In alarm lest the fraud should be detected, they removed the deaf and dumb child, and substituted for him a rickety boy from one of the Parisian hospitals.  To make assurance doubly sure, according to Nauendorff’s version, they poisoned both Desault and Choppart, and the substituted rickety boy was attended by physicians, who, never having seen either the real dauphin, or the deaf and dumb prisoner, naturally believed it was the dauphin they were attending.

After recounting further and equally remarkable adventures, Nauendorff declared that he was conveyed out of France, and was placed under the care of a German lady, with whom he remained until he was about twelve years of age.  He could not recollect either the name or place of residence of this lady, and only remembered that she was kind to him, and that he used to call her “bonne maman!” From her custody he was transferred to that of two gentlemen, who carried him across the sea; but whether they took him to Italy or America he could not tell.  One of these gentlemen taught him watchmaking, a craft which he afterwards used to very good purpose.  He had a distinct recollection of an attempt which was made to poison him, but the draught was taken by somebody else, who died in consequence.  In 1804, while in the neighbourhood of the French frontier, near Strasburg, he was arrested, and was cast into prison, where he remained under the strictest guard and in the greatest misery till the spring of 1809, when he was liberated by a friend named Montmorin, through the aid of the Empress Josephine.  Montmorin and himself then set out for Frankfort-on-the-Maine, and during the journey the former “sewed some papers in the collar of his greatcoat, which would form undeniable proofs of his identity to all the sovereigns of Europe.”  In 1809, according to his own showing, he was at Stralsund fighting under Major de Schill of the Brunswick dragoons, and, when that redoubtable officer was killed, received a blow on the head which fractured his skull and rendered him unconscious for a long time.  In 1810 he was in Italy, where he was recognised by several old officers of Louis XVI., who received him with every mark of loyal respect.  Napoleon, he asserted, was aware of his existence, and threatened him with death if he disturbed the public peace; and when, on the downfall of the usurper, he wrote to the European powers urging his claims, his application was coldly passed over in silence, and Louis XVIII. was raised to the throne in his stead.

The credulous soldier and his equally simple sister believed this wonderful tale, and pressed their royal visitor to continue to receive their humble hospitality.  Between them a letter was addressed to the Duchess of Angouleme, announcing the existence of a brother, who would be found to be the real man, and no counterfeit.  A similar letter was sent to the king, and another to the Duchess de Berri; but all the three missives were careful to state that the Duke of Normandy had