This gentleman who had the greatest pretence of any of my rivals to the hand of my mistress, rejoiced to hear such a singular piece of news, and quite delighted with the information, he gave the beggar more pence, and bade him come to his house after dinner, for a coat he meant to give him; he also advised him to keep him out of the way for fear of me, who might perhaps revenge the affront he had offered me in the very sight of the church. As for him, he went up again to the widow’s kinsman, and seeing that he was alone, for in the confusion I was in, I had thought proper to leave him, he accosted him, and burning with impatience to speak of me, he could not help giving him the information the beggar had treated him with. The lady’s kinsman, somewhat disconcerted, only answered that he could not believe a word of what the beggar had said, who to all appearance took me for the wrong person. The two gentlemen then separated; the kinsman with some suspicion that I was not what I appeared to be, and my rival triumphing in having made a discovery which was likely to rid him of his most dangerous opponent. It was half past eleven, and consequently there was a great deal of company at the palace, it being the time when His Highness sat down to dinner. My rival soon appeared, and mixing among the company whom he thought most jealous of the favours I enjoyed with their Highnesses, told them as a secret all he knew of me, praying them, however, not to divulge the adventure, under a strict charge of secrecy, on purpose, no doubt, that they should be the more eager to tell it, as in effect it happened; for in less than a quarter of an hour’s time, it came to the duke’s ears. This prince only laughed at it at first, and when he heard it was reported by one of my rivals, he took it for a tale invented by a jealous lover incited to it by despair; yet with his usual prudence, and as the Grand Duchess had behaved so kindly towards me, he was extremely anxious to know the truth of it. He commanded the beggar to be brought secretly before him to court, in order that he might hear him himself. He was obeyed; the poor man came, and the duke from behind the hangings heard the whole history without being seen. When the prince had listened attentively to the noble recital of these rare adventures, he commanded the beggar to be put in prison, where, however, he should be well used; with an order that nobody should see or speak to him till he was entirely satisfied on the subject.