Onthedayfollowingshecame；Iimmediatelysentto
apprizeM。d’Aiguillon，who，withM。delaVrilliereandthe
chancellor，enteredmyapartmentseretheladyhadhadtimeto
commencethesubjectuponwhichshewastheretospeak。
This
unexpectedappearancedidnotseemtodisconcertherintheleast，
nordidherandordinaryassuranceinanydegree
failher。
Shereproachedmeforhavingintrustedthesecrettoso
manypersons，butherreproofwasutteredwithoutbitterness，and
merelyasifshefearedlestmyindiscretionmightcompromiseour
safety。
Shewasoverwhelmedwithquestions，andthechancellor
interrogatedherwiththekeenestcuriosity；buttoalltheinquiries
puttohersherepliedwithareadinessandcandourwhichsurprised
thewholeparty。
Shewasdesiredtogivethenamesofthose
engagedintheconspiracy，aswellasofhimwhofirstinformed
herofit。
SheansweredthatherownnamewasLorimer，thatshe
wasawidowlivinguponherownproperty。
Asfortheman，her
informant，hewasaSwiss，namedCabert，ofaboutthirtyyearsof
age，andhadlongbeenherintimatefriend:however，theembarrassed
tonewithwhichshepronouncedtheselastwordsleftroomforthe
suspicion，thathehadbeensomethingdearertoherthanafriend。
Shewasthenurgedtogiveupthenamesofthefourparliamentarians，
butsheprotestedthatshehadnotyetbeenabletoprevailon
Caberttoconfidethemtoher，thatshewascompelledtousethe
utmostcircumspectioninherattemptsatdiscoveringthefacts
alreadydisclosed，butflatteredherselfsheshouldyetsucceed
ingainingafullandunreserveddisclosure。
M。deMaupeou
encouragedher，byeverypossibleargument，toneglectnomeans
ofarrivingatsoimportantadiscovery。
Theexaminationover，andthe100，000francsshehaddemanded
giventoher，sheretired，butfollowedatadistancebyanumber
ofspies，whowerecommissionedtowatchherslightestmovement。
Cabert，theSwiss，wasarrestedinafurnishedlodgingheoccupied
inrueSaintRoch，andsentwithoutdelaytoVersailles，where，as
before，M。d’Aiguillonwithhistwocolleagueswaitedinmystudy
toreceiveandquestiontheprisoner。
Cabertwasayoungand
handsomeman，whosecountenanceboreevidentmarksofadissolute
andprofligatelife。
Heconfessed，withoutanydifficulty，that
hisonlymeansofgainingalivelihoodwerederivedfromthe
generosityofafemalefriend，butwhenhewaspresseduponthe
subjectoftheconspiracy，henolongerrepliedwiththesame
candour，butmerelyansweredinshortandimpatientnegatives
themanyquestionsputtohim，accompaniedwithfervent
protestationsofinnocence；adding，thatimplacableenemieshad
fabricatedthewholestory，onlythattheymighthaveanopportunity
ofwreakingtheirvengeance，byimplicatinghiminit。
“Accusenotyourenemies，“criedI，forthefirsttimemingling
intheconversation，“butratherblameyourbenefactress；itis
madameLorimerwhohasdenouncedyou，andfarfromintendingto
harmyoubysodoing，shepurposesdividingwithyouthe100，000
livreswhicharetorewardherdisclosures。“
Ieasilyfound，bythefrowninglooksdirectedtowardsmebythe
threegentlemenpresent，thatIhadbeenguiltyofgreatimprudence
insayingsomuch；butCabert，wringinghishands，uttered，with
themostdespairingaccent，
“Iamlost！
andmosthorriblyhastheunfortunatewoman
avengedherself。“
“Whatwouldyouinsinuate？“
“ThatIamthevictimofanenragedwoman，“repliedhe。
Heafterwardsexplained，thathehadbeentheloverofmadame
Lorimer，buthadbecomeweariedofher，andleftherinconsequence；
thatshehadviolentlyresentedthisconduct；and，afterhaving
invainsoughttomovehimbyprayersandsupplications，had
triedthemosthorriblethreatsandmenaces。
“Ioughtnotindeed，“
continuedhe，“tohavedespisedthesethreats，forwellIknew
thefiendlikemaliceofthewretchedcreature，anddearlydoI
payformyimprudence，byfallingintothepitshehasdugforme。“
Invainweendeavouredtoinducehimtoholdadifferentlanguage。
Hepersistedwithdeterminedobstinacyinhisfirststatement；
continuallyprotestinghisowninnocence，andloadingtheauthor
ofhiswoeswithbitterimprecations。
Itwasdeemedimpossible
toallowthismantogoatlarge；accordinglyM。delaVrilliere
issueda，whichsenthimthatnighttoseeka
lodgingintheBastille。
Itwasafterwardsdeemedadvisableto
puthimtothetorture，buttheagoniesoftherackwrungfrom
him
nodeviationfrom，orcontradictionof，whathehadpreviouslyalleged。
Theaffairhadnowbecomemysteriousandinexplicable。
However，
aspeedyterminationwasmostimperativelycalledfor；ifit
werepermittedtobecomegenerallyknown，itcouldnotfailof
reachingtheearsoftheking，whosehealthwasdailydeclining；
andM。deQuesnayhadassuredus，thatinhispresentlanguid
state，theshockproducedbynewssoalarming，mightcausehis
instantaneousdeath。
Whilstweremainedinuncertaintyastoourmodeofproceeding
inthebusiness，Cabert，theSwiss，threedaysafterhisadmission
intotheBastille，expiredinthemostviolentconvulsions。
His
bodywasopened，butnotraceofpoisoncouldbediscovered:our
suspicionswerehoweverawakened，andwhatfollowedconfirmedthem。
MadameLorimerwasarrested。
Sheprotestedthatshehadbeen
actuatedbynofeelingsofenmityagainstherunfortunatelover，
whomshehadcertainlyreproachedforhavingexpendedthemoney
shefurnishedhimwithinthesocietyofotherfemales，andtothe
angerwhicharosebetweenherselfandCabertontheoccasion
couldshealoneascribehisinfamouscalumniesrespectingher；
that，forherownpart，shehadneverceasedtolovehim，and，as
farassheknew，thatfeelingwasreciprocal；and，inbetraying
theconspiracy，herprincipaldesire，nexttotheanxioushopeof
preservingtheking，wastomakethefortuneofCabert。
She
wasconfinedintheBastille，butshedidnotlongremainwithin
itswalls；forattheendofafortnightshediedofaninflammatory
disease。
Herdeathwasmarkedbynoconvulsions，butthetraces
ofpoisonwereevident。
Thesetwoviolentdeathsoccurringsoimmediatelyoneafter
anotherasnottheslightestdoubtexistedthatCaberthad
likewisediedofpoisonthrewtheministersintoasadstateof
perplexity。
Buttowhomcouldtheyimputethedoublecrime
unlesstosomeaccomplice，whodreadedwhattheunhappyprisoners
mightbetemptedtoreveal。
YettheconductoftheJesuitical
priestsstatedbymadameLorimertobetheprincipalring-leaders
intheplot，althoughexposedtothemostrigorousscrutiny，
offerednottheslightestgroundsforsuspicion。
Neitherdid
theirletterswhichwereallinterceptedatthevariouspost-houses
giveanyindicationofatreasonablecorrespondence。
M。deSartinescausedtheprivatepapersofthesuspectedparties
tobeopenedduringtheirowners’absence，withoutdiscovering
anythingwhichcouldcompromisetheircharacter。
Iamspeaking，
however，ofthefathersCorbin，Berthier，andCerulti，forallour
effortscouldnottracefatherDumasthroughoutallParis。
Nor
wastheinnocenceoftheparliamentarianslessevident；theyvented
theirhatredagainsttheministry，andparticularlyagainstM。de
Maupeou，inpamphlets，couplets，andepigrams，bothinFrenchand
Latin，buttheyhadnoideaofconspiraciesorplots。
Andthusterminatedanaffair，whichhadcausedsomuchalarm，
andwhichcontinuedforaconsiderableperiodtoengagethe
attentionofministers。
Howwasthemysterytobeclearedup？
Thepoisonedorange-flowerwater，andthesuddendeathsofthe
twoprisoners，werefactsdifficulttoreconcilewiththenoless
undeniableinnocenceofthethreeaccusedJesuits。
Thewhole
businesswastomeanincomprehensiblemassofconfusion，in
whichincidentsthemosthorribleweremingled。
Atlastwe
agreedthatthebestandonlythingtobedonewastoconsign
theaffairtooblivion；buttherewerecircumstanceswhichdid
notsoeasilydepartfromtherecollectionofmyexcellentfriend，
themarechaledeMirepoix。
“Mydearsoul，“saidshetomeone
day，“haveyoueverinquiredwhatbecameofthe100，000livres
giventomadameLorimer？
shehadnotimetoemploytheminany
waybeforeherimprisonmentintheBastille。
Yououghttoinquire
intowhathandstheyhavefallen。“
Ifullycomprehendedthedriftofthisquestion，whichIputto
M。deSartinesthefirsttimeIsawhim。
“Blessme，“exclaimedhe，“youremindmethatthese100，000
livreshavebeenlyinginadrawerinmyoffice。
ButIhavesuch
aterriblememory。“
“Happily，“repliedI，“Ihaveafriendwhosememory
isasgood
asyoursseemsdefectiveuponsuchoccasions。
Itwillnotbe
wisetopermitsuchasumtoremainuselesslyinyouroffice:at
thesametimeIneednotpointoutthatyou，byyourconductin
thelateaffair，havebynomeansearnedarighttothem。“
Heattemptedtojustifyhimself；but，interruptinghim，Iexclaimed，
“Mygoodfriend，youhavesetupareputationofyourowncreating
andinventing；andwellitisyoutooktheofficeuponyourself
fornooneelsewouldhavedoneitforyou；butyouperceivehow
frailhavebeenitsfoundations；forthemomentyouarecompelled
tostanduponyourownresourcesyoufaint，andareeasilyovercome。“
Heendeavouredtomakeajokeoftheaffair，butindeeditseemed
toaccordasillwithhisnaturalinclinationasdidtherestitution
ofthe100，000livres。
However，hebroughtthemtomethe
followingday，andasIwasexpectingthearrivalofmadamede
Mirepoix，Iplacedtheminaporcelainvasewhichstooduponmy
chimney-piece。