the
King's return to his capital. Bonnoeil, who was at last delivered from
police supervision, had to set out on foot for Tournebut; he walked the
distance during the night, and arrived in the morning to find his mother
already installed there and making an inspection of the despoiled old
chateau which she had never thought to see again. The astonishing
reversions of fate make one think of the success which the opera "La
Dame Blanche" had some years later. This charming work sang their own
history to these nobles who were still smarting, and recalled to them
their ruined past. The abandoned "Chateau d'Avenel," the "poor Dame
Marguerite" spinning in the deserted halls and dreaming of her masters,
the mysterious being who watched over the destinies of the noble family,
and the amusing revival of those last vestiges of feudal times, the
bailiff, the bell in the turret, the gallant paladin, the knight's
banner--all these things saddened our grandmothers by arousing the
melancholy spectre of the good old times.

At the beginning of August, 1814, Guerin-Bruslart, who had become M. le
Chevalier de Bruslard, Field Marshal in the King's army, attracted his
Majesty's attention to the survivors of the affair of Quesnay. He took
Le Chevalier's son, aged twelve years, to the Tuileries, and the King
accorded him a pension and a scholarship at one of the royal colleges.
The very same day Louis XVIII signed a royal pardon, which the Court of
Rouen ratified a few days later, by which Mme. de Combray's sentence was
annulled. On September 5th the Marquise saw her wildest dream realised
and was presented to the King--a fact which was mentioned in the
_Moniteur_ of the following day.

This signal favour rallied many to the Combrays. Denunciations of Acquet
and his friends were heard on all sides. The letters written at this
period from Bonnoeil to his brother testify to the astonishment they
felt at these revelations. They made a fresh discovery every day. "M.
Bruslard told me the other day that La Vaubadon wished to have him
arrested, but that he took care not to fall into the trap she had set
for him." "With regard to Licquet, he knew d'Ache well and had made up
to him before the affair with Georges, believing at that time that there
would be a change of government." "It is quite certain that it was
Senator Pontecoulant who had d'Ache killed; Frotte's death was partly
due to him." "With regard to Acquet, M. de Rivoire told Placene that