The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-08-09

He installed her in a house opposite to that occupied by a woman who called herself Jeanne of volois, Countess de la Notes. This adventures claimed de- scent from the race of the Valois, the old rulers of France. She had pestered the King and his ministers with her elaimr till they would listen to her no longer. Indeed, she had become a jest, for 1t was known that though her father had claimed the title of Baron de valois, her mother had been a peasant, and her husband was a gendarme, vegetating far away from the capital
 She had supported herself partly by dressmalling and partly by writing beg ging letters till she succeeded in obtain ing the ear of the Prince -Cardenal de Rohan. That plotter saw an opportunity in forwarding her pretensions. He in- stalled her in fine house and added few more mortgages to the rest to pay for her establishment
 She managed to obtain access to the Queen and gained the sovereign's sym pathy. Cagliostro, aware of all these matters as soon as they happened saw at once that Jeanne would prove an im- portant aid in his plans against Marie Antoinette. Discovering that the adven- turess and the cardinal were going in disguise to a masked ball, he promptly followed with Olva, who was garbed in a domino. Waiting till the cardinal and Jeanne were in a part of the ballroom where many people of the court happened 4.f |. II al.- and deftly dropped Oliva's mask She replaced it again instantly, but not be- fore the cardinal and the rest had seen what they thought was the Queen of France
 The next day all Paris rang with the scandal. Following so soon on the scan- dal spread by those who imagined that they had seen the Queen in trance at Mesmer's studio, the affair was made the subject for jest and abuse all over France. The King was furious The Queens indignant denials were received by her court with a politeness so ex- cessive that she knew it yelled their ab- solute belief in the story spread by the nobles.
 
 the truth. That was Jeanne of Valois | The count had ordered Olva to show herself to the other. He had no fear that the clever Countess de la Motte 1 would tell Marie Antoinette. for he knew that the adventures would plan to use the resemblance for her own game.
 He knew, too, what that game was. A magnificent necklace of diamonds, so beautiful that it was the talk of all Eu- of two jewellers, Boehmer & Bassange. Louis had decided to buy it for his Queen, although the price, 1,6O0, 900 francs was a monstrous sum, especially in that winter of famine. In one of her many fits of generosity and nobility the Queen 1 declined it. Louis, overjoyed at the pa- triotism of his wife, proclaimed her vir- | tues to all and announced his intention | of building warship with the money. to | be named The Queens Necklace Unfortunately, Marie Antoinette's sacri- | ficing spirit could not maintain itself against the temptation of the glorious gems. The jewellers brought them to her again, and the cunning Jeanne, who was present, prayed permission to put them around the Queens neck. Her majesty turned to the mirror and forgot herself for a time in admiration. Then she tried to refuse to buy them as firmly as she had refused to let the King give them to her; but after the jewellers had taken the necklace away she remained sitting gloomily and tapping her foot impatiently
 As soon as Jeanne was dismissed she hastened home and sent for the cardinal
 Your eminence,' said she, ''the Queen wishes for that necklace intently now that it is beyond her reach. She cannot ask the King to buy 1t for her, after having refused 1t, even if she wished to jeopardize the new popularity which the refusal has won for her among the peo- pie. She would buy it in secret, but she dares not risk disclosures. Prince, I am sure that the Queen would make that man a minister who placed the necklace in her hands,"
 Jeanne, watching the cardinal narrowly, said to herself, ''The bait is taken" That 1t would beggar her protector to buy the bauble did not concern her. All that she cared for was that he should attain the office, as she felt sure he would. Then she knew he would have to accede to her demands, grant her a fat allowance and give her the standing in France that she desired.
 The cardinal, for his part, did not hesi- tate at the sacrifice of money. That he thought would come back to him through the national treasury. He lost no time in driving to the jewellers and offering to purchase the necklace. They raised tho objection that it was still held for the Queens possible reconsideration. De Ro- han. not averse at all to having them believe he had attained favor with Marie Antoinette, told them frankly that he wished to buy it for her.
 The arrangement was concluded quickly after that He agreed to pay 100000 francs and the rest in regular payments of 500,OO0 francs.
 Jeanne hurried at once to Versailles and begged for audience Tactfully and cIev- erly she approached the subject of De Rohan, and, having gained the Queens attention, she confessed that she had told the cardinal about her majesty's desire to possess the necklace.
 When he heard my account said Jeanne, "he said. What. the Queen re. fuse herself such a thing, and perhaps see 1t one day worn by one of her sub- jects It is no longer simple question