I am sure out parting need have excited no suspicions. We were cold
and grave and ceremonious as Queen Anne of Austria herself, and poor
Lady Ommaney looked from one to the other of us in perplexity.
I went home between wrath and shame. I knew I had insulted Clement,
and I was really mortified and angry that he should have accepted
this French promotion instead of fleeing with us, and embracing our
religion. I hated all the French politics together a great deal too
much to have any comprehension of the patriotism that made him desire
to support the only honest and loyal party, hopeless as it was. I
could not tell Meg about our quarrel; I was glad Eustace was away at
the English's ambassador's. I felt as if one Frenchman was as good,
or as bad, as another, and I was more gracious to M. de Poligny than
ever I had been before that evening.
My mother had a reception in honour of its being Mid-Lent week.
Solivet was there, and, for a wonder, both the d'Aubepines, for the
Count had come home suddenly with message from the Prince of Conde to
the Duke of Orleans.
CHAPTER XXIX
MADAME'S OPPORTUNITY
(Annora's Narrative)
The Prince of Conde and Cardinal Mazarin were in arms against one
another. The Queen and her son were devoted to Mazarin. The loyal
folk in Paris held to the King, and were fain to swallow the Cardinal
because Conde was in open rebellion. Monsieur was trying to hold the
balance with the help of the Parliament, but was too great an ass to
do any such thing.
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