‘It is time to undeceive you. For a captain of dragoons, and aide-de-camp in war and politics, you have had but the semblance of a man. I am only a maiden who would have perfectly well sustained my part until death, had not politics and your enemies rendered me the most unfortunate of women.... You will admit, by the facility with which I separate myself from the world, that I remained in it for your sake only; and since I can no longer work or fight under your orders and under those of the marshal, your brother, I will renounce without any pain this deceitful world, which, however, has never deluded me, except in my youth so sorrowfully spent. I no longer believe it possible to die of grief, since I have the strength to endure so much. I know not how long I shall be able to sustain this cruel shock, as I have been confined to my bed through illness for the last twelvemonth. ‘I am respectfully, Monsieur le Comte, your most humble and most obedient servant (_serviteur_), ‘GENEVIÈVE-LOUISE-AUGUSTE D’EON DE BEAUMONT.’ ‘London, December 5, 1775.’ ‘P.S.—You seemed to be astonished, Monsieur le Comte, at M. de Beaumarchais having meddled in my affairs; but you will cease to be so when you know that this has been the will of the King and of the Count de Vergennes, and that I had been enjoined not to write to anybody upon the arrangement of my affairs until all was settled. Everything soon will be, and very differently to the extraordinary propositions made by the Marquis de Prunevaux.’[311] This was the last letter of any consequence addressed by D’Eon to the Count de Broglio,[312] who gave little encouragement to his correspondent of many years’ standing, if we except one written in 1778, and which will be touched upon in its proper place. [Illustration: _Facsimile of an autograph title-page in the Christie collection of D’Eon M.S.S._] [Sidenote: BEAUMARCHAIS’ ARTIFICE.]