[84] The real obstacle was probably an Opera girl named Cartou, of whom Maurice was desperately enamoured. According to Grimm, this young lady followed her lover to the famous Camp of Mühlberg, in Saxony, where she had the honour of supping with two kings, Augustus II. of Poland and Frederick William of Prussia, and two future kings, Augustus III. and Frederick the Great. [85] His name was Bouret, and he was the son of a government official at Metz. He was at this time nineteen years of age, and had come to Paris, some months before, to study painting. [86] The Duchesse and her stepson's wife, the Princesse de Bouillon (Marie Charlotte Sobieska), wife of Charles Godefroi de la Tour d'Auvergne, Prince de Bouillon, whom she married in 1724. Several writers have confounded the two ladies, and Scribe and Legouvé, in their tragedy, _Adrienne Lecouvreur_, make the _princess_, and not the duchess, the rival and murderess of the heroine. [87] _Lettres de Mademoiselle d' Aïssé à Madame Calandrini_ (edit. 1846), p. 230 _et seq._ [88] The points in which Mlle. Aïssé's story and Bouret's evidence differ are as follows:-- (1) Bouret was acquainted with the Duchesse de Bouillon _prior_ to his adventure, having been employed by her to paint her portrait. (2) He had not one, but several interviews with her two emissaries, who, he stated, wore masks. (3) He received the suspicious lozenges after, and not before, warning Adrienne. (4) It was not the Lieutenant of Police, Hérault, but the Chemist Geoffroy, of the Académie des Sciences, who made the experiment on the dog. He reported that some of the lozenges appeared suspicious, but that their number was insufficient to permit of his conducting experiments and forming a definite opinion. This, as M. Larroumet remarks, is the language of a man who is unwilling to compromise himself. [89] Scribe and Legouvé make this incident one of the principal scenes of their tragedy. [90] _Lettres d'Adrienne Lecouvreur_, p. 51. [91] Cited M. Georges Monval, _Lettres d'Adrienne Lecouvreur_, p. 57. [92] Marie-Anne Mancini, Racine's enemy. [93] Marie Magdeleine de la Vieuville, Comtesse de Parabère (1693-1750). On her husband's death, in 1716, she became _maîtresse en tître_ of the Regent d'Orléans, which exalted position she occupied for five years, when the prince, wearying of her caprices, replaced her by Madame Ferrand d'Averne. [94] That of Hortense. According to Titon du Tillet, Adrienne had never been surpassed in this character. [95] This is not the case. [96] _Lettres de Mademoiselle d'Aissé à Madame Calandrini_, p. 234 _et seq._ [97] Voltaire wrote and signed the following note: "She died in my arms of an inflammation of the intestines, and it was I who caused an autopsy to be performed. All that Mlle. Aïssé says on the subject are only popular rumours which have no foundation."--Cited by M. Monval. [98] Sainte-Beuve, _Causeries du Lundi_, i. 174. This letter formed part of the last _dossier_.