The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1849-04-02
The Marquis in Rtticoats,
1.-THE Outline from French JMsmoir.]

uo M d us LII FVttlCVdtS'
1.-The Outline from French Msmoir]
BY N. r. WILLIS.
introduce you at once to the Marquis de la Che
tardie-a dipomatist who figured largely in the gay
age of Louis XIV; and the story is but one of The
Charles de la Chetarde appeared for the first time
to the eyes of the king at masquerade ball, given
at Versailles under the auspices of la belle P0mpa-
dour. He was dressed as young lady of high
rank, making her debut; and SO perfect was his
acting and deception altogether. that Louis became
enamored of the disguised Marquis, and violently
excited the jealousy of Madame" by his amorous
attentions. An advertisement, of course, took
place, and the result was great Partially for the
Marquis's society, and his subsequent employment
IN and out of petticoats, in many scheme of state
diplomacy and royal amusement.
La Chetardie was at this time jVst eighteen. He
was very slight, and had remarkably small hands
and feet, and the radiant fairness of his skin and
the luxuriant sofness of his prouse chestnut curs,
might justly have been the envy of the modest,
some ridicule for his effeminacy, but the merry
courtiers were soon made aware, that, under this
velvet frivoty lay concealed the strength and fero-
city of the tiger. The grasp of his small hand was
like an iron vice, and his singular activity, and the
cool courage which afterward gave him brilliant
career on the battle field, established him. in very
short time, as the most formidable swordsman of
the court. His ferocity, however, lay deeply con-
cealed In his character, and, unprovoked, he was
the gayest and most brilliant of merry companions
This was the age of occult and treacherOus d.
plomacy, and the court of Russia, where Louis
would fain have exercised an influence (private as
well as political in its results, guarded by an
lmplacabe Argus, in the person of the prime min
lister, Bestuchef Aided by Sir Hamburg Will
ams, the English ambassador, one of the craftiest
men of that crafty period, he had succeeded for
some years in defeating every attempt at access to
hQ hv he rio of
The sudden appearance of La Chetardie, his cool
self-command, and his successful personation of
female, suggested new hope to the king, how
ever; and called to Versailles by royal mandate,
the young Marquis was taken into cabinet conf
dence, and secret mission to ST. Petersburgh, in
petticoats, proposed to him and accepted.
With his instructions and secret dispatches
stitched into his corsets and under the ostensibe
protection Of scientific man, who was to present
him to the Tzarne as a Mademoiselle de Beaumont,
Marquis reached st. Petersburgh without accident
or adventure. The young lady's guardian request.
ed an audience through Bestucheff, and having
delivered the open letters recommending her for her
accomplishments to the imperial protection, he beg
ged leave to continue on his scientific tour to the
central regions of Russia.
Congo was Immediately granted, and on the dis
appeaxance of the sauant and before the departure
of Bestuchef, The Tzarine threw off all ceremony,
and pinching the cheeks and imprinting kiss on
the forehead of the beautiful stranger, appointed
her, by one of those sudden whims of preference
against which her ministers had so much trouble
TO guard, tectrice ntime ct particulere-in short,
confidential personal attendant. The bushes of
the confused Marquis, who was unprepared for so
affectionate reception served rather to heighten
the disguise, and old Bestuchef bowed himself out
with a compliment to the beauty of Mademoiselle
de Beaumont, yelled in diplomatic congratulation
to her imperial mistress.
Elizabeth was forty and little passee, but she
still had pretensions, and particularly fond of
beauty in her attendants, female well as male.
Her favorte of her personal suite, at the time of
the arrival of the Marquis. was an exquisite little
creature who had been sent to her, as compli-
ment to this particular taste, by the Duchess of
Mecklenberg- Strelitz-a kind Of German Fe-
nella," or Mignon," by the name of Nadege
Stein. Not much below the middle size, Nadege
very extraordinary beauty. She had been care
fully educated for her present situation, and was
highly accomplishments fine reader and sin
gularly sweet musician and dancer. The Tzarine's
passion for this lovely attendant excessive, and
the arrival of a new favorite of the same was
looked upon with some pleasure by the eclipsed re-
mainder of the palace-idlers.
Elizabeth summoned Nadege, and committed
hlademoiseile de Beaumont temporarily to her
{ harge but the same mysterious magnetism which
had reached the heart of the TZarine seemed to kim
die quite promptly, the affections Of her attendant
than she jumped to her neck, smothered her with
kisses, called her by every endearing epthet and
her with questions mingled with the
most child keexclamations Of wonder al her own
lnexpiicable love for stranger. In an hour she
had shown to the new demoisee all the contents
of the little boudoir in which she lived talked to
her Of loves and hates at the Russian COURT of her
home in Mecklenberg, and her present situation
in short, poured out her heart with the naif aban-
don of a child. The young Marquis had never seen
20 lovely creature and responsibly as he felt his
difficult and delicate situation, he returned the
affection so innocently lavished upon him, and by
the end of this first fatal hour, rrecoverably in
love. And gay as his life had been at the French
court, it was the first, and subsequently, proved to
be the deepest, passion Of his life
On the Tzarine's return to her private apart
ment, she summoned her new favorite and super
intended, with condescending solicitude, the ar
Engagements for her palace lodging. Nadege in
hablted small tower adjoining the bedroom of her
mistress, and above this was an unoccupisd room,
which, at the present suggestion of the fair little
attendant, was allotted to the new corner. The |
staircase opened by door into the private gar
ens, and by the opposite into the corridor leading
to the imperial chamber The Mar |
quis's deicacy would fain have made some obiec. |
hon to this very intimate location; but he could
hazard nothing against the interests of his sove-
disguise with the astainment of his object. Mean |
lime, the close neighborhood of the fair Nadege |
was not the most intolerable of necessities.
The Marquis's task was very difficult one. |
He was instructed, before abandoning his disguise |
md delivering his secret dispatches, to awaken |
he interest Of the Txarine on the two subjects to
which the documents had reference, viz former |
partiality of her Majesty for Louis, and formerly
discussed project of seating the Prince de Cont
he throne of Poland Bestucheff had SO long sue.
,eeded in cutting off all approach of these topics
o the ear ofthe Tzarine, that her Majesty had pro-
'ably forgotten them altogether
Weeks passed, and the opportunities to breach
hese delicate subjects had been inauspiciousy rare
s!ademoiselle de Beaumont, it is true, had COM |
pleteiy eciipsed the favorite Nadege; and Eliza |
eth, 10 her hours Of relaxation from stats affairs.
xacted the constant attendance Of the new IA. |
orite in her private apartments. But the almost |
onstant presence Of some other of the maids of |
onor, opposed continual obstacles and Interrupt