I wished we could have gone away at once and heard no more, and so
must, I think, the young preacher have felt; but he was surrounded
with compliments. M. Voiture said he had never heard 'so early nor so
late a sermon;' while others thronged up with their compliments.
Madame de Rambouillet herself murmured: 'He might be Daniel hearing
the compliments of Belshazzar on his deciphering the handwriting,' so
impassively did he listen to the suffrages of the assembly, only
replying by a bow.
The Duke of Enghien, boldest of course, pressed up to him and, taking
his hand, begged to know his name.
'Bossuet, Monseigneur,' he answered.
There were one or two who had the bad taste to smile, for Bossuet (I
must tell my English kindred) means a draught-ox; but once more the
lovely sister of the young Duke grasped my hand and said: 'Oh, that I
could hide myself at once! Why will they not let me give myself to
my God? Vanity of vanities! why am I doomed?'
I was somewhat frightened, and was glad that a summons of 'my
daughter' from the Princess of Conde interrupted these strange
communications. I understood them better when we were called upon to
ell the old Marchioness the names of every one whom we had met at the
Hotel de Rambouillet, and on hearing of the presence of Mademoiselle
de Bourbon she said: 'Ah! yes, a marriage is arranged for the young
lady with the Duke of Longueville.'
'But!' exclaimed my husband, 'the Duke is an old man, whose daughter
is older than I.
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