4 COUNT AND COUNTESS FRONTENAC. [1653 



trolled him, had triumphed over the revolting 

 princes, Mademoiselle cle Montpensier paid the 

 penalty of her exploit by a temporary banishment 

 from the court. She roamed from place to place, 

 with a little court of her own, of which Madame 

 de Frontenac was a conspicuous member. During 

 the war, Count Frontenac had been dangerously 

 ill of a fever in Paris ; and his wife had - been absent 

 for a time, attending him. She soon rejoined the 

 princess, who was at her chateau of St. Fargeau, 

 three clays' journey from Paris, when an incident 

 occurred which placed the married life of her fair 

 companion in an unexpected light. " The Duch- 

 esse de Sully came to see me, and brought with her 

 M. d'Herbault and M. de Frontenac. Frontenac had 

 stopped here once before, but it was only for a 

 week, when he still had the fever, and took great 

 care of himself like a man who had been at the 

 door of death. This time he was in high health. 

 His arrival had not been expected, and his wife 

 was so much surprised that everybody observed it, 

 especially as the surprise seemed to be not at all a 

 pleasant one. Instead of going to talk with her 

 husband, she went off and hid herself, crying and 

 screaming because he had said that he would like 

 to have her company that evening. I was very 

 much astonished, especially as I had never before 

 perceived her aversion to him. The elder Com- 

 tesse cle Fiesque remonstrated with her ; but she 

 only cried the more. Madame cle Fiesque then 

 brought books to show her her duty as a w r ife ; but 

 it did no good, and at last she got into such a state 



