Volume II Part 27 (1/2)

”What!” said the count, ”is it the pomatum the history of which I know?”

”Precisely”

”It is astonishi+ng”

”I wish to ask onea woive”

”Say the wohts”

She then asked this question: ”What disease is that wo from?” Sheforth was this: ”She wants to deceive her husband” This time the duchess fairly screa very late, and I was preparing to take leave, when M

de Melfort, as speaking to her highness, told ether When ere out, he toldthe pomatum was truly wonderful This was the history of it:

”The duchess, pretty as you see her now, had her face so fearfully covered with pie to cohts as a husband, and the poor princess was pining with useless longing to become a mother The Abbe de Brosses cured her with that po entirely recovered it original bloom she made her appearance at the Theatre Francais, in the queen's box The Duke de Chartres, not knowing that his wife had gone to the theatre, where she went but very seldonize the duchess, but thinking her very handsome he enquired who she was, and when he was told he would not believe it; he left the royal box, went to his wife, coht The result of that visit was, nine months afterwards, the birth of the Duke of Montpensier, who is now five years old and enjoys excellent health During the whole of her pregnancy the duchess kept her face s, but immediately after her delivery the pimples reappeared, and the pomatum remained without any effect”

As he concluded his explanation, the count offered ood likeness of her royal highness, and said,

”The duchess begs your acceptance of this portrait, and, in case you would like to have it set she wishes you to make use of this for that purpose”

It was a purse of one hundred Louis I accepted both, and entreated the count to offer the expressions of hness

I never had the portrait mounted, for I was then in want of money for some other purpose

After that, the duchess didfor ether out of the question; she could not ular diet She would sometimes keep me at work for five or six hours, now in one corner, now in another, going in and out herself all the tiht to me by the old valet, who never uttered a word

Her questions to the oracle alluded only to secret affairs which she was curious to know, and she often found truths hich I was not h the answers She wished me to teach her the cabalistic science, but she never pressed her wish upon me She, however, commissioned M de Melfort to tell et me an appointment with an income of twenty-five thousand francs Alas! it was impossible! I was madly in love with her, but I would not for the world have allowed her to guess s

My pride was the corrective ofAll I know is that I even now repent of having listened to a foolish pride It is true that I enjoyed certain privileges which she ht have refused me if she had known my love

One day she wished my oracle to tell her whether it was possible to cure a cancer which Madame de la Popeliniere had in the breast; I took it in my head to answer that the lady alluded to had no cancer, and was enjoying excellent health

”How is that?” said the duchess; ”everyone in Paris believes her to be suffering from a cancer, and she has consultation upon consultation Yet I have faith in the oracle”

Soon afterwards, seeing the Duke de Richelieu at the court, she told him she was certain that Madame de la Popeliniere was not ill The marshal, who knew the secret, told her that she was er of a hundred thousand francs I trembled when the duchess related the conversation to es?” I enquired, anxiously

”No; he seeht to know the truth”

Three or four days after that conversation, the duchess told me triumphantly that M de Richelieu had confessed to her that the cancer was only a ruse to excite the pity of her husband, hoood terness to pay one thousand Louis to kno she had discovered the truth

”If you wish to earn that sum,” said the duchess to me, ”I will tell him all about it”

But I was afraid of a snare; I knew the temper of the h which he introduced himself into that lady's apartment, was the talk of all Paris M de la Popeliniere hi to live with his wife, to whom he paid an income of twelve thousand francs