explaining her motives for leaving Court; and she remained there several years without visiting Paris.  Louis XV. was speedily attracted by other objects, and regained the composure to which Madame de Perigord had thought it her duty to sacrifice so much.  Some years after, Mesdames’ lady of honour died.  Many great families solicited the place.  The King, without answering any of their applications, wrote to the Comtesse de Perigord:  ’My daughters have just lost their lady of honour; this place, madame, is your due, as much on account of your personal qualities as of the illustrious name of your family.’

“Three young men of the college of St. Germain, who had just completed their course of studies, knowing no person about the Court, and having heard that strangers were always well treated there, resolved to dress themselves completely in the Armenian costume, and, thus clad, to present themselves to see the grand ceremony of the reception of several knights of the Order of the Holy Ghost.  Their stratagem met with all the success with which they had flattered themselves.  While the procession was passing through the long mirror gallery, the Swiss of the apartments placed them in the first row of spectators, recommending every one to pay all possible attention to the strangers.  The latter, however, were imprudent enough to enter the ‘oeil-de-boeuf’ chamber, where, were Messieurs Cardonne and Ruffin, interpreters of Oriental languages, and the first clerk of the consul’s department, whose business it was to attend to everything which related to the natives of the East who were in France.  The three scholars were immediately surrounded and questioned by these gentlemen, at first in modern Greek.  Without being disconcerted, they made signs that they did not understand it.  They were then addressed in Turkish and Arabic; at length one of the interpreters, losing all patience, exclaimed, ’Gentlemen, you certainly must understand some of the languages in which you have been addressed.  What country can you possibly come from then?’—­’From St. Germain-en-Laye, sir,’ replied the boldest among them; ’this is the first time you have put the question to us in French.’  They then confessed the motive of their disguise; the eldest of them was not more than eighteen years of age.  Louis XV. was informed of the affair.  He laughed heartily, ordered them a few hours’ confinement and a good admonition, after which they were to be set at liberty.

“Louis XV. liked to talk about death, though he was extremely apprehensive of it; but his excellent health and his royal dignity probably made him imagine himself invulnerable.  He often said to people who had very bad colds, ‘You’ve a churchyard cough there.’  Hunting one day in the forest of Senard, in a year in which bread was extremely dear, he met a man on horseback carrying a coffin.  ’Whither are you carrying that coffin?’—­’To the village of ------,’ answered the peasant.  ’Is it for a man or a woman?’—­’For a man.’—­’What did he die of?’—­’Of hunger,’ bluntly replied the villager.  The King spurred on his horse, and asked no more questions.