were paid to his servants, if they would merely announce their names.
Ladies of rank employed the blandishments of their smiles for the same
object; but many of them came day after day for a fortnight before
they could obtain an audience. When Law accepted an invitation, he was
sometimes so surrounded by ladies, all asking to have their names put
down in his lists as shareholders in the new stock, that, in spite of
his well-known and habitual gallantry, he was obliged to tear himself
away par force. The most ludicrous stratagems were employed to have an
opportunity of speaking to him. One lady, who had striven in vain
during several days, gave up in despair all attempts to see him at his
own house, but ordered her coachman to keep a strict watch whenever
she was out in her carriage, and if he saw Mr. Law coming, to drive
against a post, and upset her. The coachman promised obedience, and
for three days the lady was driven incessantly through the town,
praying inwardly for the opportunity to be overturned. At last she
espied Mr. Law, and, pulling the string, called out to the coachman,
"Upset us now! for God's sake, upset us now!" The coachman drove
against a post, the lady screamed, the coach was overturned, and Law,
who had seen the accident, hastened to the spot to render assistance.
The cunning dame was led into the Hotel de Soissons, where she soon
thought it advisable to recover from her fright, and, after
apologizing to Mr. Law, confessed her stratagem. Law smiled, and
entered the lady in his books as the purchaser of a quantity of India
stock. Another story is told of a Madame de Boucha, who, knowing that
Mr. Law was at dinner at a certain house, proceeded thither in her
carriage, and gave the alarm of fire. The company started from table,
and Law among the rest; but, seeing one lady making all haste into the
house towards him, while everybody else was scampering away, he
suspected the trick, and ran off in another direction.