1653.] CHARACTER OF FRONTENAC. 7 



were not to her liking. The infant, Francois Louis, 

 was placed in the keeping of a nurse at the village 

 of Clion ; and his young mother left her husband, 

 to follow the fortunes of Mademoiselle cle Mont- 

 pensier, who for a time pronounced her charming, 

 praised her wit and beauty, and made her one of 

 her ladies of honor. Very curious and amusing 

 are some of the incidents recounted by the prin- 

 cess, in which Madame cle Frontenac bore part ; 

 but what is more to our purpose are the sketches 

 traced here and there by the same sharp pen, in 

 which one may discern the traits of the destined 

 saviour of New France. Thus, in the following, 

 we see him at St. Fargeau in the same attitude in 

 which we shall often see him at Quebec. 



The princess and the duke her father had a dis- 

 pute touching her property. Frontenac had lately 

 been at Blois, where the duke had possessed him 

 with his own views of the questions at issue. 

 Accordingly, on arriving at St. Fargeau, he seemed 

 disposed to assume the character of mediator. 

 " He wanted," says the princess, " to discuss my 

 affairs with me : I listened to his preaching, and 

 he also spoke about these matters to Prefontaine 

 {her man of business). I returned to the house 

 after our promenade, and we went to dance in 

 the great hall. While we were dancing, I saw 

 Prefontaine walking at the farther end with Fron- 

 tenac, who was talking and gesticulating. This 

 continued for a long time. Madame cle Sully 

 noticed it also, and seemed disturbed by it, as I 

 was myself. I said, c Have we not danced enough ? ' 



