When we arrived in New York (we went to visit my sister and my mother) we
were overwhelmed with invitations of all kinds.
I made a most (to me) interesting acquaintance at this _soirée_, a Mrs.
Henry Fields, who I found out was the famous and much-talked-about
"Lucie," the governess in the trial of the Duc de Praslin. Every one was
convinced of her innocence (she pleaded her own case, refusing the aid of
a lawyer). Nevertheless, she was the cause of the death of the Duchess, as
the Duke killed his wife because she refused to give "Lucie" a letter of
recommendation, and he became so enraged at her refusal that he first
tried to strangle her, and then shot her. I had heard so much about this
murder (it was along ago), and knew all the details, and, what was more, I
knew all the children of the unhappy woman whose only crime was to love
her husband too much, and to resent "Lucie's" taking away the love of her
children from her! Warning to young women: Don't love your husbands too
much, or don't engage a too attractive governess.