CHAPTER VI

After our long rest at the camp of Gaw-Boecklheim we again put ourselves in movement, but without doing much against the enemy, and on the 16th of October I received permission to return to Paris.  Upon my arrival there I learnt that many things had occurred since I left.  During that time some adventures had happened to the Princesses, as the three illegitimate daughters of the King were called for distinction sake.  Monsieur wished that the Duchesse de Chartres should always call the others “sister,” but that the others should never address her except as “Madame.”  The Princesse de Conti submitted to this; but the other (Madame la Duchesse, being the produce of the same love) set herself to call the Duchesse de Chartres “mignonne.”  But nothing was less a mignonne than her face and her figure; and Monsieur, feeling the ridicule, complained to the King.  The King prohibited very severely this familiarity.

While at Trianon these Princesses took it into their heads to walk out at night and divert themselves with crackers.  Either from malice or imprudence they let off some one night under the windows of Monsieur, rousing him thereby out of his sleep.  He was so displeased, that he complained to the King, who made him many excuses (scolding the Princesses), but had great trouble to appease him.  His anger lasted a long time, and the Duchesse de Chartres felt it.  I do not know if the other two were very sorry.  Madame la Duchesse was accused of writing some songs upon the Duchesse de Chartres.

The Princesse de Conti had another adventure, which made considerable noise, and which had great results.  She had taken into her favour Clermont, ensign of the gensdarmes and of the Guard.  He had pretended to be enamoured of her, and had not been repelled, for she soon became in love with him.  Clermont had attached himself to the service of M. de Luxembourg, and was the merest creature in his hands.  At the instigation of M. de Luxembourg, he turned away his regards from the Princesse de Conti, and fixed them upon one of her maids of honour—­Mademoiselle Choin, a great, ugly, brown, thick-set girl, upon whom Monseigneur had lately bestowed his affection.  Monseigneur made no secret of this, nor did she.  Such being the case, it occurred to M. de Luxembourg (who knew he was no favourite with the King, and who built all his hopes of the future upon Monseigneur) that Clermont, by marrying La Choin, might thus secure the favour of Monseigneur, whose entire confidence she possessed.  Clermont was easily persuaded that this would be for him a royal road to fortune, and he accordingly entered willingly into the scheme, which had just begun to move, when the campaign commenced, and everybody went away to join the armies.