The household of the Dauphiness was composed as follows:  a First Almoner, the Cardinal de La Fare, Archbishop of Sens, with two almoners serving semiannually, and a chaplain; a lady-of-honor, the Duchess of Damas-Cruz; a lady of the bed chamber, the Viscountess d’Agoult; seven lady companions, the Countess of Bearn, the Marchioness of Biron, the Marchioness of Sainte-Maure, the Viscountess of Vaudreuil, the Countess of Goyon, the Marchioness de Rouge, the Countess of Villefranche; two gentlemen-in-waiting, the Marquis of Vibraye and the Duke Mathieu de Montmorency, major-general; a First Equerry, the Viscount d’Agoult, lieutenant-general, and two equerries, the Chevalier de Beaune and M. O’Hegerthy.

We shall devote a special chapter to the household of the Duchess of Berry.

The Count Alexandre de Puymaigre has left in his Souvenirs an account of the manner in which the court employed the two weeks passed at Compiegne in the month of October of each year.  At 8 A.M., the King heard Mass, where attendance was very exact except when the King omitted to come, when no one came.  At nine o’clock they set out for the hunt, almost always with guns.  One hundred to one hundred and fifty hussars or chasseurs of the guard in garrison at Compiegne beat the field, marching in line of battle, with the King in the middle:  he had at his right the Dauphin, at his left a captain of the guards, or such person of the court as he was pleased to designate.  These were the three who alone had the right to fire.

Behind the sovereign, apart from some persons connected with the service of the hunt, came a master of the horse, the first huntsman, and some persons admitted to the hunt.  The King, who used a flintlock gun, was a very good marksman.  About five or six in the evening he returned to the Chateau.  The people of the court were gathered on the steps, awaiting him.  He usually addressed some affable words to them, and then went to dress in order to be in the salon at seven o’clock.

The captain of the guards, the first gentleman, the first huntsman, the ladies and gentlemen in waiting of the princesses, the masters of the horse, the colonel of the guard, dined with the King.  The dinner was choice, without being too sumptuous, but the wines were not of the first order.  The company remained at the table an hour, and each talked freely with his or her neighbor, except those by the side of the Dauphin or a Princess.  There was music during the repast, and the public was admitted to circulate about the table.  The royal family liked the attendance of spectators to be considerable.  Thus care was taken to give out a number of cards, in order that the promenade about the table during the second service should be continuous.  Often the princesses spoke to the women of their acquaintance and gave candy to the children passing behind them.

After the coffee, which was taken at table, Charles X. and his guests traversed the Gallery of Mirrors, leading to the salon between two lines of spectators eager to see the royal family.  The King next played billiards while a game of ecarte was started.  The agents for the preservation of the forests and the pages of the hunt remained by the door, inside, without being permitted to advance into the salon, which was occupied only by persons who had dined with the King.