about his estates, his ancestors, or his children, some of
whom he named, which enchanted those worthy country
gentlemen, and confirmed them in the idea that he alone is
truly king who knows his subjects, from the same reason that
the sun has no rival, because the sun alone warms and
lightens.
The study of the young king, which had begun a long time
before, without anybody suspecting it, was continued then,
and he looked around him attentively to endeavor to make out
something in the physiognomies which had at first appeared
the most insignificant and trivial.
A collation was served. The king, without daring to call
upon the hospitality of his uncle, had waited for it
impatiently. This time, therefore, he had all the honors
due, if not to his rank, at least to his appetite
As to the cardinal, he contented himself with touching with
his withered lips a bouillon, served in a gold cup. The
all-powerful minister, who had taken her regency from the
queen, and his royalty from the king, had not been able to
take a good stomach from nature.
Anne of Austria, already suffering from the cancer which six
or eight years after caused her death, ate very little more
than the cardinal.
For Monsieur, already puffed up with the great event which
had taken place in his provincial life, he ate nothing
whatever.
Madame alone, like a true Lorrainer, kept pace with his
majesty; so that Louis XIV., who, without this partner,
might have eaten nearly alone, was at first much pleased
with his aunt, and afterwards with M. de Saint-Remy, her
maitre d’hotel, who had really distinguished himself.
The collation over, at a sign of approbation from M. de
Mazarin, the king arose, and, at the invitation of his aunt,
walked about among the ranks of the assembly.
The ladies then observed — there are certain things for
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Dumas, Alexandre – Ten Years Later
which women are as good observers at Blois as at Paris —
the ladies then observed that Louis XIV. had a prompt and
bold look, which premised a distinguished appreciator of
beauty. The men, on their part, observed that the prince was
proud and haughty, that he loved to look down those who
fixed their eyes upon him too long or too earnestly, which
gave presage of a master.
Louis XIV. had accomplished about a third of his review when
his ears were struck with a word which his eminence
pronounced whilst conversing with Monsieur.
This word was the name of a woman.
Scarcely had Louis XIV. heard this word than he heard, or
rather listened to nothing else; and neglecting the arc of
the circle which awaited his visit, his object seemed to be
to come as quickly as possible to the extremity of the
curve.
Monsieur, like a good courtier, was inquiring of monsieur le
cardinal after the health of his nieces; he regretted, he
said, not having the pleasure of receiving them at the same
time with their uncle; they must certainly have grown in
stature, beauty and grace, as they had promised to do the
last time Monsieur had seen them.
What had first struck the king was a certain contrast in the
voices of the two interlocutors. The voice of Monsieur was
calm and natural while he spoke thus; while that of M. de
Mazarin jumped by a note and a half to reply above the
diapason of his usual voice. It might have been said that he
wished that voice to strike, at the end of the salon, any
ear that was too distant.
“Monseigneur,” replied he, “Mesdemoiselles de Mazarin have
still to finish their education: they have duties to
fulfill, and a position to make. An abode in a young and
brilliant court would dissipate them a little.”
Louis, at this last sentence, smiled sadly. The court was
young, it was true, but the avarice of the cardinal had
taken good care that it should not be brilliant.
“You have nevertheless no intention,” replied Monsieur, “to
cloister them or make them bourgeoises?”
“Not at all,” replied the cardinal, forcing his Italian
pronunciation in such a manner that, from soft and velvety