This 3rd volume of the Marie Antoinette Romances begins a decade after the close of "The Mesmerist’s Victim” and is based on a real scandal in Louis XVI’s court, commonly called “The Diamond Necklace Affair.” In this volume, the plotting of a powerful occultist, Count Cogliostro (or “Balsamo”), collides with the long-festering resentments of a previous royal house, Jeanne de Valois (de la Motte), a growing popular movement for sociopolitical reform, and a shrinking supply of bread. It is easy to see how converging sociopolitical challenges can threaten the monarchy, but how can the court of Louis XVI overcome these challenges amidst a famine? After all, in the words of his economic advisor, Turgot de l'Aulnes, “Ne vous mêlez pas du pain” (One must not meddle with bread)! - Summary by jvanstan
Chapters
1 Prologue, The Predictions 20 min 2 Prologue, M. de la Perouse, Part 1 37 min 3 Prologue, M. de la Perouse, Part 2 29 min 4 Two Unknown Ladies 14 min 5 An Interior 10 min 6 Jeanne de la Motte Valois 21 min 7 Belus 10 min 8 The Road to Versailles 14 min 9 Laurent 21 min 10 The Queen's Bed-Chamber 26 min 11 The Queen's Petite Levee 16 min 12 The Swiss Lake 8 min 13 The Tempter 13 min 14 M. de Suffren 12 min 15 M. de Charny 9 min 16 The 100 Louis of the Queen 5 min 17 M. Fingret 10 min 18 The Cardinal de Rohan 23 min 19 Mesmer and St. Martin 7 min 20 The Bucket 11 min 21 Mademoiselle Olivia 11 min 22 Monsieur Beausire 6 min 23 Gold 9 min 24 La Petite Mason 22 min 25 Some Word's about the Opera 3 min 26 The Ball at the Opera 30 min 27 The Examination 5 min 28 The Academy of Beausire 18 min 29 The Ambassador 9 min 30 Messrs. Boehmer and Bossange 7 min 31 The Ambassador's Hotel 11 min 32 The Bargain 10 min 33 The Journalist's House 14 min 34 How Two Friends Became Enemies 10 min 35 The House in the Rue St. Gilles 17 min 36 The Head of the Taverney Family 9 min 37 The Stanzas of M. de Provence 11 min 38 The Princess de Lamballe 12 min 39 The Queen 18 min 40 An Alibi 13 min 41 M. de Crosne 9 min 42 The Temptress 8 min 43 Two Ambitions that Wish to Pass for Two Loves 5 min 44 Faces under Their Masks 16 min 45 In Which M. Ducorneau Understands Nothing of What is Passing 11 min 46 Illusions and Reality 4 min 47 Olivia Begins to Ask What They Want of Her 6 min 48 The Deserted House 3 min 49 Jeanne the Protectress 8 min 50 Jeanne Protected 9 min 51 The Queen's Portfolio 6 min 52 In Which We Find Dr. Louis 6 min 53 Aegri Somnia 8 min 54 Andree 8 min 55 Delirium 5 min 56 Convalescence 8 min 57 Two Bleeding Hearts 11 min 58 The Minister of Finance 7 min 59 The Cardinal de Rohan 12 min 60 Debtor and Creditor 9 min 61 Family Accounts 7 min 62 Marie Antoinette as Queen and Madame de la Motte as Woman 7 min 63 The Receipt of MM. Boehmer and Bossange, and the Gratitude of the Queen 6 min 64 The Prisoner 10 min 65 The Look Out 4 min 66 The Two Neighbors 7 min 67 The Rendezvous 5 min 68 The Queen's Hand 4 min 69 Woman and Queen 11 min 70 Woman and Demon 10 min 71 The Night 8 min 72 The Conge 8 min 73 The Jealousy of the Cardinal 14 min 74 The Flight 9 min 75 The Letter and the Receipt 7 min 76 Roi ne Puis, Prince ne Daigne, Rohan Je Suis 10 min 77 Love and Diplomacy 9 min 78 Charny, Cardinal and Queen 8 min 79 Explanations 11 min 80 The Arrest 10 min 81 The Process-Verbal 7 min 82 The Last Accusation 8 min 83 The Proposal of Marriage 8 min 84 St. Denis 3 min 85 A Dead Heart 7 min 86 In Which It Is Explained Why the Baron de Taverney Grew Fat 5 min 87 The Father and the Fiancee 8 min 88 After the Dragon, the Viper 7 min 89 How It Came to Pass that M. Beausire Was Tracked by the Agents of M. Crosne 4 min 90 The Turtles Are Caged 24 min 91 The Last Hope Lost 4 min 92 The Baptism of the Little Beausire 2 min 93 The Trial 8 min 94 The Execution 11 min 95 The Marriage 5 min
