All the delays greatly irritated me, and rendered my impatience
to witness the termination of the affair greater than it had ever
been. The stranger had promised to make her appearance on the
following day; it passed away, however, without my hearing anything
of her. On the day following she came; I immediately sent to
apprize M. d'Aiguillon, who, with M. de la Vrilliere and the
chancellor, entered my apartments ere the lady had had time to
commence the subject upon which she was there to speak. This
unexpected appearance did not seem to disconcert her in the least,
nor did her
and ordinary assurance in any degree
fail her. She reproached me for having intrusted the secret to so
many persons, but her reproof was uttered without bitterness, and
merely as if she feared lest my indiscretion might compromise our
safety. She was overwhelmed with questions, and the chancellor
interrogated her with the keenest curiosity; but to all the inquiries
put to her she replied with a readiness and candour which surprised
the whole party. She was desired to give the names of those
engaged in the conspiracy, as well as of him who first informed
her of it. She answered that her own name was Lorimer, that she
was a widow living upon her own property. As for the man, her
informant, he was a Swiss, named Cabert, of about thirty years of
age, and had long been her intimate friend: however, the embarrassed
tone with which she pronounced these last words left room for the
suspicion, that he had been something dearer to her than a friend.
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