“Thatisaverysimplematter，“answeredthepresident，calmly。“Weconfrontyouwithhimwhoatyourdirectionimitatedthehandwritingofthequeenandwrotetheletters。Officer，summonthelastwitness!“
Theofficerthrewopenthedoorwhichledtothenextroom。A
breathlesssilenceprevailedinthegreathall；everyonewasintenselyeagertoseethislastwitnesswhowastouncovertheweboffraudsofthecountess’sspinning。Thegreatburningeyesoftheaccused，too，wereturnedtothisdoor，andhercompressedlipsandherpiercingglancedisclosedalittleoftheanxietyofhersoul，althoughherbearingandmannerwerestillimpudentandscornful。
Andnowthedooropened，andacryofamazementandragebrokefromthelipsofthecountess。
“RetauxdeVilette，“criedshemadly，doublingupherlittlehandsintofistsandextendingthemtowardthemanwhonowenteredthehall。“Shameful，shameful!Hehasturnedagainstme!“
Andlosingforamomenthercomposure，shesankbackupontheseatfromwhichshehadriseninherfright。Adeathlypalenesscoveredhercheeks，and，almostswooning，sherestedherheadonthebackofthechair。
“YounowseethatGodisjust，“saidthepresident，afterabriefpause。“Yourownconsciencetestifiesagainstyouandcompelsyoutoconfessyourselfguilty。“
Shesprangupandcompelledherselftoresumeherself-possessedmanner，andtoappearcoolanddefiantasbefore。
“No!“shesaid，“Idonotconfessmyselfguilty，andIhavenoreasonto!MyheartonlyshudderedwhenIsawthismanenter，whomI
havesavedfromhunger，overwhelmedwithkindness，andwhommyenemieshavenowbroughtuptomakehimtestifyagainstme!Butitisover——Iamnowreadytoseenewlies，newinfamiesheapeduponme：M。RetauxdeVilettemaynowspeakon，hiscalumnieswillonlydropfromtheundentedmailofmyconscience!“
Andwithpossessedbearingandanairofproudscorn，CountessLamottelookedatthemanwho，bowingandtrembling，advancedbythesideoftheofficertothegreentable，andsedulouslyshunnedmeetingtheeyesofLamotte，whichrestedonhimliketwofierydaggers。
Thepresidentpropoundedtheusualquestionsastonameandrank。HeansweredthathisnamewasRetauxdeVilette，andthathewasstewardandsecretaryoftheCountessLamotte-Valois。Onfurtherquestioning，hedeclaredthatafterthecountandthecountesshadbeenarrestedhehadfled，andhadgonetoGenevainordertoawaittheendofthetrial。Butasitlingeredsolong，hehadattemptedtoescapetoEngland，buthadbeenarrested。
“Whydoyouwishtoescape？“askedtheattorney-general。
“BecauseIfearedbeinginvolvedintheaffairsoftheCountessLamotte，“answeredRetauxdeVilette，inlowtones。
“Sayratheryouknewthatyouwouldbeinvolvedwiththem。Youhaveatapreviousexaminationdeposedcircumstantially，andyoucannottakebackwhatyoutestifiedthen，foryourdenialwouldbeofnoavail。Answer，therefore：Whathaveyoudone？WhywereyouafraidofbeinginvolvedinthetrialofCountessLamotte？“
“BecauseIhaddoneagreatwrong，“answeredRetaux，withvehemence。
“BecauseIhadallowedmyselftobeledastraybythepromises，theseductivearts，thedeceptionsofthecountess。Iwaspoor；Ilivedunseenandunnoticed，andIwishedtoberich，honored，anddistinguished。Thecountesspromisedmeallthis。Shewouldpersuadethecardinaltoadvancemetohonor；shewouldintroducemetothecourt，andthroughhermeansIshouldbecomerichandsoughtafter。
Ibelievedallthis，andlikeherdevotedslaveIdidallthatsheaskedofme。“
“Slavishsoul!“criedthecountess，withanexpressionofunspeakablescorn。
“Whatdidthecountessdesireofyou？“askedthepresident。“Whatdidyoudoinherservice？“
“Iwrotetheletterswhichwereintendedforthecardinal，“answeredRetauxdeVilette。“Thecountesscomposedthem，andIwrotetheminthehandwritingofthequeen。“
“Howdidyouknowherhandwriting？“
“Thecountessgavemeabookinwhichaletterofthequeen’swasprintedinexactimitationofherhand。IcopiedthelettersasnearlyasIcould，andsoworkedoutmysentences。“
“Helies，helies!“criedthecountess，withafiercegesture。
“Andhowwasitwiththepromissorynotetothejewellers，BohmerandBassenge？Doyouknowaboutthat？“
“Yes，“answeredRetaux，withasigh，“Idoknowaboutit，forI
wroteitatthedirectionofthecountess，andaddedthesignature。“
“Hadyouacopy？“
“Yes，thesignatureofthefac-simile。“
“Intheprintedletterwastherethesubscriptionwhichyouinserted？“
“No，therewasonlythename’MarieAntoinette，’nothingfurther；
butthecountessthoughtthatthiswasonlyaconfidentialwayofwritinghername，asadaughtermightuseitinalettertoamotheritwasaletterwrittenbythequeentohermother，butthatinadocumentofamorebusiness-likecharactertheremustbeanofficialsignature。Wehadalongdiscussionaboutit，whichresultedinourcomingtotheconclusionthattheproperformwouldbe’MarieAntoinetteofFrance。’SoIpractisedthisseveraltimes，andfinallywroteitonthepromissorynote。“
“Helies!“criedthecountess，stampingonthefloor。“Heisabornliarandslanderer。“
“IampreparedtoshowtheproofatoncethatIspeakthetruth，“
saidRetauxdeVilette。“Ifyouwillgivemewriting-materialsI
willwritethesignatureofthequeeninthemannerinwhichitiswrittenonthepromissorynote。“
Thepresidentgavetheorderfortherequisitearticlestobebroughtandlaidonaside-table。Retauxtookthepen，andwitharapidhandwrotesomewords，whichhegavetotheofficertobecarriedtothepresident。
Thelattertookthepaperandcompareditwiththewordswhichwerewrittenonthepromissorynote。Hethenpassedthetwototheattorney-general，andhetothejudgenexttohim。Thepaperspassedfromhandtohand，and，aftertheycamebacktothepresidentagain，herosefromhisseat：
“Ibelievethatthecharactersonthispaperpreciselyaccordwiththoseonthenote。Thewitnesshasgivenwhatseemstomeirrefutabletestimonythathewasthewriterofthatsignature，aswellasoftheletterstothecardinal。HewastheculpableinstrumentofthecriminalLamotte-Valois。Thoseofthejudgeswhoareofmyopinionwillrise。“
Thejudgesaroseasoneman。
Thecountessutteredaloudcryandfell，seizedwithfearfulspasms，totheground。
“Ideclaretheinvestigationandhearingsended，“saidthepresident，coveringhishead。“Lettheaccusedandthewitnessesberemoved，andthespectators’tribunebevacated。Wewilladjourntothecouncil-roomtopreparethesentence，whichwillbegivento-
morrow。“
Thedaywasdrawingtoaclose。Thatendlesslylongday，that31stofAugust，1786，wascomingtoaconclusion。AllParishadawaiteditwithbreathlessexcitement，withfeverishimpatience。Noonehadbeenabletoattendtohisbusiness。Thestoreswereclosed，theworkshopsoftheartisanswereempty；evenintherestaurantsandcafesallwasstill；thecookshadnothingtodo，andletthefiregoout，foritseemedasifallParishadlostitsappetite——asifnobodyhadtimetoeat。
Andintruth，onthisday，Parishadnohungerforfoodthatcouldsatisfythebody。Thecitywashungryonlyfornews，itlongedforfoodwhichwouldsatisfyitscuriosity。Andthenewswhichwouldappeaseitscravingwastocomefromthecourt-roomoftheprison!
ItwastothatquarterthatParislookedforthestillingofitshunger，thesatisfyingofitsdesires。
Thejudgeswereassembledinthehalloftheprisontopronouncethedecisivesentenceinthenecklacetrial，andtoannouncetoallFrance，yes，allEurope，whethertheQueenofFrancewasinnocentintheeyesofGodandHisrepresentativesonearth，orwhetherashadeofsuspicionwasthenceforthtorestuponthatloftybrow!
Ataveryearlyhourofthemorning，half-pastfive，thejudgesofthehighcourtofParliament，forty-nineinnumber，gatheredatthecouncil-roominordertopronouncesentence。Atthesameearlyhour，animmense，closely-throngedcrowdgatheredinthebroadsquareinfrontoftheprison，andgazedinbreathlessexpectationatthegreatgateofthebuilding，hopingeveryminutethatthejudgeswouldcomeout，andthattheyshouldlearnthesentence。
Butthedayworeon，andstillthegatesremainedshut；nonewscamefromthecouncil-roomtoenlightenthecuriosityofthecrowdthatfilledthesquareandtheadjacentstreets。