"
"Your majesty, Bohmer has, in the mean while, believed it, and has
delivered the necklace to the cardinal, and received the queen's
promise to pay, written with her own hand."
"Who says that? How do you know all the details?"
"Sire, I know it by a paper of Bohmer's, who wrote to me after
trying in vain several times to see me. The letter was a tolerably
confused one, and I did not understand it. But as he stated in it
that the queen's lady-in-waiting advised him to apply to me as the
minister of the royal house, I considered it best to speak with
Madame de Campan. What I learned of her is so important that I
begged her to accompany me to Trianon, and to repeat her statement
before your majesty."
"Is Campan then in Trianon?" asked the king.
"Yes, sire; and on our arrival we learned that Bohmer had just been
there, and was most anxious to speak to the queen. He had been
denied admission as always, and had gone away weeping and scolding."
"Come," said the king, "let us go to Trianon; I want to speak with
Campan."
And with quick, rapid steps the king, followed by the minister
Breteuil, left the mill, and shunning the main road in order not to
be seen by the queen, struck into the little side-path that led
thither behind the houses.
"Campan," said the king, hastily entering the little toilet-room of
the queen, where the lady-in-waiting was--"Campan, the minister has
just been telling me a singular and incredible history.
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