HUMILIATION OF THE DUC DE BERRY. 247

had passed, set herself to exclaim, with her usual flattery, that
she was charmed with the grace and the appropriate eloquence
with which he had spoken at the Parliament, and paraphrased
this theme with all the praises of which it was susceptible. M.
le Due de Berry blushed with vexation without saying a word;
she recommenced extolling his modesty, he blushing the more,
and saying nothing. When at last he had got rid of her, he
went to his own apartments, said not a word to the persons he
found there, scarcely one to Madame his wife, but taking
Madame de Saint-Simon with him, went into his library, and
shut himself up alone there with her.

Throwing himself into an arm-chair he cried out that he was
dishonoured, and wept scalding tears. Then he related to
Madame de Saint-Simon, in the midst of sobs, how he had
stuck fast at the Parliament, without being able to utter a word,
said that he should everywhere be regarded as an ass and a
blockhead, and repeated the compliments he had received from
Madame de Montauban, who, he said, had laughed at and
insulted him, knowing well what had happened; then infuriated
against her to the last degree, he called her by all sorts of names.
Madame de Saint-Simon spared no exertion in order to calm
M. de Berry, assuring him that it was impossible Madame
de Montauban could know what had taken place at the
Parliament, the news not having then reached Versailles, and
that she had had no other object than flattery in addressing
him. Nothing availed. Complaints and silence succeeded
each other in the midst of tears. Then, suddenly falling upon
the Due de Beauvilliers and the King, and accusing the defects
of his education: " They thought only," he exclaimed, " of
making me stupid, and of stifling all my powers. I was
a younger son. I coped with my brother. They feared the
consequences; they annihilated me. I was taught only to play
and to hunt, and they have succeeded in making me a fool and
an ass, incapable of anything, the laughing-stock and disdain of
everybody." Madame de Saint-Simon was overpowered with
compassion, and did everything to calm M. de Berry. Their
strange ttte-d-Ute lasted nearly two hours, and resumed the