249 [=251]

Lett: lxvi. Letters Historical and Galant. 249

it happened to: and I take such a misfortune as this to be worse than those that are ended at once by a Sudden death
and Madam de Liancourt may say on this Occasion with more Justice than the father of Rodrigues. Have I
"then Lived so long, only for this Infamy.

Tother day a Lady, a friend of mine met with a Sad affair enough, but nothing in Comparison with what I
was telling you, and besides she had some satisfaction for it. This Lady, whose name is nothing to the purpose,
was very intimate with the President of L**'s Lady, and saw her familiarly every hour of the day, without
taking the trouble of sending up her name; One day she had probably some thing very pressing to tell her, and ran
to her house in the morning, went up to her room without ceremony, and finding her still in bed, sat upon the Bol
ster. After rallying her upon her laziness, she talked to her about what she came. They chatted a good while to
gether, and when my good Friend was going away, Mrs. President begg'd her to send her Women up, the Lady did
so, and when Mr. President was getting out of bed, she remembered, that she forgot to take off her Cross and Earrings
when she was going to bed, and after she had lain down had thrust them all together under the Bolster. She imme
diately lifted it up, not doubting but they were there; but she could see nothing: Nobody had been in the Room
but the Lady I was talking of, so after she had search'd all the bed to no purpose, the suspicion fell upon her,
Tho she ought to have had quite a different opinion of her: so without losing time, she sent to look for her. "My
"dear, says Mrs. President to her, You have a mind to frighten me; I put my Cross and Earrings under the Bol
"ster; the String that hung down probably made you take notice of them whilst I was asleep, and gave you an
"opportunity to play me this little malicious trick: for in short I can charge no body with it but you, since
"no body set a foot in my Room till you came in, and I miss'd them before any of my women came near the bed
" -- What! You conclude then, Says the Lady, that I must take them? I must tell you are very greatly mis
"taken, I had never any thoughts of playing such dull Jokes, and never saw the string you tell me of: After
"this, talk no more to me as you do, and without amusing your self with vain hopes, think of making a pro-
per search for what you have lost, and which I assure you very seriously, I can give you no news of --- And
"yet, I can ask no body but you, replyed Mrs. President, because no body else was in my Chamber; but I see
"very well tis a more serious affair than I took it to be, since you have no mind to make a Jest of it, as I put
"you in the way to do: and since I must explain my thoughts to you, I am of opinion, my dear, that the bad state
"of your Affairs, and opportunity, which they say makes generally a Thief, Inclined you to committ this Robbery.
"Believe me Necessity is a very bad Councellor, and if you should forget your self so far, I shall still have the same
"regard for you, and give you all the help in my power; but give me my Jewels, and don't out of a criminal Shame
"persist in a Crime unworthy of you, and which I believe you committed with regret. --- In saying this she would
embrace her, to make her discourse the more persuasive. But the Lady push'd her away: Go, says she, you don't deserve
I should make you any reply; I have spirit enough to justify my self of a crime, you are without doubt more capable than
"I. If I have less fortune than you, I have at least probity and honour; and to give you a mark of it, from this day
"I break off all acquaintance with you. Carry your injurious Suspicions where you please; and do your worst, God
"will make your Confusion revenge the injury you do me." Mrs. President thought to arrest her, but she had it not
in her power. She left her full of indignation, with a design never to enter her doors more. In the mean time the Rob
bery of the Jewels made a great noise in the neighbour hood. Some said, Mrs. President had Sold them to play; others tho't
some Lover had stripp'd her, and those that were most in her interests and confidence, spread in the world, they most disadvanta
geous Ideas they could of my poor friend, who is a person of Condition and merit, incapbale of an Action like that, but whom
the Censoriousness of the Age, and outward Appearances, gave room to suspect. Every one whispered her neighbour: "Is
"it possible that that woman should forget her self so far? --- And I was the only person almost that did her justice
when Heaven took care to justify her in a very Authentick manner: for a certain Norman, a Cutpurse by trade, having
pay'd the tribute his nation owes from time to time to the triple tree, which, as Harlequin says is the non plus ultra
of those kind of people; this Cutpurse, I say, confessed, that among other Crimes he had Committed during his Stay in Paris,
He was Guilty of the Robbery committed at the President of L**'s Lady's, that he got into the house very early in the mor
ning, with a design to say, in case he was seen, that he came to sollicit the president about some Lawsuit; that nobody
asking him any questions, he ran through all the Apartments without the least difficulty: and that coming to the Chamber
where Madam was still asleep, and seeing something glitter under bolster, more sensible to that Bait than to those of
the Dutchess, he gently drew away her Jewels, and without awaking her, got out of her Chamber, and the house with
the same case he went in. This Confession fully justified the Lady accused. The President's Lady then would make her
Satisfaction, which she has always refused. Her friends approved her Conduct, and every body blamed Mrs. President's,
who never should have suspected much less charged a person, whose merit she knew, with such a thing. She ought