rological combinations which were not
always fortunate, and that she had been only induced to do so by the
fascination of the phenomena of science. The secret of her guilty
practices was drawn from her at the very outset of her defence.

"That being so," replied the marquis, "you must be already aware of the
situation in which I find myself; you must know that, hurried away by a
blind and ardent passion, I have betrayed the confidence of an old lady
and violated the laws of hospitality by seducing her daughter in her own
house; that matters have come to a crisis, and that this noble damsel,
whom I love to distraction, being pregnant, is on the point of losing
her life and honour by the discovery of her fault, which is mine."

The matron replied that nothing could be ascertained about a person
except from private questions; and to further impose upon the marquis,
she fetched a kind of box marked with figures and strange emblems.
Opening this, and putting together certain figures which it contained,
she declared that what the marquis had told her was true, and that his
situation was a most melancholy one. She added, in order to frighten
him, that he was threatened by still more serious misfortunes than those
which had already overtaken him, but that it was easy to anticipate and
obviate these mischances by new consultations.

"Madame," replied the marquis, "I fear only one thing in the world, the
dishonour of the woman I love. Is there no method of remedying the usual
embarrassment of a birth?"

"I know of none," said the matron.

"The young lady has succeeded in concealing her condition; it would be
easy for her confinement to take place privately."

"She has already risked her life; and I cannot consent to be mixed up in
this affair, for fear of the consequences."

"Could not, for instance," said the marquis, "a confinement be effected
without pain?"

"I don't know about that, but this I do know, that I shall take very
good care not to practise any method contrary to the laws of nature."

"You are deceiving me: you are acquainted with this method, you have
already practised it upon a certain person whom I could name to you."

"Who has dared to calumniate me thus? I operate only after the
decision of the Faculty. God forbid that I should be stoned by all the
physicians, and perhaps expelled from France!"

"Will you then let me die of despair? If I were capable of making a bad
use of your secrets, I could have