‘A LITTLE while ago,’ writes Mademoiselle Aïssé, the Greek captive who was such a charming figure in Paris during the opening years of Louis XV.’s reign, ’a little while ago a strange thing happened here, which caused a great deal of talk.  It cannot be more than six weeks since Bessé the surgeon received a note, begging him to come without fail that afternoon at six o’clock to the Rue au Fer, near the Luxembourg Palace.  Punctually at the hour named the surgeon arrived on the spot, where he found a man awaiting him.  This man conducted the surgeon to a house a few steps further on, and motioning him to enter through the open door, promptly closed it, and remained himself outside.  Bessé was surprised to find himself alone, and wondered why he had been brought there; but he had not to wait long, for the housekeeper soon appeared, who informed him that he was expected, and that he was to go up to the first story.  The surgeon did as he was told, and opened the door of an anteroom all hung with white.  Here he was met by an elegant lackey, dressed also in white, frizzed and powdered, with his white hair tied in a bag wig, carrying two torches in his hand, who requested the bewildered doctor to wipe his shoes.  Bessé replied that this was quite unnecessary, as he had only just stepped out of his sedan chair and was not in the least muddy, but the lackey rejoined that everything in the house was so extraordinarily clean that it was impossible to be too careful.

’His shoes being wiped, Bessé was next led into another room, hung with white like the first.  A second lackey, in every respect similar to the other, made his appearance; again the doctor was forced to wipe his shoes, and for the third time he was conducted into a room, where carpets, chairs, sofas, and bed were all as white as snow.  A tall figure dressed in a white dressing-gown and nightcap, and having its face covered by a white mask, sat by the fire.  The moment this ghostly object perceived Bessé, he observed, “My body is possessed by the devil,” and then was silent.  For three-quarters of an hour they remained thus, the white figure occupying himself with incessantly putting on and taking off six pairs of white gloves, which were placed on a white table beside him.  The strangeness of the whole affair made Bessé feel very uncomfortable, but when his eyes fell on a variety of firearms in one corner of the room he became so frightened that he was obliged to sit down, lest his legs should give way.

’At last the dead silence grew more than he could bear, and he turned to the white figure and asked what they wanted of him, and begged that his orders might be given him as soon as possible, as his time belonged to the public and he was needed elsewhere.  To this the white figure only answered coldly, “What does that matter, as long as you are well paid?” and again was silent.  Another quarter of an hour passed, and then the white figure suddenly pulled one of the white bell-ropes.  When the summons was answered by the two white lackeys, the figure desired them to bring some bandages, and commanded Bessé to bleed him, and to take from him five pounds of blood.  The surgeon, amazed at the quantity, inquired what doctor had ordered such extensive blood-letting.  “I myself,” replied the white figure.  Bessé felt that he was too much upset by all he had gone through to trust himself to bleed in the arm without great risk of injury, so he decided to perform the operation on the foot, which is far less dangerous.  Hot water was brought, and the white phantom removed a pair of white thread stockings of wonderful beauty, then another and another, up to six, and took off a slipper of beaver lined with white.  The leg and foot thus left bare were the prettiest in the world; and Bessé began to think that the figure before him must be that of a woman.  At the second basinful the patient showed signs of fainting, and Bessé wished to loosen the mask, in order to give him more air.  This was, however, prevented by the lackeys, who stretched him on the floor, and Bessé bandaged the foot before the patient had recovered from his fainting fit.  Directly he came to himself, the white figure ordered his bed to be warmed, and as soon as it was done he lay down in it.  The servants left the room, and Bessé, after feeling his pulse, walked over to the fireplace to clean his lancet, thinking all the while of his strange adventure.  Suddenly he heard a noise behind him, and, turning his head, he saw reflected in the mirror the white figure coming hopping towards him.  His heart sank with terror, but the figure only took five crowns from the chimneypiece, and handed them to him, asking at the same time if he would be satisfied with that payment.  Trembling all over, Bessé replied that he was.  “Well, then, be off as fast as you can,” was the rejoinder.  Bessé did not need to be told twice, but made the best of his way out.  As before the lackeys were awaiting him with lights, and as they walked he noticed that they looked at each other and smiled.  At length Bessé, provoked at this behaviour, inquired what they were laughing at.  “Ah, Monsieur,” was their answer, “what cause have you to complain?  Has anyone done you any harm, and have you not been well paid for your services?” So saying they conducted him to his chair, and truly thankful he was to be out of the house.  He rapidly made up his mind to keep silence about his adventures, but the following day someone sent to inquire how he was feeling after having bled the Man in White.  Bessé saw that it was useless to make a mystery of the affair, and related exactly what had happened, and it soon came to the ears of the King.  But who was the Man in White?  Echo answers “Who?"’