Pope Pius XI him at the time of his death were spoken with clarity and firmness: "My soul parts from you all in peace." Some believe he was murdered, based on the fact that his primary physician was Dr. Francesco Petacci, father of Claretta Petacci, Mussolini's mistress. Cardinal Eugene Tisserant wrote in his diary that the pope had been murdered, which was a statement that Carlo Confalonieri later strongly denied. The Pope's last audible words were reported to have been: "peace, peace" as he died. Those at his bedside at 4:00am realized that the pontiff's end was near, at which stage the sacrist
Clara (Mirbeau) need to unburden himself, and becomes his mistress. She takes him with her to China, where both the narrator and Clara share a lover, Annie. Two years later, the narrator, who had fled from Clara's pernicious embraces and went to Annam, returns. Clara regains her power over him and is pleased to dominate and humiliate him. She takes him to visit the torture garden of the prison, where they wander around. During a "crescendo" of horror, Clara experiences waves of ecstasy and has a hysterical fit. She then feels almost purified after climaxing. The scene takes place in a "flower