DucorandProst，apothecariestohismajesty，
　　hadbeencollectedtogetherforthispurposebytheducd’Aiguillon。
　　Thesegentlemencametoreporttheterminationoftheirexperiments
　　attheverymomentwhenthechancellorandlieutenantofpolice
　　enteredtheroom；theducdelaVrillierehadprecededthemby
　　aboutfiveminutes；theducd’Aiguillonrequestedthesegentlemen
　　tobeseated。
　　ThedoctorsQuesnayandlaMartinierewere
　　introduced，anddesiredtomakeknowntheresultoftheiroperations。
　　Mynewly-arrivedguests，whoasyetunderstoodnothingofwhat
　　wasgoingon，werestruckwithastonishmentathearingitsaid，
　　thatthefourbottlesoforange-flowerwatercontaineda
　　considerableproportionofamostactivepoison，ofwhichafew
　　dropswouldbesufficienttocauseinstantaneousdeath。
　　Having
　　thusexecutedtheircommission，themedicalgentlemenbowed
　　andretired。
　　M。d’Aiguillonthenexplainedtomywonderingfriendsthehorrible
　　affairwhichhadoccasionedtheirbeingsentforsohastily。
　　I
　　cannottellyouwhateffectthisdisclosureproducedonM。dela
　　VrilliereorM。deMaupeou，mywholeattentionbeingfixedupon
　　M。deSartines。
　　Youmaysupposethatalieutenantofpolice，
　　particularlyonewhopiquedhimselfuponknowingeverything，
　　couldnotfeelverymuchathisease，wheneachwordthatwas
　　utteredconvictedhimeitherofincapacityornegligence。
　　His
　　browbecamecontracted，hehemmed，choked，fidgetedabout，and
　　appearedasthoughhewouldhavegiveneverythingintheworldf
　　orlibertytojustifyhimself，butetiquetteforbadeit，andhe
　　wasonlypermittedtospeakafterthesecretariesofstatethen
　　present，orifcalleduponbyeitherofthem。
　　WhenM。d’Aiguillonhadceasedspeaking，thechancellorinhis
　　turntookuptheconversation。
　　M。deMaupeouwasbynaturecold
　　andsarcastic，delightinginannoyinganyperson；but，onthe
　　presentoccasion，theill-natureinherentinhimwasstillexcited
　　bythedecidedhatredheboretotheunfortunateM。deSartines。
　　Hebeganbysaying，thattheconspiracywasevident，andwas
　　easilyexplainedbythestateofexasperationinwhichtheJesuits
　　andparliamentariansnowwere；bothorderslookingfornoother
　　prospectofamendmentintheirconditionthansuchasmightarise
　　fromsomesuddenconvulsionofthekingdom。
　　Heexpressedhis
　　opinionofthenecessityofinstitutingarigorousinquiryintothe
　　conductofthesetwobodies；andthen，turningtoM。deSartines，
　　whosecheekgrewpaleatthemovement，hechargedhimtolay
　　beforethecouncilallthoseparticularswhichhemustnecessarily
　　possessasheadofthepolice，eitherrespectingthepresentplot，
　　orrelatingtoanyoftheancientmembersofparliamentorthe
　　orderofJesuits。
　　ThiswasadaggertotheheartofM。deSartines，whoinvain
　　soughttoframeasuitablereply:butwhatcouldhesay？
　　Hedid
　　notinrealitypossessanyoftheinformationforwhichhehad
　　receivedcredit，andaftermanyawkwardendeavoursatexplaining
　　himself，hewascompelledfranklytoconfess，thatheknewnota
　　wordmoreoftheconspiracythanhehadjustthenheard。
　　ItwasnowtheturnofM。delaVrillieretospeak。
　　Healso
　　wouldfainhaveattackedtheunfortunatelieutenantofpolice；
　　but，whetherM。deMaupeouthoughtthathisowncorrectionhad
　　beensufficientlystrong，orwhetherhebegrudgedanyother
　　personinterferingwithhisvengeanceuponhispersonalfoe，he
　　abruptlyinterruptedthetiradeofM。delaVrilliere，byobserving，
　　thataconspiracyconductedbyonlyeightpersonsmightvery
　　possiblyescapetheeyeofthepolice；but，furnishedasitnow
　　waswithsomanycircumstancesandparticulars，itwasimpossible
　　thattheplotshouldanylongerdefytheirvigilantresearches。
　　M。d’Aiguillonfullyconcurredinthisobservation，andM。de
　　Sartines，recoveredinsomemeasurefromhisfirstalarm，promised
　　everythingtheycoulddesire；anditwasfinallyarrangedthat
　　thepoliceshouldthisnightuseeveryprecautionarymeasurein
　　Paris，andthattheofficersoftheguardshouldreceiveorders
　　toredoubletheirzealandactivityinwatchingthechateau；and
　　thatwhentheunknownfemalecalledagainonme，sheshouldbe
　　conductedbymadamedeMirepoixtotheducd’Aiguillon，who
　　wouldinterrogateherclosely。
　　Thesemeasuresdecidedon，thecouncilbrokeup，andIwentto
　　receivetheking，whowasthiseveningtodomethefavourof
　　takinghissupperinmyapartments。
　　Conclusionofthisaffair-Aletterfromtheincognita——Her
　　examination——ArrestofCaberttheSwiss——HediesintheBastilleof
　　poison——MadameLorimerisarrestedandpoisoned——Theinnocence
　　oftheJesuitsacknowledged——MadamedeMirepoixandthe
　　100，000francs——Forgetfulnessonthepartofthelieutenantof
　　police——AvisitfromcomteJean——MadamedeMirepoix
　　M。deSartinesdidnotsleeponhispost，buthisresearcheswere
　　fruitless；and，onthefollowingday，threesuccessivemessengers
　　cametoannouncetousthattheyhadasyetmadenodiscovery。
　　Thedaypassedwithoutbringinganyfreshintelligence，andour
　　anxietyincreaseddaily。
　　Atlengtharrivedtheperiodfixedfor
　　thevisitofthe。
　　Iawaitedthecomingofthisfemale
　　withanimpatienceimpossibletodescribe。
　　Aboutmid-dayanote
　　wasbroughtme；Iinstantlyrecognizedthewritingasthatofmy
　　mysteriousfriend，andhastilybreakingtheseal，readasfollows:
　　“MADAM，——Imustentreatyourpardonforbreaking
　　theappointmentforto-day，imperativedutiesstill
　　detainmeinParis。
　　“SinceourlastinterviewIhavebeenunceasingly
　　occupiedinendeavouringtodiscoverthenamesof
　　theeightpersonsofwhomIspoketoyou，and，I
　　amsorrytosay，Ihavebutpartiallysucceeded。
　　Thepersonwhohashithertofurnishedmewithmy
　　informationobstinatelyrefusestostatewhoare
　　theparliamentariansconcernedintheconspiracy。
　　Iam，however，enabledtoforwardyouthenames
　　ofthefourJesuits，withsomefewparticularsrelating
　　totheseworthyfathers。
　　“TheJesuitsinquestionareMessrs。
　　Corbin，
　　Berthier，Cerulti，andDumas；thefirstofwhom
　　wasemployedintheeducationofthedauphin，
　　thesecondandthethirdaresufficientlyknown；
　　asforthefourth，heisaboldandenterprising
　　Parisian，capableofconceivingandexecutingthe
　　mostdaringschemes。
　　Whilsttheorderremained
　　inpossessionofpowerhehadnoopportunityof
　　displayinghisextraordinarytalents，andconsequently
　　heobtainedbutatriflingreputation；butsinceits
　　banishmenthehasbecomeitsfirmestsupportand
　　principalhope。
　　Allthetreasuresofthebrotherhood
　　areathisdisposal，andIlearn，thattheday
　　beforeyesterdayhereceivedaconsiderablesum
　　fromLyons。
　　“Thisintrepidanddaringspiritistheverysoul
　　oftheconspiracy；heitiswhoconceivedthe
　　planandsetthewholemachineinaction。
　　Itwould
　　beeffectuallyextinguishedcouldwebutonce
　　securehim，butthisisbynomeansaneasytask；
　　hehasnofixedabode；neversleepstwonights
　　followinginthesamehome；onedayhemaybe
　　foundinonepartofParisandthenextatthevery
　　oppositecorner；hechangeshismannerofdress
　　asfrequentlyashedoeshisabode。
　　“Ishallhavethehonourofseeingyouto-morrow
　　orthedayafteratfurthest。
　　Meanwhilelayaside
　　alluneasinessforhismajesty’ssafety:Ipledge
　　youmywordheisforthepresentinperfect
　　security。
　　Theexecutionoftheplotisstill
　　deferredforthewantofaDamienssufficiently
　　sanguinarytoundertakethetask。
　　“Deign，madam，toaccepttheassuranceofmy
　　sinceredevotion，andbelievethatIwillneglect
　　noopportunityofaffordingyouproofsofit。
　　“Yours，madam，etc。，etc。“
　　Iimmediatelycommunicatedthislettertotheducd’Aiguillon，who
　　convokedafreshmeetingofthepersonswhohadbeenpresenton
　　theprecedingday。
　　Itwasatfirstdeliberatedwhetherornotto
　　arrestthewholebodyofJesuitstheninParis，butthis，although
　　theadviceofM。d’Aiguillon，wasbynomeansapprovedofbythe
　　chancellor。
　　M。deSartinesandM。dela
　　Vrillierewerefor
　　carryingtheideaintoexecution，buttheobjectionsofM。de
　　Maupeouweretoopowerfultobeoverruled，andtheschemewasfor
　　thepresentabandoned。
　　Thechancellormaintainedthattheother
　　conspirators，warnedoftheirown，dangerbytheseizureoftheir
　　friends，wouldeitherescapethevengeanceofthelawsbyflight
　　orbycloseconfinementintheirhouses；hegreatlydreadedas
　　itwas，thathisfoes，theparliamentarians，wouldavoidthe
　　punishmenthelongedtoinflictonthem。
　　Indeed，inhisestimation，
　　itseemedasthougheverymeasurewouldbeanticipatedsolongas
　　thefemale，whoseemedsointimatelyacquaintedwiththeirdesign，
　　wasatliberty；andthislastopinionwasunanimouslyconcurredin。
　　Allthedelaysgreatlyirritatedme，andrenderedmyimpatience
　　towitnesstheterminationoftheaffairgreaterthanithadever
　　been。
　　Thestrangerhadpromisedtomakeherappearanceonthe
　　followingday；itpassedaway，however，withoutmyhearinganything
　　ofher。