andtherespectyouentertainformadamed’Egmontshouldnot
outweighyourduty，whichimperativelycallsuponyoutocommand
thereleaseofthiswretchedyoungman。“
“But，“arguedtheking，“bysuchastepIshallforeverdisoblige
theducdeRichelieuandhisfamily。“
“Fearitnot，“criedI，“ifyourmajestywilltrusttome，Iwill
undertaketobringthemarechalandhisnephewtoapproveof
yourproceedings；andasfortherestofhisfamily，letthemgo
wheretheywill；fortheempireoftheworldIshouldbesorry
tobearthemcompany。“
Thismannerofspeakingpleasedtheking；and，turningtoM。de
Sartines，“Lieutenantofpolice，“saidhe，“youhaveheardmy
fairchancellor；youwillactinstrictconformitywiththeorders
shewilltransmityoufromme。“
“Thentaketheseordersnow，sir，“saidI:“inthefirstplace，
thisill-treatedyoungMoireaumustimmediatelybesetatliberty，
andmyownpoliceforImusttellyouIhadthemwillgiveme
thefaithfulaccountofallyourproceedingsinthisaffair。“
Thekingcomprehendedmymeaning。
“Youwillkeepacarefulwatch，“
addedhetoM。deSartines，“thatnoharmbefallsthisunfortunate
youth，whom，Ibeg，youwilldiscreetlyrecommendtoquitFrance
erethemaliceofthosewhohavereasontofearhisreappearance
workshimsomeevil。“
“Andwho，sire，“askedI，“shalldareinjureonewhomyour
majestydeignstohonorwithyourprotection？“
“Madame，“repliedM。deSartines，“evenhismajesty’shighpatronage
cannotpreventasecretblowfromsomedaringhand；aquarrel
purposelygotup；abeveragepreviouslydrugged；afallfromany
ofthebridgesintotheriver；or，eventhesuppositionofone
founddead，havingdestroyedhimself。“
“Youmakemeshudder，“saidI，“inthusunveilingtheextentof
humandepravity。
So，then，thisyoungman，whoseonlyfault
appearstohavebeenthatcaptivatingtheeyesofanoblelady，
shouldperishinadungeon，orsavehislifeatthesacrificeof
country，friends，connections；andallthisforhavinglistenedto
thepassionofawoman，aslicentiousinmannersasillustrious
bybirth:thisfrightfulinjusticerousesallmyindignation。
Well，then，sincethepowerofthemonarchofFranceisinsufficient
toprotecthisoppressedsubjectinhisownrealms，lethim
shieldhimfromwantinaforeignland，byallowinghimapension
ofonehundredlouis。
Iwilltakeuponmyselftodefraythe
expensesofhisjourney。“
Thussaying，Iwashasteningtotheadjoiningroom，wherestood
my，totakefromitathousandcrownsIwishedto
giveforthepurpose。
Thekingheldmebackbymyarm，saying
tome，
“YouarethemostexcellentcreatureIknowof，butyouseeIam
alwaysmaster。
Iwillundertaketoprovideforthisyoungman。
M。deSartines，“pursuedhe，“Iwishtosecuretohimathousand
crownsyearly；and，further，youwillsupplyhimwithsixthousand
francsreadymoney，whichM。delaBordewillrepaytoyourorder。
“saidtheking，turningtome。
Myonlyreplywastothrowmyarmsaroundhisneckwithoutceremony，
spiteofthepresenceofawitness，whomightblushatmyfamiliarity。
“Youareindeed，“saidI，“areallygoodprince；itisonlyapity
youwillnotassertyourrighttorulealone。“
“Youarealittlerebel，“criedhe，“todoubtmyabsolutepower。“
Thistoneofplayfulgaietywaskeptupsometimeafterthe
departureofthelieutenantofpolice。
M。deSartinesreturnednextdaytotellmethateverythinghad
beenaccomplishedtomydesire。
“M。Moireau，“saidhe，“hasleft
prison，anddepartsforSpainto-morrowmorning:hisintention
istojoinsomefriendsofhisatMadrid。
Heisinformedofall
heowesyou，andentreatsyouracceptanceofhismostgrateful
andrespectfulacknowledgments。
Willyouseehim？“
“Thatwouldbeuseless，“answeredI；“saytohimonly，thatI
requesthewillwritetomeuponhisarrivalatMadrid，andgive
methehistoryofhislateadventureinitsfullestdetails。“
Moireaudidnotdisappointme；andsosoonashisletterreached
meIhastenedtocopyit，merelysuppressingthedateoftheplace
fromwhichitwaswritten，andforwardeditimmediatelytothe
comtessed’Egmont，withthefollowingnote:——
“Themanyproofsoftenderattachmentwithwhichthewidow
RossinhonoredyoungMoireaumakemebelievethatshewilllearn
withpleasureofmyhavingthegoodfortunetorescuetheill-fated
youthfromthecrueltyofthecomtessed’Egmont。
Thisinteresting
youngmannolongergroansawretchedprisonerinthegloomy
abodethathaughtyladyhadselectedforhim，butisatthisminute
safeinaneighboringkingdom，underthepowerfulpatronageof
kingofFrance，whoisinpossessionofeverycircumstancerelative
totheaffair。
Ilikewiseknowthewholeofthematter，andhavein
mykeepingthemostirrefragableproofsofallthattookplaceand
shouldIhenceforwardhaveanyreasontocomplainofthecomtesse
d’Egmont，Ishallpublishthesedocumentswithpermissionofthose
concerned。
“Thepublicwillthenbeenabledtojudgeofthevirtueand
humanityofonewhoaffectstotreatmewitharidiculousdisdain。
Thereexistsnolawagainstafairladyhavingloversandadmirers，
butasternoneforbidshertocommandorprocuretheirdestruction。
IKNOWALL；andmadamed’Egmont’sfutureconductwilldecidemy
silenceanddiscretion。
TheaffairwithMoireauisnottheonlyone，
othersofevenagraversinprecededit。
Icanpublishthewhole
together；and，Irepeat，mydeterminationonthisheaddepends
whollyandentirelyuponthemannerinwhichmadamed’Egmontshall
henceforwardconductherselftowardsme。
IbegmadamedeRossin
willallowmetosubscribemyself，witheveryfeelingshesowell，
merits，
“Herveryhumbleandmostobedientservant，
“THECOMTESSEDUBARRY“
Ihadcommunicatedtonoonethesecretofthisvengeance；Iwished
tokeepthedelightofthusexcitingtherageoftheprincesse
d’Egmontalltomyself。
Iwascertain，thatwhatevermight
henceforwardbeherlineofconducttowardsme，thatwhenever
shefoundherselfinmypresence，shewouldbitterlyfeelthe
stingsofanaccusingconscience，andthegnawingsofthatworm
whichdiethnotintheheartofhypocriticalandwickedpersons，
moreespeciallywhencompelledtomeettheeyeofthosewho
couldunmasktheminaminute。
OnthefollowingdayIreceivedavisitfromtheducdeRichelieu。
Spiteofthemanyendeavorshemadetoappearsmilingandgood
humored，adeepragekeptitsstationroundhismouth，and
contractedhislipseveninthemidstoftheartificialsmilewith
whichhesoughttodissimulatehiswrath。
“Madame，goodmorning，“saidhetome，“Icometooffermy
congratulations，youreallyarebecomequiteoneofus；uponmy
word，themostexperiencedcourtierhasnothingmoretoteachyou。“
“IamasyetinignoranceofthecausetowhichImayascribe
thesecompliments，M。lemarechal，whichIgreatlyfearsurpass
mypoormerits；andwhichevenyouwillbecompelledtoretract
themwhenIambetterknowntoyou。“
“Fearitnot，madame，“saidhe，“yourcommencementisamaster-stroke；
andtheletteryouyesterdayaddressedtothecomtessed’Egmont——“
“Ah，sir，“exclaimedI，withunfeignedastonishment，“inherplace
Icertainlyshouldnothaveselectedyouasmyconfidantin
theaffair。“
“Andwhocouldshebetterhaveselectedthanherfather？
But
thatisnotthematterinhand。
Mydaughterisfilledwithanger
againstyou；andifImustspeakthetruth，Idonotthinkyour
behaviortowardsherquitewhatitshouldhavebeen。“
“Really，monsieur，Iwasnotpreparedforareproachofthiskind；
andwhatcanmadamed’Egmontallegeagainstme？
’Tisshewho
haspursuedmewiththemostbittersarcasms，themostdetermined
malice；and，Imayadd，themostimpertinentbehavior。
Ientreat
yourpardonforusingsuchstrongexpressions，butherbehavior
allowsofnonemilder。
AndwhathaveIdoneinmyturn？
snatched
fromalingeringdeathanunfortunateyoungman，whoseonly
crimeconsistedinhavingpleasedthisunreasonablemadame
d’Egmont。