Thus saying, I was hastening to the adjoining room, where stood my _secretaire_, to take from it a thousand crowns I wished to give for the purpose. The king held me back by my arm, saying to me, “You are the most excellent creature I know of, but you see I am always master. I will undertake to provide for this young man. M. de Sartines,” pursued he, “I wish to secure to him a thousand crowns yearly; and, further, you will supply him with six thousand francs ready money, which M. de la Borde will repay to your order. _Now are you satisfied, Couci?_” said the king, turning to me. My only reply was to throw my arms around his neck without ceremony, spite of the presence of a witness, who might blush at my familiarity. “You are indeed,” said I, “a really good prince; it is only a pity you will not assert your right to rule alone.” “You are a little rebel,” cried he, “to doubt my absolute power.” This tone of playful gaiety was kept up some time after the departure of the lieutenant of police. M. de Sartines returned next day to tell me that everything had been accomplished to my desire. “M. Moireau,” said he, “has left prison, and departs for Spain to-morrow morning: his intention is to join some friends of his at Madrid. He is informed of all he owes you, and entreats your acceptance of his most grateful and respectful acknowledgments. Will you see him?” “That would be useless,” answered I; “say to him only, that I request he will write to me upon his arrival at Madrid, and give me the history of his late adventure in its fullest details.” Moireau did not disappoint me; and so soon as his letter reached me I hastened to copy it, merely suppressing the date of the place from which it was written, and forwarded it immediately to the comtesse d’Egmont, with the following note:-- “The many proofs of tender attachment with which the widow Rossin honored young Moireau make me believe that she will learn with pleasure of my having the good fortune to rescue the ill-fated youth from the cruelty of the comtesse d’Egmont. This interesting young man no longer groans a wretched prisoner in the gloomy abode that haughty lady had selected for him, but is at this minute safe in a neighboring kingdom, under the powerful patronage of king of France, who is in possession of every circumstance relative to the affair. I likewise know the whole of the matter, and have in my keeping the most irrefragable proofs of all that took place and should I henceforward have any reason to complain of the comtesse d’Egmont, I shall publish these documents with permission of those concerned.