She was expecting her own share in the matter all along, and
presently she had the delight of seeing twenty more men coming with
Croquelebois at their head, and by his side, on a little pony, her
own little Maurice, the Chevalier d'Aubepine. Was not Cecile a proud
woman then? I have a letter of hers in which she says (poor dear
thing!) that he was a perfect little Prince Charmant; and he really
was a pretty little fellow, and very well trained and good, adoring
her as she deserved.
I will go on with her story, though only at second hand, before I
proceed with my own, which for a time took me from the scene of my
friend's troubles. This is written for her grandchildren as much as
my own and my sister's, and it is well they should know what a woman
she truly was, and how love gave her strength in her weakness.
The Prince of Conde, whose history and whose troubles were only too
like her own, already loved her extremely, and welcomed her little
son as a companion to the Duke of Enghien. The Duke of Bouillon took
them to his own fortress-town of Turenne, where they remained, while
the little bourg of Brive la Gaillarde was taken from the royal
troops by the Dukes. The regiment sent by the Cardinal to occupy the
place was Prince Thomas of Savoy's gendarmes, and as of course they
loved such generals as Turenne and Conde better than any one else,
the loyalty of most of them gave way, and they joined the Princess's
little army.
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