Ash Wednesday put an end to all these sad rejoicings by command, and only the expected rejoicings were spoken of.  M. du Maine wished to marry.  The King tried to turn him from it, and said frankly to him, that it was not for such as he to make a lineage.  But pressed M. by Madame de Maintenon, who had educated Maine; and who felt for him as a nurse the King resolved to marry him to a daughter of the Prince de Conde.  The Prince was greatly pleased at the project.  He had three daughters for M. du Maine to choose from:  all three were extremely little.  An inch of height, that the second had above the others, procured for her the preference, much to the grief of the eldest, who was beautiful and clever, and who dearly wished to escape from the slavery in which her father kept her.  The dignity with which she bore her disappointment was admired by every one, but it cost her an effort that ruined her health.  The marriage once arranged, was celebrated on the 19th of March; much in the same manner as had been that of the Duc de Chartres.  Madame de Saint-Vallery was appointed lady of honour to Madame du Maine, and M. de Montchevreuil gentleman of the chamber.  This last had been one of the friends of Madame de Maintenon when she was Madame Scarron.  Montchevreuil was a very honest man, modest, brave, but thick-headed.  His wife was a tall creature, meagre, and yellow, who laughed sillily, and showed long and ugly teeth; who was extremely devout, of a compassed mien, and who only wanted a broomstick to be a perfect witch.  Without possessing any wit, she had so captivated Madame de Maintenon, that the latter saw only with her eyes.  All the ladies of the Court were under her surveillance:  they depended upon her for their distinctions, and often for their fortunes.  Everybody, from the ministers to the daughters of the King, trembled before her.  The King himself showed her the most marked consideration.  She was of all the Court journeys, and always with Madame de Maintenon.

The marriage of M. du Maine caused a rupture between the Princess de Conde and the Duchess of Hanover her sister, who had strongly desired M. du Maine for one of her daughters, and who pretended that the Prince de Conde had cut the grass from under her feet.  She lived in Paris, making a display quite unsuited to her rank, and had even carried it so far as to go about with two coaches and many liveried servants.  With this state one day she met in the streets the coach of Madame de Bouillon, which the servants of the German woman forced to give way to their mistress’s.  The Bouillons, piqued to excess, resolved to be revenged.  One day, when they knew the Duchess was going to the play, they went there attended by a numerous livery.  Their servants had orders to pick a quarrel with those of the Duchess.  They executed these orders completely; the servants of the Duchess were thoroughly thrashed—­the harness of her horses cut—­her coaches maltreated.  The Duchess made a great fuss, and complained to the King, but he would not mix himself in the matter.  She was so outraged, that she resolved to retire into Germany, and in a very few months did so.