poor Princess Olivia, and the Prince, looking very dark indeed, passed
away.

'And now,' said Madame de Liliengarten, 'I have only one more gloomy
story to relate to you--the death of the Princess Olivia. It is even
more horrible than the tale I have just told you.' With which preface
the old lady resumed her narrative.

'The kind weak Princess's fate was hastened, if not occasioned, by the
cowardice of Magny. He found means to communicate with her from his
prison, and her Highness, who was not in open disgrace yet (for the
Duke, out of regard to the family, persisted in charging Magny with only
robbery), made the most desperate efforts to relieve him, and to bribe
the gaolers to effect his escape. She was so wild that she lost all
patience and prudence in the conduct of any schemes she may have had
for Magny's liberation; for her husband was inexorable, and caused the
Chevalier's prison to be too strictly guarded for escape to be possible.
She offered the State jewels in pawn to the Court banker; who of course
was obliged to decline the transaction. She fell down on her knees, it
is said, to Geldern, the Police Minister, and offered him Heaven knows
what as a bribe. Finally, she came screaming to my poor dear Duke, who,
with his age, diseases, and easy habits, was quite unfit for scenes of
so violent a nature; and who, in consequence of the excitement created
in his august bosom by her frantic violence and grief, had a fit
in which I very nigh lost him. That his dear life was brought to an
untimely end by these transactions I have not the slightest doubt; for
the Strasbourg pie, of which they said he died, never, I am sure,
could have injured him, but for the injury which his dear gentle heart
received from the unusual occurrences in which he was forced to take a
share.

'All her Highness's movements were carefully, though not ostensibly,
watched by her husband, Prince Victor; who, waiting upon his august
father, sternly signified to him that if his Highness (MY Duke) should
dare to aid the Princess in her efforts to release Magny, he, Prince
Victor, would publicly accuse the Princess and her paramour of high
treason, and take measures with the Diet for removing his father from
the throne, as incapacitated to reign. Hence interposition on our part
was vain, and Magny was left to his fate.

'It came, as you are aware, very suddenly. Geldern, Police Minister,
Hengst, Master of the Horse, and the colonel of the Prince