"Ah, que Marianne a de beautes, de graces, et de charmes; Elle sait enchanter et l'esprit et les yeux; Mortels, aimez-la tous! mais ce n'est qu'a des dieux, Qu'est reserve l'honneur de lui rendre les armes!"
[Footnote: See Works of La Fontaine.]
"Do you, then, desert and go over to my enemies?" asked the duchess, reproachfully.
"I!" exclaimed La Fontaine, rising to his feet. "Who could so calumniate me?"
"Why, did not you say 'elle gait enchanter'? And is not that the very crime of which I am accused?"
La Fontaine was about to make some witty reply to this sportive reproach, when the Duke de Bouillon announced to the duchess that she must prepare herself to appear before her judges.
"I am ready," was the response, and Marianna passed her arm within that of her husband.
"My friends." said she, addressing all present, "I invite you to accompany me on my excursion to the Arsenal. Come, Eugene, give me your other arm. It is fit that the criminal should go before her accusers between her confessor and her victim."
"Madame," returned Eugene, frowning, "I am no confessor. A confessor should be an anointed of the Lord, which I am not."
"Not anointed!" exclaimed the duchess. "I have an excellent receipt for unguent given me by La Voisin; and, if you promise that I shall not be made to mount the scaffold for my obliging act, I will anoint you myself, whenever you like."