The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1881-12-21

Il
scruples; while he was vain, prohigate,
and easily duped by women. He was
grand almoner of France, and q rich
prize for her to grasp.
Resolved to secure her ancestral do
mains, she was determined to gain ac-
cess to the queen in order to enlist her
sympathies in her cause. But she
failed in reaching the presence of
Marie Antoinette, Notwithstanding her
artfully contrived plans. So persistent
was she in thrusting her petitions be-
fore those in authority that, to get rid
of her, the controller general added
about $50 to her pension. This, how
ever, was but a'drop in the mighty ocean
of her wants. Living far beyond her
means, burdened with debts, and har-
rassed in mind, she even contemplated
suicide. but concluded to remain on
earth awhile longer land battle with
grim poverty.
Then it was, when she was having
hand-to-hand fight with penury, when
every resource was exhausted, and the
wolf could no longer be kept from the
door, that her fertile imagination con-
ceived deed which for cunning and
daring has rarely been surpassed. This
was q plan to transfer the diamond
necklace from the hands of the Jewell
ers into those of her own. Into this
audacious plot the highest in the land
we're to be dragged-the queen and the
Cardinal de Rohan, high church digni-
tary and grand almoner of France. It
was desperate deed, but well planned
and we'll executed.
She first set tho report about that she
was on terms of intimacy with the
queen, and, to give an appearance of
reality to her story, she was constantly
seen in the vicinity of the palace, as if
she had been visiting the queen in her
private apartments. She persuaded
Cardinal de Rohan that, through her
intercessions, Marie Antoinette was
ready to receive him again into favor.
Owing to his conduct when on foreign
mission, he was in disrepute at the
court; and, having spoken disrespect-
fully of the queens mother, Maria
Theresa, her daughter, the queen of
France, refused to countenance him.
He felt keenly his position, and eagerly
snatched at even the feeble thread this
cunning woman held out to him.
She now forged letters which she
pretended had been sent to her by the
queen, in which she speaks of her for
giveness of the cardinal, and says that
the explanations of the Countess de Ia
Motto have placed matters in quite a
different light. Delighted at this favor
able turn in his affairs, and filled with
gratitude to the successful mediator
between himself and royalty, he is ready
to lavish money and goodwill upon
her.
She now goes a step farther, and the
cardinal receives letters from the
queen herself, through the medium of
the countess. Through the same
medium he sends money to her
majesty, at her own request, which is
eagerly appropriated by the Countess
de la Motto. These letters are written
on the same blue bordered paper on
which Marie Antoinette usually wrote,
and were inscribed by a young man
employed for the purpose.
Under the pretense that the queen
wishes the cardinal to negotiate with
the jewellers for the necklace, he is in
vited by one of these blue bordered
notes to meet Marie Antoinette in the
garden of the Tuilerles at midnight.
To have believed it possible that the
queen of France would commit the in
discretion of inviting a man to meet
her in such a place at such an hour
proves that the vanity of the cardinal
was so gigantic that it completely swal-
| lowed up his common sense. A woman,
who is not in the plot, but who is a
dupe also, is cheated into meeting
the cardinal. She is not aware that
she is representing the queen, and does
not know that it is the cardinal she is
meeting. She says but a few words,
when the countess, who is keeping
watch, hurries her of, fearing that the
! deception may be discovered by the
cardinal. The end has been accom-
plished, however; the dupe thinks the
queen has thus honored him, and he
clasps with eager Joy the rose-emblem
of her favor and forgiveness which she
has placed in his hands. Wonderful
credulityl He is ready now to perform
any act, however silly, at the bidding of
the cunning and false daughter of
Valois, whose exalted descent did not
prevent her being a swindler OF the
worst kind.
She writes, as if from the queen, en-
powering the cardinal to purchase the
necklace. She sends one of her trusted
emissaries to the jewellers to suggest to
them that, as the Countess de la Motto
is in high favor with the queen, she
would be likely to persuade her into
purchasing the necklace. She was ac-
cordingly visited by one of the jewelers.,
and when the cardinal purchased the
necklace they did not recognize him SC
much in the matter as the queens So
called friend, the all-persuasive and
all-powerful countess. So delighted
were the jewellers to get rid of the ex'
pensive bauble, and so grateful were
they to the countess for her powerful
assistance, that they gave banquet al