MY ALARM. 203

Never have I seen woman so astonished; never man so
taken aback, as the Prince-after the Dauphine's departure;
and never man, to say truth, was so afraid as I was at first,
though I quickly reassured myself when I found that our in-
truder was alone. As soon as she had closed the door, "Well,
Monsieur," said I to the Dauphin, " if you had drawn the bolt ?"

" You were right," he replied, " and I was wrong. But no
harm is done. She was alone fortunately, and I guarantee to
you her secresy."

" I am not troubled," said I to him, (yet I was so mightily)
"but it is a miracle she was alone. With her suite you would
have escaped with a scolding perhaps, but for me, I should have
been utterly lost."

He admitted again he had been wrong, and assured me more
and more that our secret was safe. The Dauphine had caught
us, not only tete-a-tete—of which no one had the least sus-
picion—she had caught us in the fact, so to say, our crimes in
our hands. I felt that she would not expose the Dauphin, but
I feared an after-revelation through some over easy confidant.
Nevertheless our secret was so well kept if confided that it
never transpired. We finished, I to pocket, the Prince to lock
tip, the papers. The rest of the conversation was short, and I
withdrew by the wardrobe as usual. M. de Beauvilliers, to
whom I related this adventure shortly afterwards, grew pale at
first, but recovered when I said the Dauphine was alorie. He
blamed the imprudence of the Dauphin, but assured me my
secret was safe. Ever since that adventure the Dauphine often
smiled upon me when we met, as if to remind me of it, and
showed marked attention to me.

No sooner did I feel myself pretty firmly established on this
footing of delicious intimacy with the Dauphin than I conceived
the desire to unite him with M. le Due d'Orleans through the
means of M. de Beauvilliers. At the very outset, however, an
obstacle arose in my path.

I have already said, that the friendship of M. d'Orle'ans for
his daughter, Madame la Duchesse de Berry, had given em-
ployment to the tongues of Satan, set in motion by hatred and