But the dauphin was not listening to this news of the breaking up of his family.
"It is going," he exclaimed in delight, real or feigned, as the clock resumed its regular tickings.
The minister frowned and bowed himself out backward from the hall, where the heir to the throne was left alone.
The king going into his study, paced it with long strides.
"I can clearly see that Choiseul is railing at me. The prince looks on himself as half the master, and believes he will be entirely so when he mounts with this Austrian on the throne. My daughter Louise loves me, but she preaches morality and she gives me the go-by to live in the nunnery. My three other girls sing songs against me and poor Jeanne. The Count of Provence is translating Lucretius. His brother of Artois is running wild about the streets. Decidedly none but this poor countess loves me. Devil take those who try to displease her!"
Sitting at the table where his father signed papers, his treaties and grandiloquent epistles, the son of the great king took up the pen.
"I understand why they are all hastening the arrival of the archduchess. But I am not going to be perturbed by her sooner than can be helped," and he wrote an order for Governor Stainville to stop three days at one city and three at another.
With the same pen he wrote:
"Dear Countess: This day we install Zamore in his new government. I am off for Marly, but I will come over to Luciennes this evening to tell you all I am thinking about at present. France."
"Lebel," he said to his confidential valet, "away with this to the countess, and my advice is for you to keep in her good graces."