an opportunity was diligently sought by my enemies to effect their design of bringing about a misunderstanding betwixt my brother alencon, the king my husband, and me, by creating a jealousy of me in my husband, and in my brother and husband, on account of their mutual love for madame de sauves.
one afternoon, the queen my mother having retired to her closet to finish some despatches which were likely to detain her there for some time, madame de nevers, your kinswoman, madame de rais, another of your relations, bourdeille, and surgeres asked me whether i would not wish to see a little of the city. whereupon mademoiselle de montigny, the niece of madame usez, observing to us that the abbey of st. pierre was a beautiful convent, we all resolved to visit it. she then begged to go with us, as she said she had an aunt in that convent, and as it was not easy to gain admission into it, except in the company of persons of distinction. accordingly, she went with us; and there being six of us, the carriage was crowded. over and above those i have mentioned, there was madame de curton, the lady of my bedchamber, who always attended me. liancourt, first esquire to the king, and camille placed themselves on the steps of torigni’s carriage, supporting themselves as well as they were able, making themselves merry on the occasion, and saying they would go and see the handsome nuns, too. i look upon it as ordered by divine providence that i should have mademoiselle de montigny with me, who was not well acquainted with any lady of the company, and that the two gentlemen just mentioned, who were in the confidence of king henri, should likewise be of the party, as they were able to clear me of the calumny intended to be fixed upon me.
whilst we were viewing the convent, my carriage waited for us in the square. in the square many gentlemen belonging to the court had their lodgings. my carriage was easily to be distinguished, as it was gilt and lined with yellow velvet trimmed with silver. we had not come out of the convent when the king passed through the square on his way to see quelus, who was then sick. he had with him the king my husband, d’o———, and the fat fellow ruff.
the king, observing no one in my carriage, turned to my husband and said: “there is your wife’s coach, and that is the house where bide lodges. bide is sick, and i will engage my word she is gone upon a visit to him. go,” said he to ruff, “and see whether she is not there.” in saying this, the king addressed himself to a proper tool for his malicious purpose, for this fellow ruffs was entirely devoted to le guast. i need not tell you he did not find me there; however, knowing the king’s intention, he, to favour it, said loud enough for the king my husband to hear him: “the birds have been there, but they are now flown.” this furnished sufficient matter for conversation until they reached home.
upon this occasion, the king my husband displayed all the good sense and generosity of temper for which he is remarkable. he saw through the design, and he despised the maliciousness of it. the king my brother was anxious to see the queen my mother before me, to whom he imparted the pretended discovery, and she, whether to please a son on whom she doted, or whether she really gave credit to the story, had related it to some ladies with much seeming anger.
soon afterwards i returned with the ladies who had accompanied me to st. pierre’s, entirely ignorant of what had happened. i found the king my husband in our apartments, who began to laugh on seeing me, and said: “go immediately to the queen your mother, but i promise you you will not return very well pleased.” i asked him the reason, and what had happened. he answered: “i shall tell you nothing; but be assured of this, that i do not give the least credit to the story, which i plainly perceive to be fabricated in order to stir up a difference betwixt us two, and break off the friendly intercourse between your brother and me.”
finding i could get no further information on the subject from him, i went to the apartment of the queen my mother. i met m. de guise in the antechamber, who was not displeased at the prospect of a dissension in our family, hoping that he might make some advantage of it. he addressed me in these words: “i waited here expecting to see you, in order to inform you that some ill office has been done you with the queen.” he then told me the story he had learned of d’o———, who, being intimate with your kinswoman, had informed m. de guise of it, that he might apprise us.
i went into the queen’s bedchamber, but did not find my mother there. however, i saw madame de nemours, the rest of the princesses, and other ladies, who all exclaimed on seeing me: “good god! the queen your mother is in such a rage; we would advise you, for the present, to keep out of her sight.”
“yes,” said i, “so i would, had i been guilty of what the king has reported; but i assure you all i am entirely innocent, and must therefore speak with her and clear myself.”
i then went into her closet, which was separated from the bedchamber by a slight partition only, so that our whole conversation could be distinctly heard. she no sooner set eyes upon me than she flew into a great passion, and said everything that the fury of her resentment suggested. i related to her the whole truth, and begged to refer her to the company which attended me, to the number of ten or twelve persons, desiring her not to rely on the testimony of those more immediately about me, but examine mademoiselle montigny, who did not belong to me, and liancourt and camille, who were the king’s servants.
she would not hear a word i had to offer, but continued to rate me in a furious manner; whether it was through fear, or affection for her son, or whether she believed the story in earnest, i know not. when i observed to her that i understood the king had done me this ill office in her opinion, her anger was redoubled, and she endeavoured to make me believe that she had been informed of the circumstance by one of her own valets de chambre, who had himself seen me at the place. perceiving that i gave no credit to this account of the matter, she became more and more incensed against me.
all that was said was perfectly heard by those in the next room. at length i left her closet, much chagrined; and returning to my own apartments, i found the king my husband there, who said to me:
“well, was it not as i told you?”
he, seeing me under great concern, desired me not to grieve about it, adding that “liancourt and camille would attend the king that night in his bedchamber, and relate the affair as it really was; and to-morrow,” continued he, “the queen your mother will receive you in a very different manner.”
“but, monsieur,” i replied, “i have received too gross an affront in public to forgive those who were the occasion of it; but that is nothing when compared with the malicious intention of causing so heavy a misfortune to befall me as to create a variance betwixt you and me.”
“but,” said he, “god be thanked, they have failed in it.”
“for that,” answered i, “i am the more beholden to god and your amiable disposition. however,” continued i, “we may derive this good from it, that it ought to be a warning to us to put ourselves upon our guard against the king’s stratagems to bring about a disunion betwixt you and my brother, by causing a rupture betwixt you and me.”
whilst i was saying this, my brother entered the apartment, and i made them renew their protestations of friendship. but what oaths or promises can prevail against love! this will appear more fully in the sequel of my story.
an italian banker, who had concerns with my brother, came to him the next morning, and invited him, the king my husband, myself, the princesses, and other ladies, to partake of an entertainment in a garden belonging to him. having made it a constant rule, before and after i married, as long as i remained in the court of the queen my mother, to go to no place without her permission, i waited on her, at her return from mass, and asked leave to be present at this banquet. she refused to give any leave, and said she did not care where i went. i leave you to judge, who know my temper, whether i was not greatly mortified at this rebuff.
whilst we were enjoying this entertainment, the king, having spoken with liancourt, camille, and mademoiselle montigny, was apprised of the mistake which the malice or misapprehension of ruff had led him into. accordingly, he went to the queen my mother and related the whole truth, entreating her to remove any ill impressions that might remain with me, as he perceived that i was not deficient in point of understanding, and feared that i might be induced to engage in some plan of revenge.
when i returned from the banquet before mentioned, i found that what the king my husband had foretold was come to pass; for the queen my mother sent for me into her back closet, which was adjoining the king’s, and told me that she was now acquainted with the truth, and found i had not deceived her with a false story. she had discovered, she said, that there was not the least foundation for the report her valet de chambre had made, and should dismiss him from her service as a bad man. as she perceived by my looks that i saw through this disguise, she said everything she could think of to persuade me to a belief that the king had not mentioned it to her. she continued her arguments, and i still appeared incredulous. at length the king entered the closet, and made many apologies, declaring he had been imposed on, and assuring me of his most cordial friendship and esteem; and thus matters were set to rights again.
