of that cruel ‘bon mot’ in Spain—­ partly the fact that Monseigneur would naturally object to marry his favourite son with the daughter of a man toward whom he always testified hatred in the most indecent manner.  The recent union between Madame de Maintenon, Mademoiselle Choin, and Monseigneur was also a great obstacle.  In fact after what M. le Duc d’Or leans had been accused of in Spain, with his abilities and talents it seemed dangerous to make him the father-in-law of M. le Duc de Berry.

For my part I passionately desired the marriage of Mademoiselle, although I saw that all tended to the marriage of Mademoiselle de Bourbon, daughter of Madame la Duchesse, in her place.  I had many reasons, private and public, for acting against the latter marriage; but it was clear that unless very vigorous steps were taken it would fall like a mill-stone upon my head, crush me, and wound the persons to whom I was attached.  M. le Duc d’Orleans and Madame la Duchesse d’Orleans were immersed in the deepest indolence.  They desired, but did not act.  I went to them and explained the state of the case—­pointed out the danger of Madame la Duchesse—­excited their pride, their jealousy, their spite.  Will it be believed that it was necessary to put all this machinery in motion?  At last, by working on them by the most powerful motives, I made them attend to their own interests.  The natural but extreme laziness of the Duchesse d’Orleans gave way this time, but less to ambition than to the desire of defeating a sister who was so inimical to her.  We next concerted how we should make use of M. d’Orleans himself.

That Prince, with all his wit and his passion for Mademoiselle—­which had never weakened since her birth—­was like a motionless beam, which stirred only in obedience to our redoubled efforts, and who remained so to the conclusion of this great business.  I often reflected on the causes of this incredible conduct, and was led to suppose that the knowledge of the irremediable nature of what had taken place in Spain was the rein that restrained him.  However this may have been, I was throughout obliged to use main force to bring him to activity.  I determined to form and direct a powerful cabal in order to bring my views to pass.  The first person of whom it was necessary to make sure was the Duchesse de Bourgogne.  That Princess had many reasons for the preference of Mademoiselle over Mademoiselle de Bourbon (daughter of Madame la Duchesse).  She knew the King perfectly; and could not be ignorant of the power of novelty over his mind, of which power she had herself made a happy experiment.  What she had to fear was another herself—­I mean a Princess on the same terms with the King as she was, who, being younger than she, would amuse him by new childish playfulness no longer suited to her age, and yet which she (the Duchess) was still obliged to employ.  The very contrast of her own untimely childishness, with a childishness so much more natural,