bathe, they used to take young Chatillon with them to guard their clothes, and for this office they gave him a crown for his supper.  Monsieur having taken this poor person into his service, gave him a cordon bleu, and furnished him with money to commence a suit which he subsequently gained against the House of Chatillon, and they were compelled to recognize him.  He then made him a Captain in the Guards; gave him a considerable pension, which my son continued, and permitted him also to have apartments in the Palais Royal.  In these very apartments did this ungrateful man hold those secret meetings, the end of which was proposed to be my son’s ruin.  Rieux’s grandfather had neglected to uphold the honour to which he was entitled, of being called the King’s cousin.  My son restored him to this honour, gave his brother a place in the gendarmerie, and rendered him many other services.  Chatillon tried particularly to excite the nobility against my son; and this is the recompense for all his kindness.  My son’s wife is gay and content, in the hope that all will go well with her brothers.

That old Maintenon has continued pretty tranquil until the termination of the process relating to the legitimation of the bastards.  No one has heard her utter a single expression on the subject.  This makes me believe that she has some project in her head, but I cannot tell what it is.

A monk, who was journeying a few days ago to Luzarche, met upon the road a stranger, who fell into conversation with him.  He was an agreeable companion, and related various adventures very pleasantly.  Having learned from the monk that he was charged with the rents of the convent, to which some estates in the neighbourhood of Luzarche belonged, the stranger told him that he belonged to that place, whither he was returning after a long journey; and then observing to the monk that the road they were pursuing was roundabout, he pointed out to him a nearer one through the forest.  When they had reached the thickest part of the wood, the stranger alighted, and, seizing the bridle of the monk’s horse, demanded his money.  The monk replied that he thought he was travelling with an honest man, and that he was astonished at so singular a demand.  The stranger replied that he had no time for trifling, and that the monk must either give up his money or his life.  The monk replied, “I never carry money about me; but if you will let me alight and go to my servant, who carries my money, I will bring you 1,000 francs.”

The robber suffered the monk to alight, who went to his servant, and, taking from him the 1,000 francs which were in a purse, he at the same time furnished himself with a loaded pistol which he concealed in his sleeve.  When he returned to the thief, he threw down the purse, and, as the robber stooped to pick it up, the monk fired and shot him dead; then, remounting his horse, he hastened to apply to the police, and related his adventure.  A patrole was sent back with him to the wood, and, upon searching the robber, there were found in his pockets six whistles of different sizes; they blew the largest of the number, upon which ten other armed robbers soon afterwards appeared; they defended themselves, but eventually two of them were killed and the others taken.