ibitions were in
reality a cover to darker crimes.

It was long the popular belief in France, that Cardinal Bonzy got from
La Voisin the means of ridding himself of sundry persons who stood
in the way of his ecclesiastical preferment, or to whom he had to pay
pensions in his quality of Archbishop of Narbonne. The Duchesse de
Bouillon and the Countess of Soissons, mother of the famous Prince
Eugene, were also accused of trafficking with that terrible woman,
and were banished from the kingdom in consequence, while a royal duke,
Francois de Montmorency, was also suspected of dealings with La Voisin.

The Chambre Ardente struck right and left. Desgrais, chief of the
police, by a crafty ruse, penetrated into the secret circle of La
Voisin, and she, with a crowd of associates, perished in the fires of
the Place de Greve. She left an ill-starred daughter, Marie Exili, to
the blank charity of the streets of Paris, and the possession of many of
the frightful secrets of her mother and of her terrible father.

Marie Exili clung to Paris. She grew up beautiful and profligate; she
coined her rare Italian charms, first into gold and velvet, then into
silver and brocade, and at last into copper and rags. When her charms
faded entirely, she began to practise the forbidden arts of her mother
and father, but without their boldness or long impunity.

She was soon suspected, but receiving timely warning of her danger, from
a high patroness at Court, Marie fled to New France in the disguise of
a paysanne, one of a cargo of unmarried women sent out to the colony on
matrimonial venture, as the custom then was, to furnish wives for the
colonists. Her sole possession was an antique cabinet with its contents,
the only remnant saved from the fortune of her father, Exili.

Marie Exili landed in New France, cursing the Old World which she had
left behind, and bringing as bitter a hatred of the New, which received
her without a shadow of suspicion that under her modest peasant's garb
was concealed the daughter and inheritrix of the black arts of Antonio
Exili and of the sorceress La Voisin.

Marie Exili kept her secret well. She played the ingenue to perfection.
Her straight figure and black eyes having drawn a second glance from
the Sieur Corriveau, a rich habitan of St. Valier, who was looking for
a servant among the crowd of paysannes who had just arrived from France,
he could not escape from the power of their fascination.

He took Marie