Chapter I: Front Matter

PALACES AND PRISONS.

BY

MRS. ANN S. STEPHENS.

AUTHOR OF “MARRIED IN HASTE,” “MABEL’S MISTAKE,” “HEIRESS,” “WIVES AND
WIDOWS,” “DOUBLY FALSE,” “MARY DERWENT,” “THE SOLDIER’S ORPHANS,” “RUBY
GRAY’S STRATEGY,” “REJECTED WIFE,” “GOLD BRICK,” “WIFE’S SECRET,” “THE
CURSE OF GOLD,” “THE OLD HOMESTEAD,” “SILENT STRUGGLES,” “FASHION AND
FAMINE.”

How little art thou known, oh Liberty!
Goddess so blindly worshiped on the earth—
Worshiped, in broad and simple majesty,
Most in the land which gave thee perfect birth;
Ay, birth and baptism, not of tears and blood,
Such as have stained thy hand in other climes:
Not with a mockery of brotherhood,
“Linked with some virtues and a thousand crimes’,”—

But, with a mighty homage of the mind,
We give to thee a lovely woman’s form;
Because, in that should ever be enshrined
All things opposed to treason, war and storm.
Thy face is beautiful; we love thy name;
If others dye those snowy garments red,
And drag thee downward into utter shame,
It is not through the path where we have led.

PHILADELPHIA:
T. B. PETERSON & BROTHERS;
306 CHESTNUT STREET.

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1871, by
T. B. PETERSON & BROTHERS,
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C.

MRS. ANN S. STEPHENS’ WORKS.

Each Work is complete in one volume, 12mo.

_PALACES AND PRISONS._
_MARRIED IN HASTE._
_RUBY GRAY’S STRATEGY._
_THE CURSE OF GOLD._

_WIVES AND WIDOWS; OR, THE BROKEN LIFE._
_THE REJECTED WIFE._
_THE GOLD BRICK._
_THE HEIRESS._

_FASHION AND FAMINE._
_THE OLD HOMESTEAD._
_SILENT STRUGGLES._
_MARY DERWENT._

_THE WIFE’S SECRET._
_THE SOLDIER’S ORPHANS._
_MABEL’S MISTAKE._
_DOUBLY FALSE._

Price of each, $1.75 in Cloth; or $1.50 in Paper Cover.

Above books are for sale by all Booksellers. Copies of any or all of the above books will be sent to any one, to any place, postage pre-paid, on receipt of their price by the Publishers,

T. B. PETERSON & BROTHERS,
306 CHESTNUT STREET, PHILADELPHIA, PA.

CONTENTS.

Chapter Page
I.— THE COUNTESS AND THE DOCTOR 23
II.— THE LADY IN THE PARK 28
III.— THE EGYPTIAN SCARABEE 34
IV.— KING LOUIS THE FIFTEENTH 38
V.— THE DWARF AND THE DAUPHINESS 41
VI.— HOUSEHOLD FAMINE 45
VII.— THE PRISONER OF THE BASTILLE 53
VIII.— AN UNEXPECTED VISITOR 60
IX.— COUNT DE MIRABEAU AND MONSIEUR JACQUES 62
X.— MONSIEUR JACQUES IS INTRUSTED WITH A DELICATE MISSION 67
XI.— THE MARKET WOMAN 71
XII.— EARLY IN THE MORNING 74
XIII.— THEY THREE BREAKFAST TOGETHER 79
XIV.— MARGUERITE FINDS HER PATH OF DUTY AMONG THE FLOWERS 84
XV.— IN THE DUNGEONS OF THE BASTILLE 92
XVI.— THE KING’S work-shop 100
XVII.— THE KING AND THE WORKMAN 105
XVIII.— THE LANDLADY AND THE WHITE HENS 113
XIX.— THE SWISS COTTAGE 118
XX.— ROYAL MILKMAIDS 122
XXI.— DAME TILLERY TEACHES THE COURT AN ACCOMPLISHMENT 128
XXII.— THE QUEEN’S PERIL 132
XXIII.— COUNT MIRABEAU AND HIS FATHER 137
XXIV.— THE OLD NOBLEMAN MAKES CONCESSIONS 142
XXV.— THE LINK WHICH CONNECTED MIRABEAU WITH THE COURT 146
XXVI.— THE LANDLADY OF THE SWAN PLUMES HERSELF 153
XXVII.— DAME TILLERY PIQUED 157
XXVIII.— UNWELCOME GUESTS 162
XXIX.— THE QUEEN AND HER LADIES 166
XXX.— TRUE WOMANLY POWER 171
XXXI.— THE JOY OF A GREAT SURPRISE 175
XXXII.— MONSIEUR JACQUES PLEADS BEFORE ROYALTY 178
XXXIII.— ZAMARA BRINGS BAD NEWS FOR HIS MISTRESS 182
XXXIV.— MADAME’S CRIME COMES HOME TO TORTURE HER 186
XXXV.— DAME TILLERY DINES WITH THE COUNTESS DUBERRY 190
XXXVI.— THE DISGUISED COUNTESS 194
XXXVII.— JOYFUL NEWS 199
XXXVIII.— MIRABEAU AND HIS FOSTER BROTHER IN COUNCIL 203
XXXIX.— A VISITOR AFTER DARK 207
XL.— THE GOVERNOR AND THE PAGE 211
XLI.— THE COUNTESS AND HER VICTIM MEET 216
XLII.— THE PAGE TRANSFORMED 221
XLIII.— THE LAST ROULEAU OF GOLD 225
XLIV.— DAME TILLERY OBTAINS AN AUDIENCE IN THE PARK 230
XLV.— ONE VIRTUE LEFT 237
XLVI.— WAITING FOR THE MORNING 242
XLVII.— DEAD SEA FRUIT 247
XLVIII.— THE BITTERNESS OF DEATH 251
XLIX.— A WOMAN’S NATURE TRANSFORMED 256
L.— THE DAME OF THE DAIRY 261
LI.— EFFORTS AT ATONEMENT 265
LII.— MONSIEUR JACQUES TURNS BLACKSMITH AGAIN 272
LIII.— LIGHT OUT OF DARKNESS 276
LIV.— A DETERMINED BENEFACTOR 281
LV.— GENEROSITY AND DIPLOMACY 285
LVI.— THE ENERGY OF MADNESS 288
LVII.— UNSEXED WOMANHOOD 292
LVIII.— THE FIRST ROLL OF THUNDER 297
LIX.— THE FIRST DRAW-BRIDGE 301
LX.— THE PRISONERS FREE 306
LXI.— THEY THREE MEET AGAIN 309
LXII.— THE PRISONER AT HOME 317
LXIII.— SEARCHING FOR THE SERPENT RING 321
LXIV.— DOWN IN THE LEAFY SHADOWS 326
LXV.— THE PRISONER AND THE KING 331
LXVI.— ON TO VERSAILLES 336
LXVII.— LOUISON BRISOT IN THE RUINS 339
LXVIII.— MARGUERITE COMFORTS HER FATHER 348
LXIX.— QUEENLY STRUGGLES 356
LXX.— ENEMIES RECONCILED 360
LXXI.— MIND SWAYING MIND 365
LXXII.— SPYING AND WATCHING 371
LXXIII.— FATHER AND DAUGHTER 376
LXXIV.— LOVE 381
LXXV.— CRAFT MEETING TREACHERY 388
LXXVI.— CRIMINATION AND INDIFFERENCE 392
LXXVII.— AMONG THE FLOWERS 398
LXXVIII.— THE MARKET WOMAN 402
LXXIX.— THE WOMEN OF FRANCE 406
LXXX.— TAKING AN OBSERVATION 412
LXXXI.— THE MIDNIGHT REVEL 418
LXXXII.— THROWING OFF DISGUISES 423
LXXXIII.— THE DOUBLE SPY 430
LXXXIV.— LOUISON AND MARGUERITE 436
LXXXV.— MIRABEAU BUYS FLOWERS 443
LXXXVI.— ANOTHER CUSTOMER 451
LXXXVII.— THE SEALED LETTER 456
LXXXVIII.— DAME TILLERY PROCLAIMS HER HEIRESS 462
LXXXIX.— MARGUERITE SEEKS THE QUEEN 469
XC.— A BITTER HUMILIATION ACCEPTED 475
XCI.— THE BAFFLED SPY 482
XCII.— THE VIPER TURNS 487
XCIII.— THE QUEEN’S LETTER 492
XCIV.— LOUISON BRISOT VISITS ROBESPIERRE 498
XCV.— THE FRAUD OF FASCINATION 507
XCVI.— ZAMARA IS MASTER OF THE SITUATION 512
XCVII.— BAFFLED AND DEFEATED 518
XCVIII.— A THANKLESS LOVER AND HOSTS OF ENEMIES 525
XCIX.— FETE IN THE CHAMP DE MARS 530
C.— THE QUEEN GIVES UP HER RING 535
CI.— ZAMARA IS TEMPTED TO EARN MORE GOLD 540
CII.— A LOVER’S QUARREL 545
CIII.— PERFECT RECONCILIATION 551
CIV.— A THEFT AND AN INSULT 555
CV.— THE SECRET OF THE RING 561
CVI.— THE OLD MAN FALLS ASLEEP 564
CVII.— THE SCARABEE DOES ITS DEADLY WORK 570
CVIII.— THE STORMING OF THE TUILERIES 576
CIX.— THE PRISONS 580
CX.— BOUGHT BY BLOOD 584
CXI.— THE GODDESS OF REASON 587

PALACES AND PRISONS.