' La Motte fonnd madame in his room, whero sbtf



OF THE FOEEST, 141

had been waiting for some boure to hear the event
of the trial. They now wished more earneeitiy than
ever to see their son ; but he wa?, as they had sus-
pected ignorant of their change of quarters, owin^
to tlie letters which he had, as usual addressed to
them under an assumed name, remaining at the
post-house of Auboine. This circumstance occa-
sioned Madame La Motte to address her letters to
tbe place of her son's late residence, and he had
thus continued ienorant of his father's misfortunes
and removal. — Madame La Motte, surprised at re-
ceiving no answers to her letters, sent off another,
containing an account of the trial as far as it baa
proceeded, and a request that her son would obtain,
leave of absence, and set out for Paris instantly.
As she was still Ignorant of the failure of her letteis
and had it U.en otherwise, would not have known
whither to have sent them, she directed this as
usual.
Meanwhile bis approaching fate was never absent
for a moment from the mind of La Motte. which,
feeble by nature, and still more enervated by habits
of indulgence, refused to support him at this dread-
ful period.
