ordered at the same time to join Tesse at Gibraltar.  He had already done so at the instance of Tesse himself; so the courier went from Madrid to Gibraltar to find him.  His rage and vexation upon seeing himself deprived of the recompense he had considered certain were very great.  But they yielded in time to the hopes he formed of success, and he determined to set off for Madrid and thence to Versailles.  His father-in-law tried to retain him at the siege, but in vain.  His representations and his authority were alike useless.  Maulevrier hoped to gain over the King and Queen of Spain so completely, that our King would be forced, as it were, to range himself on their side; but the Duc de Grammont at once wrote word that Maulevrier had left the siege of Gibraltar and returned to Madrid.  This disobedience was at once chastised.  A courier was immediately despatched to Maulevrier, commanding him to set out for France.  He took leave of the King and Queen of Spain like a man without hope, and left Spain.  The most remarkable thing is, that upon arriving at Paris, and finding the Court at Marly, and his wife there also, he asked permission to go too, the husbands being allowed by right to accompany their wives there, and the King, to avoid a disturbance, did not refuse him.

At first everything seemed to smile upon Maulervrier.  He had, as I have said, made friends with Madame des Ursins when he was on the road to Spain.  He had done so chiefly by vaunting his intimacy with Madame de Bourgogne, and by showing to Madame des Ursins that he was in many of the secrets of the Court.  Accordingly, upon his return, she took him by the hand and showed a disposition towards him which could not fail to reinstate him in favour.  She spoke well of him to Madame de Maintenon, who, always much smitten with new friends, received him well, and often had conversations with him which lasted more than three hours.  Madame de Maintenon mentioned him to the King, and Maulevrier, who had returned out of all hope, now saw himself in a more favourable position than ever.

But the old cause of trouble still existed, and with fresh complications.  Nangis was still in favour, and his appearance made Maulevrier miserable.  There was a new rival too in the field, the Abbe de Polignac.

Pleasing, nay most fascinating in manner, the Abbe was a man to gain all hearts.  He stopped at no flattery to succeed in this.  One day when following the King through the gardens of Marly, it came on to rain.  The King considerately noticed the Abbe’s dress, little calculated to keep off rain.  “It is no matter, Sire,” said De Polignac, “the rain of Marly does not wet.”  People laughed much at this, and these words were a standing reproach to the soft-spoken Abbe.

One of the means by which the Abbe gained the favour of the King was by being the lover of Madame du Maine.  His success at length was great in every direction.  He even envied the situations of Nangis and Maulevrier; and sought to participate in the same happiness.  He took the same road.  Madame d’O and the Marechale de Coeuvres became his friends.