Part 9 (2/2)

Like her late father, Gaston, she plumed herself upon her wit and eloquence; she caused several copies of the effusion to be printed and circulated at Court I will include it in these Me The heroes of Greece, and even of Troy, possibly delivered their coe by the version preserved for us by Homer

FROM HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUC DE SAVOIE TO HIS MOST HONOURED COUSIN, MADEMOISELLE DE VALOIS

MY DEAR COUSIN:--As the pen ue, and as it expresses the feelings of e, since the depth of these feelings it cannot express, nor rightly convince you that, having given all ive or to desire, save to find such affection pleasantly reciprocated Thus, in these lines, I earnestly beseech you to return ive you the first hints of that fire which your hted in my soul They create in me an inconceivable impatience closely to contemplate that which now I admire at a distance, and to convince you by various proofs that, with matchless loyalty and passion,

I am, dear Cousin, Your most huel, Mademoiselle de Valois desired just what everybody else did The youngest of the three princesses was named Mademoiselle d'Alencon With a trifle more wit and dash, she could havea face as hers was fitted to make its mark; but her fine dark eyes did but express indifference and vacuity, seeot in this world when one is young, good-looking, shapely, a princess of the blood, and cousin geruerite de Lorraine, her mother, married her to the Duc de Guise, their near relative, ithout ambition or pretension, seeave, not a dowry, but a ue at that tie was celebrated at the chateau, without any special ceremonies or preparations; so otten, had to be hastily fetched I saas thethe two attendants of the royal sacristy, I whispered to them to fetch anted fro to what use these cushi+ons were to be put, ht the flowered velvet ones, on which hnesses were about to kneel down, and I felt so irresistibly inclined to laugh that I was obliged to retire tobefore everybody

Fortunately the Guises did not get to know of this little detail until long after, or they ined that it was a planned piece of malicious e was treated in a very off-hand way, and it is that which always happens to people whosewhen they get the chance A strange delusion, truly!

Madee, is considered one of the prettiest and raceful of blondes Her endowments were surely all that a princess could need, if one except reserve in speaking, and a general dignity of deport her to Prince de Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, she was all the while sincerely attached to handsome Prince Charles de Lorraine, her , who, in his heart of hearts, wanted to get hold of Lorraine for himself, could not sanction this union; nay, he did ed to do so by her o to Italy, and as we say at Court, expatriate herself

The Bishop of Nziers, nae d'afaires, came, on behalf of the Medici family, toher to her husband with all despatch He had undertaken an all too difficult task

”Monsieur de Bonzy,” said she to the prelate, ”as it is you who here play the part of interpreter and cavalier of honour as it is you,me away from my native country, I have to inform you that it is my intention to leave it as slowly as possible, and to conte it forever”

And, indeed, the Princess desired toin every town en route If, on the way, she noticed a convent of any importance, she at once asked to be taken thither, and, in default of other pastime or pretext, she requested them to say complines with full choral accompaniment

If she saw some castle or other, she inquired the nah she hardly knew the inmates, ont to invite herself to dinner and supper

The Bishop of Beziers grew disconsolate He wrote letters to the Court, which he sent by special courier, and I said to the King, ”Pray, Sire, let her do as she likes; she will surely have tih to look at her husband later on”

Near Saint Fargeau, when the Princess heard that this estate was her sister's, Madeentleive her shelter for twenty-four hours Instead of twenty-four hours' stay, she proceeded to take up her abode there; and, provided with a gun and dogs, she wandered all over the fields, always accompanied by the worthy Bishop, at whose utter exhaustion she was highly ath she left her native land, and joined her husband, who seemed somewhat sulky at all this delay

”I cannot love you just yet,” quoth she, weeping; ”my heart is still another's, and it is impossible to break off such attachentleness, for if you are severe, I shall not do you any har to my mother”

CHAPTER XXV

Random Recollections--Madame de Montespan Withdraws fron in Flanders--The Queen Meets the King--Soer at La Valliere

In co these Meular diary, where events are set down chronologically and in their proper order I write as I recollect; some of my recollections are chronicled sooner, and others later Thus it happens that the King's first conquests are only now h they occurred in the year 1667, at the beginning of my credit and my favour

I was naturally inclined for politics, and should have liked the hazard of the ga considered iddy than I really was, for, despite the strong friendshi+p hich he has honoured h to initiate me into the secrets of the Cabinet and the State

If this sort of exclusion or ostracism served to wound e for lorious or less brilliant (that is to say, in times of failure), they could never cavil at advice or counsel which I had given, nor blaes or creatures