ll-filled cartridge-boxes of the guests, many of whom kept their
_mots_ ready made up for discharge.

But a change came over the spirit of the paralytic's dream. In the Rue
St. Louis, close to Scarron's, lived a certain Madame Neuillant, who
visited him as a neighbour, and one day excited his curiosity by the
romantic history of a mother and daughter, who had long lived in
Martinique, who had been ruined by the extravagance and follies of a
reprobate husband and father; and were now living in great poverty--the
daughter being supported by Madame de Neuillant herself. The
good-natured cripple was touched by this story, and begged his neighbour
to bring the unhappy ladies to one of his parties. The evening came; the
abbe was, as usual, surrounded by a circle of lady wits, dressed in the
last fashions, flaunting their fans, and laughing merrily at his
sallies. Madame de Neuillant was announced, and entered, followed by a
simply-dressed lady, with the melancholy face of one broken-down by
misfortunes, and a pretty girl of fifteen. The contrast between the
new-comers and the fashionable _habituees_ around him at once struck the
abbe. The girl was not only badly, but even shabbily dressed, and the
shortness of her gown showed that she had grown out of it, and could not
afford a new one. The _grandes dames_ turned upon her their eye-glasses,
and whispered comments behind their fans. She was very pretty, they
said, very interesting, elegant, lady-like, and so on; but, _parbleu!_
how shamefully _mal mise!_ The new-comers were led up to the cripple's
dumb-waiter, and the _grandes dames_ drew back their ample petticoats as
they passed. The young girl was overcome with shame, their whispers
reached her; she cast down her pretty eyes, and growing more and more
confused, she could bear it no longer, and burst into tears. The abbe
and his guests were touched by her shyness, and endeavoured to restore
her confidence. Scarron himself leant over, and whispered a few kind
words in her ear; then breaking out into some happy pleasantry, he gave
her time to recover her composure. Such was the first _debut_ in
Parisian society of Francoise d'Aubigne, who was destined, as Madame
Scarron, to be afterwards one of its leaders, and, as Madame de
Maintenon, to be its ruler.

[Illustration: SCARRON AND THE WITS--FIRST APPEARANCE OF LA BELLE
INDIENNE.]

Some people are cursed with bad sons--some with erring daughters.
Francoise d'Aubigne was long