The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-10-07
THE DAILY STAR
THE MARQUIS IN PETTIJ0ATS.

it can never be invented. Fact Is the
iaek-o'-lantern to more sober fable. Truth
is stranger than fiction.
And have not much space TO tell a
story in; and, long or short, it must have
beginning, and middle, and end. So /
introduce you at once to the Marquis de
la Chetardie-a diplomatist who figured
largely in the age of Louis AV-and the
story is but one of the Illuminated pages
of the dark book of diplomacy.
Charles de la Chetardie appeared for
the first time to the eyes of the King at a
masquerade ball given at Versailles under
the auspices of la belle Pompadour. He
was dressed as young lady of high rank
making her debut, and so perfect was his
acting and the deception altogether, that
Louis became enamored of the disguised
Marquis, and violently excited the jeal-
ousy of madame" by his amorous atten-
tions. An eclaircissement, of course, took
place, and the result was a great par
tiality for the Marquis society, and his
subsequent employment, in and out OF
petticoats, in many a scheme OF State
diplomacy and royal amusement.
De Chetardie was at this time just
eighteen. He was very slight, and had
remarkably small hands and feet; and
the radiant fairness of his skin and the
luxuriant softness of his profuse chestnut
curls might Justly have been the envy of
the most delicate woman. He was at first
subjected to some ridicule for his etfemi-
macy, but the merry courtiers were soon
made aware that under this velvet fra
gility lay concealed the strength and fe
iocity of the tiger. The grasp of his
small hand was like an iron vice; and
his singular activity, and the cool cour
age which afterwards gave him q brilliant
career on the battlefield, established him
in . very short time as the most formid-
able swordsman of the court. His fe-
rocitv, however, lay deeply concealed in
ais character; and, unprovoked, he was
The gayest and most brilliant Of merry
companions.
This was the age of occult and treach-
erous diplomacy; and the court of Russia,
where Louis would fain have exercised
an influence (private as well as political
in its results, was guarded by an impla-
cable Argus, in the person of the prime
minister, BcstuchetE. Aided by Sir Han
bury Williams the English Embassador,
one of the crafticst men of that crafty
period, he had succeeded for some years
in defeating every attempt at access to
the imperial ear by the secret emissaries
Of France. 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 confidence; and a secret mis-
sion of St. Petersburg in petticoats pro-
oosed to him, and accepted.
With his instructions and secret dis
patches stitched into his corsets, and un-
der the ostensible protection of a scien-
tific man, who was to present him TO the
Czarine as Mademoiselle de Beaumont,
desirous of entering the service Of Eliza
beth, the Marquis reached st. Peters
burg without accident or adventure.
The young lady's guardian requested an
audience through Bestuchef, and, having
delivered the open letters recommending
her for her accomplishments to the I'M
perial protection, he begged leave to con-
tinue on his scientific tour to the central
regions of Russia.
Congo was Immediately granted, and
on the disappearance Of the savant, and
before the departure Of Bestuchetf, the
Czarine threw off all ceremony, and
pinching the cheeks and imprinting a
liss 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, lectrice intime ct particuliere-
in short, confidential personal attendant.
The blushes of the confused Marquis,
who was unprepared for 50 affectionate IL
reception, served rather TO heighten the
disguise, and old Bestuchef bowed him
self out with compliment to the beauty
of Mile. de Beaumont, veled in di-
Dlomatic congratulation to her Imperial
mistress.
Elizabeth was forty and little passee;
but she had pretensions, and was particu-
iarly fond of beauty in her attendants,
female as we'll as male. Her favorite Of
her personal suite, at the time of the ar
rival of the Marquis, was an exquisite
little creature who had been sent to her
rs compliment TO this particular taste
by the Duchess Of Mecklenberg Strelitz
"a kind of German "Fenella" or "Mig-
non'-by the name of Nadge Stein. Not
much below the middle size, Nadge was
model Of symmetrical proportion and
of very extraordinary beauty. She had
',een carefully educated for her present
situation, and was highly accomplished
fine reader and a singularly sweet mu
sician and dancer. The Czarine's passion
for this lovely attendant was excessive
and the arrival of new favorite of tht
same sex was looked upon with som,
pleasure by the eclipsed remainder of th'
palace idlers.
Elizabeth summoned Nadge, and com
mitted Mademoiselle de Beaumont TEN
porarily to her charge; but the sain'
mysterious magnetism which had reached
The heart of the Czarine, seemed to kin
die quite as promptly the affections O
t,ar ottondont Nadoa WOO M eonpo