Melmotte as soon as he reached home got into his own sitting-room without difficulty, and called for more brandy and water. Between eleven and twelve he was left there by his servant with a bottle of brandy, three or four bottles of soda-water, and his cigar-case. Neither of the ladies of the family came to him, nor did he speak of them. Nor was he so drunk then as to give rise to any suspicion in the mind of the servant. He was habitually left there at night, and the servant as usual went to his bed. But at nine o'clock on the following morning the maid-servant found him dead upon the floor. Drunk as he had been,--more drunk as he probably became during the night,--still he was able to deliver himself from the indignities and penalties to which the law might have subjected him by a dose of prussic acid.
As soon as he reached home Melmotte went to his sitting-room, and called for more brandy and water. Between eleven and twelve he was left there by his servant with a bottle of brandy, three or four bottles of soda-water, and his cigar-case. He was not so drunk as to give rise to any suspicion in the servant's mind; and the servant went to bed.
But at nine o'clock on the following morning the maid-servant found him dead upon the floor. Drunk as he had been, more drunk as he probably became during the night - still he was able to deliver himself from the indignities and penalties of the law, by swallowing a dose of prussic acid.