Part 29 (1/2)

I am sensible, my Lord, as I should be, of the honour which you have wished to do e that a otiation His Majesty the King of France did not consult me when he wished to reat a prince expects my intervention today to recompense conduct that I have disapproved, that I disapprove, and shall disapprove to ht or ten children fro a word to me about it; this monarch can surely, therefore,to all laws, huht to punish Mada her, he wishes to make her a duchess!Let hihness, if he likes; he has all the power in his hands I a ambition, mine has been satisfied for forty years; I was born a marquis; a marquis--apart from some unforeseen catastrophe--I will die; and Mada as she does not alter her conduct, has no need to alter her degree

I will, however, waive my severity, if M le Duc du Maine will intervene for his mother, and call me his father, however it may be I am none the less sensible, my lord, of the honour of your acquaintance, and since you form one of the society of Madame la Marquise, endeavour to release yourself from her charms, for she can be an enchantress when she likes It is true that, froland

I am, froed and grateful of your servants,

DE GONDRIN MONTESPAN

The Marquise de Thianges felt a certain irritation at the reading of this letter; she offered all our excuses for it to the English Chancellor, and said towith good faith towards you, when he makes your advanceh he were giving you a duchy in thethat the Marquis refused to assist his generous projects; he answered me:

”Very well, we must look somewhere else”

Happily, this domestic humiliation did not transpire at Bourbonne; for M

de la Bruyere had arrived there with Monsieur le Prince, and that ly have made merry over it at my expense

The best society lavished its attentions on , never left us for a moment

The Prince, after the States were over, had come to relax hi done all in his power formerly to dethrone his master, he is his enthusiastic servitor now that he sees hi He was fascinated with Mademoiselle de Nantes, and asked randson; my reply was, that the alliance was desirable on both sides, but that these arrange

In spite of the insolent diatribe of M de Montespan, the waters proved good and favourable;from one knee to the other, insensibly faded away in both; and, after having given a brilliant fete to the Prince de Mont-Beliard, the English Chancellor, and our uished bathers, I went back to Versailles, where the work see went in advance of us to Corbeil; Madame de Maintenon, her pretty nieces, andreceived me with his ordinary kindness, and yet said no word to me of the harshness which I had suffered from my husband Two or three aveto give up Navarre, in Nornificent estate would be raised to a duchy for me

It has not been yet, at the moment that I write Perhaps it is written above that I shall never be a duchess In such a case, the King would not deserve the inward reproaches that ood-ould be fettered by destiny

It is my kindness which makes me speak so

CHAPTER II

The Venetian Druratitude--His Punisheance--Cohter of Candia, M de Vivonne had the pleasure of saving a young Venetian drummer whost the dead and dying, hom the field was covered far and wide He had his wounds dressed and cared for by the surgeons of the French navy, with the intention of giving hie, so handso Italian was Adriani was his name He presented him to me after the return of the expedition to France, and I was sensible of this amiable attention ofdrummer did not exist

Adrien was ade went out, he attracted alone all the public attention His figure was still not all that itin co him with a perfectthe inal calling I discovered the best 'ton' in him; he would have been far better seated in the interior than outside ave hireeable, and of cherishi+ng a passion for ave hi

Adrien was inconsolable at first at this change, for which he was not prepared, but his vanity soon came uppermost; he understood that it was an advancee, since he had the honour of approaching and serving the King

The little Olivier--the first assistant in the shop of Madame Camille, my dressmaker--saw Adrien, inspired him with love, and herself with h to be interested in this union, and as I had never any fault to find with the intelligent services and attentions of the little ht establish herself well and without any waiting