IhadknowninRome，atCardinalAcquaviva’s，theAbbedeLiancourt，great—grandsonofCharles，whosesister，GabrielleduPlessis，hadbeenthewifeofFrancoisV。，butthatdatedfromthebeginningofthelastcentury。IhadmadeacopyfromtherecordsofthecardinaloftheaccountofcertaincircumstanceswhichtheAbbedeLiancourtwantedtocommunicatetothecourtofSpain，andinwhichtherewereagreatmanyparticularsrespectingthehouseofDuPlessis。I
thoughtatthesametimethatthesingularimpostureofLaValeur（suchwasthenamebywhichmysoldiergenerallywent）wasabsurdandwithoutamotive，sinceitwastobeknownonlyafterhisdeath，andcouldnotthereforeproveofanyadvantagetohim。
Halfanhourafterwards，asIwasopeningafreshpackofcards，theAdjutantSanzoniocamein，andtoldtheimportantnewsinthemostseriousmanner。Hehadjustcomefromtheofficeoftheproveditore，whereCaptainCamporesehadrunintheutmosthurrytodepositinthehandsofhisexcellencythesealandthepapersofthedeceasedprince。Hisexcellencyhadimmediatelyissuedhisordersfortheburialoftheprinceinavaultwithallthehonoursduetohisexaltedrank。Anotherhalfhourpassed，andM。Minolto，adjutantoftheproveditore—generale，cametoinformmethathisexcellencywantedtoseeme。IpassedthecardstoMajorMaroli，andwenttohisexcellency’shouse。Ifoundhimatsupperwithseveralladies，threeorfournavalcommanders，MadameF————，andM。D————
R—————。
\"So，yourservantwasaprince！\"saidtheoldgeneraltome。