THE DUCHESSE

115

to open up a path for himself to the Spanish throne; that he
intended to wait for his new wife's death, and then marry
Madame d'Argenton, to whom the genii had promised a throne;
and I added, that it was very fortunate that the Duchesse
d'Orleans had safely passed through the dangers of her confine-
ment, for already some wretches had begun to spread the
saying, that he was not the son of Monsieur for nothing. (An
allusion to the death of Henriette d'Angleterre.)

On hearing these words, the Due was seized with a terror
that cannot be described, and at the same time with a grief
that is above expression. I took advantage of the effect my
discourse had had upon him, to show how necessary it was he
should make a great effort in order to win back the favour of
the King and of the public. I represented to him that the
only way to do this was to give up Madame d'Argenton, at
once and for ever, and to announce to the King that he had
done so. At first he would not hear of such a step, and I was-
obliged to employ all my eloquence and all my firmness too, to
make him listen to reason. One great obstacle in our way was
the repugnance of M. d'Orleans for his wife. He had been
married, as I have described in the early part of these memoirs,,
against his will, and with no sort of affection for the woman
he was given to. It was natural that he should look upon her
with dislike ever since she had become his wife. I did what I
could to speak in praise of Madame la Duchesse d'Orldans, and
Besons aided me; but we did little else than waste our breath
for some time. Our praises in fact irritated M. d'Orleans, and
to such a point, that no longer screening things or names, he
told us what we should have wished not to hear, but what it
was very lucky we did hear. He had suspicions, in fact, of
his wife's honour; but fortunately I was able to prove clearly
and decisively that those suspicions were unfounded, and I
did so. The joy of M. d'Orldans upon finding he had been
deceived was great indeed; and when we separated from him
after mid-day, in order to go to dinner, I saw that a point was
gained.

A little before three o'clock I returned to M. d'Orldans, whom

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