Monsieur had known
it all the evening, but had been afraid to tell his daughter because
of 'her ideas,' which meant that he was by no means sure that she
might choose to obey, unless she were taken by surprise, but might
want to represent the House of Orleans at Paris. The Queen of
England was not gone; and, as to M. le Marquis de Nidemerle---
That question was answered by a sound of bare, pattering feet, and a
cry of 'Mamma, mamma!' and my little Marquis himself, with nothing on
but his little white shirt and black velvet breeches, his long hair
streaming behind him, came and threw himself on me, followed by two
or three more little fellows in the same state of dishabille. 'Oh,
mamma!' he cried, 'we thought they were all gone, and had left us to
be murdered by the cruel Parliament; and then I saw you from the
window in the court.' So there they all were, except one little
Count from Burgundy, who slept serenely through the tumult.
By this time we could recollect that it was a January night, and that
we had better retreat into the great hall, where the fire was not
out. I had a great mind, since we were thus deserted, to return home
with my son, but my poor Princess could not be left without a single
attendant, or any clothes save what had been huddled on in haste, nor
perhaps even a bed, for we knew that St. Germain was dismantled of
furniture, and that no preparations had been made for fear of giving
alarm.
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