Thus, he declares that, during her sojourn in the land of the
mountains and William Tell, she had a series of _affaires_ with a
"baron," a "muscular artisan," and an "intrepid sailor." He also has a
story to the effect that "two pure-blooded English ladies, the bearers
of illustrious names," called on her uninvited; and that this
circumstance annoyed her so much that she made her pet monkey attack
them.

But Auguste Papon cannot be considered a very reliable authority. A
decidedly odd fish, he claimed to be an ex-officer and also dubbed
himself a marquis. For all his pretensions, however, he was merely a
_chevalier d'industrie_, living on his wits; and, masquerading as a
priest, he was afterwards convicted of swindling and sent to prison.

III

A doughty, but anonymous, champion jumped into the breach and issued a
counterblast to Papon's effort in the shape of a second pamphlet,
headed "A Reply." But this was not any more remarkable for its
accuracy than the original. Thus, it declares, "She [Lola] lived with
the King of Bavaria, a man of eighty-seven. The nature of that
intimacy can best be surmised by reading the second and third verses
of the First Book of Kings, Chapter i. It is evident to any reflecting
mind that it was a sort of King David arrangement." As for the rest of
the pamphlet, it was chiefly taken up with an elaborate argument that,
all said and done, its subject was no worse than other ladies, and
much better than many of them.

Among extracts from this well intentioned effort, the following are
the more important:

A certain Marquis Auguste Papon, a quondam panderer to the
natural desires and affections which are common to the whole
human race, published and circulated throughout Europe a
volume which stamps his own infamy (as we shall have
occasion to show in the course of this reply) in far more
ineffaceable characters than that of those whom, in his
vindictiveness, he gloatingly sought to destroy.

But, before we proceed to dissect his book, it may be
permitted us to ask the impartial reader what there is so
very remarkable in the conduct of the King of Bavaria and
Lola Montez as to distinguish them unfavourably from the
monarchs and women celebrated for their talent, originality,
and beauty who have gone before. Where are Henry IV of
France, Henry V, Louis XIV, and Louis XV, with their
respective mistresses? Who