Page:An adventure (1911).pdf/67

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RESULTS OF RESEARCH
57

the "Mariamne" of the Archives, Madame Lavergne's story, and the girl seen by Miss Lamont.

Two more points show the faithfulness of "Marion's" account of that scene. Madame Lavergne (quoting her) says that "pale rays of autumn sunshine lighted up the faded flowers."

It must, therefore, have been fairly fine; and in the wages book it appears that on October 5th, 1789, all the gardeners were at work in the grounds, and it is stated that on wet days they worked under cover, sometimes clearing out the passages of the house.[1] Secondly, she says that the Queen sat at the entrance of her grotto, where fallen leaves choked the course of the "ruisseau." From entries of payment it appears that the streams were cleared of dead leaves on October 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, 1789, but not on the 4th or 5th, or ever again.[2] It is exactly a point which Marion would have noticed.

Madame Lavergne lived at Versailles from 1838 till her marriage in 1844, at which time Marion would have been 69; and as we believe that Alexandre Charpentier was head gardener

  1. Ib. O1, 1879.
  2. Ib. O1, 1879.