When the supper hour came, we sat down to a banquet,
which was succeeded by a ball; and this rule the Count
observed as long as I stayed at Mons, which was, indeed,
longer than I intended. It had been my intention
to stay at Mons one night only, but the Count’s
obliging lady prevailed on me to pass a whole week
there. I strove to excuse myself from so long
a stay, imagining it might be inconvenient to them;
but whatever I could say availed nothing with the
Count and his lady, and I was under the necessity of
remaining with them eight days. The Countess and
I were on so familiar a footing that she stayed in
my bedchamber till a late hour, and would not have
left me then had she not imposed upon herself a task
very rarely performed by persons of her rank, which,
however, placed the goodness of her disposition in
the most amiable light. In fact, she gave suck
to her infant son; and one day at table, sitting next
me, whose whole attention was absorbed in the promotion
of my brother’s interest,—the table
being the place where, according to the custom of the
country, all are familiar and ceremony is laid aside,—she,
dressed out in the richest manner and blazing with
diamonds, gave the breast to her child without rising
from her seat, the infant being brought to the table
as superbly habited as its nurse, the mother.
She performed this maternal duty with so much good
humour, and with a gracefulness peculiar to herself,
that this charitable office—which would
have appeared disgusting and been considered as an
affront if done by some others of equal rank—gave
pleasure to all who sat at table, and, accordingly,
they signified their approbation by their applause.
The tables being removed, the dances commenced in
the same room wherein we had supped, which was magnificent
and large. The Countess and I sitting side by
side, I expressed the pleasure I received from her
conversation, and that I should place this meeting
amongst the happiest events of my life. “Indeed,”
said I, “I shall have cause to regret that it
ever did take place, as I shall depart hence so unwillingly,
there being so little probability of our meeting again
soon. Why did Heaven deny our being born in the
same country!”
This was said in order to introduce my brother’s
business. She replied: “This country
did, indeed, formerly belong to France, and our lawyers’
now plead their causes in the French language.
The greater part of the people here still retain an
affection for the French nation. For my part,”
added the Countess, “I have had a strong attachment
to your country ever since I have had the honour of
seeing you. This country has been long in the
possession of the House of Austria, but the regard
of the people for that house has been greatly weakened
by the death of Count Egmont, M. de Horne, M. de Montigny,
and others of the same party, some of them our near
relations, and all of the best families of the country.
We entertain the utmost dislike for the Spanish Government,