“‘What need is there for a scoundrel like Beaumarchais to justify himself?’ “‘He is a very honest man,’ she said, shedding more tears. “‘You love him,’ cried the duke. ‘You humiliate me. I declare to you that _I will kill him!_’ “The duke sprang up and rushed from the room. We all rose and cried out. I ran to prevent his escape, but he evaded me. I turned back into the room, I cried to the women that I would warn Beaumarchais and prevent the combat. “I was beside myself, I left and ran to his house. I met his carriage in the Rue Dauphine. I threw myself in front of the horses, stopped them, mounted on the steps of his carrosse, and told him that the duc de Chaulnes was hunting for him and wished to kill him. “‘Come home with me, I will tell you the rest.’ “‘I cannot,’ he answered, ‘the hour calls me to the tribunal of the varenne du Louvre, where I must preside, I will come to you as soon as the audience is finished.’ “His carriage started and I went back home. Just as I was mounting the steps of the Pont-Neuf I felt myself violently pulled by the skirts of my coat, I fell backward and found myself in the arms of the duc de Chaulnes who, using his gigantic strength, picked me up like a bird, threw me into a fiàcre, cried to the coachman, ‘Rue de Condé,’ and said to me with horrible oaths that I should find for him the man he sought to kill. “‘By what right,’ I said, ‘Monsieur le duc, you who are always crying for liberty, do you take mine from me?’ “‘By the right of the strongest. You will find for me--Beaumarchais or--’ “‘Monsieur le duc, I have no arms, you will perhaps wish also to assassinate me?’ “‘No--I will only kill that Beaumarchais.’ “‘I do not know where he is and if I did, I would not tell you while you are in the fury of your present rage.’ “‘If you resist, I will give you a blow.’ “‘And I will return it.’ “‘What, you would strike a duke!’ With that he threw himself upon me and tried to seize my hair. As I wore a wig it remained in his hand, which made the scene very amusing as I perceived from the laughter of the populace outside the fiàcre, all the doors of which were open. The duke who saw nothing, seized me by the neck and wounded me on my throat, my ear, and my cheek. I stopped his blows as best I could and called the guard with all my might. The duke grew calmer and we arrived at the home of Beaumarchais. “The duke jumped from the carriage and pounded on the door. I sprang from the other side of the carriage and knowing that my friend would not be found, I escaped to my own home by the side streets, there to await the coming of Beaumarchais. “I waited in impatience,--he did not come, I grew uneasy, fear seized me, I gave orders that he should await me, I ran to his home. Here is what happened and which is to be found in his petition to the marshals of France.” “Exact recital of what passed Thursday, the 11th of February, 1773, between M. le duc de Chaulnes and myself, Beaumarchais.