First she thought of cutting off the upper part of the label: but the lines of the writing were so close together, that they would infallibly betray the act of mutilation.

She opened her dressing-case and took from it a common-looking little paper-box, purchased at the chemist's, bearing the ambitious printed title of "Macula Exstinctor, or Destroyer of Stains"-- being an ordinary preparation, in powder, for removing stains from dresses, ink-stains included.

The printed directions stated that the powder, partially dissolved in water, might also be used to erase written characters without in any way injuring the paper, otherwise than by leaving a slight shine on the surface.

By these means, Madame Fontaine removed the first four sentences on the label, and left the writing on it to begin harmlessly with the instructions for repeating the doses.
"Now I can trust you to refresh my memory without telling tales," she said to herself, when she put the label back in the chest.

As for the recorded dose of the poison, she was not likely to forget that.