Thisletterofthequeennaturallyfilledhimwithgreatdelight，particularlyashehadapersonalinterviewwithhermajestyinprospect，andhehadimploredtheCountessValoisallthemoretoprocurethismeeting，because，inspiteoftheforgivenesswhichthequeenhadgiventothecardinal，shecontinuedonalloccasions，wherehehadthehappinesstobeinherpresence，totreathimwithextremedisdain。OnoneSunday，whenhewasreadingmassbeforetheirmajesties，hetookthelibertytoentertheaudience-roomandtoaddressthequeen。MarieAntoinettebestoweduponhimonlyanannihilatinglookofangerandscorn，andturnedherbackuponhim，saying，atthesametime，withaloudvoice，totheDuchessofPolignac：“Whatashamelessact!Thesepeoplebelievetheymaydoanythingiftheywearthepurple。Theybelievetheymayrankwithkings，andevenaddressthem。“
Theseproudandcuttingwordshadnaturallydeeplywoundedthecardinal，and，forthefirsttime，thedoubtwassuggestedtohimwhether，intheend，allthecommunicationsoftheCountessValois，eventheletterofthequeen，mightnotprovetobefalse，foritappearedtohimimpossiblethatthequeencouldbesecretly，favorablyinclinedtoamanwhomsheopenlyscorned。InhisangerhesaidsototheCountessLamotte，andtoldherthatheshouldholdallthatshehadbroughthimfromthequeentobefalse，unless，withinaveryshorttime，shecouldprocurewhathehadsolongandsourgentlybesought，namely，anaudiencewiththequeen。HedesiredthisaudienceasaproofthatMarieAntoinettewasreallychanged，and，atthesametime，asaproofthattheCountessLamotte-Valoishadtoldhimthetruth。Thecountesslaughedathisdistrust，andpromisedtotryalltheartsofaddresswiththequeen，inordertogainforthecardinalthedesiredaudience。Thelatter，whothoughtherecognizedinthebeautifulandexpressivecountenanceoftheladyinnocenceandhonorableness，nowregrettedhishastywords，andsaidtoMadameLamotte，thatincasethequeenwouldreallygranthimaprivateaudience，hewouldgiveherthecountessfiftythousandfrancsasasignofhisgratitude。
Amurmurofapplauseandofastonishmentroseatthesewordsfromthespectators，comprisingsomeofthegreatestnoblefamiliesofFrance，theRohans，theGuemenes，theCountdeVergennes，andallthemostpowerfulenemiesofthequeen，whohadtakenadvantageofthisoccasioninordertoavengethemselvesontheAustrian，whohaddaredtochooseherfriendsandselecthersociety，notinaccordancewithlineage，butasherownpleasuredictated。
Thepresidentofthecourtdidnotconsiderthismurmurofapplausemarkedenoughtobereprimanded，andletitbecontinued。
“AnddidtheCountessLamotte-Valoisprocureforyouthisaudience？“
hethenasked。
PrinceRohanwassilentamoment，hisfacegrewpale，hisfeaturesassumedforthefirsttimeatroubledexpression，andthepainfulstruggleswhichdisturbedhissoulcouldbeseenworkingwithinhim。
“Mayitpleasethisnoblecourt，“hereplied，afterapause，withfeeling，tremblingvoice，“Ifeelatthismomentthat，beneaththerobeofthepriest，theheartofthemanbeatsyet。Itis，however，foreverymanawrong，anunpardonablewrong，todisclosetheconfidenceofalady，andtorevealtotheopenlightofdaythefavorswhichhavebeengrantedbyher。ButImusttakethiscrimeuponmyself，becauseIhavetodefendthehonorofapriest，evenofadignitaryintheChurch，andalsobecauseIdonotdaretosuffermypurpletobesoiledwitheventhesuspicionofalie，oranactoffalsehood。Itmaybe——andIfearitevenmyself——itmaybe，thatinthismatter，Imyselfwasthedeceivedone，butIdarenotbringsuspicionuponmytiarathatIwasthedeceiver，and，therefore，I
havetomeetthesternnecessityofdisclosingthesecretofaladyandaqueen。“
“Besidesthis，“saidthepresident，solemnly——“besidesthis，youreminencemaygraciouslyconsider，inpresenceoftheauthoritygivenyoubyGod，allthetenderthoughtsofthecardinalmustbesilent。
ThedutyofadignitaryoftheChurchcommandsyoutogobeforeallothermeninsettingthemanobleexample，andoneworthyofimitation。Itisyoursacredduty，inaccordancewiththedemandsoftruth，togivethemostdetailedinformationregardingeverythingthatconcernsthisaffair，andyoureminencewillhavethegoodnesstorememberthatwearethesecularpriestsofGod，beforewhomeveryaccusedpersonmustconfessthewholetruthwithaperfectconscience。“
“Ithankyou，Mr。President，“saidthecardinal，withsogentleandtremulousavoice，thatyoumighthearafteritafaintsobfromsomedeeply-veiledladieswhosatonthespectators’seats，andsothateventheeyesofPresidentdel’Aigrofilledwithtears——“I
thankyou，Mr。President，“repeatedthecardinal，breathingmorefreely。“Youtakeaheavyburdenfrommyheart，andyourwisdominstructsmeastomyownduty。“
Thepresidentblushedwithpleasureatthehighpraisesofthecardinal。
“Andnow，“hesaid，“Itakethelibertyofrepeatingmyquestion，didtheCountessLamotte-Valoissucceedinprocuringforyoureminenceasecretaudiencewiththequeen？“
“Shedid，“repliedthecardinal，“shedidprocureaninterviewforme。“
Andcompellinghimselftoaquietmanner，hewentonwithhisstory：
TheCountessdeValoiscametohimaftertwodayswithajoyfulcountenance，andbroughttohimtherequesttoaccompanytheCountessValoistwodaysaftertoVersailles，where，inthegarden，inaplaceindicatedbythecountess，themeetingofthequeenandthecardinalshouldtakeplace。Thecardinalwastoputonthesimple，unpretendingdressofacitizenofParis，ablueclothcoat，aroundhat，andhighleatherboots。Thecardinal，fullofinexpressibledelightatthis，could，notwithstanding，scarcelybelievethatthequeenwouldshowhimthisintoxicatingmarkofherfavor；uponwhichtheCountessValois，laughing，showedhimaletterofthequeen，directedtoher，ongold-borderedpaper，andsignedlikethenotewhichhehadreceivedbefore——“MarieAntoinetteofFrance。“Inthisnotethequeenrequestedherdearfriendtogocarefullytoworktowarnthecardinaltospeaksoftlyduringtheinterview，becausetherewereearslurkingintheneighborhood，andnottocomeoutfromthethickettillthequeenshouldgiveasign。
Afterreadingthisletter，thecardinalhadnomoredoubts，butsurrenderedhimselfcompletelytohisjoy，hisimpatience，andlongedfortheappointedhourtoarrive。Atlastthishourcame，and，incompanywiththecountess，thecardinal，arrayedintheappointeddress，repairedinasimplehiredcarriagetoVersailles。
Thecountessledhimtotheterraceofthepalace，whereshedirectedthecardinaltohidebehindaclumpoflaurel-trees，andthenlefthim，inordertoinformthequeen，whowalkedeveryeveninginthepark，incompanywiththeCountandCountessd’Artois，ofthepresenceofthecardinal，andtoconducthertohim。Thelatternowremainedalone，and，withloud-beatingheart，listenedtoeverysound，and，movinggentlyaround，lookeddownthelongalleywhichranbetweenthetwofountains，inordertocatchsightoftheapproachofthequeen。Itwasadelightfulevening；thefullmoonshoneingoldenclearnessfromthedeep-bluesky，andilluminatedalltheobjectsintheneighborhoodwithalightlikethatofday。Itnowdisclosedatall，noblefigure，cladinadark-
redrobe，andwithlargebluepinsinherhair，hurryingtotheterrace，andfollowedbytheCountessValois。
Tothepresentmomentthecardinalhadslightlydoubtedastohisunmeasurablegoodfortune——nowhedoubtednomore。Itwasthequeen，MarieAntoinette，whowasapproaching。Sheworethesamedress，thesamecoiffurewhichshehadwornthelastSunday，whenafterthemasshehadgonetoVersaillestodrive。
Yes，itwasthequeen，whowashurryingacrosstheterrace，andapproachingthethicketbehindwhichthecardinalwasstanding。
“Come，“whisperedshe，softly，andthecardinalquicklyemergedfromtheshade，sankuponhiskneebeforethequeen，andeagerlypressedthefairhandwhichsheextendedtohimtohislips。“Youreminence，“whisperedthequeentohim，“Icanunfortunatelyspendonlyamomenthere。Icherishnothingagainstyou，andshallsoonshowyoumarksofmyhighestfavor。Meantime，acceptthistokenofmygrace。“AndMarieAntoinettetookarosefromherbosomandgaveittothecardinal。“Accept，also，thisremembrancer，“whisperedthequeen，againplacingalittlecaseinhishand。“Itismyportrait。
Lookoftenatit，andneverdoubtme，I——“
AtthismomenttheCountessValois，whohadbeenwaitingatsomedistance，hastilycameup。
“Someoneiscoming，“whisperedshe；“forGod’ssake，yourmajesty，fly!“
Voiceswereaudibleinthedistance，andsoontheyapproached。ThequeengraspedthehandoftheCountessLamotte。
“Come，myfriend，“saidshe。“Farewell，cardinal，aurevoir!“
Fullofjoyatthehighgoodfortunewhichhadfallentohim，andatthesametimesaddenedattheabruptdepartureofthequeen，thecardinalturnedbacktoParis。OnthenextdaytheCountessValoisbroughtabilletfromthequeen，inwhichshedeeplyregrettedthattheirinterviewyesterdayhadbeensobrief，andpromisingaspeedyappointmentagain。Somedaysafterthisoccurrence，whichconstantlyoccupiedthemindofthecardinal，hewasobligedtogotoAlsace，tocelebrateachurchfestival。Ontheverynextday，however，camethehusbandofthecountess，CountLamotte，sentasacourierbythecountess。Hehandedthecardinalaletterfromthequeen，shortandfullofsecrecy，liketheearlierones。
“Themoment，“wrotethequeen——“themomentwhichIdesiredisnotyetcome。ButIbegyoutoreturnatoncetoParis，becauseIaminasecretaffair，whichconcernsmepersonally，andwhichIshallintrusttoyoualone，andinwhichIneedyourassistance。TheCountessLamotte-Valoiswillgiveyouthekeytothisriddle。“
Asifonthewingsofbirds，thecardinalreturnedtoParis，andatoncerepairedtothelittlepalacewhichthecountesshadpurchasedwiththefruitsofhisliberality。Herehelearnedofherthereasonofhisbeingsentfor。Thematterinquestionwasthepurchasingofasetofjewels，whichtheroyaljewellers，BohmerandBassenge，hadoftenofferedtothequeen。MarieAntoinettehadseenthenecklace，andhadbeenenrapturedwiththesizeandbeautyofthediamonds。
Butshehadhadthespirittorefusetopurchasethecollar，inconsequenceoftheenormouspricewhichthejewellersdemanded。Shehad，however，subsequentlyregrettedherrefusal，andtheprincelysetofgems，thelikeofwhichdidnotexistinEurope，hadawakenedthemostintensedesireonthepartofthequeentopossessit。Shewantedtopurchaseitsecretly，withouttheknowledgeoftheking，andtopayforitgraduallyoutofthesavingsofherownpurse。ButjustthenthejewellersBohmerandBassengehaditinviewtosendthenecklacetoConstantinoplefortheSultan，whowantedtopresentittothebest-lovedofhiswives。