emed allowable in a friend; I
could not presume to persuade her against her will. When I returned
home, I was surprised to find her there with her son. She could not find
a disengaged room in any of the hotels she tried, and she then accepted
my offer."

"What date was this?"

"Monday, the 16th of last December."

"And when did she leave your house?"

"On the 1st of February."

"The porter cannot remember having seen her go out on that day."

"That is possible. Madame de Lamotte went and came as her affairs
required. She was known, and no more attention would be paid to her than
to any other inmate."

"The porter also says that for several days before this date she was
ill, and obliged to keep her room?"

"Yes, it was a slight indisposition, which had no results, so slight
that it seemed unnecessary to call in a doctor. Madame de Lamotte
appeared preoccupied and anxious. I think her mental attitude influenced
her health."

"Did you escort her to Versailles?"

"No; I went there to see her later."

"What proof can you give of her having actually stayed there?"

"None whatever, unless it be a letter which I received from her."

"You told Monsieur de, Lamotte that she was exerting herself to procure
her son's admission either as a king's page or into the riding school.
Now, no one at Versailles has seen this lady, or even heard of her."

"I only repeated what she told me."

"Where was she staying?"

"I do not know."

"What! she wrote to you, you went to see her, and yet you do not know
where she was lodging?"

"That is so."

"But it is impossible."

"There are many things which would appear impossible if I were to relate
them, but which are true, nevertheless."

"Explain yourself."

"I only received one letter from Madame de Lamotte, in which she spoke
of her plans for Edouard, requesting me to send her her son on a day she
fixed, and I told Edouard of her projects. Not being able to go to
the school to see him, I wrote, asking if he would like to give up his
studies and become a royal page. When I was last at Buisson-Souef, I
showed his answer to Monsieur de Lamotte; it is here."

And he handed over a letter to the magistrate, who read it, and passing
it on to Monsieur de Lamotte, inquired--

"Did you then, and do you now, recognise your son's handwriting?"

"Perfectly, monsieur."

"You took Edouard to Versailles?"

"I did."

"On what day?"

"February 11th, Shrove Tuesday. It is the