The Count of Monte Cristo

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"Yes; I will mention one to you. He had a remarkably fine garden, full
of vegetables, flowers, and fruit. From amongst these vegetables he
selected the most simple--a cabbage, for instance. For three days he
watered this cabbage with a distillation of arsenic; on the third, the
cabbage began to droop and turn yellow. At that moment he cut it. In the
eyes of everybody it seemed fit for table, and preserved its wholesome
appearance. It was only poisoned to the Abbe Adelmonte. He then took the
cabbage to the room where he had rabbits--for the Abbe Adelmonte had
a collection of rabbits, cats, and guinea-pigs, fully as fine as his
collection of vegetables, flowers, and fruit. Well, the Abbe Adelmonte
took a rabbit, and made it eat a leaf of the cabbage. The rabbit died.
What magistrate would find, or even venture to insinuate, anything
against this? What procureur has ever ventured to draw up an accusation
against M. Magendie or M. Flourens, in consequence of the rabbits, cats,
and guinea-pigs they have killed?--not one. So, then, the rabbit dies,
and justice takes no notice. This rabbit dead, the Abbe Adelmonte has
its entrails taken out by his cook and thrown on the dunghill; on this