’As for General de Magny, he quite fell into imbecility a short time after his grandson’s death, and my honoured Duke’s demise.  After his Highness the Prince married the Princess Mary of F——­, as they were walking in the English park together they once met old Magny riding in the sun in the easy chair, in which he was carried commonly abroad after his paralytic fits.  “This is my wife, Magny,” said the Prince affectionately, taking the veteran’s hand; and he added, turning to his Princess, “General de Magny saved my life during the Seven Years’ War.”

’"What, you’ve taken her back again?” said the old man.  “I wish you’d send me back my poor Maxime.”  He had quite forgotten the death of the poor Princess Olivia, and the Prince, looking very dark indeed, passed away.

‘And now,’ said Madame de Liliengarten, ’I have only one more gloomy story to relate to you—­the death of the Princess Olivia.  It is even more horrible than the tale I have just told you.’  With which preface the old lady resumed her narrative.

’The kind weak Princess’s fate was hastened, if not occasioned, by the cowardice of Magny.  He found means to communicate with her from his prison, and her Highness, who was not in open disgrace yet (for the Duke, out of regard to the family, persisted in charging Magny with only robbery), made the most desperate efforts to relieve him, and to bribe the gaolers to effect his escape.  She was so wild that she lost all patience and prudence in the conduct of any schemes she may have had for Magny’s liberation; for her husband was inexorable, and caused the Chevalier’s prison to be too strictly guarded for escape to be possible.  She offered the State jewels in pawn to the Court banker; who of course was obliged to decline the transaction.  She fell down on her knees, it is said, to Geldern, the Police Minister, and offered him Heaven knows what as a bribe.  Finally, she came screaming to my poor dear Duke, who, with his age, diseases, and easy habits, was quite unfit for scenes of so violent a nature; and who, in consequence of the excitement created in his august bosom by her frantic violence and grief, had a fit in which I very nigh lost him.  That his dear life was brought to an untimely end by these transactions I have not the slightest doubt; for the Strasbourg pie, of which they said he died, never, I am sure, could have injured him, but for the injury which his dear gentle heart received from the unusual occurrences in which he was forced to take a share.

’All her Highness’s movements were carefully, though not ostensibly, watched by her husband, Prince Victor; who, waiting upon his august father, sternly signified to him that if his Highness (my Duke) should dare to aid the Princess in her efforts to release Magny, he, Prince Victor, would publicly accuse the Princess and her paramour of high treason, and take measures with the Diet for removing his father from the throne, as incapacitated to reign.  Hence interposition on our part was vain, and Magny was left to his fate.