ho resembled Marie Antoinette,
stated that she had been engaged to play the role of queen in this
comedy. In any case the countess profited by the cardinal's conviction
to borrow from him sums of money destined ostensibly for the queen's
works of charity. Enriched by these, the countess was able to take an
honourable place in society, and many persons believed her relations
with Marie Antoinette, of which she boasted openly and unreservedly, to
be genuine. It is still an unsettled question whether she simply
mystified people, or whether she was really employed by the queen for
some unknown purpose, perhaps to ruin the cardinal. In any case the
jewellers believed in the relations of the countess with the queen, and
they resolved to use her to sell their necklace. She at first refused
their commission, then accepted it. On the 21st of January 1785 she
announced that the queen would buy the necklace, but that not wishing to
treat directly, she left the affair to a high personage. A little while
later Rohan came to negotiate the purchase of the famous necklace for
the 1,600,000 livres, payable in instalments. He said that he was
authorized by the queen, and showed the jewellers the conditions of the
bargain approved in the handwriting of Marie Antoinette. The necklace
was given up. Rohan took it to the countess's house, where a man, in
whom Rohan believed he recognized a valet of the queen, came to fetch
it. Madame de Lamotte had told the cardinal that Marie Antoinette would
make him a sign to indicate her thanks, and Rohan believed that she did
make him a sign. Whether it was so, or merely chance or illusion, no one
knows. But it is certain that the cardinal, convinced that he was acting
for the queen, had engaged the jewellers to thank her; that Boehmer and
Bassenge, before the sale, in order to be doubly sure, had sent word to
the queen of the negotiations in her name; that Marie Antoinette had
allowed the bargain to be concluded, and that after she had received a
letter of thanks from Boehmer, she had burned it. Meanwhile the "comte
de Lamotte" appears to have started at once for London, it is said with
the necklace, which he broke up in order to sell the stones.

When the time came to pay, the comtesse de Lamotte presented the
cardinal's notes; but these were insufficient, and Boehmer complained to
the queen, who told him that she had received no necklace and had never
ordered it. She had the story of the negotiations r