I found her in a state of great importance and delight, exclaiming:  ’My dear Gildippe, I could not do without you!  We shall be in your element.  His Royal Highness and M. le Cardinal de Retz have both been breaking my head with instructions, but I remember none of them!  I trust to my native wit on the occasion.’

We all got into our carriages, a long train of them, at the Luxembourg, with Monsieur looking from the window and waving his farewell to his daughter, and the people called down benedictions on her, though I hardly know what benefit they expected from her enterprise.  We had only two officers, six guards, and six Swiss to escort us; but Mademoiselle was always popular, and we were quite safe.

We slept at Chartres, and there met the Duke of Beaufort, who rode by the carriage-window; and by and by, at Etampes, we found 500 light horse of Monsieur’s regiment, who all saluted.  Mademoiselle was in ecstasies; she insisted on leaving her carriage, and riding at their head, with all the ladies who could sit on horseback; and thus we came to Toury, where were the Duke de Nemours and others of the Prince’s party.

My heart was heavy, I hardly knew why, with fore-bodings about what might be passing at home, or I should have enjoyed the comedy of Mademoiselle’s extreme delight in her own importance, and the councils of war held before her, while the Dukes flattered her to the top of her bent, laughed in their sleeve, and went their own way.  She made us all get up at break of day to throw ourselves into Orleans, and we actually set out, but we had to move at a foot’s pace, because M. de Beaufort had, by accident or design, forgotten to command the escort to be in attendance.

By and by a message was brought by some gentlemen, who told Mademoiselle that the citizens of Orleans had closed their gates and were resolved to admit nobody; that the Keeper of the Seals was on the farther side, demanding entrance for the royal troops; and they were afraid of the disorderly behaviour of any soldiers.  They were in a strait between the King and their Duke’s daughter, and they proposed to her to go to some neighbouring house and pretend illness until the royal forces should have passed by, when they would gladly admit her.

Mademoiselle was not at all charmed by this proposal, and she answered with spirit:  ’I shall go straight to Orleans.  If they shut the gates I shall not be discouraged.  Perseverance will gain the day.  If I enter the town my presence will restore the courage of all who are well affected to His Royal Highness.  When persons of my rank expose themselves, the people are terribly animated, and they will not yield to people of small resolution.’

So into the carriage she got, taking me with her, and laughing at all who showed any alarm.  Message upon message met us, supplicating her not to come on, as she would not be admitted; but her head only went higher and higher, all the more when she heard that the Keeper of the Seals was actually at the gates, demanding entrance in the name of the King.