the Ducs de Beauvilliers and De la Rocheguyon, who happened to be there.  He looked quite satisfied, was gay, and laughing, and spoke right and left.  I bowed to him.  He did me the honour to embrace me in a way that showed me he knew better what was going on than how to maintain his dignity.  He then talked only to me, and whispered that he knew what I had said.  A troop of courtiers met him.  In their midst he passed the Great Hall of the Guards, and instead of going to Madame de Maintenon’s by the private door, though the nearest way, went to the great public entrance.  There was no one there but the King and Madame de Maintenon, with Pontchartrain; for I do not count the Duchesse de Bourgogne.  Pontchartrain noted well what passed at the interview, and related it all to me that very evening.

As soon as in Madame de Maintenon’s apartment was heard the rumour which usually precedes such an arrival, the King became sufficiently embarrassed to change countenance several times.  The Duchesse de Bourgogne appeared somewhat tremulous, and fluttered about the room to hide her trouble, pretending not to know exactly by which door the Prince would arrive.  Madame de Maintenon was thoughtful.  Suddenly all the doors flew open:  the young Prince advanced towards the King, who, master of himself, more than any one ever was, lost at once all embarrassment, took two or three steps towards his grandson, embraced him with some demonstration of tenderness, spoke of his voyage, and then pointing to the Princess, said, with a smiling countenance:  “Do you say nothing to her?” The Prince turned a moment towards her, and answered respectfully, as if he dared not turn away from the King, and did not move.  He then saluted Madame de Maintenon, who received him well.  Talk of travel, beds, roads, and so forth, lasted, all standing, some half-quarter of an hour; then the King said it would not be fair to deprive him any longer of the pleasure of being alone with Madame la Duchesse de Bourgogne, and that they would have time enough to see each other.  The Prince made a bow to the King, another to Madame de Maintenon, passed before the few ladies of the palace who had taken courage to put their heads into the room, entered the neighbouring cabinet, where he embraced the Duchess, saluted the ladies who were there, that is, kissed them; remained a few moments, and then went into his apartment, where he shut himself up with the Duchesse de Bourgogne.

Their tete-a-tete lasted two hours and more:  just towards the end, Madame d’O was let in; soon after the Marechal d’Estrees entered, and soon after that the Duchesse de Bourgogne came out with them, and returned into the great cabinet of Madame de Maintenon.  Monseigneur came there as usual, on returning from the comedy.  Madame la Duchesse de Bourgogne, troubled that the Duke did not hurry himself to come and salute his father, went to fetch him, and came back saying that he was putting