himselfsoadvantageouslybeforehismaster，astoexcludehim
　　entirelyfromtheeyesofhissubjects。“
　　Whilstthesewordswerespeaking，M。deMaupeouandM。dela
　　Vrillierewereannounced；theking，stillwarm，letfallsomewords
　　expressiveofhisdispleasureatwhathadhappened。
　　Thegauntlet
　　wasthrown；andsowelldidweworkupontheirritatedmindof
　　LouisXV，thatitwasdeterminedM。deChoiseulshouldbedismissed
　　thefollowingday，December24，1770。
　　Chanteloupwaschosen
　　fortheplaceofhisretreat，andM。delaVrilliere，bythe
　　dictationoftheking，wrotethefollowinglettertotheduke:——
　　“Cousin，-，Thedissatisfactioncausedmeby
　　yourconductcompelsmetorequestyouwill
　　confineyourselftoyourestateatChanteloup，
　　whitheryouwillremoveinfourandtwenty
　　hoursfromthedatehereof。
　　Ishouldhavechosen
　　amoreremotespotforyourplaceofexile，wereit
　　notforthegreatesteemIentertainfortheduchesse
　　deChoiseul，inwhosedelicatehealthIfeelmuch
　　interest。
　　Haveacarethatyoudonot，byyour
　　ownconduct，obligemetoadoptharsher
　　measures；andhereuponIprayGodtohaveyou
　　inhiskeeping。“
　　Signed“Louis，
　　andlowerdown“PHILIPPEAUX“
　　Whenthisletterwascompleted，Isaidtotheking，
　　“Surely，sire，youdonotmeantoforgettheduke’sfaithfulally，
　　M。dePraslin？
　　Itwouldillbecomeustodetainhimwhenthe
　　headofthefamilyhastakenleaveofus。“
　　“Youareright，“repliedtheking，smiling；“besides，anoldbroom
　　takenfromamastheadwouldbeasusefultousashewould。“
　　Then，turningtoM。delaVrilliere，thekingdictatedthe
　　followinglaconicnotice:——
　　“COUSIN，——Ihavenofurtheroccasionfor
　　yourservices；IexileyoutoPraslin，and
　　expectyouwillrepairthitherwithinfourand
　　twentyhoursafterthereceiptofthis。“
　　“Shortandsweet，“criedI。
　　“Nowletusdropthesubject，“saidLouis；
　　“letmadamedeChoiseul
　　reposeinpeaceto-night，andto-morrowmorning，ateleven
　　o’clock，goyourself，M。delaVrilliere，andcarrymyordersto
　　theduke，andbringbackhisstaffofoffice。“
　　“Towhomwillyougiveit，sire？“
　　inquiredthechancellor。
　　“Ihavenotyetconsideredthesubject，“repliedtheking。
　　AtthisinstantM。deSoubisewasannounced。
　　““exclaimed
　　theking，asM。deSoubise，littlesuspectingthenatureofour
　　conversation，enteredtheroom。
　　Iprofitedbyhiscomingtoslip
　　outoftheroomintomyboudoir，fromwhichIdespatchedthe
　　followingnotetoM。d’Aiguillon:
　　“MYDEARDUKE，——Victoria！
　　Weareconquerors；
　　masterandmanquitParisto-morrow。
　　Weshall
　　replacethembyourfriends；andyoubestknow
　　whetheryouareamongstthenumberofthem。“
　　WhenIreturnedtothedrawing-room，thekingexclaimed，
　　“Come，madam。，youarewaitedfor；theprincedeSoubisehasa
　　verycuriousanecdotetorelate，whichbefellaladyofhis
　　acquaintance；Ibeggedofhimtodefertellingittillyou
　　rejoinedus。“
　　“Areyouafraidofghosts？“
　　inquiredthemarechalofme。
　　“Notthisevening，“repliedI；“to-morrow，perhaps，orthenext
　　day，Imaybe。“
　　ThisjestamusedthekingandtheducdelaVrilliere，whilstM。
　　deMaupeou，whoseemedtofearlestIshouldbyanyindiscretion，
　　revealoursecret，madeasignalofimpatience；towhichI
　　replied，byshruggingupmyshoulders。
　　PoorM。deSoubise，
　　althoughhedidnotcomprehendmyjoke，laughedatitasheartily
　　asheartilyastherestwhosawitsapplication。
　　“Oh！
　　you
　　courtier，“thoughtIWethenentreatedofhimtocommencethe
　　recitalofhistale，whichhedidinthefollowingwords——
　　“ThereisinLowerBrittanyafamilygiftedwithamostsingular
　　endowment:eachmemberofthefamily，maleorfemale，iswarned
　　exactlyonemonthprevioustohisorherdeceaseoftheprecise
　　houranddayinwhichitwilltakeplace。
　　Aladybelongingto
　　thispeculiarracewasvisitingmerathermorethanamonthsince；
　　wewereconversingquietlytogether，when，allatonce，she
　　utteredaloudcry，arosefromherseat，endeavoredtowalk
　　acrosstheroom，butfellsenselessuponthefloor。
　　Muchgrieved
　　andsurprisedatthisscene，Ihastilysummonedmyservants，who
　　bestowedupontheunfortunateladytheutmostattention，butit
　　waslongeresherevived。
　　Ithenwishedtopersuadehertotake
　　somerest。
　　’No，’criedshe，risingandgivingmeordersforher
　　immediatedeparture，“Ihavenotsufficienttimeforrest；scarcely
　　willtheshortperiodbetweenmeandeternityallowmetosetmy
　　affairsinorder。’Surprisedatthislanguage，Ibeggedofherto
　　explainherself。
　　’Youareaware，’saidshe，’ofthefatalpower
　　possessedbymyfamily；well，atthemomentinwhichIwassitting
　　besideyouonthissofa，happeningtocastmyeyesonthemirror
　　opposite，Isawmyselfasacorpsewrappedinthehabilimentsof
　　death，andpartlycoveredwithablackandwhitedrapery；beside
　　mewasanopencoffin。
　　Thisissufficient；Ihavenotimetolose:
　　farewell，myfriend，weshallmeetnomore’Thunderstruckatthese
　　words，Isufferedtheladytodepartwithoutattemptingtocombat
　　heropinion。
　　ThismorningIreceivedintelligencefromhersonthat
　　theprophecyhadbeenfulfilled——shewasnomore。“
　　Whenthemarechalhadfinished，Iexclaimed，
　　“Youhavetoldusasaddismaltale；IreallyfearIshallnot
　　beabletoclosemyeyesatallto-nightforthinkingofit。“
　　“Wemustthinkofsomemeansofkeepingupyourspirits，“answered
　　LouisXV。
　　“Asforyourstory，marechal，itdoesnotsurpriseme；
　　thingsequallyinexplicablearecontinuallytakingplace。
　　Iread
　　inaletteraddressedbyPhilipV，ofSpain，toLouisXIV，“that
　　thespiritofPhilipII，founderoftheEscurial，wandersat
　　certainintervalsaroundthatbuilding。
　　PhilipVaffirmsthat
　　hehimselfwitnessedtheapparitionofthespectreoftheking。“
　　Atthismomentsupperwasannounced。
　　“Come，gentlemen，“saidI，
　　“letusseektobanishthesegloomyideasaroundourfestive
　　board。“
　　Uponwhichthekingconductedmetothesupper-room，
　　therestofthecompanyfollowingus。
　　Spiteofallmyefforts
　　tobegay，andinduceotherstobesolikewise，theconversation
　　stilllingereduponthisdismalsubject。
　　“Heavengrant，“exclaimedthechancellor，“thatImaynotsoon
　　havetodreadavisitfromtheghostofthedeceasedparliament；
　　however，ifsuchwerethecase，itwouldnotpreventmysleeping。“
　　“Oh！“
　　criedtheking，“theselong-robedgentlemenhaveoften
　　moreeffectuallyrobbedmeofsleepthanallthespectresinthe
　　worldcoulddo；yetonenight——“
　　“Well，sire，“saidI，seeingthatLouiswassilent，“andwhat
　　happenedtoyouthatnight？“
　　“NothingthatIcanrepeat，“answeredLouisXV，glancingaround
　　withamournfullook。
　　Adeadsilencefollowed，whichlastedseveralminutes；andthis
　　evening，whichwastoushermydayoftriumph，passedawayinthe
　　mostinconceivabledullness。
　　Whatmostcontributedtorenderme
　　uneasywasthereflection，that，attheverymomentwhenwehad
　　freedourselvesofourenemies，wewereignorantwhowouldfill
　　theirvacantplaces。
　　Thiswasanerror，andagreatone。
　　My
　　friendswouldnotlistentothenominationoftheComtedeBroglie，
　　theComtedeMaillebois，theducdelaVauguyon，anymorethan
　　eitherM。deSoubiseorM。deCastries。
　　TheabbeTerray，having
　　upononeoccasionproposedthe
　　marechalducdeRichelieu，he
　　verynarrowlyescapedhavinghisfacescratchedbyM。d’Aiguillon，
　　whocaredverylittleforhisdearuncle；butIhaveunintentionally
　　wanderedfromthethreadofmynarrative；Iwilltherefore
　　resumeitatonce。
　　Ihadhopedthatthekingwouldthisnighthaveretiredtohis
　　ownapartment，andthatIshouldhavebeenenabledtoholda
　　secretcouncilwithM。deMaupeou，andtheducsdelaVrilliere
　　andd’Aiguillon；butnosuchthing。
　　Imagining，nodoubt，thatI
　　shouldbekeptawakebymyfearofghosts，hismajestyinsisted
　　uponremainingwithme，andIwascompelledtoacquiesce。
　　He
　　passedaveryagitatednight，muchmoreoccupiedwiththedes
　　Choiseulsthanme；hecouldthinkofnothing，speakofnothing，
　　butthesensationwhichtheirdisgracewouldproduce；heseemed
　　todreadhisfamily，thenobility，thenation，Europe，andthe
　　wholeworld。
　　Istrovetore-assurehim，andtoinspirehimwith
　　freshcourage；and，whenhequittedmeinthemorning，Ifelt
　　convincedthathewouldnotagainalterhisdetermination。
　　AssoonasLouisXVhadleftme，ComteJeanentered。
　　Although