into jail.

The colonel did not wait for a week; but in an angry mood returned at
once to those who sent him, cursing the government in his heart,
stigmatizing "Madame Royale" as an unnatural sister, and considering
the king no better than other royal uncles who had occupied thrones
which belonged to their imprisoned nephews. The news of his
discomfiture did not disconcert or dishearten the plotters, and,
although their first attempt to approach the daughter of Louis XVI.
had resulted in failure, they resolved to make another attempt. Madame
de Jacquieres, in particular, was very hopeful, and, with a wisdom and
modesty which did her credit, discovered that there would have been
great indelicacy in the Duchess of Angouleme granting a private
interview to a man. A female messenger ought to have been sent; and
she soon found one to repair the first blunder.

Madame Morin, who superseded De Foulkes, was a lady of great
accomplishments and considerable intelligence. The documents which the
unsuccessful ambassador had carried with him were entrusted to the new
emissary; and, in addition, she carried with her a portrait of Charles
of Navarre, who was represented in the brilliant uniform of a general
officer of dragoons. But Madame Morin was as ill-fated as her
predecessor had been, and all her efforts to force her way into the
presence of the duchess were fruitless. The police also frightened her
as they had terrified De Foulkes, and paid a visit to her residence.
They did not make a thorough search, but gave her to understand that
if any further attempts were made to annoy the duchess they would
institute a strict perquisition--a threat which had so great an effect
upon the ambassadress that she immediately burnt her copy of the
"Memoirs," her credentials, and even the portrait of her illustrious
master and prince, and returned to the power from which she was
accredited, shamefacedly to confess that she had been equally
unfortunate with the gallant Norman colonel.

It was evident that the hard heart of the duchess could not easily be
moved, and it was necessary to have recourse to other tactics. At this
time misery and famine were prevalent in the land, and many persons
were discontented with the rule of Louis XVIII., who was in extremely
ill health. The Abbe Matouillet saw his opportunity, and taking
advantage of the prevalent disaffection, issued a proclamation
intimating that if the people of France would place their ca