d'Aubepine a room in our house; but though he
was, in his way, fond of my husband, and was polite to me, he thought
a residence with us would interfere with his liberty, and, alas! his
liberty consisted in plunging deeper and deeper into dissipation,
gambling, and all those other sports which those about him made him
think the privileges of manhood. We could do nothing; he laughed at
M. de Bellaise, and so indeed did these chosen friends of his. I
believe plenty of wit was expended on us and our happy domestic life;
but what was that to us? The courage of M. de Bellaise was well
known, and he had so much good-temper and kindness that no one durst
insult him.
He was doubly tender to me that winter and spring because the
accounts from England were so sad. My dear brother Berenger had been
killed at the battle of Alresford, and affairs looked very ill for
the royal cause. I wept for my brother; but, ah! those tears were as
nothing compared with what I was soon to shed.
The Duke of Enghien arrived. He was not to take the command of the
army of the Low Countries, but of that of Germany. He came on the
very day we had heard of the loss of Freiburg in Brisgau, and all was
at once activity. I saw the inspection of the army just outside the
city, and a glorious sight it was; bodies of infantry moving like one
great machine, squadrons of cavalry looking invincible, all
glittering with gold, and their plumes waving, the blue and gold
banners above their heads; and the dear regiment of Conde, whence
salutes from eye and hand came to me and my little Gaspard as they
rode past.
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