of escaping from punishment lay in telling the
truth. In every respect, she fully confirmed my daughter's
account.'

"'But the vicomte has not been absent from Versailles, for the
past month. He has been at my morning levee, and on all other
occasions at my breakfasts and dinners. He has walked with me in
the gardens, and been always present at the evening receptions.'

"'That is so, Sire,' I said. 'My daughter, happily, saw him but
once; namely, on the morning after she was captured. He then told
her, frankly, that she would remain a prisoner until she consented
to marry him, however long the time might be. He said he would
return in a month, and hoped by that time to find that, seeing the
hopelessness of her position, she would be more inclined to accept
his suit.

"'It was on the eve of his coming again that my daughter, in her
desperation, made the attempt to escape. She was foiled in her
effort, but this, nevertheless, brought about her rescue, for her
cries, as her guards dragged her into the house, attracted the
attention of Monsieur Kennedy, who forthwith, as I have told you,
stormed the house, killed her guards, and brought her home to me.'

"The king then sent for de Tulle, and spoke to him with great
sternness. The latter did not attempt to deny my accusation, but
endeavoured to excuse himself, on the ground of the passion that
he had conceived for my daughter. Certainly, from the king's tone,
I thought that he would at least have sent him to the Bastille;
but, to my great disappointment, he wound up his reproof by
saying:

"'I can, of course, make some allowances for your passion for so
charming a young lady as Mademoiselle Pointdexter, but the outrage
you committed is far too serious to be pardoned. You will at once
repair to your estates, and will remain there during my pleasure.'

"The vicomte bowed and withdrew, and, an hour later, left
Versailles. The king turned to me, as he left the room, and said,
'I trust, Monsieur le Baron, that you are content that justice has
been done.'

"I was too angry to choose my words, and I said firmly, 'I cannot
say that I am content, Your Majesty. Such an outrage as that which
has been perpetrated upon my daughter deserves a far heavier
punishment than banishment from court; and methinks that an
imprisonment, as long as that which he intended to inflict upon
her unless she consented to be his wife, would have much more
nearly met the justice of the case.'

"