her “ma fille.”  Her relationship with Madame de Montesson, widow of the Duc d’Orleans, gave her a footing in the house of the young prince.  The Comte de Sillery-Genlis fell in love with her, and married her in spite of his family’s opposition.  Friend and confidant of the Duc d’Orleans, the Comte de Sillery obtained for his wife a place at the court of the Duchesse d’Orleans.  Time and her ability did the rest.

The duke attached himself to her with the twofold power of admiration for her beauty and admiration of her superior understanding—­the one empire confirmed the other.  The complaints of the insulted duchess only made the duke more obstinate in his liking.  He was governed, and desirous of having his feelings honoured, he announced it openly, merely seeking to colour it under the pretext of the education of his children.  The Comtesse de Genlis followed at the same time the ambition of courts and the reputation of literature.  She wrote with elegance those light works which amuse a woman’s idle hours, whilst they lead their hearts astray into imaginary amours.  Romances, which are to the west what opium is to the Orientals, waking day-dreams, had become necessities and events for the salons.  Madame de Genlis wrote in a graceful style, and clothed her characters and ideas with a certain affectation of austerity which gave a becomingness to love:  she moreover affected an universal acquaintance with the sciences, which made her sex disappear before the pretensions of her mind, and which recalled in her person those women of Italy who profess philosophy with a veil over their countenances.

The Duc d’Orleans, an innovator in every thing, believed he had found in a woman the Mentor for his sons.  He nominated her governor of his children.  The duchess, greatly annoyed, protested against this; the court laughed, and the people were amazed.  Opinion, which yields to all who brave it, murmured, and then was silent.  The future proved that the father was right:  the pupils of this lady were not princes but men.  She attracted to the Palais Royal all the dictators of public opinion.  The first club in France was thus held in the very apartments of a prince of the blood.  Literature, concealed from without these meetings as the madness of the first Brutus concealed his vengeance.  The duke was not, perhaps, a conspirator, but henceforth there was an Orleans party.  Sieyes, the mystic oracle of the Revolution, who seemed to carry it on his pensive front, and brood over it in silence; the Duc de Lauzun, passing from the confidence of Trianon to the consultations of the Palais Royal; Laclos, a young officer of artillery, author of an obscene romance, capable at need of elevating romantic intrigue to a political conspiracy; Sillery, soured against his order, at enmity with the court, an ambitious malcontent, awaiting nothing but what the future might bring forth; and others more obscure, but not less active, and serving as unknown guides