Myunknownfriendevidentlydivinedallthatwas
　　passinginmymind，forsheobserved，
　　“Iperceivethatmyrecitalappearstoyouimprobable；one
　　particularwhichIwillstatemayperhapsovercomeyour
　　incredulity。
　　Areyounotinthehabit，madam，oftakingevery
　　eveningmixedwithalargeproportionoforange-
　　flowerwater？“
　　“Iam，“repliedI。
　　“Thisday，“continuedmyinformant，“youwillreceivefourbottles
　　oforange-flowerwatercontainedinaboxbearingtheusual
　　appearancesofhavingcomefromtheperfumers’，butitissent
　　byotherhands，andtheliquorcontainedintheflasksismingled
　　withadeadlypoison。“
　　Theselastwordsmademetremble。
　　“Youmustcompleteyourkind
　　offices，“criedItomyvisitor，“bybringingmeacquaintedwith
　　thepersonfromwhomyouhavederivedyourintelligence:that
　　individualmustbeacquaintedwiththewholeoftheplot；and，
　　believeme，Iwillnotbeunmindfulofeitherofyou。“
　　“Stayoneinstant，“repliedthelady，withoutevincingtheslightest
　　emotion；“themanwhowasmyinformantisassuredlyawareofthe
　　namesofthoseconcernedintheconspiracy，buthehascharged
　　menottostatewhoheisbutuponcertainconditions；a
　　recommendationIshallmostcertainlyattendto。“
　　“Beassured，“interruptedI，“thatyourdemandsshallbeacceded
　　to；youshallyourselffixthepriceofyourentiredisclosureof
　　everyfactconnectedwiththebusiness。“
　　“Itwillnotbeanexorbitantone，“repliedthelady；“merely
　　600，000francs，tobeequallydividedbetweenthefriendyou
　　desiretoknowandmyself；forthissum，whichisnotavery
　　largeone，youmaycommandtheservicesofbothofus。
　　Oneword
　　more，madam，andIamgone。
　　ObserveastrictsilenceuponallI
　　havetoldyou；or，ifyoumusthaveacounsellorinsuchperilous
　　circumstances，confidemerelyinsometriedfriend；saytheduc
　　d’Aiguillonorthechancellor，orbothshouldyoudeemitnecessary；
　　buthaveacarehowyouadmitathirdtoaparticipationofthe
　　affair；youcouldscarcelyselectanotherpersonwithoutchoosing
　　onealreadycorruptedbyyourenemies。
　　Itissaidthattheyare
　　incorrespondencewitheventhosepersonsimmediatelyaboutthe
　　personoftheking。
　　Adieu，madam；Iwillseeyouatyourown
　　apartmentsthedayafterto-morrow，whenItrustyouwillhave
　　ready100，000francs，onaccountofthe600，000Ihavestipulatedfor。“
　　Sosaying，shecurtsiedandleftme，overcomewithsurprise。
　　A
　　thousandfearfulideaspresseduponmybrain，andmyheartsickened
　　atthelongtrainofgloomyimageswhichpresentedthemselves。
　　I
　　hadhadsufficientproofssincemyelevationofthedeadlyhatred
　　bornemebythosewhommygoodfortunehadrenderedmyenemies:
　　yet，hitherto，mystrongestapprehensionshadneverbeendirected
　　toanythingmoreterriblethanbeingsupplantedinthefavorofthe
　　king，orbeingconfinedinmychateauduLucienne。
　　Thehorrible
　　ideasofmurder，poison，orassassinationbyanymeans，hadnever
　　presentedthemselvestome。
　　AllatonceIrecollectedtheyoung
　　maninthegardenoftheTuileries；hispredictionsofmyfuture
　　greatnesshadbeenaccomplished。
　　Hehadalsoannouncedtome
　　fearfulvicissitudes，andhadthreatenedtoappeartomewhen
　　thesecatastropheswereabouttooccur。
　　Doubtlesshewouldkeep
　　hisword；nowwasthetimeforsodoing，andItimidlyglanced
　　aroundasIcaughtthesoundofaslightrustleamongthebranches，
　　fullyexpectingtoseemyyoungprophet；butthefigurewhichmet
　　myeyewasthatofmadamedeMirepoix，who，tiredofwaiting，
　　hadcometorejoinme。
　　’What！
　　“saidshe，“areyoualone？
　　Ididnotobserveyourvisitor
　　leaveyou。
　　Didshevanishintoair？“
　　“Verypossibly，“answeredI。
　　“Sothen，“repliedthemarechale，“sheprovedafairy，orsome
　　beneficent，afterall？“
　　“Ifshewereaspirit，“saidI，“itcertainlywasnottothebetter
　　sortshebelonged。“
　　“Haveacare，“criedthemarechale；“Ihavealreadyformeda
　　thousandconjecturesastowhatthiswomanhasbeentelling。“
　　“Andallyoursuppositions，“repliedI，“wouldfallshortofthe
　　reality。
　　Listen，mydearmarechale，“addedI，rising，andtaking
　　herarmtoproceedhomewards，“Ihavebeenstrictlyprohibited
　　fromadmittinganycounsellorbuttheducd’Aiguillonandthe
　　chancellor；stillIcanhavenoreserveswithyou，whoIknow，
　　fromtheregardyoubearbothtothekingandmyself，willadvise
　　metothebestofyourpower。“
　　Aswewalkedtowardsthechateau，Iexplainedtomycompanion
　　thejointconspiracyoftheJesuitsandancientmembersofthe
　　parliamentagainsttheking’slifeandmyown。
　　WhenIhadceased
　　speaking，shereplied，
　　“Allthisisverypossible；despairmayconducttheJesuitsand
　　parliamentarianstothegreatestextremities；butstillthis
　　mysteriousfemalemaybenothingmorethananimpostor。
　　Atany
　　rate，Iamanxioustolearnwhethertheboxshedescribedhasbeen
　　leftatyourhouse；ifso，itwillbeastrongcorroboration，if
　　not，aconvincingproofofthefalsehoodofwhatsheasserts。“
　　Wehadbythistimereachedthebottomofthestaircasewhich
　　conductedtomyapartments；weascendedthestairsrapidly，and
　　thefirstpersonImetintheanteroomwasHenriette。
　　“Henriette，“saidI，“hasanythingbeenbroughtformeduring
　　myabsence？“
　　“Nothingexceptaboxoforange-flowerwaterfromMichelthe
　　perfumer’s，whichIpresumeyouordered，madam。“
　　Aglanceofmutualsurpriseandconsternationpassedbetweenthe
　　marechaleandmyself。
　　Weenteredmychamber，wheremadamede
　　Mirepoixopenedthefatalbox；itcontainedthefourbottles
　　exactlyashadbeendescribed。
　　Weregardedeachotherinprofound
　　silence，notdaringtocommunicateourreflections。
　　However，it
　　wasrequisitetotakesomesteps，and，catchingupapen，Ihastily
　　wrotethefollowingbillettotheducd’Aiguillon，
　　“MONSIEURLEDUC，——Whatevermaybetheaffairs
　　withwhichyouareatpresentoccupied，Iprayof
　　youtothrowthemaside，andhastentomeinstantly
　　uponreceiptofthis。
　　Nothingcanequalinimportance
　　thesubjectuponwhichIwishtoseeyou；Icannot
　　nowexplainmyselffully，butpreparefornewsof
　　themosthorribledescription，anditreferstothe
　　safetyandpreservationofthemostvaluablelife
　　inthekingdom。
　　Icannotdelaytimebywriting
　　more；Icanonlybeseechofyounottoloseone
　　momentinobeyingthissummons。
　　Adieu；failnot
　　tocomeandbringmebackthisnote。“
　　Thedukehastenedtomefullofterrorandalarm。
　　“Yourletterhasreallyfrightenedme，“saidhe；“whatcanbethe
　　matter？
　　Surelythelifeofhismajestyisnotindanger？“
　　“Tootrulyisit，“answeredI；“butsitdown，andyoushallknow
　　alltheaffair。
　　Themarechaleisalreadyawareofthematter
　　andneednotwithdraw。“
　　Thedukelistenedwithextremeattentiontotherecitalofmy
　　interviewinthegrovesurroundingtheBathsofApollo，aswell
　　astotheaccountofthediscourseIhadheldtherewiththe
　　strangefemale。
　　Iendeavouredtorelatetheconversationas
　　minutelyandaccuratelyaspossible，butstillthedukesought
　　furtherparticulars。
　　Heinquiredthestyleofcountenance，dress，
　　manner，andtoneofvoicepossessedbythe。
　　One
　　mighthavesupposed，bytheclosenessofhisquestions，thathe
　　alreadyfanciedhehadidentifiedthismysteriouspersonage:he
　　thenexaminedthebox，whichstoodonthetable，andremarked，
　　“Thisisaveryseriousaffair，norcanIundertakethemanagement
　　ofitalone；itinvolvesatoogreatresponsibility。
　　Spiteofthe
　　lady’sassertions，Iamconfidentthefullestconfidencemight
　　beplacedinalltheministers。
　　However，Iwillfirsthavea
　　conferencewithM。deSaint-Florentinandthechancellor，in
　　whosepresenceIwillsendforthelieutenantofpolice；andthe
　　contentsofthesebottlesshallbeimmediatelyanalyzed。“
　　Theduke，withoutquittingme，wroteimmediatelytohistwo
　　colleaguesaswellastoM。deSartines，requestingthislatter
　　torepairtomyapartmentwithoutdelay。
　　Oneoftheministers
　　summonedbyM。d’AiguillonwasnotatthatmomentatVersailles，
　　havingleftatanearlyhourinthemorningforParis。
　　Neither
　　henorM。deSartinescouldpossiblybewithusbeforeeight
　　o’clockintheevening；itwasthereforeagreedtoadjournour
　　conferencetilltheirarrival。
　　MeanwhileM。d’Aiguillon，the
　　marechale，andmyself，remainedinastateofthemostcruel
　　anxiety。
　　Thedukefirstblamedmefornothavingcausedthe
　　womantobearrested，andafterwardsheconfessedtothemarechale，
　　thatperhapsitwasbettertheconspiracyshouldbeallowedtime
　　toripenintomaturity。
　　Daringthistimetheliquidcontained
　　inthefourbottleswasbeingdecomposed:M。Quesnay，first
　　physician，Messrs。
　　ThiebaultandVarennes，visitingphysicians，
　　M。delaMartiniere，counsellorofstate，surgeontohismajesty，
　　aswellasMessrs。