the last word on derues has been said by m. georges claretie in his excellent monograph, "derues l'empoisonneur," paris. 1907. there is a full account of the case in vol. v. of fouquier, "causes celebres."
It is possible that our reader, whose recollections may perhaps go back as far as the Restoration, will be surprised at the size of the frame required for the picture we are about to bring before him
