Volume II Part 18 (1/2)
”Perhaps her adventures are not known”
”Ah,is known”
I went about alone, sauntering through the apartly ladies who see so badly upon their legs that they appeared as if they would fall forward on their faces Soentleman happened to be nearfro in such haste
”They are co to dine, and the reason why they walk so badly is that their shoes have heels six inches high, which compel them to walk on their toes and with bent knees in order to avoid falling on their faces”
”But why do they not wear lower heels?”
”It is the fashi+on”
”What a stupid fashi+on!”
I took a gallery at rando with one arenson ”Oh, base servility!”
I thought to myself ”How can a man make up his mind thus to bear the yoke, and how can a man believe himself so much above all others as to take such unwarrantable liberties!”
Louis XV had the nificent head it was possible to see, and he carried it with as race as majesty Never did even thejustice to the expression of that beautiful head, when the king turned it on one side to look with kindness at anyone His beauty and grace coht I had found the idealof Sardinia, and I could not entertain a doubt of Mada when she sued for his royal attention I was greatlyat the countenance of Louis XV
I reached a splendid roo about, and a table large enough for twelve persons, but laid out only for one
”For whom is this table?”
”For the queen Herin”
It was the queen of France, without rouge, and very sie cap; she looked old and devout When she was near the table, she graciously thanked two nuns ere placing a plate with fresh butter on it She sat down, and immediately the courtiers formed a semicircle within five yards of the table; I re their respectful silence
Herher eyes on her plate One of the dishes being to her taste, she desired to be helped to it a second time, and she then cast her eyes round the circle of courtiers, probably in order to see if a them there was anyone to whom she owed an account of her daintiness She found that person, I suppose, for she said,
”Monsieur de Lowendal!”
At that na man came forith respectful inclination, and said,
”Your majesty?”
”I believe this is a fricassee of chickens”
”I aiven in the , and the inal place The queen finished her dinner without uttering a single word, and retired to her apartht that if such was the way the queen of France took all her uest
I was delighted to have seen the faretted that such a ive an answer about a fricassee of chickens in the serious tone of a judge pronouncing a sentence of death
I ood use of this anecdote at the excellent dinner Silvia gave to the elite of polite and agreeable society
A few days afterwards, as I was for a line with a crowd of courtiers to enjoy the ever new pleasure of seeing the king go to e of looking at the naked and entirely exposed arhters, I suddenly perceived the Cavamacchia, whom I had left in Cesena under the name of Madame Querini If I was astonished to see her, she was asentilhomme' of the Prince de Conde, escorted her
”Madame Querini in Fontainebleau?”