Though her
friend, the Duchess de Polignac, was governess to her children, and
though she had hoped by this plan to enjoy more freedom with both than
by any other means, all went wrong. The other gentlemen and ladies--the
tutors and under-governesses who were about the children--became jealous
of the duchess, and taught the children to dislike her. The Princess de
Lamballe also had misunderstandings with the duchess; and the queen and
her children's governess began to be equally hated by the people, who
believed that the duchess instigated the queen to all the bad actions of
which she was reported guilty.

The Duke of Normandy was three years old when the serious misfortunes of
his family began. Up to that time he had seen only what was bright and
gay. He himself was a little rosy, plump, merry child, with beautiful
curling hair, and so sweet a temper that everybody loved him. He found
many to love. There was his beautiful, kind mother. She could not do
for him what a mother of a lower rank would have done; she could not
wash and dress him, and keep him on her lap, or play with him half the
day, or walk in the sweet, fresh fields with him--but she often opened
her arms to him, and always smiled upon him, and loved him so much, that
some ill-natured people persuaded his elder brother, the Dauphin, that
the little Duke of Normandy was his mother's favourite, and that she did
not care for her other children.

Then there was the Princess Royal, the eldest of the children. She was
at that time eight years old, and as grave a little girl as was ever
seen at that age. She rarely laughed or played, but she was kind to her
brothers and the people about her.

Next was the Dauphin, a year younger than his sister. He was sinking
under disease; and it made every one's heart ache to see his long sharp
face, and his wasted hands, and his limbs, so shrunk and feeble that he
could not walk. His tutor could not endure the duchess, his governess,
and taught the poor fretful child to be rude to her, and even to his
mother. When the duchess came near to amuse him, he told her to go
away, for he could not bear the perfumes that she was so dreadfully fond
of. This was put into his head, for she used no perfumes. When the
queen carried to her poor boy some lozenges that she knew could not hurt
him, and that he was fond of, the under-tutors, and even a footman of
the Dauphin, started forward, and said she must give him nothing w