‘Are you prepared,’ inquired D’Eon, deeply impressed by these revelations, ‘to affirm and attach your signature to all you have been saying to me?’ ‘I am prepared to affirm the same, before God and man, to sign with my hand and seal with my blood.’ ‘Very well, M. de Vergy. Do you recollect my last words to you on October 27, 1763. “If you prove to me that you are an honest man, I will be the best of your friends.” You have given me this proof, and henceforth I will keep my word.’ D’Eon took his hand, and the young man’s eyes filled with tears. ‘My friends wish me to return to Paris; I have no means of existence in London, but I will get on as best I can, and remain with you until the time of your trial.’ ‘Be it so. You shall share my bread with me.’ Indeed, D’Eon had nothing but a piece of bread to offer, being himself in sore need; a refugee from the world![203] [Sidenote: CHARGES AGAINST DE VERGY.] Whilst preparing his ‘Lettre aux Français’ for the press, de Vergy enclosed extracts to de Guerchy, and threatened its immediate publication unless his Excellency would consent to buy it off by sending him the sum of eighty guineas and granting him some other favours, and he employed an attorney named Grojan to call at the Embassy, receive the money, and give a receipt for it. Such, at least, was de Guerchy’s statement, eventually unsupported as will appear in the sequel; but this circumstance being brought to the notice of Lord Halifax, the matter was placed in the hands of the Solicitor-General, by whom it was submitted that de Vergy’s attempt to extort money from the French ambassador by threats and vilifying his Excellency and his Court if his demands were not complied with, was highly criminal, and he might be legally prosecuted for the same, either by indictment or by information in the name of his Majesty’s Attorney-General, and if convicted upon the trial would be brought to condign punishment. Lord Halifax immediately instructed the Attorney-General to prosecute M. de Vergy by way of information in his name, and at the expense of the King, giving at the same time notice to this effect to the French ambassador.[204] Actions for libel, however, were of such ordinary occurrence at this period of social disorder, that as many as two hundred informations were filed against printers and others in the course of the year. CHAPTER X.