ic adventure. The good prince,
ignorant of ruses, sent the letter of the Queen herself.

Had this princess ever given any reason to be talked about, there is no
doubt that she would have been lost on this occasion; but there was
nothing to excite suspicion. The King, no less, approached her with
precaution, in order to observe the first results of her answers.

"Madame," he said, "are you still quite satisfied with young Brisacier,
your private secretary?"

"More or less," replied the Infanta; "a little light, a little absent;
but, on the whole, a good enough young man."

"Why have you recommended him to the King of Poland, instead of
recommending him to me directly?"

"To the King of Poland!--I? I have not written to him since I
congratulated him on his succession."

"Then, madame, you have been deceived in this matter, since I have your
last letter in my hands. Here it is; I return it to you."

The princess read the letter with attention; her astonishment was
immense.

"My signature has been used without authority," she said. "Brisacier
alone can be guilty, being the only one interested."

This new kind of ambitious man was summoned; he was easily confounded.
The King ordered him to prison, wishing to frighten him for a punishment,
and at the end of some days he was commanded to quit France and go and be
made duke somewhere else.

This event threw such ridicule upon pretenders to the ducal state, that I
no longer dared speak further to the King of the hopes which he had held
out to me; moreover, the things which supervened left me quite convinced
of the small success which would attend my efforts.

CHAPTER IX.

Compliment from Monsieur to the New Prince de Dombes.--Roman
History.--The Emperors Trajan, Marcus Aurelius, and Verus.--The Danger of
Erudition.

Monsieur, having learnt what his cousin of Montpensier had just done for
my Duc du Maine, felt all possible grief and envy at it. He had always
looked to inherit from her, and the harshest enemy whom M. de Lauzun met
with at his wedding was, undoubtedly, Monsieur. When M. le Duc du Maine
received the congratulations of all the Court on the ground of his new
dignity of Prince de Dombes, his uncle was the last to appear; even so he
could not refrain from making him hear these disobliging words,--who
would believe it?--"If I, too, were to give you my congratulation, it
would be scarcely sincere; what will be left for my children?"

Madame de Ma