The　paper　was　rolled　up；　not　folded：　the　King　wished　to　take　it　from
  Daquin；　who；　after　much　hesitation；　allowed　him　to　read　it；　but　did　not
  let　it　out　of　his　hands。　　〃Well；　that　is　very　insolent！〃　said　the　King；
  but　in　quite　a　placid　unmoved　toneas　it　were；　an　historical　tone。
  Afterwards　he　ordered　the　bundle　to　be　taken　away。　　Livry　found　it　so
  heavy　that　he　could　scarcely　lift　it　from　the　table；　and　gave　it　to　an
  attendant　who　presented　himself。　　The　King　spoke　no　more　of　this　matter；
  nobody　else　dared　to　do　so；　and　the　supper　finished　as　though　nothing　had
  happened。
  Besides　the　excess　of　insolence　and　impudence　of　this　act；　it　was　so
  perilous　as　to　be　scarcely　understood。　　How　could　any　one；　without　being
  seconded　by　accomplices；　throw　a　bundle　of　this　weight　and　volume　in　the
  midst　of　a　crowd　such　as　was　always　present　at　the　supper　of　the　King；　so
  dense　that　it　could　with　difficulty　be　passed　through？　　How；　in　spite　of
  a　circle　of　accomplices；　could　a　movement　of　the　arms　necessary　for　such
  a　throw　escape　all　eyes？　　The　Duc　de　Gesvres　was　in　waiting。　　Neither　he
  nor　anybody　else　thought　of　closing　the　doors　until　the　King　had　left　the
  table。　　It　may　be　guessed　whether　the　guilty　parties　remained　until　then；
  having　had　more　than　three…quarters　of　an　hour　to　escape；　and　every　issue
  being　free。　　Only　one　person　was　discovered；　who　was　not　known；　but　he
  proved　to　be　a　very　honest　man；　and　was　dismissed　after　a　short
  detention。　　Nothing　has　since　been　discovered　respecting　this　theft　or
  its　bold　restitution。
  CHAPTER　XV
  On　the　12th　August；　Madame　de　Saint…Simon　was　happily　delivered　of　a
  second　son；　who　bore　the　name　of　Marquis　de　Ruffec。　　A　singular　event
  which　happened　soon　after；　made　all　the　world　marvel。
  There　arrived　at　Versailles　a　farrier；　from　the　little　town　of　Salon；　in
  Provence；　who　asked　to　see　the　King　in　private。　　In　spite　of　the　rebuffs
  he　met　with；　he　persisted　in　his　request；　so　that　at　last　it　got　to　the
  ears　of　the　King。　　The　King　sent　word　that　he　was　not　accustomed　to　grant
  such　audiences　to　whoever　liked　to　ask　for　them。　　Thereupon　the　farrier
  declared　that　if　he　was　allowed　to　see　the　King　he　would　tell　him　things
  so　secret　and　so　unknown　to　everybody　else　that　he　would　be　persuaded　of
  their　importance；　demanding；　if　the　King　would　not　see　him；　to　be　sent　to
  a　minister　of　state。　　Upon　this　the　King　allowed　him　to　have　an　interview
  with　one　of　his　secretaries；　Barbezieux。　　But　Barbezieux　was　not　a
  minister　of　state；　and　to　the　great　surprise　of　everybody；　the　farrier；
  who　had　only　just　arrived　from　the　country；　and　who　had　never　before　left
  it　or　his　trade；　replied；　that　not　being　a　minister　of　state　he　would　not
  speak　with　him。　　Upon　this　he　was　allowed　to　see　Pomponne；　and　converse
  with　him；　and　this　is　the　story　he　told：
  He　said；　that　returning　home　late　one　evening　he　found　himself　surrounded
  by　a　great　light；　close　against　a　tree　and　near　Salon。　　A　woman　clad　in
  whitebut　altogether　in　a　royal　manner；　and　beautiful；　fair；　and　very
  dazzlingcalled　him　by　his　name；　commanded　him　to　listen　to　her；　and
  spake　to　him　more　than　half…an…hour。　　She　told　him　she　was　the　Queen；
  who　had　been　the　wife　of　the　King；　to　whom　she　ordered　him　to　go　and　say
  what　she　had　communicated；　assuring　him　that　God　would　assist　him　through
  all　the　journey；　and　that　upon　a　secret　thing　he　should　say；　the　King；
  who　alone　knew　that　secret；　would　recognise　the　truth　of　all　he　uttered。
  She　said　that　in　case　he　could　not　see　the　King　he　was　to　speak　with　a
  minister　of　state；　telling　him　certain　things；　but　reserving　certain
  others　for　the　King　alone。　　She　told　him；　moreover；　to　set　out　at　once；
  assuring　him　he　would　be　punished　with　death　if　he　neglected　to　acquit
  himself　of　his　commission。　　The　farrier　promised　to　obey　her　in
  everything；　and　the　queen　then　disappeared。　　He　found　himself　in　darkness
  near　the　tree。　　He　lay　down　and　passed　the　night　there；　scarcely　knowing
  whether　he　was　awake　or　asleep。　　In　the　morning　he　went　home；　persuaded
  that　what　he　had　seen　was　a　mere　delusion　and　folly；　and　said　nothing
  about　it　to　a　living　soul。
  Two　days　afterwards　he　was　passing　by　the　same　place　when　the　same　vision
  appeared　to　him；　and　he　was　addressed　in　the　same　terms。　　Fresh　threats
  of　punishment　were　uttered　if　he　did　not　comply；　and　he　was　ordered　to　go
  at　once　to　the　Intendant　of　the　province；　who　would　assuredly　furnish　him
  with　money；　after　saying　what　he　had　seen。　　This　time　the　farrier　was
  convinced　there　was　no　delusion　in　the　matter；　but；　halting　between　his
  fears　and　doubts；　knew　not　what　to　do；　told　no　one　what　had　passed；
  and　was　in　great　perplexity。　　He　remained　thus　eight　days；　and　at　last
  had　resolved　not　to　make　the　journey；　when；　passing　by　the　same　spot；
  he　saw　and　heard　the　same　vision；　which　bestowed　upon　him　so　many
  dreadful　menaces　that　he　no　longer　thought　of　anything　but　setting　out
  immediately。　　In　two　days　from　that　time　he　presented　himself；　at　Aix；
  to　the　Intendant　of　the　province；　who；　without　a　moment's　hesitation；
  urged　him　to　pursue　his　journey；　and　gave　him　sufficient　money　to　travel
  by　a　public　conveyance。　　Nothing　more　of　the　story　was　ever　known。
  The　farrier　had　three　interviews　with　M。　de　Pomponne；　each　of　two　hours'
  length。　　M。　de　Pomponne　rendered；　in　private；　an　account　of　these　to　the
  King；　who　desired　him　to　speak　more　fully　upon　the　point　in　a　council
  composed　of　the　Ducs　de　Beauvilliers；　Pontchartrain；　Torcy；　and　Pomponne
  himself；　Monseigneur　to　be　excluded。　　This　council　sat　very　long；　perhaps
  because　other　things　were　spoken　of。　　Be　that　as　it　may；　the　King　after
  this　wished　to　converse　with　the　farrier；　and　did　so　in　his　cabinet。　　Two
  days　afterwards　he　saw　the　man　again；　at　each　time　was　nearly　an　hour
  with　him；　and　was　careful　that　no　one　was　within　hearing。
  The　day　after　the　first　interview；　as　the　King　was　descending　the
  staircase；　to　go　a…hunting；　M。　de　Duras；　who　was　in　waiting；　and　who　was
  upon　such　a　footing　that　he　said　almost　what　he　liked；　began　to　speak　of
  this　farrier　with　contempt；　and；　quoting　the　bad　proverb；　said；　〃The　man
  was　mad；　or　the　King　was　not　noble。〃　　At　this　the　King　stopped；　and；
  turning　round；　a　thing　he　scarcely　ever　did　in　walking；　replied；　〃If　that
  be　so；　I　am　not　noble；　for　I　have　discoursed　with　him　long；　he　has　spoken
  to　me　with　much　good　sense；　and　I　assure　you　he　is　far　from　being　mad。〃
  These　last　words　were　pronounced　with　a　sustained　gravity　which　greatly
  surprised　those　near；　and　which　in　the　midst　of　deep　silence　opened　all
  eyes　and　ears。　　After　the　second　interview　the　King　felt　persuaded　that
  one　circumstance　had　been　related　to　him　by　the　farrier；　which　he　alone
  knew；　and　which　had　happened　more　than　twenty　years　before。　　It　was　that
  he　had　seen　a　phantom　in　the　forest　of　Saint　Germains。　　Of　this　phantom
  he　had　never　breathed　a　syllable　to　anybody。
  The　King　on　several　other　occasions　spoke　favourably　of　the　farrier；
  moreover；　he　paid　all　the　expenses　the　man　had　been　put　to；　gave　him　a
  gratuity；　sent　him　back　free；　and　wrote　to　the　Intendant　of　the　province
  to　take　particular　care　of　him；　and　never　to　let　him　want　for　anything
  all　his　life。
  The　most　surprising　thing　of　all　this　is；　that　none　of　the　ministers
  could　be　induced　to　speak　a　word　upon　the　occurrence。　　Their　most
  intimate　friends　continually　questioned　them；　but　without　being　able　to
  draw　forth　a　syllable。　　The　ministers　either　affected　to　laugh　at　the
  matter　or　answered　evasively。　　This　was　the　case　whenever　I　questioned
  M。　de　Beauvilliers　or　M。　de　Pontchartrain；　and　I　knew　from　their　most
  intimate　friends　that　nothing　more　could　ever　be　obtained　from　M。　de
  Pomponne　or　M。　de　Torcy。　　As　for　the　farrier　himself；　he　was　equally
  reserved。　　He　was　a　simple；　honest；　and　modest　man；　about　fifty　years　of
  age。　　Whenever　addressed　upon　this　subject；　he　cut　short　all　discourse　by
  saying；　〃I　am　not　allowed　to　speak；〃　and　nothing　more　could　be　extracted
  from　him。　　When　he　returned　to　his　home　he　conducted　himself　just　as
  before；　gave　himself　no　airs；　and　never　boasted　of　the　interview　he　had
  had　with　the　King　and　his　ministers。　　He　went　back　to　his　trade；　and
  worked　at　it　as　usual。
  Such　is　the　singular　story　which　filled　everybody　with　astonishment；　but
  which　nobody　could　understand。　　It　is　true　that　some　people　persuaded
  themselves；　and　tried　to　persuade　others；　that　the　whole　affair　was　a
  clever　trick；　of　which　the　simple　farrier　had　been　the　dupe。　　They　said
  that　a　certain　Madame　Arnoul；　who　passed　for　a　witch；　and　who；　having
  known　Madame　de　Maintenon　when　she　was　Madame　Scarron；　still　kept　up　a
  secret　intimacy　with　her；　had　caused　the　three　visions　to　appear　to　the
  farrier；　in　order　to　oblige　the　King　to　declare　Madame　de　Maintenon
  queen。　　But　the　truth　of　the　matter　was　never　known。
  The　King　bestowed　at　this　time　some　more　distinctions　on　his　illegitimate
  children。　　M。　du　Maine；　as　grand…master　of　the　artillery；　had　to　be
  received　at　the　Chambre　des　Comptes；　and　his　place　ought　to　have　been；
  according　to　custom；　immediately　above　that　of　the　senior　member。　　But
  the　King　wished　him　to　be　put　between　the　first　and　second　presidents；
  and　this　wa