upon　the　Duc　de　Chartres；　and　then　said　that；　as　they　wished　it；　she　had
  nothing　to　say；　made　a　slight　reverence；　and　went　away。　　Her　son
  immediately　followed　her　to　explain　his　conduct；　but　railing　against　him；
  with　tears　in　her　eyes；　she　would　not　listen；　and　drove　him　from　her
  room。　　Her　husband；　who　shortly　afterwards　joined　her；　met　with　almost
  the　same　treatment。
  That　evening　an　〃Apartment〃　was　held　at　the　palace；　as　was　customary
  three　times　a　week　during　the　winter；　the　other　three　evenings　being　set
  apart　for　comedy；　and　the　Sunday　being　free。　　An　Apartment　as　it　was
  called；　was　an　assemblage　of　all　the　Court　in　the　grand　saloon；　from
  seven　o'clock　in　the　evening　until　ten；　when　the　King　sat　down　to　table；
  and；　after　ten；　in　one　of　the　saloons　at　the　end　of　the　grand　gallery
  towards　the　tribune　of　the　chapel。　　In　the　first　place　there　was　some
  music；　then　tables　were　placed　all　about　for　all　kinds　of　gambling；　there
  was　a　'lansquenet'；　at　which　Monsieur　and　Monseigneur　always　played；　also
  a　billiard…table；　in　a　word；　every　one　was　free　to　play　with　every　one；
  and　allowed　to　ask　for　fresh　tables　as　all　the　others　were　occupied。
  Beyond　the　billiards　was　a　refreshment…room。　　All　was　perfectly　lighted。
  At　the　outset；　the　King　went　to　the　〃apartments〃　very　often　and　played；
  but　lately　he　had　ceased　to　do　so。　　He　spent　the　evening　with　Madame　de
  Maintenon；　working　with　different　ministers　one　after　the　other。　　But
  still　he　wished　his　courtiers　to　attend　assiduously。
  This　evening；　directly　after　the　music　had　finished；　the　King　sent　for
  Monseigneur　and　Monsieur；　who　were　already　playing　at　'lansquenet'；
  Madame；　who　scarcely　looked　at　a；　party　of　'hombre'　at　which　she　had
  seated　herself；　the　Duc　de　Chartres；　who；　with　a　rueful　visage；　was
  playing　at　chess；　and　Mademoiselle　de　Blois；　who　had　scarcely　begun　to
  appear　in　society；　but　who　this　evening　was　extraordinarily　decked　out；
  and　who；　as　yet；　knew　nothing　and　suspected　nothing；　and　therefore；　being
  naturally　very　timid；　and　horribly　afraid　of　the　King；　believed　herself
  sent　for　in　order　to　be　reprimanded；　and　trembled　so　that　Madame　de
  Maintenon　took　her　upon　her　knees；　where　she　held　her；　but　was　scarcely
  able　to　reassure　her。　　The　fact　of　these　royal　persons　being　sent　for　by
  the　King　at　once　made　people　think　that　a　marriage　was　in　contemplation。
  In　a　few　minutes　they　returned；　and　then　the　announcement　was　made
  public。　　I　arrived　at　that　moment。　　I　found　everybody　m　clusters；　and
  great　astonishment　expressed　upon　every　face。　　Madame　was　walking　in　the
  gallery　with　Chateauthiersher　favourite；　and　worthy　of　being　so。
  She　took　long　strides；　her　handkerchief　in　her　hand；　weeping　without
  constraint；　speaking　pretty　loudly；　gesticulating；　and　looking　like　Ceres
  after　the　rape　of　her　daughter　Proserpine；　seeking　her　in　fury；　and
  demanding　her　back　from　Jupiter。　　Every　one　respectfully　made　way　to　let
  her　pass。　　Monsieur；　who　had　returned　to　'lansquenet'；　seemed　overwhelmed
  with　shame；　and　his　son　appeared　in　despair；　and　the　bride…elect　was
  marvellously　embarrassed　and　sad。　　Though　very　young；　and　likely　to　be
  dazzled　by　such　a　marriage；　she　understood　what　was　passing；　and　feared
  the　consequences。　　Most　people　appeared　full　of　consternation。
  The　Apartment；　which；　however　heavy　in　appearance；　was　full　of　interest
  to；　me；　seemed　quite　short。　　It　finished　by　the　supper　of　the　King。　　His
  Majesty　appeared　quite　at　ease。　　Madame's　eyes　were　full　of　tears；　which
  fell　from　time　to　time　as　she　looked　into　every　face　around；　as　if　in
  search　of　all　our　thoughts。　　Her　son；　whose　eyes　too　were　red；　she　would
  not　give　a　glance　to；　nor　to　Monsieur：　all　three　ate　scarcely　anything。
  I　remarked　that　the　King　offered　Madame　nearly　all　the　dishes　that　were
  before　him；　and　that　she　refused　with　an　air　of　rudeness　which　did　not；
  however；　check　his　politeness。　　It　was　furthermore　noticeable　that；　after
  leaving　the　table；　he　made　to　Madame　a　very　marked　and　very　low
  reverence；　during　which　she　performed　so　complete　a　pirouette；　that　the
  King　on　raising　his　head　found　nothing　but　her　back　before　him；　removed
  about　a　step　further　towards　the　door。
  On　the　morrow　we　went　as　usual　to　wait　in　the　gallery　for　the　breaking…up
  of　the　council；　and　for　the　King's　Mass。　　Madame　came　there。　　Her　son
  approached　her；　as　he　did　every　day；　to　kiss　her　hand。　　At　that　very
  moment　she　gave　him　a　box　on　the　ear；　so　sonorous　that　it　was　heard
  several　steps　distant。　　Such　treatment　in　presence　of　all　the　Court
  covered　with　confusion　this　unfortunate　prince；　and　overwhelmed　the
  infinite　number　of　spectators；　of　whom　I　was　one；　with　prodigious
  astonishment。
  That　day　the　immense　dowry　was　declared；　and　on　Sunday　there　was　a　grand
  ball；　that　is；　a　ball　opened　by　a　'branle'　which　settled　the　order　of　the
  dancing　throughout　the　evening。　　Monseigneur　the　Duc　de　Bourgogne　danced
  on　this　occasion　for　the　first　time；　and　led　off　the　'branle'　with
  Mademoiselle。　　I　danced　also　for　the　first　time　at　Court。　　My　partner　was
  Mademoiselle　de　Sourches；　daughter　of　the　Grand　Prevot；　she　danced
  excellently。　　I　had　been　that　morning　to　wait　on　Madame；　who　could　not
  refrain　from　saying；　in　a　sharp　and　angry　voice；　that　I　was　doubtless
  very　glad　of　the　promise　of　so　many　ballsthat　this　was　natural　at　my
  age；　but　that；　for　her　part；　she　was　old；　and　wished　they　were　well　over。
  A　few　days　after；　the　contract　of　marriage　was　signed　in　the　closet　of
  the　King；　and　in　the　presence　of　all　the　Court。　　The　same　day　the
  household　of　the　future　Duchesse　de　Chartres　was　declared。　　The　King　gave
  her　a　first　gentleman　usher　and　a　Dame　d'Atours；　until　then　reserved　to
  the　daughters　of　France；　and　a　lady　of　honour；　in　order　to　carry　out
  completely　so　strange　a　novelty。　　I　must　say　something　about　the　persons
  who　composed　this　household。
  M。　de　Villars　was　gentleman　usher；　he　was　grandson　of　a　recorder　of
  Coindrieu；　and　one　of　the　best　made　men　in　France。　　There　was　a　great
  deal　of　fighting　in　his　young　days；　and　he　had　acquired　a　reputation　for
  courage　and　skill。　　To　these　qualities　he　owed　his　fortune。　　M。　de
  Nemours　was　his　first　patron；　and；　in　a　duel　which　he　had　with　M。　de
  Beaufort；　took　Villars　for　second。　　M。　de　Nemours　was　killed；　but　Villars
  was　victorious　against　his　adversary；　anal　passed　into　the　service　of　the
  Prince　de　Conti　as　one　of　his　gentlemen。　　He　succeeded　in　gaining
  confidence　in　his　new　employment；　so　much　so；　that　the　marriage　which
  afterwards　took　place　between　the　Prince　de　Conti　and　the　niece　of
  Cardinal　Mazarin　was　brought　about　in　part　by　his　assistance。　　He　became
  the　confidant　of　the　married　pair；　and　their　bond：　of　union　with　the
  Cardinal。　　His　position　gave　him　an　opportunity　of　mixing　in　society　much
  above　him；　but　on　this　he　never　presumed。　　His　face　was　his；　passport
  with　the　ladies：　he　was　gallant；　even　discreet；　and　this　means　was　not
  unuseful　to　him。　　He　pleased　Madame　Scarron；　who　upon　the　throne　never
  forgot　the　friendships　of　this　kind；　so　freely　intimate；　which　she　had
  formed　as　a　private　person。　　Villars　was　employed　in　diplomacy；　and　from
  honour　to　honour；　at　last　reached　the　order　of　the　Saint　Esprit；　in　1698。
  His　wife　was　full　of　wit；　and　scandalously　inclined。　　Both　were　very
  poorand　always　dangled　about　the　Court；　where　they　had　many　powerful
  friends。
  The　Marechale　de　Rochefort　was　lady　of　honour。　　She　was　of　the　house　of
  Montmorencya　widowhandsomesprightly；　formed　by　nature　to　live　at
  Courtapt　for　gallantry　and　intrigues；　full　of　worldly　cleverness；　from
  living　much　in　the　world；　with　little　cleverness　of　any　other　kind；
  nearly　enough　for　any　post　and　any　business。　　M。　de　Louvois　found　her
  suited　to　his　taste；　and　she　accommodated　herself　very　well　to　his　purse；
  and　to　the　display　she　made　by　this　intimacy。　　She　always　became　the
  friend　of　every　new　mistress　of　the　King；　and　when　he　favoured　Madame　de
  Soubise；　it　was　at　the　Marechale's　house　that　she　waited；　with　closed
  doors；　for　Bontems；　the　King's　valet；　who　led　her　by　private　ways　to　his
  Majesty。　　The　Marechale　herself　has　related　to　me　how　one　day　she　was
  embarrassed　to　get　rid　of　the　people　that　Madame　de　Soubise　（who　had　not
  had　time　to　announce　her　arrival）　found　at　her　house；　and　how　she　most
  died　of　fright　lest　Bontems　should　return　and　the　interview　be　broken　off
  if　he　arrived　before　the　company　had　departed。　　The　Marechale　de
  Rochefort　was　in　this　way　the　friend　of　Mesdames　de　la　Valliere；　de
  Montespan；　and　de　Soubise；　and　she　became　the　friend　of　Madame　de
  Maintenon；　to　whom　she　attached　herself　in　proportion　as　she　saw　her
  favour　increase。　　She　had；　at　the　marriage　of　Monseigneur；　been　made　Dame
  d'Atours　to　the　new　Dauphiness；　and；　if　people　were　astonished　at　that；
  they　were　also　astonished　to　see　her　lady　of　honour　to　an　〃illegitimate
  grand…daughter　of　France。〃
  The　Comtesse　de　Mailly　was　Dame　d'Atours。　　She　was　related　to　Madame　de
  Maintenon；　to　whose　favour　she　owed　her　marriage　with　the　Comte　de
  Mailly。　　She　had　come　to　Paris　with　all　her　provincial　awkwardness；　and；
  from　want　of　wit；　had　never　been　able　to　get　rid　of　it。　　On　the　contrary；
  she　grafted　thereon　an　immense　conceit；　caused　by　the　favour　of　Madame