall looked like statues, staring straight at the witness, absorbed in his narrative.Hearing this, many of them couldn't help but gasp.

"It wasn't long before his family and servants gathered in his room and began to bury the baron. Not many people mourned his death. On the contrary, many people had expressions of relief on their faces. Even his wife and son."

"I came out of the room with my medicine box, because I left in a hurry, so I sat down in the servants' lounge and tidied up my medicine box."

"When I got to the little bottle of strychnine, I suddenly felt something was wrong."

"I took it out and looked at it in the dim light."

"The bottle looks the same, but as a doctor, I am very sensitive to some small changes. I found that the liquid level in the bottle seems to be a little lower than after I dispensed the medicine for Baron Latimer."

"As if someone had poured a bucket of cold water on my forehead in winter, I woke up. Naturally, I remembered the condition of Baron Latimer's deathbed, and compared it with the symptoms of strychnine poisoning. Everything was found to fit perfectly."

"But what happened? Did I get the dose wrong? I couldn't believe it. I recalled the details of the afternoon, about 10 minutes before I went to the bathroom, my medicine cabinet in the kitchen with the potion, and anyone could have slipped poison into the Baron's potion at that time."

"My mind has never been as clear as it was at that time. In a short while, a face emerged in my mind, a desperate face that had just been beaten by my husband and was crying."

"The Baroness Latimer knew what I was taking and what it was doing. She was in the kitchen waiting for the maid to come and bandage her when I went to the bathroom. It was she who used the Is it the medicine in my medicine bottle?"

"I am in a predicament. If this matter is exposed, there is no doubt that no one will really believe my opinion. They will think that it is a careless doctor who made a wrong dose and framed the patient's family instead. I shall be ruined, and imprisoned. On the other hand, I have no lack of sympathy for the poor woman, and I ask myself, if it had been my daughter, I would have added that poison to the baron's potion with my own hands."

"Not long after, the butler came in and asked me to sign the baron's death certificate."

"I went back to the room where the god of death just visited, and the black veil has been hung in the room."

"In the presence of a notary, I wrote a death certificate confirming that Lord Latimer had died of an acute stroke. I then left the house without looking back, in fact running for my life—I It took me less than a few minutes to run the half mile all the way back to my house."

"The day I went back, we started packing. Against my wife's objections, I sold the house for a rock-bottom price within a week, and our family embarked on a journey back to Italy."

"When we got back to Florence, things were quiet again. The next four years made me almost completely forget about it. I started practicing medicine again. It seemed that it was just a dream. Now the dream has woken up and everything The troubles are gone. Our clinic is reopening, old patients are coming back, and soon my reputation is back, and many high-ranking people are coming to see me. My eldest daughter Julia is full and will be with A cloth merchant's son was married, and the lad was very fond of her. We were happy, so happy...that fate envied us."

He covered his face and sobbed, and no one interrupted him.

After 2 minutes, Dr. Giovanni finally calmed down again, and then began to narrate.

"One evening in April 1546, on a cloudy and light raining day, I was dozing off in my home clinic, while my wife and children, having had their afternoon snack, were now going to bed before they had finished their meal. "

"Around five o'clock in the afternoon, someone knocked on my door. He pushed hard and the door opened."

"A man in a black cloak entered. 'What can you do?' I asked."

"'My brother is suffering from dysentery, and I heard from friends that you are a famous doctor.' The man, speaking Italian with a strange accent, said, 'I want you to treat him, and we will pay for it. A generous consultation fee."

"I took a look at the rain outside, and it was getting heavier and heavier. I wanted to refuse, but the man kept emphasizing that my brother's condition was dangerous. Coupled with the consultation money he promised, I finally decided to take the risk. It’s raining like this.”

"I left a note for my wife, walked out of the clinic, followed him into the carriage and heard him order the coachman to set off in English."

"'Are you a foreigner?' I asked with some surprise."

"'Yes, I am from England.' The man replied, 'We are traveling in Italy.'"

"The place name of England can't help but give me a sense of foreboding, and I feel a little uneasy in my heart."

"The carriage came to the gate of the city and was about to leave the city. I couldn't help but wonder, 'Where are we going?' I asked."

"'To a villa three miles out of town, where we will live,' he replied."

"The carriage passed through a vineyard in the rain, and at the end of the vineyard was a villa, hidden among creepers and morning glory, which looked old. The exterior wall of the villa was gray stone with few The windows look like caves carved out of chalk cliffs by cavemen."

"The carriage stopped under the stone steps of the villa. The man opened the door, jumped out of the car, and stretched out his hand to me."

"I grabbed his hand, got out of the carriage, and followed him into the villa."

"The moment I walked into the hall, I felt as if I had stepped into a catacomb. The room was gloomy, with all the windows closed and the curtains drawn tightly. The room was damp and cold. , the kind of cold almost penetrated into the bone marrow of a person, and I couldn't help shivering several times. It seems that no one has lived in this house for more than ten years."

"'Why is there no fire?' I turned to the man who brought me here, 'Didn't you say your brother was sick? How can a sick person stay in such an environment?'"

"But he just looked at me blankly and didn't say a word."

"For a moment I thought it was some kind of silly prank, and just as I was about to explode, there was a sudden gust of wind in my ears, and I was about to look back when something hit me hard on the back of the head. My eyes suddenly went dark, and I didn’t know anything.”

"When I woke up, I found myself in the dark. I tried to open my eyes and found that my eyelids were covered with something. I reached out and found that my hands were handcuffed to the bed below me. .”

"In an instant, I understood that what was smearing my eyes was my congealed blood-someone had knocked me out and kidnapped me. I felt dizzy, the acid in my stomach rushed to my throat, and my body The bed board under it was also shaking constantly, which made me feel dizzy."

"After about half an hour, I finally realized that the swaying below me was not my illusion. Combined with the rustling sound from all around, I realized that I was locked in the bilge of a ship."

"I tried to yell, but my throat was like a fire burning. I opened my mouth and yelled hard, but I could only make a low hoarse cry."

"I don't know how long it took, when I thought that the purpose of those who kidnapped me was to starve me to death here, the door finally opened. A figure holding an oil lamp appeared in front of me, under the dim light Next, I recognized the face that came to the clinic to ask me to see a doctor."

"'What are you doing? Where am I, let me go!' I yelled."

"'Please relax, doctor.' The man smiled slightly and said in English. 'My master just wanted to ask you for some information. After that, we will let you go and give you a good fortune. compensation.’”

"'Where am I?' I asked."

"'You're on a ship and we're heading for England and we're past Sardinia now.' There was a smug smile on the man's face. 'So you see, you have no choice but to cooperate with us. .'"

"'England? Why did you take me to England?' This place name makes me panic, and I feel big beads of sweat running down the bridge of my nose."

"'Naturally because my master is in England, and you are on your way to see him now.'"

"'But what about my family? What about my wife and daughter? What will they think of me disappearing like this?' I cried out in despair, 'Please, have mercy and let me go back.'"

"'Oh, if I were you, I wouldn't worry about such things.' His tone was very flippant."

"My mind was in a mess, and I didn't understand what he meant at all. At this moment, as if explaining what he said, a girl's scream came from outside the cabin door. That voice..." Mr. Giovanni Choked up, "I will never admit my mistake, it is my youngest daughter, Anelika!"

"'Do you understand now? Besides you, we brought your wife and children along, so you have nothing to worry about, as long as you do as we say, your family will be reunited in a short time. ’ He said and walked out the door, ‘If I were you, I would spend the rest of the journey thinking about how to respond to my master’s inquiries when you meet him.

"He said and closed the door, leaving me in the boundless darkness again."