her until she sat down beneath some trees. The instant that he caught a
fair sight of her he recognised his former mistress, and quickly
approaching, bent his knee and carried her hand to his lips. She
implored him not to divulge her secret, but to come with her to her
home, and hear how she had fared since Alexis had, as he thought, killed
her. The Marshal consented to accompany her; he listened with interest
to her tale, and when he had heard it to the end announced his intention
of informing the King of France, that her highness might be restored to
her proper position and honours. Carolina, however, was quite
determined that this should not be. She begged the Marshal to keep her
secret for one week, as her husband had certain negotiations, which
would be ruined if her identity were disclosed. This he consented to do,
and Carolina dismissed him, with the assurance that on that day week he
should be definitely informed of her wishes in the matter.

On the appointed day the Marshal found that the princess and her husband
had left their home. However, he succeeded in tracing them, and told the
king of the noble lady who was then in his dominions. His Majesty
entered into negotiations with the Empress Maria Theresa, with a view to
deciding upon the manner in which her august aunt should be treated. The
upshot of these negotiations was a most tender letter from the Empress
to Carolina, asking her to make the Austrian court her home, and
promising to load her husband and herself with honours and distinctions.
But the happy wife and mother felt that the life she had been leading
for the last few years was preferable in every way to the artificial
existence of a court, and refused her niece's generous offer. It was
renewed again and again; but nothing could shake her determination.

For many years she led a life of the utmost happiness, and then death
deprived her of both husband and daughter. Maria Theresa renewed her
offers; but Carolina preferred to pass the rest of her days in solitude.
She accepted a small pension from the Empress, and retired to a small
cottage at Vitry, near Paris. After a quiet existence here for some few
years more she passed away, without ever having regretted her refusal to
rejoin the brilliant circle of a court.

VARIETIES.

CURIOUS FRESCO.

In the Carthusian Monastery of Garignano, a few miles from Milan, are
some frescoes by Daniel Crespi, of Busto, which are said to be marvels
of