discovered　that　a　second　Madame　de　la　Chanterie　existed；　widowed　like
  herself；　and；　like　her；　ruined。　That　bigamist　had　found　two　angels
  incapable　of　discarding　him。
  〃Towards　1803；〃　resumed　Alain　after　a　pause；　〃Monsieur　de　Boisfrelon；
  uncle　of　Madame　de　la　Chanterie；　came　to　Paris；　his　name　having　been
  erased　from　the　list　of　/emigres/；　and　brought　Madame　the　sum　of　two
  hundred　thousand　francs　which　her　father…in…law；　the　old　purveyor；　had
  formerly　entrusted　to　him　for　the　benefit　of　his　son's　children。　He
  persuaded　the　widow　to　return　to　Normandy；　where　she　completed　the
  education　of　her　daughter　and　purchased　on　excellent　terms　and　still
  by　the　advice　of　her　uncle；　a　patrimonial　estate。〃
  〃Ah！〃　cried　Godefroid。
  〃All　that　is　still　nothing；〃　said　Monsieur　Alain；　〃we　have　not　yet
  reached　the　period　of　storms　and　darkness。　I　resume：
  〃In　1807；　after　four　years　of　rest　and　peace；　Madame　de　la　Chanterie
  married　her　daughter　to　a　gentleman　of　rank；　whose　piety；　antecedents；
  and　fortune　offered　every　guarantee　that　could　be　given；a　man　who；
  to　use　a　popular　saying；　'was　after　every　one's　own　heart；'　in　the
  best　society　of　the　provincial　city　where　Madame　and　her　daughter
  passed　their　winters。　I　should　tell　you　that　this　society　was　composed
  of　seven　or　eight　families　belonging　to　the　highest　nobility　in
  France：　d'Esgrignon；　Troisville；　Casteran；　Nouatre；　etc。　At　the　end　of
  eighteen　months　the　baron　deserted　his　wife；　and　disappeared　in　Paris；
  where　he　changed　his　name。
  〃Madame　de　la　Chanterie　never　knew　the　causes　of　this　desertion　until
  the　lightning　of　a　dreadful　storm　revealed　them。　Her　daughter；　brought
  up　with　anxious　care　and　trained　in　the　purest　religious　sentiments；
  kept　total　silence　as　to　her　troubles。　This　lack　of　confidence　in　her
  mother　was　a　painful　blow　to　Madame　de　la　Chanterie。　Already　she　had
  several　times　noticed　in　her　daughter　indications　of　the　reckless
  disposition　of　the　father；　increased　in　the　daughter　by　an　almost
  virile　strength　of　will。
  〃The　husband；　however；　abandoned　his　home　of　his　own　free　will；
  leaving　his　affairs　in　a　pitiable　condition。　Madame　de　la　Chanterie
  is；　even　to　this　day；　amazed　at　the　catastrophe；　which　no　human
  foresight　could　have　prevented。　The　persons　she　prudently　consulted
  before　the　marriage　had　assured　her　that　the　suitor's　fortune　was
  clear　and　sound；　and　that　no　mortgages　were　on　his　estate。
  Nevertheless　it　appeared；　after　the　husband's　departure；　that　for　ten
  years　his　debts　had　exceeded　the　entire　value　of　his　property。
  Everything　was　therefore　sold；　and　the　poor　young　wife；　now　reduced　to
  her　own　means；　came　back　to　her　mother。　Madame　de　la　Chanterie　knew
  later　that　the　most　honorable　persons　of　the　province　had　vouched　for
  her　son…in…law　in　their　own　interests；　for　he　owed　them　all　large　sums
  of　money；　and　they　looked　upon　his　marriage　with　Mademoiselle　de　la
  Chanterie　as　a　means　to　recover　them。
  〃There　were；　however；　other　reasons　for　this　catastrophe；　which　you
  will　find　later　in　a　confidential　paper　written　for　the　eyes　of　the
  Emperor。　Moreover；　this　man　had　long　courted　the　good…will　of　the
  royalist　families　by　his　devotion　to　the　royal　cause　during　the
  Revolution。　He　was　one　of　Louis　XVIII。's　most　active　emissaries；　and
  had　taken　part　after　1793　in　all　conspiracies；escaping　their
  penalties；　however；　with　such　singular　adroitness　that　he　came；　in　the
  end；　to　be　distrusted。　Thanked　for　his　services　by　Louis　XVIII。；　but
  completely　set　aside　in　the　royalist　affairs；　he　had　returned　to　live
  on　his　property；　now　much　encumbered　with　debt。
  〃These　antecedents　were　then　obscure　（the　persons　initiated　into　the
  secrets　of　the　royal　closet　kept　silence　about　so　dangerous　a
  coadjutor）；　and　he　was　therefore　received　with　a　species　of　reverence
  in　a　city　devoted　to　the　Bourbons；　where　the　cruellest　deeds　of　the
  Chouannerie　were　accepted　as　legitimate　warfare。　The　d'Esgrignons；
  Casterans；　the　Chevalier　de　Valois；　in　short；　the　whole　aristocracy
  and　the　Church　opened　their　arms　to　this　royalist　diplomat　and　drew
  him　into　their　circle。　Their　protection　was　encouraged　by　the　desire
  of　his　creditors　for　the　payment　of　his　debts。　For　three　years　this
  man；　who　was　a　villain　at　heart；　a　pendant　to　the　late　Baron　de　la
  Chanterie；　contrived　to　restrain　his　vices　and　assume　the　appearance
  of　morality　and　religion。
  〃During　the　first　months　of　his　marriage　he　exerted　a　sort　of　spell
  over　his　wife；　he　tried　to　corrupt　her　mind　by　his　doctrines　（if　it
  can　be　said　that　atheism　is　a　doctrine）　and　by　the　jesting　tone　in
  which　he　spoke　of　sacred　principles。　From　the　time　of　his　return　to
  the　provinces　this　political　manoeuvrer　had　an　intimacy　with　a　young
  man；　overwhelmed　with　debt　like　himself；　but　whose　natural　character
  was　as　frank　and　courageous　as　the　baron's　was　hypocritical　and　base。
  This　frequent　guest；　whose　accomplishments；　strong　character；　and
  adventurous　life　were　calculated　to　influence　a　young　girl's　mind；　was
  an　instrument　in　the　hands　of　the　husband　to　bring　the　wife　to　adopt
  his　theories。　Never　did　she　let　her　mother　know　the　abyss　into　which
  her　fate　had　cast　her。
  〃We　may　well　distrust　all　human　prudence　when　we　think　of　the　infinite
  precautions　taken　by　Madame　de　la　Chanterie　in　marrying　her　only
  daughter。　The　blow；　when　it　came　to　a　life　so　devoted；　so　pure；　so
  truly　religious　as　that　of　a　woman　already　tested　by　many　trials；　gave
  Madame　de　la　Chanterie　a　distrust　of　herself　which　served　to　isolate
  her　from　her　daughter；　and　all　the　more　because　her　daughter；　in
  compensation　for　her　misfortunes；　exacted　complete　liberty；　ruled　her
  mother；　and　was　even；　at　times；　unkind　to　her。
  〃Wounded　thus　in　all　her　affections；　mistaken　in　her　devotion　and　love
  for　her　husband；　to　whom　she　had　sacrificed　without　a　word　her
  happiness；　her　fortune；　and　her　life；　mistaken　in　the　education
  exclusively　religious　which　she　had　given　to　her　daughter；　mistaken　in
  the　confidence　she　had　placed　in　others　in　the　affair　of　her
  daughter's　marriage；　and　obtaining　no　justice　from　the　heart　in　which
  she　had　sown　none　but　noble　sentiments；　she　united　herself　still　more
  closely　to　God　as　the　hand　of　trouble　lay　heavy　upon　her。　She　was
  indeed　almost　a　nun；　going　daily　to　church；　performing　cloistral
  penances；　and　practising　economy　that　she　might　have　means　to　help　the
  poor。
  〃Could　there　be；　up　to　this　point；　a　saintlier　life　or　one　more　tried
  than　that　of　this　noble　woman；　so　gentle　under　misfortune；　so　brave　in
  danger；　and　always　Christian？〃　said　Monsieur　Alain；　appealing　to
  Godefroid。　〃You　know　Madame　now；you　know　if　she　is　wanting　in　sense；
  judgment；　reflection；　in　fact；　she　has　those　qualities　to　the　highest
  degree。　Well！　the　misfortunes　I　have　now　told　you；　which　might　be　said
  to　make　her　life　surpass　all　others　in　adversity；　are　as　nothing　to
  those　that　were　still　in　store　for　this　poor　woman。　But　now　let　us
  concern　ourselves　exclusively　with　Madame　de　la　Chanterie's　daughter；〃
  said　the　old　man；　resuming　his　narrative。
  〃At　eighteen　years　of　age；　the　period　of　her　marriage；　Mademoiselle　de
  la　Chanterie　was　a　young　girl　of　delicate　complexion；　brown　in　tone
  with　a　brilliant　color；　graceful　in　shape；　and　very　pretty。　Above　a
  forehead　of　great　beauty　was　a　mass　of　dark　hair　which　harmonized　with
  the　brown　eyes　and　the　general　gaiety　of　her　expression。　A　certain
  daintiness　of　feature　was　misleading　as　to　her　true　character　and　her
  almost　virile　decision。　She　had　small　hands　and　small　feet；　in　fact；
  there　was　something　fragile　about　her　whole　person　which　excluded　the
  idea　of　vigor　and　determination。　Having　always　lived　beside　her
  mother；　she　had　a　most　perfect　innocence　of　thought　and　behavior　and　a
  really　remarkable　piety。　This　young　girl；　like　her　mother；　was
  fanatically　attached　to　the　Bourbons；　she　was　therefore　a　bitter　enemy
  to　the　Revolution；　and　regarded　the　dominion　of　Napoleon　as　a　curse
  inflicted　by　Providence　upon　France　in　punishment　of　the　crimes　of
  1793。
  〃The　conformity　of　opinion　on　this　subject　between　Madame　de　la
  Chanterie　and　her　daughter；　and　the　daughter's　suitor；　was　one　of　the
  determining　reasons　of　the　marriage。
  〃The　friend　of　the　husband　had　commanded　a　body　of　Chouans　at　the　time
  that　hostilities　were　renewed　in　1799；　and　it　seems　that　the　baron's
  object　（Madame　de　la　Chanterie's　son…in…law　was　a　baron）　in　fostering
  the　intimacy　between　his　wife　and　his　friend　was　to　obtain；　through
  her　influence；　certain　succor　from　that　friend。
  〃This　requires　a　few　words　of　explanation；〃　said　Monsieur　Alain；
  interrupting　his　narrative；　〃about　an　association　which　in　those　days
  made　a　great　deal　of　noise。　I　mean　the　'Chauffeurs。'＇*＇　Every　province
  in　the　west　of　France　was　at　that　time　more　or　less　overrun　with　these
  'brigands；'　whose　object　was　far　less　pillage　than　a　resurrection　of
  the　royalist　warfare。　They　profited；　so　it　was　said；　by　the　great
  number　of　'refractories；'the　name　applied　to　those　who　evaded　the
  conscription；　which　was　at　that　time；　as　you　probably　know；　enforced
  to　actual　abuse。
  ＇*＇　/Chauffeurs/。　This　name　applies　to　royalists　who　robbed　the　mail…
  coaches　conveying　government　funds；　and　levied　tribute　on　those
  wh