Thus, then, it was settled. I went to Mademoiselle, who was always
good-natured where her vanity was not concerned, and who freely-
granted me permission to absent myself. The Queen-Regent had been
prepared by her nephew, and she made no difficulties, and thus my
great traveling carriage came again into requisition; but as an
escort was necessary, we asked Sir Andrew Macniven to accompany us,
knowing that he would be glad to be at the Hague in case it should be
expedient to follow His English Majesty to Scotland. We sent a
courier to find my brother Solivet at Amiens, that he might meet and
come part of the way with us. As to M. de Lamont, I was no longer in
dread of him, as he had gone off to join the troops which the Duke of
Bouillon and Rochefoucauld were collecting to compel the deliverance
of the Princes; but the whole time was a dangerous one, for disbanded
soldiers and robbers might lurk anywhere, and we were obliged to take
six outriders armed to the teeth, besides the servants upon the
carriage, of all of whom Sir Andrew took the command, for he could
speak French perfectly, having studied in his youth in the University
of Leyden.
Thus we took leave of Paris and of my mother, many of our friends
coming out with us the first stage as far as St. Denys, where we all
dined together. I could have excused them, as I would fain have had
my son all to myself, and no doubt my sister felt the same, for
Clement Darpent had also come.
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