Transcriber’s Note:
The cover image was created by the transcriber and is placed in the public domain.
It is a great venture to speak openly of apersonal experience, and we only do so forthe following reasons. First, we prefer thatour story, which is known in part to some,should be wholly known as told by ourselves.Secondly, we have collected so much evidenceon the subject, that it is possible now toconsider it as a whole. Thirdly, conditionsare changing at Versailles, and in a shorttime facts which were unknown, and circumstanceswhich were unusual, may soon becomecommonplaces, and will lose their force asevidence that some curious psychological conditionsmust have been present, either inourselves, or in the place.
It is not our business to explain or tounderstand—nor do we pretend to understand—whathappened to put us into communicationwith so many true facts, which, nineviyears ago, no one could have told us of intheir entirety. But, in order that others maybe able to judge fairly of all the circumstances,we have tried to record exactly whathappened as simply and fully as possible.
The ladies whose Adventure is described inthese pages have for various reasons preferrednot to disclose their real names, but thesignatures appended to the Preface are theonly fictitious words in the book. The Publishersguarantee that the Authors have putdown what happened to them as faithfully andaccurately as was in their power.
| CHAPTER | PAGE | |
|---|---|---|
| I. | Three Visits to the Petit Trianon | 1 |
| II. | Results of Research | 41 |
| III. | Answers to Questions | 100 |
| IV. | A Rêverie | 121 |