off　and　some　turned　white。
  At　last　the　faculty　of　making　children　was　taken　from　her；　which
  brought　on　the　vapours　consequent　upon　hypochondria；　and　caused　her
  skin　to　turn　yellow。　She　was　then　forty…nine　years　of　age；　and　lived
  in　her　castle　of　l'Ile　Adam；　where　she　grew　as　thin　as　a　leper　in　a
  lazar…house。　The　poor　creature　was　all　the　more　wretched　because　l'Ile
  Adam　was　still　amorous；　and　as　good　as　gold　to　her；　who　failed　in　her
  duty；　because　she　had　formerly　been　too　free　with　the　men；　and　was
  now；　according　to　her　own　disdainful　remark；　only　a　cauldron　to　cook
  chitterlings。
  〃Ha！〃　said　she；　one　evening　when　these　thoughts　were　tormenting　her。
  〃In　spite　of　the　Church；　in　spite　of　the　king；　in　spite　of　everything；
  Madame　de　l'Ile　Adam　is　still　the　wicked　Imperia！〃
  She　fell　into　a　violent　passion　when　she　saw　this　handsome　gentleman
  have　everything　a　man　can　desire；　great　wealth；　royal　favour；
  unequalled　love；　matchless　wife；　pleasure　such　as　none　other　could
  produce；　and　yet　fail　in　that　which　is　dearest　to　the　head　of　the
  housenamely；　lineage。　With　this　idea　in　her　head；　she　wished　to　die；
  thinking　how　good　and　noble　he　had　been　to　her；　and　how　much　she
  failed　in　her　duty　in　not　giving　him　children；　and　in　being
  henceforward　unable　to　do　so。　She　hid　her　sorrow　in　the　secret
  recesses　of　her　heart；　and　conceived　a　devotion　worthy　her　great　love。
  To　put　into　practice　this　heroic　design　she　became　still　more　amorous；
  took　extreme　care　of　her　charms；　and　made　use　of　learned　precepts　to
  maintain　her　bodily　perfection；　which　threw　out　an　incredible　lustre。
  About　this　time　the　Sieur　de　Montmorency　conquered　the　repulsion　his
  daughter　entertained　for　marriage；　and　her　alliance　with　one　Sieur　de
  Chatillon　was　much　talked　about。　Madame　Imperia；　who　lived　only　three
  leagues　distant　from　Montmorency；　one　day　sent　her　husband　out　hunting
  in　the　forests；　and　set　out　towards　the　castle　where　the　young　lady
  lived。　Arrived　in　the　grounds　she　walked　about　there；　telling　a
  servant　to　inform　her　mistress　that　a　lady　had　a　most　important
  communication　to　make　to　her；　and　that　she　had　come　to　request　an
  audience。　Much　interested　by　the　account　which　she　received　by　the
  beauty；　courtesy；　and　manners　of　the　unknown　lady；　Mademoiselle　de
  Montmorency　went　in　great　haste　into　the　gardens；　and　there　met　her
  rival；　whom　she　did　not　know。
  〃My　dear；〃　said　the　poor　woman；　weeping　to　find　the　young　maiden　as
  beautiful　as　herself；　〃I　know　that　they　are　trying　to　force　you　into　a
  marriage　with　Monsieur　de　Chatillon；　although　you　still　love　Monsieur
  de　l'Ile　Adam。　Have　confidence　in　the　prophecy　that　I　here　make　you；
  that　he　whom　you　have　loved；　and　who　only　was　false　to　you　through　a
  snare　into　which　an　angel　might　have　fallen；　will　be　free　from　the
  burden　of　his　old　wife　before　the　leaves　fall。　Thus　the　constancy　of
  your　love　will　have　its　crown　of　flowers。　Now　have　the　courage　to
  refuse　this　marriage　they　are　arranging　for　you；　and　you　may　yet　clasp
  your　first　and　only　love。　Pledge　me　your　word　to　love　and　cherish
  l'Ile　Adam；　who　is　the　kindest　of　men；　never　to　cause　him　a　moment's
  anguish；　and　tell　him　to　reveal　to　you　all　the　secrets　of　love
  invented　by　Madame　Imperia；　because；　in　practicing　them；　being　young；
  you　will　be　easily　able　to　obliterate　the　remembrance　of　her　from　his
  mind。〃
  Mademoiselle　de　Montmorency　was　so　astonished　that　she　could　make　no
  answer；　and　let　this　queen　of　beauty　depart；　and　believed　her　to　be　a
  fairy；　until　a　workman　told　her　that　the　fairy　was　Madame　de　l'Ile
  Adam。　Although　the　adventure　was　inexplicable；　she　told　her　father
  that　she　would　not　give　her　consent　to　the　proposed　marriage　until
  after　the　autumn；　so　much　is　it　in　the　nature　of　Love　to　ally　itself
  with　Hope；　in　spite　of　the　bitter　pills　which　this　deceitful　and
  gracious；　companion　gives　her　to　swallow　like　bull's　eyes。　During　the
  months　when　the　grapes　are　gathered；　Imperia　would　not　let　l'Ile　Adam
  leave　her；　and　was　so　amorous　that　one　would　have　imagined　she　wished
  to　kill　him；　since　l'Ile　Adam　felt　as　though　he　had　a　fresh　bride　in
  his　arms　every　night。　The　next　morning　the　good　woman　requested　him　to
  keep　the　remembrance　of　these　joys　in　his　heart。
  Then；　to　know　what　her　lover's　real　thoughts　on　the　subject　were　she
  said　to　him；　〃Poor　l'Ile　Adam；　we　were　very　silly　to　marrya　lad　like
  you；　with　your　twenty…three　years；　and　an　old　woman　close　to　40。〃
  He　answered　her；　that　his　happiness　was　such　that　he　was　the　envy　of
  every　one；　that　at　her　age　her　equal　did　not　exist　among　the　younger
  women；　and　that　if　ever　she　grew　old　he　would　love　her　wrinkles；
  believing　that　even　in　the　tomb　she　would　be　lovely；　and　her　skeleton
  lovable。
  To　these　answers；　which　brought　the　tears　into　her　eyes；　she　one
  morning　answered　maliciously；　that　Mademoiselle　de　Montmorency　was
  very　lovely　and　very　faithful。　This　speech　forced　l'Ile　Adam　to　tell
  her　that　she　pained　him　by　telling　him　of　the　only　wrong　he　had　ever
  committed　in　his　lifethe　breaking　of　the　troth　pledged　to　his　first
  sweetheart；　all　love　for　whom　he　had　since　effaced　from　his　heart。
  This　candid　speech　made　her　seize　him　and　clasp　him　to　her　heart；
  affected　at　the　loyalty　of　his　discourse　on　a　subject　from　which　many
  would　have　shrunk。
  〃My　dear　love；〃　said　she；　〃for　a　long　time　past　I　have　been　suffering
  from　a　retraction　of　the　heart；　which　has　always　since　my　youth　been
  dangerous　to　my　life；　and　in　this　opinion　the　Arabian　physician
  coincides。　If　I　die；　I　wish　you　to　make　the　most　binding　oath　a　knight
  can　make；　to　wed　Mademoiselle　Montmorency。　I　am　so　certain　of　dying；
  that　I　leave　my　property　to　you　only　on　condition　that　this　marriage
  takes　place。〃
  Hearing　this；　l'Ile　Adam　turned　pale；　and　felt　faint　at　the　mere
  thought　of　an　eternal　separation　from　his　good　wife。
  〃Yes；　dear　treasure　of　love；〃　continued　she。　〃I　am　punished　by　God
  there　where　my　sins　were　committed；　for　the　great　joys　that　I　feel
  dilate　my　heart；　and　have；　according　to　the　Arabian　doctor；　weakened
  the　vessels　which　in　a　moment　of　excitement　will　burst；　but　I　have
  always　implored　God　to　take　my　life　at　the　age　in　which　I　now　am；
  because　I　would　not　see　my　charms　marred　by　the　ravages　of　time。〃
  This　great　and　noble　woman　saw　then　how　well　she　was　beloved。　This　is
  how　she　obtained　the　greatest　sacrifice　of　love　that　ever　was　made
  upon　this　earth。　She　alone　knew　what　a　charm　existed　in　the　embraces；
  fondlings；　and　raptures　of　the　conjugal　bed；　which　were　such　that　poor
  l'Ile　Adam　would　rather　have　died　than　allow　himself　to　be　deprived　of
  the　amorous　delicacies　she　knew　so　well　how　to　prepare。　At　this
  confession　made　by　her　that；　in　the　excitement　of　love　her　heart　would
  burst；　the　chevalier　cast　himself　at　her　knees；　and　declared　that　to
  preserve　her　life　he　would　never　ask　her　for　love；　but　would　live
  contented　to　see　her　only　at　his　side；　happy　at　being　able　to　touch
  but　the　hem　of　her　garment。
  She　replied；　bursting　into　tears；　〃that　she　would　rather　die　than　lose
  one　iota　of　his　love；　that　she　would　die　as　she　had　lived；　since
  luckily　she　could　make　a　man　embrace　her　when　such　was　her　desire
  without　having　to　put　her　request　into　words。〃
  Here　it　must　be　stated　that　the　cardinal　of　Ragusa　had　given　her　as　a
  present　an　article；　which　this　holy　joker　called　/in　articulo　mortis/。
  It　was　a　tiny　glass　bottle；　no　bigger　than　a　bean；　made　at　Venice；　and
  containing　a　poison　so　subtle　that　by　breaking　it　between　the　teeth
  death　came　instantly　and　painlessly。　He　had　received　it　from　Signora
  Tophana；　the　celebrated　maker　of　poisons　of　the　town　of　Rome。
  Now　this　tiny　bottle　was　under　the　bezel　of　a　ring；　preserved　from　all
  objects　that　could　break　it　by　certain　plates　of　gold。　Poor　Imperia
  put　it　into　her　mouth　several　times　without　being　able　to　make　up　her
  mind　to　bite　it；　so　much　pleasure　did　she　take　in　the　moment　that　she
  believed　to　be　her　last。　Then　she　would　pass　before　her　in　mental
  review　all　her　methods　of　enjoyment　before　breaking　the　glass；　and
  determined　that　when　she　felt　the　most　perfect　of　all　joys　she　would
  bite　the　bottle。
  The　poor　creature　departed　this　life　on　the　night　on　the　first　day　of
  October。　Then　was　there　heard　a　great　clamour　in　the　forests　and　in
  the　clouds；　as　if　the　loves　had　cried　aloud；　〃The　great　Noc　is　dead！〃
  in　imitation　of　the　pagan　gods　who；　at　the　coming　of　the　Saviour　of
  men；　fled　into　the　skies；　saying；　〃the　great　Pan　is　slain！〃　A　cry
  which　was　heard　by　some　persons　navigating　the　Eubean　Sea；　and
  preserved　by　a　Father　of　the　Church。
  Madame　Imperia　died　without　being　spoiled　in　shape；　so　much　had　God
  made　her　the　irreproachable　model　of　a　woman。　She　had；　it　was　said；　a
  magnificent　tint　upon　her　flesh；　caused　by　the　proximity　of　the
  flaming　wings　of　Pleasure；　who　cried　and　groaned　over　her　corpse。　Her
  husband　mourned　for　her　most　bitterly；　never　suspecting　tha