Transcriber’s Notes:- The spelling, hyphenation, accentuation and punctuation is as the original, with the exception of apparent typographical errors which have been corrected. Italic text is denoted _thus_. THE PRESENTATION H. DE VERE STACPOOLE [Illustration: NEVER HAD MADAME DUBARRY LOOKED MORE BEAUTIFUL THAN NOW _See page 96_] [Illustration: decorated title page] _The Presentation by H. de Vere Stacpoole_ FRONTISPIECE IN COLOUR BY EARL STETSON CRAWFORD JOHN LANE COMPANY : : NEW YORK MCMXIV COPYRIGHT, 1914 BY J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY COPYRIGHT, 1914 BY JOHN LANE COMPANY CONTENTS BOOK I CHAPTER PAGE I. THE DUC DE CHOISEUL’S BALL 9 II. THE HOUSE OF THE DUBARRYS 21 III. A COUNCIL OF WAR 37 IV. THE METHODS OF MONSIEUR DE SARTINES 54 V. FERMINARD 60 VI. THE COMTESSE DE BÉARN 75 VII. THE ARTIST 82 VIII. THE PRESENTATION 84 IX. THE REWARD 97 X. THE ORDER OF ARREST 100 XI. FLIGHT 106 XII. A DUEL OF WITS 110 BOOK II I. A LODGING FOR THE NIGHT 115 II. THE GRATITUDE OF THE DUBARRYS 129 III. THE PAIR OF SPECTACLES 137 IV. THE ARREST OF ROCHEFORT 143 V. CAPTAIN ROUX 154 BOOK III I. THE POISONING OF ATALANTA 171 II. MONSIEUR BROMMARD 178 III. CHOISEUL’S LETTER 191 IV. THE DECLARATION OF CAMUS 195 V. THE HOUSE OF COUNT CAMUS 201 VI. THE LABORATORY 210 VII. THE FAWN AND THE SERPENT 218 VIII. THE CATACOMBS OF PARIS 222 BOOK IV I. NEWS FROM VINCENNES 227 II. THE TWO PRISONERS 233 III. THE TWO PRISONERS (_continued_) 242 IV. THE TWO PRISONERS (_continued_) 249 V. M. DE ROCHEFORT REVIEWS HIMSELF 254 VI. THE ESCAPE 259 VII. ROCHEFORT’S PLAN 265 VIII. THE HONOUR OF LAVENNE 275 IX. THE GATHERING STORM 287 X. THE DUC DE CHOISEUL’S RECEPTION 291 XI. ROCHEFORT AND CHOISEUL 301 XII. ENVOI 312 BOOK I THE PRESENTATION CHAPTER I THE DUC DE CHOISEUL’S BALL