This was our escalade of Orleans.
She ordered her guards to return to the place where the carriages had
been left, that she might show how fearless she was. The boatmen
managed at last to cut out two boards from the lower part of the
door. There were two great iron bars above them, but the hole was
just big enough to squeeze through, and Mademoiselle was dragged
between the splinters by M. de Grammont and a footman. As soon as
her head appeared inside the gate the drums beat, there were loud
vivats, a wooden arm-chair was brought, and Mademoiselle was hoisted
on the men's shoulders in it and carried along the street; but she
soon had enough of this, caused herself to be set down, and we all
joined her, very dirty, rather frightened, and very merry. Drums
beat before us, and we arrived at the Hotel de Ville, where the
police bows and the embarrassed faces of the Governor and the
magistrates were a sight worth seeing.
However, Mademoiselle took the command, and they all made their
excuses and applied themselves to entertaining her and her suit, as
carriages were not admitted, for we were in a manner besieged by the
Keeper of the Seals; and in the early morning, at seven o'clock,
Mademoiselle had to rise and go through the streets encouraging the
magistrates to keep him out.
She was a sort of queen at Orleans, and we formed a little Court. I
really think this was the happiest time in her life, while she had a
correspondence with the Prince of Conde on the one hand, and her
father on the other; and assisted at councils of war outside the
gates, as she kept her promise, and admitted none of the leaders of
the belligerent parties into the city.
Pages:
390
391
392
393
394
395
396
397
398
399
400
401
402
403
404
405
406
407
408
409
410
411
412
413
414