e act
miraculous. But here, unhappily, the Devil, who never sleeps, had laid
a snare for this lamb of God, had belched forth this devouring monster
of a she-dragon, this mixture of maniac and demoniac, to swallow him
up, to overwhelm him in a cataract of slander."

It was an old and excellent custom to smother monsters in the cradle.
Then why not later also? Girard's ladies charitably advised the
instant using against her of fire and sword. "Let her perish!" cried
the devotees. Many of the great ladies also wished to have her
punished, deeming it rather too bad that such a creature should have
dared to enter such a plea, to bring into court the man who had done
her but too great an honour.

Some determined Jansenists there were in the Parliament, but these
were more inimical to the Jesuits than friendly to the girl. And they
might well be downcast and discouraged, seeing they had against them
at once the terrible Society of Jesus, the Court of Versailles, the
Cardinal Minister (Fleury), and, lastly, the drawing-rooms of Aix.
Should they be bolder than the head of the law, the Chancellor
D'Aguesseau, who had proved so very slack? The Attorney-General did
not waver at all: being charged with the indictment of Girard, he
avowed himself his friend, advised him how to meet the charges
against him.

There was, indeed, but one question at issue, to ascertain by what
kind of reparation, of solemn atonement, of exemplary chastening, the
plaintiff thus changed into the accused might satisfy Girard and the
Company of Jesus. The Jesuits, with all their good-nature, affirmed
the need of an example, in the interests of religion, by way of some
slight warning both to the Jansenist Convulsionaries and the
scribbling philosophers who were beginning to swarm.

There were two points by which Cadiere might be hooked, might receive
the stroke of the harpoon.

Firstly, she had borne false witness. But, then, by no law could
slander be punished with death. To gain that end you must go a little
further, and say, "The old Roman text, _De famosis libellis_,
pronounces death on those who have uttered libels hurtful to the
Emperor or to _the religion_ of the Empire. The Jesuits represent that
religion. Therefore, a memorial against a Jesuit deserves the last
penalty."

A still better handle, however, was their second. At the opening of
the trial the episcopal judge, the prudent Larmedieu, had asked her if
she had never _divined_ the secre