proceedings. That the government of Louis-Philippe did not apprehend
any very serious extent of belief in Neuendorf's pretensions, must be
inferred from the immunity with which they allowed him to carry on
his proceedings, and to accept the contributions of the royalists. On
the other hand, it must be noticed that Louis-Philippe's seat on the
throne was not so firm as it afterwards became; and he may have been
afraid to disturb Neuendorf, lest he should have excited the enmity of
a very powerful party.

It must be owned that the evidence which the pretender had hitherto
produced, was only calculated to gain over persons of limited
experience and strong legitimist prejudices. A circumstance, however,
which afterwards took place, was of a nature to stagger more
obstinate sceptics: it had indeed that effect. We translate it from
the words of an individual who was present when it happened. The Duc
de Normandie was at dinner, surrounded by several friends. 'Among the
company was an old lady, who, having recently arrived from the
provinces, had never heard of the "prince," and, on being presented
to him, was extremely astonished to find herself in the presence of
so illustrious a person. After dinner, the conversation turned upon
the duke's younger days, and the lady referred to addressed him in
these words--"I, monseigneur, never saw the dauphin; but an old
friend, who was constantly near his person in his infancy, has
described to me that from the midst of his lower jaw there sprung out
two teeth. They were incisors, and as straight and pointed as the
teeth of a rabbit." Without speaking a word, he pulled open his lower
lip, and exhibited to the company such a pair of rabbits' teeth as
were described.'

This occurrence confirmed the duke's adherents in their belief of his
identity with the victim of the first revolution, and the presence of
the rightful heir to the throne of France created some stir in Paris.
Perhaps the aspirant to royalty and his friends felt disappointed
that the government did not evince its dread by some little
persecution, over and above the imprisonment of Widerkeer. To account
for this forbearance, dark suspicions were whispered regarding the
_secret_ intentions of the ruling powers; and these were not long in
being corroborated. One day in November, the duke expressed a desire
to imitate certain other royalties by examining the streets of the
capital, and mixing with its humble citizens _incog._