The young vicar-general was good-looking, and of graceful presence.  He had that distinction of manner which causes the priesthood to be held in honour, and that amenity of address which makes the law to be obeyed.  My sisters began to take a fancy to him, and recommended him to me.  I wrote to Pere de la Chaise myself, and instead of a mere abbey, we asked for a bishopric for him.

It was my intention to organise a brilliant fete for the Fontevrault ladies, and invite all the nobility of the neighbourhood.  We talked of this to the young vicar, who highly approved of my plan, and albeit monsieur his uncle thought such a scheme somewhat contrary to rule and to what he termed the proprieties, we made use of his nephew, the young priest, as a lever; and M. de Poitiers at last consented to everything.

The Fontevrault gardens are one of the most splendid sights in all the country round.  We chose the large alley as our chief entertainment-hall, and the trees were all illuminated as in my park at Clagny, or at Versailles.  There was no dancing, on account of the nuns, but during our repast there was music, and a concert and fireworks afterwards.  The fete ended with a performance of “Genevieve de Brabant,” a grand spectacular pantomime, played to perfection by certain gentry of the neighbourhood; it made a great impression upon all the nuns and novices.

Before going down into the gardens, the Abbess wished to present me formally to all the nuns, as well as to those persons it had pleased her to invite.  Imagine her astonishment!  Three nuns were absent, and despite our entreaties and the commands of their superiors, they persisted in their rebellion and their refusal.  They set up to keep rules before all things, and observe the duties of their religion, lying thus to their Abbess and their conscience.  It was all mere spite.  Of this there can be no doubt, for one of these refractory creatures, as it transpired, was a cousin of the Marquis de Lauzun, my so-called victim; while the other two were near relatives of Mademoiselle de Mauldon, an intimate friend of M. de Meaux.

In spite of these three silly absentees, we enjoyed ourselves greatly, and had much innocent amusement; while they, who could watch us from their windows, were probably mad with rage to think they were not of our number.

My sister complained of them to the Bishop of Poitiers, who severely blamed them for such conduct; and seeing that he could not induce them to offer me an apology, sent them away to three different convents.

CHAPTER LX.

The Page-Dauphin.—­A Billet from the King.—­Madame de Maintenon’s Letter.—­The King as Avenger.—­His Sentence on the Murderers.

The great liberty which we enjoyed at Fontevrault, compared with the interminable bondage of Saint Germain or Versailles, made the abbey ever seem more agreeable to me; and Madame de Thianges asked me in sober earnest “if I no longer loved the King.”