pon her father's house and her mistress
by thus marrying without her leave or commandment.

Rolandine, who had long known what little love her mistress bore her,
gave her but little in return. Moreover, since there was no love between
them, neither was there fear; and as Rolandine perceived that this
reprimand, given her in presence of several persons, was prompted less
by affection than by a desire to put her to shame, and that the Queen
felt more pleasure in chiding her than grief at finding her in fault,
she replied with a countenance as glad and tranquil as the Queen's was
disturbed and wrathful--

"If, madam, you did not know your own heart, such as it is, I would set
forth to you the ill-will that you have long borne my father (13) and
myself; but you do, indeed, know this, and will not deem it strange that
all the world should have an inkling of it too. For my own part, madam,
I have perceived it to my dear cost, for had you been pleased to favour
me equally as you favour those who are not so near to you as myself, I
were now married to your honour as well as to my own; but you passed
me over as one wholly a stranger to your favour, and so all the good
matches I might have made passed away before my eyes, through my
father's neglect and the slenderness of your regard. By reason of this
treatment I fell into such deep despair, that, had my health been strong
enough in any sort to endure a nun's condition, I would have willingly
entered upon it to escape from the continual griefs your harshness
brought me.

13 Of all those with pretensions to the Duchy of Brittany,
the Viscount de Rohan had doubtless the best claim, though
he met with the least satisfaction. It was, however, this
reason that led the Queen [Anne of Brittany] to treat him
with such little regard. It was with mingled grief and
resentment that this proud princess realised how real were
the Viscount's rights; moreover, she never forgave him for
having taken up arms against her in favour of France; and
seeking an opportunity to avenge herself, she found one in
giving the Viscount but little satisfaction in the matter of
his pretensions."--Dora Morice's _Histoire ecclesiastique et
civile de Bretagne_, Paris, 1756, vol. ii. p. 231.--L.

"Whilst in this despair I was sought by one whose lineage would be as
good as my own if mutual love were rated as high as a marriage ring; for
you know that