the victim of a wicked father. Constans
d'Aubigne belonged to an old and honourable family, and was the son of
that famous old Huguenot general, Theodore-Agrippa d'Aubigne, who fought
for a long time under Henry of Navarre, and in his old age wrote the
history of his times. To counterbalance this distinction, the son
Constans brought all the discredit he could on the family. After a
reckless life, in which he squandered his patrimony, he married a rich
widow, and then, it is said, contrived to put her out of the way. He was
imprisoned as a murderer, but acquitted for want of evidence. The story
goes, that he was liberated by the daughter of the governor of the gaol,
whom he had seduced in the prison, and whom he married when free. He
sought to retrieve his fortune in the island of Martinique, ill-treated
his wife, and eventually ran away, and left her and her children to
their fate. They followed him to France, and found him again
incarcerated. Madame d'Aubigne was foolishly fond of her
good-for-nothing spouse, and lived with him in his cell, where the
little Francoise, who had been born in prison, was now educated.

Rescued from starvation by a worthy Huguenot aunt, Madame de Vilette,
the little girl was brought up as a Protestant, and a very stanch one
she proved for a time. But Madame d'Aubigne, who was a Romanist, would
not allow her to remain long under the Calvinist lady's protection, and
sent her to be converted by her godmother, the Madame de Neuillant above
mentioned. This woman, who was as merciless as a woman can be, literally
broke her into Romanism, treated her like a servant, made her groom the
horses, and comb the maid's hair, and when all these efforts failed,
sent her to a convent to be finished off. The nuns did by specious
reasoning what had been begun by persecution, and young Francoise, at
the time she was introduced to Scarron, was a highly respectable member
of 'the only true church.'

Madame d'Aubigne was at this time supporting herself by needlework. Her
sad story won the sympathy of Scarron's guests, who united to relieve
her wants. _La belle Indienne_, as the cripple styled her, soon became a
favourite at his parties, and lost her shyness by degrees. Ninon de
l'Enclos, who did not want heart, took her by the hand, and a friendship
thus commenced between that inveterate Lais and the future wife of Louis
XIV. which lasted till death.

The beauty of Francoise soon brought her many admirers, amo