Volume III Part 51 (2/2)

”As the duke gives audience to the first coood a reception as a labouring man?” In this way I concluded that it would be no use to write to him, and I was on ate of the castle, I entlemen who accosted me rudely and said I had better make up my mind to pay, or else they would play the devil withany attention to theht arm A natural impulse of self-defence made me put my hand to my sword, and I drew it in a uard ca up, and I co to hindermade, the sentry and the numerous persons ere present declared that I had only drawn in self-defence, so the officer decided that I had perfect liberty to enter the castle

I was allowed to penetrate to the last antecha raised Here I addressedan audience with the sovereign, and he assured me that I should be introduced into the presence But directly afterwards the ian to speak to the cha able to contradict him, and his representations were doubtless not in my favour

Very possibly, too, the cha, and I went fro able to see the prince, and then the chamberlain, who had assured ht go home, as the duke had heard all the circumstances of the case, and would no doubt see that justice was done et no justice at all, and as I alking away I thought how best I could get out of the difficulty On my way I met Binetti, who kneas placed, and he askedme that the Austrian ambassador would take me under his protection, and that he would save me from the violent measures which the rascals no doubt intended to take, in spite of the chamberlain's assurances I accepted the invitation, and Binetti's char the affair to heart, did not lose aher lover, the ambassador, of all the circumstances

This diplo all the details fromabout it

”Write a brief account of the business,” said he, ”and I will lay it before the sovereign, ill no doubt see justice done”

I went to Binetti's desk, and as soon as I had written down ave it, unsealed, to the ambassador, who assured me that it should be in the duke's hands in the course of an hour

At dinner ain that her lover should protect h; but towards evening my Spaniard came and assured me that if I returned to the inn I should be arrested, ”for,” said he, ”an officer ca you were out he took up his position at the street door and has two soldiers standing at the foot of the staircase”

The Binetti said, ”Youto fear Send for what you want, and ait and see what happens” I then gave orders to s which were absolutely necessary to ht the ambassador came in; ere still up, and he seemed pleased that his mistress had sheltered me He assuredthe three days I was in the house I heard noas to how I should act, the a hin, to dis with certain officers of his highness, and whilst I ith the ambassador justice could not take its course The aave me the letter, and I saw that the minister promised that strict justice should be done me There was no help for it; I had to make up ed that she began to scold her lover, at which he laughed, saying, with perfect truth, that he could not keep me there in defiance of the prince

I re-entered the inn without oing to see my counsel an officer served me with a summons, which was interpreted to me by my landlord, which ordered me to appear forthwith before the notary appointed to take my deposition I went to him with the officer of the court, and spent two hours with the notary, rote down ave it in Latin

When it was done he told n n a docu it, but I was iht to be asha a notary's honour I replied calmly that I had no doubts as to his honour, but that I acted from principle, and that as I did not understand what he had written I refused to sign it I left him, and was accompanied by the officer to ht, and promised to call on me the next day to receive my power of attorney

”And when I have done that,” he said, ”your business will be mine”

I was comforted by this man, who inspired me with confidence, and went back to the hotel, where I , however, when I awoke, my Spaniard announced an officer who had followed hiood French that I must not be astonished to find ed in a suit at laas only right that the opposite party should be assured that I would not escape before judgiven He asked very politely for ive it him The hilt was of steel, exquisitely chased; it was a present from Madame d'Urfe, and orth at least fifty louis

I wrote a note to my counsel to tell him what had happened; he came to see me and assured me that I should only be under arrest for a few days

As I was obliged to keep my room, I let my friends know of my confineirls, ere the only decent people I was acquainted with in that wretched Stuttgart, where I had better never have set foot My situation was not pleasant to conteed, cheated, robbed, abused, imprisoned, threatened with a mulct of a hundred thousand francs, which would have stripped me to my shi+rt, as nobody knew the contents ofelse I had written to Madaot no answer All the consolation I got was from Binetti, Toscani, and Baletti, who dined or supped with me every day The three rascals caive him money unknown to the other two, and each proet me out of the difficulty Each would have been content with three or four hundred louis, but even if I had given that suuarantee that the others would desist froiven soround to their pretensions, and bad would have been made worse My ansas that they wearied lad if they would desist fro me

On the fifth day of my arrest the duke left for Frankfort; and the same day Binetti came and told me from her lover that the duke had promised the officers not to interfere, and that I was therefore in danger of an iniquitous sentence His advice was to neglect noout of the difficulty, to sacrifice all my property, diamonds, and jewellery, and thus to obtain a release from my enemies The Binetti, like a oman, disliked this counsel, and I relished it still less, but she had to perform her commission

I had jewellery and lace to the value of more than a hundred thousand francs, but I could not resolve to make the sacrifice I did not knohich way to turn or where to go, and while I was in this state of mind my barrister came in He spoke as follows:

”Sir, all my endeavors on your behalf have been unsuccessful There is a party against you which seeh quarter, and which silences the voice of justice It isistrate, a rascal like the rest of theer you will not be allowed to have recourse to the delays of the law You would require bail to do that They have ed to procure witnesses ear that you are a professional gamester, that it was you who seduced the three officers into the house of your countryed that you did not lose your watches nor your snuff-box, for, they say, these articles will be found in your oods are sold For that you will only have to wait till to- you in any particular, or you will be sorry for it They will come here and empty your mails, boxes, and pockets, a list will be made, and they will be sold by auction the sareater than the debt the surplus will go in costs, and you may depend upon it that a very small sum will be returned to you; but if, on the other hand, the su the debt, costs, expenses of the auction, etc, you will be enrolled as a cohness I heard it said to the officer, who is your greatest creditor, that the four Louis enlistment money would be taken into account, and that the duke would be glad to get hold of such a finehim I was so petrified by what he had said I was in such a state of collapse that in less than an hour all the liquids in my body must have escaped I, a con like the duke, who only existed by the horrible traffic in human flesh which he carried on after the manner of the Elector of Hesse I, despoiled by those knaves, the victim of an iniquitous sentence Never! I would endeavour to hit upon so to reement with them, but I wished them all to wait upon my notary, itnesses, to put a forain

I calculated that one of theain a day at any rate In the mean time I hoped to discover some way of escape

I next wrote to the head of the police, who him to vouchsafe his all-powerful protection I told hi all my property to put an end to the suit which threatened to overwhels, the cost of which could only add to my difficulties I also asked him to send me a trustworthy reeood offices When I had done I sent my Spaniard to deliver the letters

The officer to whom I had written, who pretended that I was his debtor to the amount of two thousand Louis, came to see ht I had fever He began to offer his syenuine or not, I was pleased with it He told me he had just had some conversation with the chief of the police, who had shewn himto a composition, but we need not all three be present I have full powers from the other two, and that will be sufficient for the notary:”