At the lamentations of the country folk and the horrified passers-by, we stopped.  Madame de Maintenon wished to alight, and when she perceived the unfortunate vine-grower disfigured with his wounds, she clasped her hands and fell to weeping.  The Marquise d’Hudicourt, who was always simplicity itself, followed her friend’s example; there was nothing but groans and sorrowful exclamations.  My coachman blamed the postilions, the postilions the man’s obstinacy.

Madame de Maintenon, speaking as though she were the mistress, bade them be silent, and dared to say to them before all the crowd:  “If you belonged to me, I would soon settle you.”  At these words all the spectators applauded, and cried:  “Vive Madame de Maintenon!”

Irritated at what I had just heard, I put my head out of the door, and, turning to these sentimental women, I said to them:  “Be good enough to get in, mesdames; are you determined to have me stoned?”

They mounted again, after having left my purse with the poor relations of the dead man; and as far as Ruel, which was our destination, I was compelled to listen to their complaints and litanies.

“Admit, madame,” I declared to Madame de Maintenon, “that any person except myself could and would detest you for the harm you have done me.  Your part was to blame the postilions lightly and the rustic very positively.  My equipage did not come unexpectedly, and my two outriders had signalled from their horses.”

“Madame,” she replied, “you have not seen, as I did, those eyes of the unhappy man forced violently from their sockets, his poor crushed head, his palpitating heart, from which the blood soaked the pavement; such a sight has moved and broken my own heart.  I was, as I am still, quite beside myself, and, in such a situation, it is permissible to forget discretion in one’s speech and the proprieties.  I had no intention of giving you pain; I am distressed at having done so.  But as for your coachmen I loathe them, and, since you undertake their defence, I shall not for the future show myself in your equipage.”

[In one of her letters, Madame de Maintenon speaks of this accident, but she does not give quite the same account of it.  It is natural that Madame de Montespan seeks to excuse her people and herself if she can.—­Editor’s Note.]

At Ruel, she dared take the same tone before the Duchesse de Richelieu, who rebuked her for officiousness, and out of spite, or some other reason, Madame de Maintenon refused to dine.  She had two or three swooning fits; her tears started afresh four or five times, and the Marquise d’Hudicourt, who dined only by snatches, went into a corner to sob and weep along with her.