justify herself for the theft which she has committed, for it is
Marie Antoinette who possesses the diamonds of the jeweller Bohmer,
not I."

At the spectators' tribune a gentle bravo was heard at these words,
and this daring calumny upon the queen found no reproval even from
the judges' bench.

"Madame," said L'Aigre, after a short pause, "instead of simply
answering my questions you reply with a high-sounding speech, which
contains an untruth, for it is not true that you can lay any claim
to the throne of France. The descendants of bastards have claims
neither to the name nor the rank of their fathers. Since, in respect
to your name and rank, you have answered with an untruth, I will
tell you who and what you are. Your father was a poor peasant in the
village of Auteuil. He called himself Valois, and the clergyman of
the village one day told the wife of the proprietor of Auteuil,
Madame de Boulainvillier, that the peasant of Valois was in
possession of family papers, according to which it was
unquestionable that he was an illegitimate descendant of the old
royal family.

The good priest at the same time recommended the poor, hungry
children of the day-laborer Valois to the kindness of Madame de
Boulainvillier, and the old lady hastened to comply with this
recommendation. She had the daughter of Valois called to her to ask
her how she could assist her in her misery."

"Say rather to gain for herself the credit that she had shown
kindnesses to the descendants of the Kings of France," interrupted