’The day on which Weissenborn and Bartenstein returned from their expedition, it was announced that her Highness the Princess was much worse; that night the report through the town was that she was at the agony:  and that night the unfortunate creature was endeavouring to make her escape.

’She had unlimited confidence in the French chamber-woman who attended her, and between her and this woman the plan of escape was arranged.  The Princess took her jewels in a casket; a private door, opening from one of her rooms and leading into the outer gate, it was said, of the palace, was discovered for her:  and a letter was brought to her, purporting to be from the Duke, her father-in-law, and stating that a carriage and horses had been provided, and would take her to B——­:  the territory where she might communicate with her family and be safe.

’The unhappy lady, confiding in her guardian, set out on the expedition.  The passages wound through the walls of the modern part of the palace and abutted in effect at the old Owl Tower, as it was called, on the outer wall:  the tower was pulled down afterwards, and for good reason.

’At a certain place the candle, which the chamberwoman was carrying, went out; and the Princess would have screamed with terror, but her hand was seized, and a voice cried “Hush!” The next minute a man in a mask (it was the Duke himself) rushed forward, gagged her with a handkerchief, her hands and legs were bound, and she was carried swooning with terror into a vaulted room, where she was placed by a person there waiting, and tied in an arm-chair.  The same mask who had gagged her, came and bared her neck and said, “It had best be done now she has fainted.”

’Perhaps it would have been as well; for though she recovered from her swoon, and her confessor, who was present, came forward and endeavoured to prepare her for the awful deed which was about to be done upon her, and for the state into which she was about to enter, when she came to herself it was only to scream like a maniac, to curse the Duke as a butcher and tyrant, and to call upon Magny, her dear Magny.

’At this the Duke said, quite calmly, “May God have mercy on her sinful soul!” He, the confessor, and Geldern, who were present, went down on their knees; and, as his Highness dropped his handkerchief, Weissenborn fell down in a fainting fit; while monsieur de Strasbourg, taking the back hair in his hand, separated the shrieking head of Olivia from the miserable sinful body.  May Heaven have mercy upon her soul!’

. . . .

This was the story told by Madame de Liliengarten, and the reader will have no difficulty in drawing from it that part which affected myself and my uncle; who, after six weeks of arrest, were set at liberty, but with orders to quit the duchy immediately:  indeed, with an escort of dragoons to conduct us to the frontier.  What property we had, we were allowed to sell and realise in money; but none of our play debts were paid to us:  and all my hopes of the Countess Ida were thus at an end.