when Alix was but ten years old.

This bit of careless guessing helps to indicate the genuineness of Alix's
history. For when, by the light of Françoise's own statements, we correct
this error--totally uncorrected by any earlier hand--the correction agrees
entirely with the story of Alix as told in the separate manuscript. There
Alix is married in March, 1789, and Madelaine about a year before. In
midsummer, 1795, Madelaine had been married between seven and eight years
and her infant was, likely enough, her fourth child.--TRANSLATOR.

[20] The memoirist omits to say that this person was Neville
Déclouet.--TRANSLATOR.




XV.

THE DISCOVERY OF THE HAT.


"Oh!" cried Celeste, "but what will Tonton say when she sees you?"

"Do not let her know a thing about it, girls," said Madame du Clozel, "or,
rather than yield the scepter of beauty and elegance for but one evening,
she will stay in the white chapel. What! at sixteen you don't know what
the white chapel is? It is our bed."

Before the ball, came Sunday. Madame du Clozel had told us that the
population of the little city--all Catholics--was very pious, that the