He had left Queen Henrietta embracing her son in tears of joy for his
safe return, and very thankful we were, though it did but take out
first reception at the Louvre to see that though the King was as
good-humoured, gracious, and merry as ever, he was not changed for
the better by all he had gone through. He had left the boy behind
him, and now seemed like a much older man, who only laughed and got
what amusement he could out of a world where he believed in nothing
noble nor good, and looked forward to nothing.
The old ladies said he had grown like his grandfather, Henri IV., and
when this was repeated Eustace shook his head, and told Meg that he
feared it was in one way true enough, and Meg, who always hoped, bade
us remember how many years the Grand Monarque had to dally away
before he became the preserver and peace-maker of France.
However, even Meg, who had always let the King be like an old
playfellow with her, was obliged to draw back now, and keep him at
the most formal distance. I never had any trouble with him. I do
not think he liked me; indeed I once heard of his saying that I
always looked like a wild cat that had got into the salon by mistake,
and was always longing to scratch and fly. He would be quite willing
to set me to defend a castle, but for the rest----
It was not he whom I wished to scratch--at least as long as he let me
alone--but M. de Poligny, who took to paying me the most assiduous
court wherever I went, for his little schoolboy of a son, till I was
almost beside myself with fear that Clement Darpent might believe
some false report about me.
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