FOOTNOTES:
[70] The Duc d’Ayen was in 1755 Colonel of the regiment of Noailles—cavalry raised by his grandfather at his own expense during the War of the Spanish Succession; he had made four campaigns in the Seven Years’ War, and was now Lieut.-General and Captain of the Gardes-du-corps.
[71] The Empress Maria Thérèsa once asked a person who had the reputation of having second sight to tell her the destiny of this, her youngest child. He looked at her, suddenly hesitated, turned pale, and on the Empress repeating her question, he replied, with much agitation, “Madame, there is a cross for every one to bear.”
[72] In the souvenirs of the Marquise de Créquy the following paragraph occurs:—“My Aunt de la Trémoille was the last of the ancient house of La Fayette, which must not be confounded with that of the philosophic, republican Marquis, who has just been fighting in America. Marie Madeline, heiress and Marquise de la Fayette, Duchesse de la Trémoille and Thouars, died in 1717 at the age of twenty-eight; and it was at this time that a gentleman of Auvergne named Motier took it into his head to adjust the name of La Fayette, which had just become extinct, to the fine name of Motier, which was that of his family. He gave as his reason that several persons of the true house of La Fayette had borne the name of Moztier or Moustier in the seventeenth century.... The Maréchal de Noailles told me that Louis XV. had said to him apropos of the genealogy of this pretended Marquis: ‘Have you read the romance of the Motier family? It will never equal that of Mme. de la Fayette’ (author of ‘La Princesse de Clèves’). We could never understand how the MM. de Noailles could give one of their daughters to that little Motier; but they assured us that he was gentleman enough not to be hanged, very rich, and a very good fellow.”
[73] By a family arrangement the father was called Vicomte de Beaune.
[74] Anne-Paule-Dominique de Noailles, Marquise de Montagu.
CHAPTER IV
The Marquis de Montagu rejoins his regiment—Life of Pauline at the hôtel de Montagu—Affection of her father-in-law—Brilliant society—Story of M. de Continges—Death of Pauline’s child—Marriage of Rosalie to Marquis de Grammont—Birth of Pauline’s daughters—The court of Louis XVI.—The Royal Family—Dissensions at court—Madame Sophie and the Storm—Extravagance of the Queen and Comte d’Artois—The Comte d’Artois and Mlle. Duthé—Scene with the King—Le petit Trianon—The Palace of Marly—A sinister guest.