Honorade Venelle, the wife of Pierre Mege, who had preserved silence during the proceedings, now appeared on the scene, all her fury being roused by the marriage.  She made a declaration before a notary at Aix, in which she stated that she had unexpectedly heard that Pierre Mege had been recognised as the son of the Sieur de Caille, and had contracted a second marriage; and affirmed upon oath, “for the ease of her conscience and the maintenance of her honour,” that he was her real husband, that he had been married to her in 1685, and that he had cohabited with her till 1699; therefore she demanded that the second marriage should be declared void.  The judges, zealous of their own honour, and provoked that their decision should be called in question, gave immediate orders to cast her into prison, which was accordingly done.

The authorities at Berne meantime, believing that the decision of the Provencal Court, which had paid no attention to the documents which they had forwarded from Lausanne and Vevay, to prove the residence and death of the son of the Sieur de Caille in Switzerland was insulting, addressed a letter to the King, and the whole affair was considered by his Majesty in council at Fontainebleau.  After the commissioners, to whom the matter was referred, had sat nearly forty times, they pronounced judgment.  The decision of the court below was upset; the soldier was deprived of his ill-acquired wealth, was ordered to pay damages, was handed over to the criminal authorities for punishment, while the former holders were restored to possession of the property.

MICHAEL FEYDY—­THE SHAM CLAUDE DE VERRE.

At the beginning of the seventeenth century, a French gentleman, named Guy de Verre, lived with his wife and two sons at Saumur.  Claude, the elder of these children, who had a peculiar scar on his brow (which had been left by a burn), at an early age expressed a strong desire to become a soldier, and his father accordingly procured an ensigncy for him in the regiment of Clanleu.  In 1638 Claude de Verre left the paternal mansion to join his regiment; and from that date till 1651 nothing was heard of him.  In the latter year, however, one of the officers of a regiment which had been ordered to Saumur presented himself at the chateau of Chauvigny, which was occupied by Madame de Verre, now a widow; and no sooner had he appeared than Jacques, the second son, observed his perfect resemblance to his missing brother.  He communicated his suspicions to his mother, who was overwhelmed with delight, and without consulting more than her emotions, addressed the stranger as her son.  At first the officer feebly protested that he did not enjoy that relationship, but, seeing the lady’s anxiety, he at last admitted that he was Claude de Verre, and that he had hesitated to declare himself at first until he had assured himself that his reception would be cordial after his eighteen years of absence.