Part 32 (1/2)

The Queen wrote quantities of letters to different countries, and especially to Spain, but never, or hardly ever, in her own hand One day, whilst handling all this correspondence for the princess's signature, the private secretary slipped one in, addressed to Casi

In this letter, which froneur Brisacier, the Queen had the extreme kindness to remind the Northern monarch of his old liaison with the respectable ed the prince to solicit fro of France the title and rank of duke for so excellent a subject

King Casimir was not, as one knows, distrust and prudence personified; he walked blindfold into the trap; he wrote with his royal hand to his brother, the King of France, and asked hi, who did not throw duchies at people's heads, read and re-read the strange missive with astonish, and begged hilyphic adventure The good prince, ignorant of ruses, sent the letter of the Queen herself

Had this princess ever given any reason to be talked about, there is no doubt that she would have been lost on this occasion; but there was nothing to excite suspicion The King, no less, approached her with precaution, in order to observe the first results of her answers

”Mada Brisacier, your private secretary?”

”More or less,” replied the Infanta; ”a little light, a little absent; but, on the whole, a good enough youngof Poland, instead of reco of Poland!--I? I have not written to hiratulated him on his succession”

”Then, madame, you have been deceived in this matter, since I have your last letter in my hands Here it is; I return it to you”

The princess read the letter with attention; her astonishnature has been used without authority,” she said ”Brisacier alone can be guilty, being the only one interested”

This new kind of ambitiousordered hihten him for a punishment, and at the end of soo and be made duke somewhere else

This event threw such ridicule upon pretenders to the ducal state, that I no longer dared speak further to the King of the hopes which he had held out to s which supervened left me quite convinced of the small success which would attend my efforts

CHAPTER IX

Compliment from Monsieur to the New Prince de Dombes--Roman History--The Eer of Erudition

Monsieur, having learnt what his cousin of Montpensier had just done for rief and envy at it He had always looked to inherit from her, and the harshest ene was, undoubtedly, Monsieur When M le Duc du Maine received the congratulations of all the Court on the ground of his new dignity of Prince de Dombes, his uncle was the last to appear; even so he could not refrain fro words,--ould believe it?--”If I, too, were to give you ratulation, it would be scarcely sincere; ill be left for my children?”

Madame de Maintenon, who is never at a loss, replied: ”There will be left always, Monseigneur, the reh inheritance”

We co; he repriave you a condition so considerable,” said he, ”that the Queen, our erous in your hands You have no liking for n a passionate affection for their father; the result of your row cool to your line, and that your daughter, however beautiful and amiable she may be, will not marry my Dauphin”

At this threat Monsieur was quite overco; he assured hiive him to understand that Madame de Maintenon had misunderstood him

”It is not from her that your complihtness itself, and whoseat distraction and puerility; the aze was turned to it Then he came to me and said in a whisper: ”I pray you, come and look at the coin of Marcus Aurelius; do you not find that the King rese,” I answered him ”His Majesty is as much like him as you are like ument, wished to know the reason When he understood, he said to Monsieur: ”Madaht; I am not in the least like that Roman prince in face

The one to whom I should wish to be like in merit is Trajan”

”Trajan had fine qualities,” replied Monsieur; ”that does not prevent rounds?” asked his Majesty

”On the grounds that he shared his throne with Verus,” replied Monsieur, unhesitatingly