Thisladyhadapeculiarskillinphysiognomy，and
thecloseattentionshealwayspaidtominewasfrequentlyextremely
embarrassinganddisagreeableSheseemedasusualonthepresent
occasiontoreadallthatwaspassinginmymind；however，less
penetratingeyesthanhersmighteasilyhaveperceived，bymy
suddenagitation，thatthepaperIheldinmyhandcontained
somethingmorethanusual。
“Whatailsyou？“
askedshe，withthefamiliarityourclose
intimacywarranted；“doesthatnotebringyouanybadnews？“
“No，“saidI；“ittellsmenothing；butitleavesmeampleroom
formuchuneasinessandalarm:but，afterall，itmaybemerely
somehoax，somefoolishjestplayedoffatmyexpense；butjudge
foryourself。“
Sosaying，Ihandedhertheletter:whenshehad
perusedit，shesaid，
“Uponmyword，ifIwereinyourplace，Iwouldclearupthis
mystery；goodadviceisnotsoeasilymetwithastomakeita
matterofdifficultytogoasfarastheBathsofApollotoseek
it。
Itisbynomeansimpossiblebutthat，asthispapertells
you，somegreatperilishangingoveryou。
Themarquisede
Pompadour，“continuedmadamedeMirepoix，“receivedmorethan
onceinvitationssimilartothis，whichsheneverfailedtoattend；
andIrecollectonecircumstance，inwhichshehadnocauseto
regrethavingdoneso:withoutthekindofficesofoneofthese
anonymouswritersitisverypossiblethatshemighthaveexpired
heartbroken，andperhapsforsakeninsomestateprison，instead
ofendingherdaysinthechateauofVersailles，honoredevento
thetombbythefriendshipandregardofthekingofFrance。“
Iaskedmyfriendtoexplainherlastobservation，andshereplied
asfollows:——
“Onedayananonymousbillet，similartothis，wasleftfor
madamedePompadour:itrequestedhertorepair，ataspecified
hour，tothechurchoftheJacobins，rueSaintHonore，inParis，
whereshewaspromisedsomehighlyimportantcommunications。
Themarchionesswaspunctualtotherendezvous；and，asshe
enteredthechurch，aJacobite，soentirelywrappedinhiscapuchin
astoconcealhisfeatures，approachedher，tookherbythehand，
andconductedhertoanobscurechapel；where，requestingherto
sitdown，hetookaseathimself，andbeganasfollows:——
“’Madam，youareabouttolosethefavoroftheking；apartyis
atworktogiveanewmistresstotheking；theladyisyoung，
beautiful，witty，andpossessedofaninsatiableambition；forthe
lastsixmonthsshehasbeeninthedailyhabitofseeingtheking，
unknowntoyouandallthecourt，andthishasbeenaccomplished
inthefollowingmanner:herfatheristohis
majesty，andshehasanonlybrother，twoyearsyoungerthan
herself，whoseastonishingresemblancetoherhascreatedcontinual
mistakes；thisbrotherispromisedtheinheritanceofhisfather’s
office；and，underpretextofacquiringthedueinitiationfor
futurepost，hasbeenpermittedeverymorningtoattendthe
king’srising。
“’However，thisembryopageisthesister，whocomeseachmorning
disguisedinherbrother’sclothes。
Thekinghashadmanyprivate
conversationswiththedesigningbeauty；and，seducedbyher
manycharmsofmindandperson，aswellasdazzledbythehidden
andconcealednatureoftheirintrigue，findshispassionforher
increasesfromdaytoday。
Manyarethedesigningpersonsready
toprofitbythetransferoftheking’saffectionsfromyoutothis
freshfavorite；andtheyflatterthemselvesthedesiredeventis
closeathand。
Youaretobeconfinedbya
totheisleofSt。Margaret，fortheplaceofyourexileisalready
chosen。
Theprincipalconspiratorsaretwopowerfulnoblemen，
oneofwhomisreputedyourmostintimatefriend。
Ilearnedall
theseparticulars，’continuedtheJacobite，’fromayoungpenitent，
butnotunderthesealofconfession。
Thispenitentisthe
particularfriendofthefemaleinquestion，whoconfidedthe
secrettoher，fromwhomIreceivedit，accompaniedbythemost
flatteringpromisesoffutureprotectionandadvancement。
These
splendidprospectsexcitedherjealousenvy，andshecamehere
toconfessthewholetome，requestingIwouldseekyououtand
informyouofthewholeaffair。
Hereisalettersheobtained
unknowntoheraspiringfriend，whichshewishesyoutosee，as
apledgeoftheveracityofherstatement。’Themarchionesscast
hereyesoverthepaperheldouttoherbytheJacobite。
Itwas
aletteraddressedbythekingtohisnewmistress。
“YoumayimaginetheterrorofmadamedePompadour，heranxiety
andimpatiencetoreturntoVersailles。
However，ereshequitted
thefriendlymonksheassuredhimofherlastinggratitude，and
beggedofhimtopointouthowshecouldbestproveit。
’For
myself，’repliedhe，’Iasknothing；butifyouwouldrenderme
yourdebtor，conferthefirstvacantbishopriconamanwhomI
greatlyesteem，theabbedeBarral。’Youwilleasilysupposethat
theabbedeBarralhadnotlongtowaitforhispreferment:as
fortheJacobitethemarchionessneveragainsaworheardanything
ofhim。
Shementionedhimtothenewlyappointedbishop，who
couldnotevenunderstandtowhatshealluded。
Sherelatedthe
affair，whenhecalledheaventowitnessthatheknewnothingof
anyJacobiteeitherdirectlyorindirectly。“
“Andhowdidthemarchionessgetridofherrival？“
inquiredI
ofmadamedeMirepoix。
“Byaverysimpleandeffectiveexpedient。
Shesentfortheduc
deSaintFlorentin，whomsherequestedimmediatelytoexpedite
two；oneforthe，whowas
shutupinthechateaudeLectoure，andtheotherforthedaughter，
whomthemarchionesssenttotheisleofSt。Marguerite，to
occupytheplaceshehadsoobliginglydestinedforherself。“
“Andnow，“askedI，“didtheseunfortunatepeopleevergetout
ofprison？“
“ThatIknownot，“answeredthemarechale；“and，Godforgiveme，
foraughtIeverinquiredtheymaybetherenow。“
“Ifso，“criedI，“theconductofboththekingandtheducdela
Vrilliereisabominableandunpardonable。“
“Why，blessyourheart，mydear，“exclaimedthemarechale，“do
youexpectthathismajestyshouldrecollectallthepretty
womenhehasintriguedwith，anymorethanthepoordukecanbe
expectedtokeepalistinhismemoryofthedifferentpersons
hehassenttoaprison？
Hewouldrequireaprodigiousrecollection
forsuchapurpose。“
Thisunfeelingreplyfilledmewithindignation，
andredoubledthepityIalreadyfeltforthepoorprisoners。
I
immediatelydespatchedanotetotheducdeSaintFlorentin，
requestinghewouldcometomewithoutdelay:hehastenedtoobey
mysummons。
Whenhehadheardmyrecitalheremainedsilent
someminutes，asthoughcollectinghisrecollectionsuponthe
subject，andthenreplied，
“Idoindeedrememberthatsomeobscurefemalewasconfinedin
thechateauoftheisleSainteMargueriteattherequestofmadame
dePompadour，butIcannotnowsay，whetheratthedeathofthe
marchionessanypersonthoughtofintercedingforherrelease。“
“ThatispreciselywhatIwishtoascertain，“criedI；“returnto
youroffices，monsieurleduc，anduseyourbestendeavorsto
discoverwhetherthisunfortunategirlandherparentarestill
inconfinement；norventureagaininmypresenceuntilyouhave
despatchedtheorderfortheirdeliverance:youwillprocurea
conveyanceforthemfromtheirprisontoParisattheexpenseof
government。
Youunderstand，mylord？“
Thefollowingmorningthedukebroughtmethedesiredinformation。
Hetoldme，thatthefatherhadbeendeadsevenyears，
butthe
daughterstillremainedaprisoner:theorderforrestoringher
tolibertyhadbeenforwardedthenightpreceding。
Iwillnow
brieflyrelatetheendofthismournfulstory。
ThreeweeksafterthisIreceivedanearlyvisitfrom
theducde
laVrilliere，whocametoapprizeme，that
myprotegeefromthe
isleof
St。Margueritewasinmy
antechamberawaitingpermission
tooffermehergratefulthanks。
Idesiredshemightinstantlybe
admitted；herappearanceshockedme；notasingletraceofthat
beautywhichhadprovedsofataltoitspossessornowremained。
Shewaspale，emaciated，andhercountenance，onwhichcareand
confinementhadimprintedthewrinklesofprematureoldage，was
sadanddejectedeventoidiocy。
Icouldhavewishedthatmadame
dePompadour，bywayofpunishmentforhercruelty，couldbut
haveseentheobjectofherrelentlesspersecution。
Ithinkshe
wouldhaveblushedforherself。
Whenthepoorgirlenteredmy
apartmentshelookedwildlyaroundher，andcastingherselfat
myfeet，inquiredwithmanytearstowhatmotiveshewasindebted
formygenerousinterferenceinherbehalf。
Theducdela
Vrillierecontemplatedwiththeutmostthespectacle
ofamiseryhehadsolargelycontributedto。
Irequestedofhim
toleaveustoourselves。
Ithenraisedmyweeping，
consoledhertothebestofmyability，andthenrequestedher
togivemethehistoryofhercaptivity。
Herstorywassoon
told:shehadbeenaninhabitantofthesameprisonforseventeen
yearsandfivemonths，withouteitherseeingahumanbeing，or
hearingthesoundofahumanvoice。
Herrecitalmademeshudder，
andIpromisedherthathenceforwardherlifeshouldberendered
ashappyasithadhithertobeenmiserable。
Thekingsuppedwithmethatevening。
Bysomesingularchancehe
wasonthisoccasioninthehappiesttemperpossible:helaughed，
sung，jokedwithsuchunusualspirits，thatIhesitatedereI
disturbedagaietytowhichLouisXVwassolittleprone。
However，Itookhimaside，saying，“Sire，Ihavetoaskatonement
andreparationforamosthorriblepieceofinjustice。“
Afterwhich，