pay their respects to her Majesty on her arrival.

It was rumoured that one motive for the visit of the King to Verneuil
had been his anxiety to induce the insolent favourite (whom he resolved
to present to the Queen in order that she might be authorized to
maintain her place at Court) to treat her new sovereign with becoming
respect; and with a view to render her presentation as dignified as
possible, he commanded the Duchesse de Nemours[127] to officiate as her
sponsor. The pride of Anne de Savoie revolted, however, against the
function which was assigned to her, and she ventured respectfully to
intimate her reluctance to undertake so onerous an office, alleging as
her reason, that such a measure on her part must inevitably deprive her
of the confidence of her royal mistress. Nevertheless the King insisted
on her obedience;[128] and, accordingly, the mortified Duchess was
compelled to lead the mistress of the monarch into the circle, and to
name her to the agitated and outraged Queen. Marie de Medicis in this
trying emergency was sustained by her Italian blood; and although her
lip quivered, she vouchsafed no other token of displeasure; but after
coldly returning the curtsey of the favourite, who was blazing with
jewels and radiant with triumph, she turned abruptly aside to converse
with one of the Court ladies, leaving the Marquise still standing before
her, as though she had suddenly become unconscious of her existence. Nor
did the Duchesse de Nemours receive a more gracious welcome when, having
ventured to interpose in the conversation, she sought the eye of the
Queen; for that eye was instantly averted, and she became aware that she
had in truth incurred the displeasure which she had so justly
apprehended.

But although the high-born and exemplary Duchess shrank from the anger
of her young sovereign, the _parvenue_ Marquise was far from feeling
equally abashed. With a steady step, and a proud carriage she advanced a
pace nearer to Marie, and in her turn took up the thread of the
discourse; nor did the haughtiness of the Queen's deportment disturb her
serenity for a moment. The great fascination of Madame de Verneuil
existed, as we have already remarked, in her extraordinary wit, and the
vivacity of her conversation; while so ably did she on this occasion
profit by her advantage, that the disgust of Marie was gradually changed
into wonder; and when, at the close of one of her most brilliant
sallies, the insolent