La Reynie replied that all that was wanted was to confront the young lady with the prisoners at Vincennes. We have already shown that the confrontation took place and that Mademoiselle Desoeillets was recognised. Louvois had perforce to devise another defence, to which the inflexible La Reynie made answer: 'After reflecting on what Mademoiselle Desoeillets said to Monsieur de Louvois at Vincennes, about her having a niece who was very often with the sorceresses, and who might easily have been mistaken for her, I think it doubtful, because she only said so after having been recognised by the prisoners, and because Madame de Villedieu her good friend, who is at Vincennes, and had had warnings, tried to mislead us in the same way; it appears a concerted plan; and when I asked her what Mademoiselle Desoeillets was like, she told me that she was small, short, and well-developed, which is a false description and exactly fits the niece.' When it was pointed out to La Reynie that La Voisin had denied all knowledge of Mademoiselle Desoeillets, he replied: 'The denial of La Voisin, persisted in till her death, must be the more suspicious in that it was so obstinately kept up, because it is now proved that they had dealings together. If Mademoiselle Desoeillets herself denies these dealings, that itself can only increase the suspicion.' Louvois dwelt also on a retractation made by La Filastre after her conversation with her confessor at the moment of going to execution; but the lieutenant of police replied: 'The declaration made by La Filastre exonerating Madame de Montespan applies solely to the poisoning of Mademoiselle de Fontanges. There are two other facts: that of the mass said over her by Guibourg, and further, the agreement between them in regard to the powders prepared by Galet for the king, in which Madame de Montespan was named; and the charges founded on these two facts do not depend wholly on what was said under torture, but were confirmed afresh by the same declaration in which La Filastre retracted the first charge.' La Reynie thus defended himself and justice, and soon, strong in the rights of the law, he went on from defence to attack. He revealed to the minister the relations which several of the Vincennes prisoners who were mixed up in Madame de Montespan's affair had had with persons of the Court. These had given instruction and counsel. La Reynie condemned these manoeuvres before the very minister who, at the instigation of the king, had been their author. 'And several of these prisoners of rank,' he added courageously, 'have found means of having some of the charges brought against them withdrawn.'