Iproceededtoacquainthimwiththedistressinghistoryofhis
unfortunatemistress。
Heappearedperfectlywelltorecollect
thefemaletowhomIalluded；andwhenIceasedspeaking，he
said，withahalf-suppressedsigh，
“Poorcreature！
shehasindeedbeenunfortunate；seventeenyears
andfivemonthsinprison！
Theducdela
Vrilliereisgreatlyto
blameintheaffair；butwhenoncehehasplacedpersonsbetween
fourwalls，hethinkshehasfulfilledthewholeofhisduty。
He
shouldrecollect，thatagoodmemoryisanecessaryqualification
forsituationheholds；itisindeedanimperativedutyinhimto
thinkofthepoorwretcheshedeprivesoftheirliberty。“
“Andinyoutoo，sire，“interruptedI；“anditappearstomethat
youhavelostsightofit，inthepresentaffair，asculpablyas
yourminister。“
“Iconfessit，indeed，“answeredLouisXV；“buttheunfortunate
suffererherselfwasnotwithoutadueshareofblameinthe
matter。
HerpresumptionhadgreatlyirritatedmadamedePompadour，
whopunishedherasshethoughtfit:ofcourseIcouldnot，
consistentlywiththeregardIprofessedforthemarchioness，
interfereintheexecutionofhervengeance。“
“Idonotagreewithyou，“saidI。
“Why，whatelsecouldIdo？“
askedLouisXV，withthemost
imperturbablecalmness；“shehadsuperiorclaims，wasacknowledged
aschieffavorite，andIcouldnotrefuseherthesacrificeofa
meretemporarycaprice。“
“Verywellsaid，“answeredI，“andfoundeduponexcellent
principles；butsurelyitwasnotnecessarytoshutuptheobject
ofyourcapriceinastateprison，and，aboveall，toleaveher
thereforsuchalengthoftime。
However，themischiefisdone；
andallwehavetothinkofistorepairit。
Youhavenow，sire，
afineopportunityofdisplayingyourroyalmunificence。“
“Youthink，then，“returnedLouisXV，“thatIamboundtomake
thisunhappygirlsomepresent？
Well，Iwill；to-morrowIwill
sendher10，000louis。“
“Athousandlouis！“
exclaimedI，claspingmyhands；“what，asa
recompenseforseventeenyears’imprisonment？
No，no，sire，you
shallnotgetoffsoeasily；youmustsettleonherapension
of12，000livres，andpresentherwithanorderfor100，000more
asanimmediatesupply。“
“Blessme！“
ejaculatedtheking，“whyall，thegirlsinmy
kingdomwouldgotoprisonforsuchadowry:however，sheshall
havethepension；but，intruth，mytreasuryisexhausted。“
“Then，sire，“returnedI，“borrowofyourfriends。“
“Come，come，letusfinishthisbusiness；Iwillgiveyour
4000louis。“
“No，Icannotagree，“answeredI，“tolessthan5000。“
ThekingpromisedmeIshouldhavethem；and，onthefollowing
day，hisvaletTurpignybroughtmetheorderforthepension，and
abag，inwhichIfoundonly4000louis。
Thispieceofmeanness
didnotsurpriseme，butitmademeshrugupmyshoulders，and
sentmetomycabinettotakethesumdeficientfrommyownfunds。
Withthisdowrymypoorsoonfoundasuitablehusband
inthepersonofoneofhercousins，forwhomIprocureda
lucrativepostundergovernment。
Theseworthypeoplehavesince
wellrepaidmebytheirgratefulanddevotedattachmentforthe
serviceIwasenabledtorenderthem。
Oneindividualoftheir
familywas，however，farfromresemblingthemeitheringoodness
ofheartorgenerosityofsentiment——Ialludetothebrotherofthe
lady；thatsamebrotherwhoformerlysuppliedhissisterwithhis
clothes，thatshemightvisitthekingunsuspected。
Uponthe
incarcerationofthefatherthesonsucceededhiminhisoffice
of，andacquiredconsiderablecreditatcourt；
yet，althoughinthedailyhabitofseeingtheking，heneither
bywordnordeedsoughttoobtainthedeliveranceofeitherhis
parentorsister。
Onthecontrary，hesufferedtheformerto
perishinadungeon，andallowedthelattertolanguishinone
duringmorethanseventeenyears，andinallprobabilityshe
wouldhaveendedherdayswithoutreceivingtheslightestmark
ofhisrecollectionofhisunfortunaterelative。
Iknownotrait
ofbaseselfishnessmoretrulyrevoltingthantheoneIhave
justrelated。
ButthisstoryhasledmefarfromthesubjectIwaspreviously
commencing:thisnarrative，whichInevercalltomindwithouta
feelingofpleasure，hasledmeawayinspiteofmyself。
StillI
trustthatmynarrativehasbeensufficientlyinterestingtoinduce
youtopardonthedigressionithasoccasioned，andnowIwill
resumethethreadofmydiscourse。
CHAPTERXXXVII
Aconspiracy——AschemeforpoisoningmadameduBarry——Thefour
bottles——Lettertotheducd’Aiguillon——Adviceoftheministers——
Opinionofthephysicians——Thechancellorandlieutenantof
police——Resolutionofthecouncil
HaveyouanycuriositytolearnthedenouementofthestoryI
wastellingyouofmyanonymouscorrespondent？
Readwhatfollows，
then，andyourwishesshallbegratified:thatis，ifyouhave
patiencetoheararatherlongstory；forIcannotpromiseyou
thatminewillveryspeedilybecompleted。
Letmesee:where
didIleaveoff？
Oh，Irecollect。
IwastellingyouthatmadamedeMirepoixurgedmetorepair，as
Iwasrequested，totheBathsofApollo。
Ihadakeywhichopened
alltheparkgates；weenteredthepark，tookthepathwhichturns
offtotheleft，andafterhavingwalkedforaboutfiveminutes，
foundourselvesoppositethepersonwewereinsearchof。
It
wasafemaleoffromthirtytofortyyearsofage，ofdiminutive
stature，dressedafterthefashionoftheofthe
day，butstillanairofgoodtastewasevidentthroughthe
simplicityofherattire。
Hercountenancemustoncehavebeen
handsome，ifonemightjudgebythebeautyofhereyesandmouth，
butshewaspale，witheredandalreadyimpressedwiththetraces
ofaprematureoldage。
Butherbeauties，althoughfaded，were
stillanimatedbyaquickandever-varyingexpressionofakeen
andlivelywit。
WhilstImadethesehastyremarksthestrangersalutedme，and
afterwardsthemarechaledeMirepoix，withaeaseofmanner
whichperfectlysurprisedme。
Nordidsheinanyotherinstance
betraytheembarrassmentofapersonwhofindsherselfforthe
firsttimeinthepresenceofpersonsofaranksuperiortoherown。
“Madam，“shesaid，addressingherselftome，“Itrustyouwill
pardonmeforhavinggivenyouthetroubleofcominghither；I
mighthavesparedityou，hadyourpeoplepermittedmetosee
youwhenIcalledatyourhouseyesterday。“
“Yourinvitation，“repliedI，“wassopressinglyenforced，thatI
confessmycuriosityhasbeenmostkeenlyawakened。“
“Iwillimmediatelysatisfyit，“answeredshe，“butwhatIhave
tosaymustbetoldtoyourselfalone。“
“Well，then，“saidthemarechale，“Iwillleaveyouforthe
present:IamgoingtoadmirethatfinegroupofGirardon“；and
sosaying，shequittedthewalkinwhichIwasstanding。
Directlyshewasgonethestrangersaidtome，“Madam，Iwill
explainmyselfwithoutreserveorunnecessaryprolixity；Ibeseech
ofyoutolistenattentivelywhilstItellyou，inthefirstplace，
thatbothyourlifeandthatofthekingisinimminentdanger。“
“Heavens！“
criedI，“whatdoIhear？“
“ThatwhichIwellknowtobetrue，“answeredthefemale，with
a
firmvoice；“Irepeatthatyourlifeandthatofthekingis
indanger。“
Thesewords，pronouncedinalow，solemnvoice，frozemewith
terror；mylimbstotteredunderme，andIalmostsanktothe
ground。
Thestrangerassistedmetoabench，offeredmeherarm，
andwhenshesawmealittlerecovered，shecontinued，
“Yes，madam，aconspiracyisafootagainstyourselfandLouisXV。
Youaretobemadeawaywithoutofrevenge，andLouisXVisto
suffer，inthehopesofhisdeatheffectingachangeinthe
presentfaceofaffairs。“
“Andwho，“inquiredI，“aretheconspirators？“
’TheJesuitsandparliamentarians；theseancientrivals，equally
persecutedbytheroyalgovernment，havedeterminedtomake
commoncauseagainsttheirmutualfoe。
TheJesuitsflatter
themselvesthatthedauphininheritsthekindfeelingsentertained
byhisfatherfortheirorder，andtheparliamentariansjustly
reckonuponthefriendlydispositionoftheyoungprincetowards
theoldmagistracy。
Bothpartiesequallyflatterthemselvesthat
afreshreignwouldbringabouttheirre-establishment，andthey
areimpatienttoacceleratesodesirableanevent:theconspiracy
isdirectedbyfourJesuitsandthesamenumberoftheex-members
oftheparliamentofParis。
Theremainderofthetwocorporations
arenotinitiatedinthesecretoftheenterprise。
Iamnotable
atpresenttogiveyouthenamesoftheeightconspirators，the
personfromwhomIderivemyinformationnothavingasyet
confidedthemeventomyself，butItrusterelongtoobtainsuch
amarkofconfidence。“
Thefemaleceasedspeaking，andIremainedinastateofdoubt，
fear，andalarm，impossibletodescribe。
Stillonethingappeared
cleartome，thatinformationsomysteriouslyconveyedwasnot
deservingofbelief，unlesssupportedbymorecorroborating
testimony。