But he was not yet at the end of his misfortunes.  The Princesse des Ursins had not forgiven him his pleasantry at her expense.  Chalais, one of her most useful agents, was despatched by her on a journey so mysterious that its obscurity has never been illuminated.  He was eighteen days on the road, unknown, concealing his name, and passing within two leagues of Chalais, where his father and mother lived, without giving them any signs of life, although all were on very good terms.  He loitered secretly in Poitou, and at last arrested there a Cordelier monk, of middle age, in the convent of Bressuire, who cried, “Ah!  I am lost!” upon being caught.  Chalais conducted him to the prison of Poitiers, whence he despatched to Madrid an officer of dragoons he had brought with him, and who knew this Cordelier, whose name has never transpired, although it is certain he was really a Cordelier, and that he was returning from as journey in Italy and Germany that had extended as far as Vienna.  Chalais pushed on to Paris, and came to Marly on the 27th of April, a day on which the King had taken medicine.  After dinner he was taken by Torcy to the King, with whom he remained half an hour, delaying thus the Council of State for the same time, and then returned immediately to Paris.  So much trouble had not been taken for no purpose:  and Chalais had not prostituted himself to play the part of prevot to a miserable monk without expecting good winnings from the game.  Immediately afterwards the most dreadful rumours were everywhere in circulation against M. d’Orleans, who, it was said, had poisoned the Dauphin and Dauphine by means of this monk, who, nevertheless, was far enough away from our Prince and Princess at the time of their death.  In an instant Paris resounded with these horrors; the provinces were inundated with them, and immediately afterwards foreign countries—­this too with an incredible rapidity, which plainly showed how well the plot had been prepared—­and a publicity that reached the very caverns of the earth.  Madame des Ursins was not less served in Spain than M. du Maine and Madame de Maintenon in France.  The anger of the public was doubled.  The Cordelier was brought, bound hand and foot, to the Bastille, and delivered up to D’Argenson, Lieutenant of Police.

This D’Argenson rendered an account to the King of many things which Pontchartrain, as Secretary of State, considered to belong to his department.  Pontchartrain was vexed beyond measure at this, and could not see without despair his subaltern become a kind of minister more feared, more valued, more in consideration than he, and conduct himself always in such manner that he gained many powerful friends, and made but few enemies, and those of but little moment.  M. d’Orleans bowed before the storm that he could not avert; it could not increase the general desertion; he had accustomed himself to his solitude, and, as he had never heard this monk spoken of, had not the slightest fear on his account.