Part 4 (2/2)
She and the Marquis de Saint-Reh they were, cahter when proclaimed duchess
And when, a few days afterwards, the King declared the rank of the two children to the whole of assembled Parliament, the two faratulations to the duchess, and received those of all Paris
M Colbert, ed everything to the King, entrusted Madame Colbert with the education of the new prince and princess; they were brought up under the eyes of this statesirl, lovely as love itself, took the naiven the title of Comte de Vermandois
It was just about this ti of the monarch's serious attachood-hu was rehearsing his part as a lover I was at length bound to ad serious, and his Majesty begged er
I have already said that, while beco her rival, I still remained her friend Of this she had countless proofs, and when, at long intervals, I saw her again in her dis as this was, caused her to receive and welcome me as one welcomes those one loves
CHAPTER XIII
First Vocation of Made Surprises His Mistress--She is Forced to Retire to a Convent--The King Hastens to Take Her Back--She Was Not Made for Court Life--Her Farewell to the King--Sacrifice--The Abbe de Bossuet
What I am now about to relate, I have from her own lips, nor am I the only one to whom she made such recitals and avowals
Her father died when she was quite young, and, when dying, foresaw that his , being without fortune or constancy, would ere long ain To little Louise he was devotedly attached Ardently e me, my poor little Louise, you lose all What little there is ofto you; but I know your mother; she will dispose of it If my relatives do not show the interest in you which your fatherless state should inspire, renounce this world soon, where, separated froer and misfortune Two of my ancestors left their property to the nuns of Saint Bernard at Gomer-Fontaines, as they are perfectly well aware Go to them in all confidence; they will receive you without a dowry even; it is their duty to do so If, disregarding o astray in the world, froh I atch over you; I will appear to you, if God empower me to do so; and, at any rate, from time to time I will knock at the door of your heart to rouse you from your baleful sluht that lead to God”
This speech of a dying father was graven upon the heart of a young girl both tiot it; and it needed the fierce, inexplicable passion which took possession of her soul to captivate her and carry her away so far
Before beco, she opened out her heart to me with natural candour; and whenever in the country she observed the turrets or the spire of a hed, and I saw her beautiful blue eyes fill with tears
She was land, and I filled a like office Our two co the most quick-witted, durst not talk about their love-affairs before Louise, so convinced e of her modesty, and alentle, intelligent, and well-bred, the Princess plainly preferred her to the other three In te frequently caht, pleasant conversation of his sister-in-law made amends for the inevitable boredoht in such close contact with the King, who in private life is irresistibly attractive, Mademoiselle de la Valliere conceived a violent passion for hi to modesty or natural tiht to hide her secret One fine night she and two young persons of her own age were seated under a large oak-tree in the grounds of Saint Gerht, said to the King, alking with him, ”Let us turn aside, Sire, in this direction; yonder there are three solitary ny for fairies or lovers” Then they noiselessly approached the tree that I have mentioned, and lost not a word of all the talk in which the fair ladies were engaged
They were discussing the last ball at the chateau One extolled the charms of the Marquis d'Alincour, son of Villeroi; the secondnobleman; while the third frankly expressed herself in these terms:
”The Marquis d'Alincour and the Prince de Marcillac are , no doubt, but, in all conscience, who could be interested in theirappeared in their , ”it's strange to hear you talk like that; so, one has to be a king in order to ,” replied Made part about hinised it even in the simple dress of a herdsman”
The three chatterers then rose and went back to the chateau Next day, the King, wholly occupied hat he had overheard on the previous evening, saton a sofa at his sister-in-lahen all at once the voice of Madeht trouble to his heart He saw her, noticed her ht her lovelier than the loveliest, and at once fell passionately in love
They soon got to understand one another, yet for a long whilethe perfororical ballets and operettas, the airs in which sufficiently expressed the nature of such missives
In order to put the Queen- pretended to be in love with Mademoiselle de la Mothe-Houdancour, one of the Queen's maids of honour He used to talk across to her out of one of the top-story s, and even wished her to accept a present of diae of the s put over the top-story s, and La Mothe-Houdancour was so chagrined by the Queen's icy manner towards her that she withdrew to a convent As to the duchesse de Navailles and her husband, they got rid of their charges and retired to their estates, where great wealth and freedom were their recompense after such po; unlike her niece, she was not blindfold The adventure of Mademoiselle de la Mothe-Houdancour seee; as she sur discovered the nauise to the Theatin Church, flung herself into the confessional where this man officiated, and promised him the sum of thirty thousand francs for their new church if he would help her to save the King
The Theatin promised to do what the Queen thus earnestly desired, and when his fair penitent came to confess, he ordered her at once to break off her connection with the Court as with the world, and to shut herself up in a convent
Madeht to make certain remarks, but the confessor, a man of inflexible character, threatened her with eternal damnation, and he was obeyed