26 MEMOIRS OF THE DUKE OF SAINT-SIMON.

coarse and yet humorous a manner^ that ifc struck at once the
imagination of the guests. No comment was made, but every-
body burst out laughing, sense of drollery overcoming prudence,
for it was well known that the she-captain was Madame de
Maintenon, and the she-lieutenant Madame des TJrsins. The
health was drunk, although the words were not repeated, and
the scandal was strange.

Half an. hour at most after this, Madame des TJrsins was in-
formed of what had taken place. She knew well who were
meant by the toast, and was transported with rage. She at
once wrote an account of the circumstance to Madame de Main-
tenon, who, for her part, was quite as furious. iTide irce.
They never pardoned M. d'Orleans, and we shall see how very
nearly they succeeded in compassing his death. Until then,
Madame de Maintenon had neither liked nor disliked M.
d'Orl^ans. Madame des Ursins had omitted nothing in order
to please him. From that moment they swore the ruin of this
prince. All the rest of the King's life M. d'Orleans did not fail
to find that Madame de Maintenon was an implacable and cruel
enemy. The sad state to which she succeeded in reducing him
influenced him during all the rest of his life. As for Madame
des Ursins, he soon found a change in her manner. She endea-
voured that everything should fail that passed through his
hands. There are some wounds that can never be healed; and
it must be admitted that the Due's toast inflicted one especially
of that sort. He felt this; did not attempt any reconciliation;
and followed his usual course. I know not if he ever repented
of what he had said, whatever cause he may have had, so droll
did it seem to him., but he has many times spoken of it since to
me, laughing with all his might. I saw all the sad results
which might arise from his speech, and nevertheless, while re-
proaching M. d'Orl&ms, I could not help laughing myself, so
well, so simply, and so wittily expressed was his ridicule of the
government on this and the other side of the Pyrenees.

At last, M. le Due d'Orleans found means to enter upon his
campaign, but was so ill-provided, that he never was supplied
with more than a fortnight's subsistence in advance. He