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256 A FAMOUS NECKLACE.
opens,
a captain of the guard enters: " In the King's name follow me! " says
the officer, and grand-almoner of France, the cardinal-prince of Rohan
is led off under arrest.
Thus
far the action of every one concerned is comprehensible enough, but
after this it becomes so extraordinary that it is no wonder if the
enemies of the Queen pretended there was a dark mystery behind which
had yet to be revealed. The unrelenting hatred of Marie Antoinette,
which made her demand the cardinal's head in vengeance for his
audacity in aiming at her affections, seems to have blinded her to
every other consideration but that of ruining her enemy. Madame de la
Motte was, it is true, arrested and thrown into the Bastile, but so
bent were the royal party upon destroying the cardinal that they held
out hopes of acquittal to the adventuress herself if she would accuse
the cardinal. Nay, more, they offered to pay for the hateful jewel if
Bohmer would give damaging evidence against the cardinal. Hav-
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