himself；　and　immediately　after　she　found　that　a　door　had　secretly　been
  made　into　the　chamber　of　the　young　ladies；　that　this　door　communicated
  with　a　staircase　by　which　the　King　mounted　into　the　room　at　night；　and
  was　hidden　during　the　day　by　the　back　of　a　bed　placed　against　it。　　Upon
  this　Madame　de　Navailles　held　counsel　with　her　husband。　　On　one　side　was
  virtue　and　honour；　on　the　other；　the　King's　anger；　disgrace；　and　exile。
  The　husband　and　wife　did　not　long　hesitate。　　Madame　de　Navailles　at　once
  took　her　measures；　and　so　well；　that　in　a　few　hours　one　evening　the　door
  was　entirely　closed　up。　　During　the　same　night　the　King；　thinking　to
  enter　as　usual　by　the　little　staircase；　was　much　surprised　to　no　longer
  find　a　door。　　He　groped；　he　searched；　he　could　not　comprehend　the
  disappearance　of　the　door；　or　by　what　means　it　had　become　wall　again。
  Anger　seized　him；　he　doubted　not　that　the　door　had　been　closed　by　Madame
  de　Navailles　and　her　husband。　　He　soon　found　that　such　was　the　case；　and
  on　the　instant　stripped　them　of　almost　all　their　offices；　and　exiled　them
  from　the　Court。　　The　exile　was　not　long；　the　Queen…mother　on　her　death…
  bed　implored　him　to　receive　back　Monsieur　and　Madame　de　Navailles；　and　he
  could　not　refuse。　　They　returned；　and　M。　de　Navailles　nine　years
  afterwards　was　made　Marechal　of　France。　　After　this　Madame　de　Navailles
  rarely　appeared　at　the　Court。　　Madame　de　Maintenon　could　not　refuse　her
  distinctions　and　special　favours；　but　they　were　accorded　rarely　and　by
  moments。　　The　King　always　remembered　his　door；　Madame　de　Maintenon　always
  remembered　the　hay　and　barley　of　Madame　de　Neuillant；　and　neither　years
  nor　devotion　could　deaden　the　bitterness　of　the　recollection。
  From　just　before　Candlemas…day　to　Easter　of　this　year；　nothing　was　heard
  of　but　balls　and　pleasures　of　the　Court。　　The　King　gave　at　Versailles　and
  at　Marly　several　masquerades；　by　which　he　was　much　amused；　under　pretext
  of　amusing　the　Duchesse　de　Bourgogne。　　At　one　of　these　balls　at　Marly　a
  ridiculous　scene　occurred。　　Dancers　were　wanting　and　Madame　de　Luxembourg
  on　account　of　this　obtained　an　invitation；　but　with　great　difficulty；　for
  she　lived　in　such　a　fashion　that　no　woman　would　see　her。　　Monsieur　de
  Luxembourg　was　perhaps　the　only　person　in　France　who　was　ignorant　of
  Madame　de　Luxembourg's　conduct。　　He　lived　with　his　wife　on　apparently
  good　terms　and　as　though　he　had　not　the　slightest　mistrust　of　her。　　On
  this　occasion；　because　of　the　want　of　dancers；　the　King　made　older　people
  dance　than　was　customary；　and　among　others　M。　de　Luxembourg。　　Everybody
  was　compelled　to　be　masked。　　M。　de　Luxembourg　spoke　on　this　subject　to
  M。　le　Prince；　who；　malicious　as　any　monkey；　determined　to　divert　all　the
  Court　and　himself　at　the　Duke's　expense。　　He　invited　M。　de　Luxembourg　to
  supper；　and　after　that　meal　was　over；　masked　him　according　to　his　fancy。
  Soon　after　my　arrival　at　the　ball；　I　saw　a　figure　strangely　clad　in　long
  flowing　muslin；　and　with　a　headdress　on　which　was　fixed　the　horns　of　a
  stag；　so　high　that　they　became　entangled　in　the　chandelier。　　Of　course
  everybody　was　much　astonished　at　so　strange　a　sight；　and　all　thought　that
  that　mask　must　be　very　sure　of　his　wife　to　deck　himself　so。　　Suddenly　the
  mask　turned　round　and　showed　us　M。　de　Luxembourg。　　The　burst　of　laughter
  at　this　was　scandalous。　　Good　M。　de　Luxembourg；　who　never　was　very
  remarkable　for　wit；　benignly　took　all　this　laughter　as　having　been
  excited　simply　by　the　singularity　of　his　costume；　and　to　the　questions
  addressed　him；　replied　quite　simply　that　his　dress　had　been　arranged　by
  M。　le　Prince；　then；　turning　to　the　right　and　to　the　left；　he　admired
  himself　and　strutted　with　pleasure　at　having　been　masked　by　M。　le　Prince。
  In　a　moment　more　the　ladies　arrived；　and　the　King　immediately　after　them。
  The　laughter　commenced　anew　as　loudly　as　ever；　and　M。　de　Luxembourg
  presented　himself　to　the　company　with　a　confidence　that　was　ravishing。
  His　wife　had　heard　nothing　of　this　masquerading；　and　when　she　saw　it；
  lost　countenance；　brazen　as　she　was。　　Everybody　stared　at　her　and　her
  husband；　and　seemed　dying　of　laughter。　　M。　le　Prince　looked　at　the　scene
  from　behind　the　King；　and　inwardly　laughed　at　his　malicious　trick。　　This
  amusement　lasted　throughout　all　the　ball；　and　the　King；　self…contained　as
  he　usually　was；　laughed　also；　people　were　never　tired　of　admiring　an
  invention　so；　cruelly　ridiculous；　and　spoke　of　it　for　several　days。
  No　evening　passed　on　which　there　was　not　a　ball。　　The　chancellor's　wife
  gave　one　which　was　a　fete　the　most　gallant　and　the　most　magnificent
  possible。　　There　were　different　rooms　for　the　fancy…dress　ball；　for　the
  masqueraders；　for　a　superb　collation；　for　shops　of　all　countries；
  Chinese；　Japanese；　&c。；　where　many　singular　and　beautiful　things　were
  sold；　but　no　money　taken；　they　were　presents　for　the　Duchesse　de
  Bourgogne　and　the　ladies。　　Everybody　was　especially　diverted　at　this
  entertainment；　which　did　not　finish　until　eight　o'clock　in　the　morning。
  Madame　de　Saint…Simon　and　I　passed　the　last　three　weeks　of　this　time
  without　ever　seeing　the　day。　　Certain　dancers　were　only　allowed　to　leave
  off　dancing　at　the　same　time　as　the　Duchesse　de　Bourgogne。　　One　morning；
  at　Marty；　wishing　to　escape　too　early；　the　Duchess　caused　me　to　be
  forbidden　to　pass　the　doors　of　the　salon；　several　of　us　had　the　same
  fate。　　I　was　delighted　when　Ash　Wednesday　arrived；　and　I　remained　a　day
  or　two　dead　beat；　and　Madame　de　Saint…Simon　could　not　get　over　Shrove
  Tuesday。
  La　Bourlie；　brother　of　Guiscard；　after　having　quitted　the　service；　had
  retired　to　his　estate　near　Cevennes；　where　he　led　a　life　of　much　licence。
  About　this　time　a　robbery　was　committed　in　his　house；　he　suspected　one　of
  the　servants；　and　on　his　own　authority　put　the　man　to　the　torture。　　This
  circumstance　could　not　remain　so　secret　but　that　complaints　spread
  abroad。　　The　offence　was　a　capital　one。　　La　Bourlie　fled　from　the　realm；
  and　did　many　strange　things　until　his　death；　which　was　still　more
  strange；　but　of　which　it　is　not　yet　time　to　speak。
  Madame　la　Duchesse；　whose　heavy　tradesmen's　debts　the　King　had　paid　not
  long　since；　had　not　dared　to　speak　of　her　gambling　debts；　also　very
  heavy。　　They　increased；　and；　entirely　unable　to　pay　them；　she　found
  herself　in　the　greatest　embarrassment。　　She　feared；　above　all　things；
  lest　M。　le　Prince　or　M。　le　Duc　should　hear　of　this。　　In　this　extremity
  she　addressed　herself　to　Madame　de　Maintenon；　laying　bare　the　state　of
  her　finances；　without　the　slightest　disguise。　　Madame　de　Maintenon　had
  pity　on　her　situation；　and　arranged　that　the　King　should　pay　her　debts；
  abstain　from　scolding　her；　and　keep　her　secret。　　Thus；　in　a　few　weeks；
  Madame　la　Duchesse　found　herself　free　of　debts；　without　anybody　whom　she
  feared　having　known　even　of　their　existence。
  Langlee　was　entrusted　with　the　payment　and　arrangement　of　these　debts。
  He　was　a　singular　kind　of　man　at　the　Court；　and　deserves　a　word。　　Born　of
  obscure　parents；　who　had　enriched　themselves；　he　had　early　been
  introduced　into　the　great　world；　and　had　devoted　himself　to　play；　gaining
  an　immense　fortune；　but　without　being　accused　of　the　least　unfairness。
  With　but　little　or　no　wit；　but　much　knowledge　of　the　world；　he　had
  succeeded　in　securing　many　friends；　and　in　making　his　way　at　the　Court。
  He　joined　in　all　the　King's　parties；　at　the　time　of　his　mistresses。
  Similarity　of　tastes　attached　Langlee　to　Monsieur；　but　he　never　lost
  sight　of　the　King。　　At　all　the　fetes　Langlee　was　present；　he　took　part　in
  the　journeys；　he　was　invited　to　Marly；　was　intimate　with　all　the　King's
  mistresses；　then　with　all　the　daughters　of　the　King；　with　whom　indeed　he
  was　so　familiar　that　he　often　spoke　to　them　with　the　utmost　freedom。　　He
  had　become　such　a　master　of　fashions　and　of　fetes　that　none　of　the　latter
  were　given；　even　by　Princes　of　the　blood；　except　under　his　directions；
  and　no　houses　were　bought；　built；　furnished；　or　ornamented；　without　his
  taste　being　consulted。　　There　were　no　marriages　of　which　the　dresses　and
  the　presents　were　not　chosen；　or　at　least　approved；　by　him。　　He　was　on
  intimate　terms　with　the　most　distinguished　people　of　the　Court；　and　often
  took　improper　advantage　of　his　position。　　To　the　daughters　of　the　King
  and　to　a　number　of　female　friends　he　said　horribly　filthy　things；　and
  that　too　in　their　own　houses；　at　St。　Cloud　or　at　Marly。　　He　was　often
  made　a　confidant　in　matters　of　gallantry；　and　continued　to　be　made　so　all
  his　life。　　For　he　was　a　sure　man；　had　nothing　disagreeable　about　him；　was
  obliging；　always　ready　to　serve　others　with　his　purse　or　his　influence；
  and　was　on　bad　terms　with　no　one。
  While　everybody；　during　all　this　winter；　was　at　balls　and　amusements；
  the　beautiful　Madame　de　Soubisefor　she　was　so　stillemployed　herself
  with　more　serious　matters。　　She　had　just　bought；　very　cheap；　the　immense
  Hotel　de　Guise；　that　the　King　assisted　her　to　pay　for。　　Assisted　also　by
  the　King；　she　took　steps　to　make　her　bastard　son　canon　of　Strasbourg；
  intrigued　so　well　that　his　birth　was　made　to　pass　muster；　although　among
  Germans　there　is　a　great　horror　of　illegitimacy；　and　he　was　received　into
  the　chapter。　　This　point　gained；　she　laid　her　plans　for　carryin