In her gallantries she was as unrestrained as in other things.  After having had several favourites, she fixed herself upon La Haye, who from King’s page had become private ecuyer of M. le Duc de Berry.  The oglings in the Salon of Marly were perceived by everybody; nothing restrained them.  At last, it must be said, for this fact encloses all the rest, she wished La Haye to run away with her from Versailles to the Low Countries, whilst M. le Duc de Berry and the King were both living.  La Haye almost died with fright at this proposition, which she herself made to him.  His refusal made her furious.  From the most pressing entreaties she came to all the invectives that rage could suggest, and that torrents of tears allowed her to pronounce.  La Haye had to suffer her attacks—­now tender, now furious; he was in the most mortal embarrassment.  It was a long time before she could be cured of her mad idea, and in the meanwhile she subjected the poor fellow to the most frightful persecution.  Her passion for La Haye continued until the death of M. le Duc de Berry, and some time after.

M. le Duc de Berry was buried at Saint-Denis on Wednesday, the 16th of May; M. le Duc d’Orleans was to have headed the procession, but the same odious reports against him that had circulated at the death of the Dauphin had again appeared, and he begged to be let off.  M. le Duc filled his place.  Madame la Duchesse de Berry, who was in the family way, kept her bed; and in order that she should not be seen there when people came to pay her the usual visits of condolence, the room was kept quite dark.  Many ridiculous scenes and much indecent laughter, that could not be restrained, thus arose.  Persons accustomed to the room could see their way, but those unaccustomed stumbled at every step, and had need of guidance.  For want of this, Pere du Trevoux, and Pere Tellier after him, both addressed their compliments to the wall; others to the foot of the bed.  This became a secret amusement, but happily did not last long.

As may be imagined, the death of M. le Duc de Berry was a deliverance for Madame la Duchesse de Berry.  She was, as I have said, in the family way; she hoped for a boy, and counted upon enjoying as a widow more liberty than she had been able to take as a wife.  She had a miscarriage, however, on Saturday, the 16th of June, and was delivered of a daughter which lived only twelve hours.  The little corpse was buried at Saint-Denis, Madame de Saint-Simon at the head of the procession.  Madame la Duchesse de Berry, shortly before this event, received two hundred thousand livres income of pension; but the establishment she would have had if the child had been a boy was not allowed her.

CHAPTER LXVII.

It is time now that I should say something about an event that caused an immense stir throughout the land, and was much talked of even in foreign parts.  I must first introduce, however, a sort of a personage whose intimacy was forced upon me at this period; for the two incidents are in a certain degree associated together.