justice hangs over you like the sword of Damocles. You have already
invoked your fate, in calling God to witness that the innocent shall
not suffer for the guilty, and now this word is fulfilled in
yourself. The whole edifice of your lies and intrigues crumbles over
you, and will cover your head with the dust of eternal infamy."

"I experience nothing of it yet, God be thanked," cried Lamotte,
shrugging her shoulders.

"You will be punished for these shameless deeds sooner than you
expected," answered the president, solemnly.

"You said that you wanted proof that that was not the queen who gave
the rendezvous to the cardinal in Versailles; that the promissory
note was not subscribed by the queen, and that the letters to the
cardinal were not written by her. If the proof of this were to be
displayed to you, it would be right to accuse you of high-treason.
We have already exhibited the proof that it was not Queen Marie
Antoinette who made an appointment with the cardinal in Versailles,
but that it was the comedy planned and brought out by yourself, with
which you deceived the cardinal, and made him believe that he was
going to buy the necklace of which you intended to rob him. It only
remains to show you that the subscription of the queen and the
letters to the cardinal were forged by you."

"And certainly," cried the countess, "I am very curious to have you
exhibit the proofs of this!"

"That is a very simple matter," answered the president, calmly. "We
confront you with him who at your direction imitated the handwriting