way to merit his pardon was to wait until
it freely came from his clemency."

The Chevalier, in justification of his conduct, produced Madame de Saint
Chaumont's letter, and told the Marechal that he would very willingly
have spared her the trouble of writing him such kind of news, to
occasion him so useless a journey. "Still more indiscretion," replied
his brother; "for pray how long has our sister being either secretary of
state or minister, that she should be employed by the king to make known
his majesty's order? Do you wish to know the real state of the case?
Some time ago the king told Madame--[Henrietta]--how you had refused the
pension the King of England offered you.

["Henrietta, youngest daughter of Charles the First,--born at Exeter
16th June, 1644, from whence she was removed to London in 1646, and,
with her governess, Lady Dalkeith, soon afterwards conveyed to
France. On the restoration, she came over to England with her
mother, but returned to France in about six months, and was married
to Philip, Duke of Orleans, only brother of Louis XIV. In May,
1670, she came again to Dover, on a mission of a political nature,
it is supposed, from the French king to her brother, in which she
was successful. She died, soon after her return to France,
suddenly, not without suspicion of having been poisoned by her
husband. King James, in his Diary, says, 'On the 22d of June, the
news of the Duchess of Orleans' death arrived. It was suspected
that counter-poisons were given her; but when she was opened, in the
presence of the English ambassador, the Earl of Ailesbury, an
English physician and surgeon, there appeared no grounds of
suspicion of any foul play. Yet Bucks tallied openly that she was
poisoned; and was so violent as to propose to foreign ministers to
make war on France.'--Macpherson's Original Papers, vol i. At the
end of Lord Arlington's Letters are five very remarkable ones from a
person of quality, who is said to have been actually on the spot,
giving a particular relation of her death.]

"He appeared pleased with the manner in which Comminges had related to
him the circumstances attending it, and said he was pleased with you for
it: Madame interpreted this as an order for your recall; and Madame de
Saint Chaumont being very far from possessing that wonderful discretion
she imagines herself mistress of, she hastened to despatch to you this
cons