Meanwhile, the reputation Marguerite gained every day in our mutual profession, caused me to accept the suggestion of a soldier to become his boarder for one hundred francs per month. Monsieur de Mez.. (this was the name of my protector) loved me to the point of adoration. I loved him just as much, which is considered an exceptional phenomenon among kept girls, because usually an unconquerable feeling of disgust is the reward for the man who keeps a mistress. However it might have been, I certainly did not swear eternal fidelity and I did not have to keep myself available for him alone. A young wigmaker and a broad-shouldered baker's journeyman took turns acting as a substitute for him. The first one could enter my room any time he pleased under the pretense of having to coif me, and the other gained the same rights by claiming to bring me my bread, without ever causing Monsieur de Mez… to entertain the slightest shadow of a doubt.
Everything seemed to work together to give me the greatest happiness. If fate had supplied me nicely with all the necessities, love gave me more than my salacious desires needed. I had every reason to be very content with my position. And I really was, till a confounded mix-up brought nothing but wild confusion into our little household. The court had been transferred to Fontainebleau and Monsieur de Mez… belonged to the detachment and had to stay in his quarters throughout the duration of the journey. My landlady, who counted upon his absence, asked me to give up my room for a private party and his wife who wanted to stay in Paris for a couple of days. I did not want to embarrass the dear lady and agreed to her request. We decided to sleep in her room as long as the two strangers used my bed. And that same evening those two good people took up lodging in my room in the hope that they could recoup some of their strength which they had lost during the many sleepless nights of their journey.
Monsieur de Mez…, who was obviously driven by a deep desire to spend the night with me, arrived at just about the time when we all had fallen asleep. He had the keys to the house and to the room. He entered very quietly, but his gentle soul was shaken to its very foundation when he heard a sonorous loud snoring. Overcome with fury he tiptoed toward my bed. Fumbling, he felt… two heads! Suddenly the demon of jealousy and the spirit of wrath took possession of his mind and he attacked the sleeping couple with terrible blows from his walking cane. He broke the arm of the poor devil of a husband who tried to protect his better half from this sudden onslaught. One can well imagine that this scene did not exactly unfold in deepest silence. Soon the entire household and neighborhood were awakened by the terrified screams of the unlucky couple. Everyone cried out, “Murder!” “Thieves!” Soon the guards arrived and Monsieur de Mez… who discovered his mistake too late, was arrested and taken to the City Hall. Since the whole uproar had broken out on account of me, I did not deem it advisable to remain and wait what turn the whole affair was going to take. I quickly grabbed my underwear and threw a house dress over my shoulders, and fled under the protection of the general turmoil to the home of the canon of the Saint-Nicolas church.