the memoirs of marie antoinette-第22部分

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ch　he　had　conveyed　to　her　under　the　specious　excuse　of　anxiety　for　her　august　daughter；　proofs　of　the　enmity　of　a；　party　which　had　never　approved　of　the　alliance　of　the　House　of　Bourbon　with　her　own。

At　this　period　the　Dauphiness；　though　unable　to　obtain　any　influence　over　the　heart　of　her　husband；　dreading　Louis　XV。；　and　justly　mistrusting　everything　connected　with　Madame　du　Barry　and　the　Duc　d'Aiguillon；　had　not　deserved　the　slightest　reproach　for　that　sort　of　levity　which　hatred　and　her　misfortunes　afterwards　construed　into　crime。　　The　Empress；　convinced　of　the　innocence　of　Marie　Antoinette；　directed　the　Baron　de　Neni　to　solicit　the　recall　of　the　Prince　de　Rohan；　and　to　inform　the　Minister　for　Foreign　Affairs　of　all　the　motives　which　made　her　require　it；　but　the　House　of　Rohan　interposed　between　its　protege　and　the　Austrian　envoy；　and　an　evasive　answer　merely　was　given。

It　was　not　until　two　months　after　the　death　of　Louis　XV。　　that　the　Court　of　Vienna　obtained　his　recall。　　The　avowed　grounds　for　requiring　it　were；　first；　the　public　gallantries　of　Prince　Louis　with　some　ladies　of　the　Court　and　others；　secondly；　his　surliness　and　haughtiness　towards　other　foreign　ministers；　which　would　have　had　more　serious　consequences；　especially　with　the　ministers　of　England　and　Denmark；　if　the　Empress　herself　had　not　interfered；　thirdly；　his　contempt　for　religion　in　a　country　where　it　was　particularly　necessary　to　show　respect　for　it。　He　had　been　seen　frequently　to　dress　himself　in　clothes　of　different　colours；　assuming　the　hunting　uniforms　of　various　noblemen　whom　he　visited；　with　so　much　audacity　that　one　day　in　particular；　during　the　Fete…Dieu；　he　and　all　his　legation；　in　green　uniforms　laced　with　gold；　broke　through　a　procession　which　impeded　them；　in　order　to　make　their　way　to　a　hunting　party　at　the　Prince　de　Paar's；　and　fourthly；　the　immense　debts　contracted　by　him　and　his　people；　which　were　tardily　and　only　in　part　discharged。

The　succeeding　marriages　of　the　Comte　de　Provence　and　the　Comte　d'Artois　with　two　daughters　of　the　King　of　Sardinia　procured　society　for　the　Dauphiness　more　suitable　to　her　age；　and　altered　her　mode　of　life。

A　pair　of　tolerably　fine　eyes　drew　forth；　in　favour　of　the　Comtesse　de　Provence；　upon　her　arrival　at　Versailles；　the　only　praises　which　could　reasonably　be　bestowed　upon　her。　　The　Comtesse　d'Artois；　though　not　deformed；　was　very　small；　she　had　a　fine　complexion；　her　face；　tolerably　pleasing；　was　not　remarkable　for　anything　except　the　extreme　length　of　the　nose。　　But　being　good　and　generous；　she　was　beloved　by　those　about　her；　and　even　possessed　some　influence　so　long　as　she　was　the　only　Princess　who　had　produced　heirs　to　the　crown。

From　this　time　the　closest　intimacy　subsisted　between　the　three　young　families。　　They　took　their　meals　together；　except　on　those　days　when　they　dined　in　public。　　This　manner　of　living　en　famille　continued　until　the　Queen　sometimes　indulged　herself　in　going　to　dine　with　the　Duchesse　de　Polignac；　when　she　was　governess；　but　the　evening　meetings　at　supper　were　never　interrupted；　they　took　place　at　the　house　of　the　Comtesse　de　Provence。　　Madame　Elisabeth　made　one　of　the　party　when　she　had　finished　her　education；　and　sometimes　Mesdames；　the　King's　aunts；　were　invited。　The　custom；　which　had　no　precedent　at　Court；　was　the　work　of　Marie　Antoinette；　and　she　maintained　it　with　the　utmost　perseverance。

The　Court　of　Versailles　saw　no　change　in　point　of　etiquette　during　the　reign　of　Louis　XV。　　Play　took　place　at　the　house　of　the　Dauphiness；　as　being　the　first　lady　of　the　State。　　It　had；　from　the　death　of　Queen　Maria　Leczinska　to　the　marriage　of　the　Dauphin；　been　held　at　the　abode　of　Madame　Adelade。　　This　removal；　the　result　of　an　order　of　precedence　not　to　be　violated；　was　not　the　less　displeasing　to　Madame　Adelaide；　who　established　a　separate　party　for　play　in　her　apartments；　and　scarcely　ever　went　to　that　which　not　only　the　Court　in　general；　but　also　the　royal　family；　were　expected　to　attend。　　The　full…dress　visits　to　the　King　on　his　'debotter'　were　continued。　　High　mass　was　attended　daily。　　The　airings　of　the　Princesses　were　nothing　more　than　rapid　races　in　berlins；　during　which　they　were　accompanied　by　Body　Guards；　equerries；　and　pages　on　horseback。　　They　galloped　for　some　leagues　from　Versailles。　　Calashes　were　used　only　in　hunting。

The　young　Princesses　were　desirous　to　infuse　animation　into　their　circle　of　associates　by　something　useful　as　well　as　pleasant。　　They　adopted　the　plan　of　learning　and　performing　all　the　best　plays　of　the　French　theatre。　The　Dauphin　was　the　only　spectator。　　The　three　Princesses；　the　two　brothers　of　the　King；　and　Messieurs　Campan；　father　and　son；　were　the　sole　performers；　but　they　endeavoured　to　keep　this　amusement　as　secret　as　an　affair　of　State；　they　dreaded　the　censure　of　Mesdames；　and　they　had　no　doubt　that　Louis　XV。　would　forbid　such　pastimes　if　he　knew　of　them。　　They　selected　for　their　performance　a　cabinet　in　the　entresol　which　nobody　had　occasion　to　enter。

A　kind　of　proscenium；　which　could　be　taken　down　and　shut　up　in　a　closet；　formed　the　whole　theatre。　　The　Comte　de　Provence　always　knew　his　part　with　imperturbable　accuracy；　the　Comte　d'Artois　knew　his　tolerably　well；　and　recited　elegantly；　the　Princesses　acted　badly。　　The　Dauphiness　acquitted　herself　in　some　characters　with　discrimination　and　feeling。　The　chief　pleasure　of　this　amusement　consisted　in　all　the　costumes　being　elegant　and　accurate。　　The　Dauphin　entered　into　the　spirit　of　these　diversions；　and　laughed　heartily　at　the　comic　characters　as　they　came　on　the　scene；　from　these　amusements　may　be　dated　his　discontinuance　of　the　timid　manner　of　his　youth；　and　his　taking　pleasure　in　the　society　of　the　Dauphiness。

It　was　not　till　a　long　time　afterwards　that　I　learnt　these　particulars；　M。　Campan　having　kept　the　secret；　but　an　unforeseen　event　had　well…nigh　exposed　the　whole　mystery。　　One　day　the　Queen　desired　M。　Campan　to　go　down　into　her　closet　to　fetch　something　that　she　had　forgotten；　he　was　dressed　for　the　character　of　Crispin；　and　was　rouged。　　A　private　staircase　led　direct　to　the　entresol　through　the　dressing…room。　　M。　Campan　fancied　he　heard　some　noise；　and　remained　still；　behind　the　door；　which　was　shut。　　A　servant　belonging　to　the　wardrobe；　who　was；　in　fact；　on　the　staircase；　had　also　heard　some　noise；　and；　either　from　fear　or　curiosity；　he　suddenly　opened　the　door；　the　figure　of　Crispin　frightened　him　so　that　he　fell　down　backwards；　shouting　with　his　might；　〃Help！　help！〃　　My　father…in…law　raised　him　up；　made　him　recognise　his　voice；　and　laid　upon　him　an　injunction　of　silence　as　to　what　he　had　seen。　He　felt　himself；　however；　bound　to　inform　the　Dauphiness　of　what　had　happened；　and　she　was　afraid　that　a　similar　occurrence　might　betray　their　amusements。　　They　were　therefore　discontinued。

The　Princess　occupied　her　time　in　her　own　apartment　in　the　study　of　music　and　the　parts　in　plays　which　she　had　to　learn；　the　latter　exercise；　at　least；　produced　the　beneficial　effect　of　strengthening　her　memory　and　familiarising　her　with　the　French　language。

While　Louis　XV。　　reigned；　the　enemies　of　Marie　Antoinette　made　no　attempt　to　change　public　opinion　with　regard　to　her。　　She　w