was insupportable to him.  Monsieur was extremely vain, but not haughty, very sensitive, and a great stickler for what was due to him.  Upon one occasion he complained to the King that M. le Duc had for some time neglected to attend upon him, as he was bound, and had boasted that he would not do it.  The King replied, that it was not a thing to be angry about, that he ought to seek an opportunity to be served by M. le Duc, and if he would not, to affront him.  Accordingly, one morning at Marly, as he was dressing, seeing M. le Duc walking in the garden, Monsieur opened the window and called to him.  Monsieur le Duc came up, and entered the room.  Then, while one remark was leading to another, Monsieur slipped off his dressing-gown, and then his shirt.  A valet de chambre standing by, at once slipped a clean shirt into the hands of M. le Duc, who, caught thus in a trap, was compelled to offer the garment to Monsieur, as it was his duty to do.  As soon as Monsieur had received it, he burst out laughing, and said—­“Good-bye, cousin, go away.  I do not want to delay you longer.”  M. le Duc felt the point of this, and went away very angry, and continued so in consequence of the high tone Monsieur afterwards kept up on the subject.

Monsieur was a little round-bellied man, who wore such high-heeled shoes that he seemed mounted always upon stilts; was always decked out like a woman, covered everywhere with rings, bracelets, jewels; with a long black wig, powdered, and curled in front; with ribbons wherever he could put them; steeped in perfumes, and in fine a model of cleanliness.  He was accused of putting on an imperceptible touch of rouge.  He had a long nose, good eyes and mouth, a full but very long face.  All his portraits resembled him.  I was piqued to see that his features recalled those of Louis XIII., to whom; except in matters of courage, he was so completely dissimilar.

On Saturday, the 11th of June, the Court returned to Versailles.  On arriving there the King went to visit Madame and her son and daughter-in-law separately.  Madame, very much troubled by reflection on her position with regard to the King, had sent the Duchesse de Ventadour to Madame de Maintenon.  The latter replied to the message only in general terms; said she would visit Madame after dinner, and requested that the Duchess might be present at the interview.  It was Sunday, the morning after the return from Marly.  After the first compliments, every one went out except Madame de Ventadour.  Then Madame requested Madame de Maintenon to sit down; and she must have felt her position keenly to bring her to this.