tely, there remained the
long-forgotten daughter of the corporal and her progeny who were alive
and well, although somewhat impoverished, at Crossen. Their existence
had to be declared, and as it was not seemly that they should be
longer separated from their illustrious lord and master, they were
sent for, and a governess was provided for the youthful princes and
princesses. It was now the turn of the lion to help the mouse. The
lady who was selected for the post was the enthusiast of Berne--the
same damsel who had acted as scribe to the wandering heir--the
daughter of the gentleman who had been the first to penetrate the thin
disguise of the illustrious stranger in the cosy parlour of the inn.

The new governess was a real acquisition to the household, and devoted
herself more to politics than tuition. Once more the duke resumed his
habit of letter-writing, and epistles both supplicatory and minatory
were showered upon the Duchess of Angouleme and the Duchess de Berri.
To the former, however, the pretender generally wrote as to a beloved
sister, whose coldness and reluctance to receive him caused him the
keenest pain. He offered to satisfy her as to his identity by
incontrovertible proofs, and recalled one circumstance which ought to
dissipate her last lingering doubts as to his truth. He reminded her
that when the royal family were confined together in the Temple, his
aunt the Princess Elizabeth, and his mother Marie-Antoinette, had
written some lines on a paper; which paper was subsequently cut in two
and given one half to "Madame Royale," and the other half to the
dauphin. "When we meet," said the pretender, "I will produce the
corresponding half to that which you possess. It has never been out of
my possession since our fatal separation." Even this appeal failed to
move the duchess, and failed simply because she had never heard of the
existence of any such divided document.

But the claims even of righteous claimants are apt to become wearisome
to the public, and the interest in them dies away unless it is now and
again fanned into a flame. The Duke of Normandy found it so, and
devised a new means of attracting attention. Although he had gone with
his followers to return his grateful thanks to God at the shrine of St.
Arnould, he was not a member of the Roman Catholic Church, but he
discovered the error of his past ways, and was desirous to embrace the
orthodox faith. Accordingly, he was openly received as a disci