The Romance of the Forest

rag forth the legal monster into light,
Wrench from his hand oppression's iron rod,
And bid the cruel feel the pains they give.

Leave was at length granted for the appearance of Du Bosse, with a
promise that his words should not criminate him, and he accompanied La
Motte into court.

The confusion of the Marquis de Montalt on perceiving this man was
observed by many persons present, and particularly by La Motte, who drew
from this circumstance a favourable presage for himself.

When Du Bosse was called upon, he informed the court, that on the night
of the twenty-first of April, in the preceding year, one Jean D'Aunoy, a
man he had known many years, came to his lodging. After they had
discoursed for some time on their circumstances, D'Aunoy said he knew a
way by which Du Bosse might change all his poverty to riches, but that
he would not say more till he was certain he would be willing to follow
it. The distressed state in which Du Bosse then was, made him anxious to
learn the means which would bring him relief; he eagerly inquired what
his friend meant, and after some time D'Aunoy explained himself. He said
he was employed by a nobleman (who he afterwards told Du Bosse was the
Marquis de Montalt) to carry off a young girl from a convent, and that
she was to be taken to a house a few leagues distant from Paris. I knew
the house he described well, said Du Bosse, for I had been there many
times with D'Aunoy, who lived there to avoid his creditors, though he
often passed his nights at Paris. He would not tell me more of the
scheme, but said he should want assistants, and if I and my brother, who
is since dead, would join him, his employer would grudge no money, and
we should be well rewarded. I desired him again to tell me more of the
plan, but he was obstinate; and after I had told him I would consider of
what he said, and speak to my brother, he went away.

When he called the next night for his answer, my brother and I agreed to
engage, and accordingly we went home with him. He then told us that the
young lady he was to bring thither was a natural daughter of the Marquis
de Montalt and of a nun belonging to a convent of Ursulines; that his
wife had received the child immediately on its birth, and had been
allowed a handsome annuity to bring it up as her own, which she had done
till her death. The child was then placed in a convent and designed for
the veil; but when she was of an age to receive the vows, she had
steadily persisted in refusing them. This circumstance had so much
exasperated the Marquis, that in his rage he ordered that if she
persisted in her obstinacy she should be removed from the convent, and
got rid of any way; since if she lived in the world her birth might be
discovered, and in consequence of this, her mother, for whom he had yet
a regard, would be condemned to expiate her crime by a terrible death.

Du Bosse was interrupted in his narrative by the counsel of the Marquis,
who contended that the circumstances alleged tending to criminate his
client, the proceeding was both irrelevant and illegal. He was answered
that it was not irrelevant, and therefore not illegal; for that the
circumstances which threw light upon the character of the Marquis,
affected his evidence against La Motte. Du Bosse was suffered to
proceed.

D'Aunoy then said that the Marquis had ordered him to dispatch her, but
that, as he had been used to see her from her infancy, he could not find
in his heart to do it, and wrote to tell him so. The Marquis then
commanded him to find those who would, and this was the business for
which he wanted us. My brother and I were not so wicked as this came to,
and so we told D'Aunoy; and I could not help asking why the Marquis
resolved to murder his own child rather than expose her mother to the
risque of suffering death. He said the Marquis had never seen his child
and that, therefore, it could not be supposed he felt much kindness
towards it, and still less that he could love it better than he loved
its mother.

Du Bosse proceeded to relate how much he and his brother had endeavoured
to soften the heart of D'Aunoy towards the Marquis's daughter, and that
they prevailed with him to write again and plead for her. D'Aunoy went
to Paris to await the answer, leaving them and the young girl at the
house on the heath, where the former had consented to remain, seemingly
for the purpose of executing the orders they might receive, but really
with a design to save the unhappy victim from the sacrifice.

It is probable that Du Bosse, in this instance, gave a false account of
his motive; since, if he was really guilty of an intention so atrocious
as that of murder, he would naturally endeavour to conceal it. However
this might be, he affirmed, that on the night of the twenty-sixth of
April, he received an order from D'Aunoy for the destruction of the
girl, whom he had afterwards delivered into the hands of La Motte.

La Motte listened to this relation in astonishment; when he knew that
Adeline was the daughter of the Marquis, and remembered the crime to
which he had once devoted her, his frame thrilled with horror. He now
took up the story, and added an account of what had passed at the abbey
between the Marquis and himself, concerning a design of the former upon
the life of Adeline, and urged, as a proof of the present prosecution
originating in malice, that it had commenced immediately after he had
effected her escape from the Marquis. He concluded, however, with
saying, that as the Marquis had immediately sent his people in pursuit
of her, it was possible she might yet have fallen a victim to his
vengeance.

Here the Marquis's counsel again interfered, and their objections were
again overruled by the court. The uncommon degree of emotion which his
countenance betrayed during the narrations of Du Bosse and De La Motte
was generally observed. The court suspended the sentence of the latter,
ordered that the Marquis should be put under immediate arrest, and that
Adeline (the name given by her fostermother) and Jean D'Aunoy should be
sought for.

The Marquis was accordingly seized at the suit of the crown, and put
under confinement till Adeline should appear, or proof could be obtained
that she died by his order; and till D'Aunoy should confirm or destroy
the evidence of De La Motte.

Madame, who at length obtained intelligence of her son's residence from
the town where he was formerly stationed, had acquainted him with his
father's situation, and the proceedings of the trial; and as she
believed that Adeline, if she had been so fortunate as to escape the
Marquis's pursuit, was still in Savoy, she desired Louis would obtain
leave of absence, and bring her to Paris, where her immediate presence
was requisite to substantiate the evidence, and probably to save the
life of La Motte.

On the receipt of her letter, which happened on the morning appointed
for the execution of Theodore, Louis went immediately to the commanding
officer to petition for a respite till the king's further pleasure
should be known. He founded his plea on the arrest of the Marquis, and
showed the letter he had just received. The commanding officer readily
granted a reprieve; and Louis, who, on the arrival of this letter had
forborne to communicate its contents to Theodore, lest it should torture
him with false hope, now hastened to him with this comfortable news.