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Modena to find customers or their books and pam- lets. At the small hostel- ry, the hawkers gave their Gasparini and names as Romano names which masked the identities of the knight-errant Duc and his friend La Fosse, respective-
iy.
Strangers
The following morning vre find the itinerant hawkers in the palace grounds, their wares spread out to tempt the Court ladies on their way to Mass, when the Duchess herself passed their way and de- signed to converse gracious- ly with the strangers. To her inquiries, they answer- ed that they came from Piedmont, Gasparini an- swered, "I have not a copy here, but I have one at my inn." And bidding him bring the volume to her at the palace, the great lady resumed her devout journey to Mass.
A few hours later, Gas- parini presented himself at the palace with the re- quired volume and was ushered into the presence of the duchess.
Own
A moment later, as soon as the door was closed, she was in his arms, her flung around his neck, as with tears of joy she wel. comed the lover who had come to her at such risk. A few stolen moments of hap
dared piness was all they now allow themselves. The Duke of Modena was in the palace and the situation was full of danger. But to- morrow he was leaving on a hunting expedition and then -well, then they might meet without fear.
On the following day, the coast now clear. the "ped- dier"
was again at the palace door, with a bundle of books under his arm for the inspection of Her High- ness, and was being ushered into the duchess's reading room, full of souvenirs of the days they had spent to- gether in distant Paris and Versailles,
Among them, most prized of all, was a lock of the Duc's own hair, en- shrined on a small altar and surmounted by a crown of interlocked hearts. This lock, the Duchess told him, she had kissed avl want over every day since they had parted.
They now were assured of a few hours of privacy each day. One day, how. ever, the "hawker" tarried
Duke of too long. The Modena returned unexpect edly from his hunting and, before the lovers could part, he had entered the room— just in time to see the ped- dler bowing humbly in fare- well to his duchess, and to hear him assure her that he would call again with for. ther books she wished to
sec.
Certainly it was a strange spectacle to greet the eyes noble of a home-coming husband that of his lady closeted with a shabby ped- dler of books. But at least there was nothing suspi. cious about it, and getting into conversation with the man, the Duke found him fel. quite an entertaining
what low, full of news of was going on in the world outside his small duchy. He entertained the Duke with the latest scandals of the French Court, with gossip about well-known person. ages,
"And what about that rascal, the Due de Riche- licu?" asked the great man. "What tricks has he been up to lately?"
"Oh," answered the ped. dier with a wink at the duchess, who was crimson with suppressed laughter, "he is one of my best cus- tomers. Ah, Monsieur lé Duc, he is a gay dog. I hear that all the women the Court are madly in love with him, that the princesses adore him and that he is driving all the husbands to distraction."
at
"Is it as bad as that?" asked the Duke, with laugh. "He is a more dan- I gerous fellow even than thought. And what is his latest game?"
"Oh," answered the pod- ler, "am told that he had
made a wager that he will come to Modena, in spite of you and I shouldn't be at all surprised if he does!"
"As for that," said the duke with 3 chuckle. "q am not afraid. I defy him to do his worst, and I am willing to wager that I shall be a match for him. However," he added, "you're an entertaining fellow, 50 again come and whenever you please."
see me
Gullibility
And thus, by the wish of the duchess's husband him- self, the itinerant peddler became a daily visitor at the palace, entertaining His Highness with his chatter and, when his back was his turned, making love wife and joining her in shrieks of laughter at his easy gullibility.
Many happy weeks pass- ed. Gasparini the peddler, re- velling in an adventure that added such a new zest to his life, sated with humdrum love-making. But even the duchess's charms began to pall. The ladies he had left disconsolate in Paris were inundating him with letters, begging him to return to them. The lure was too strong for him. Taking leave of the duchess in a flood of fears, the Duc re-
turned to his beloved Paris and to fresh conquests.
The Regent was not happy to learn of his return, but Richelieu conducted himself with such prudence that his clumsy attempt to betray his country was soon forgotten. And in 1720, the Academic Francaise
elected him a member. (The Academie at this period always contained a sprinkling of noblemen who were elected without much regard to their intel- lectual qualifications.)
At the reception of the new "immortal," the Abbe Gedcyn made a compliment- ary speech and eulogised the Duc for having stood aloof from the sordid specu- lations which at this period had caused so many of his order to forget their rank and dignity. And now the least action of the Duc at- tained all the importance of a public event.
Conjugal role
for
Then it was time Richelieu, having reached his his majority, to take seal on the peers' benches in the Parlement of Paris. He was introduced on this occasion, by the Prince de Conti, whom, says rumour, he occasionally condescend- ed to understudy in his con-
jugal role.
The expatriation of Mademoiselle de Valois left Mademoiselle de Charolais in possession of the field, now that her cousin was out of the way.
Said Madame, her grand- mother, "It is a horrible thing that princess of the blood should declare that she is amorous as a cat, and that this passion is for a knave whom she is unable to marry and who is more- over unfaithful to her, for he has half a dozen other mistresses."
When she heard that, Mademoiselle de Charolais replied, "Good! he only has mistresses to sacri fice them
to to me and relate to me what Passes between them."
She made so little effort to conceal the nature of her relations with Richelieu that rumours that they were pri- vately married and that she was in an "interesting" con- dition were being circulated in Paris. Of course, all these stories turned out to be without foundation. But some months later, both rumours were revived.
In the Journal of one of the Duc's contemporaries, Barbier, dated March 6, 1721, there is an entry: "Everyone
he says that (the Duc) is to be married to Mademoiselle Charolais, Princess તેમ Conde - marriage which is bound to take place, from motives of necessity."
8
But the marriage did not take place, for the Condes were strongly opposed to the Duc.
Indeed, so exasperated was the princess's brother at the persistence of his sister and Richelieu, and the way they publicly paraded their affair that after vainly trying to persuade
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him. And
off the
the Due to break romance, or, at least, to conduct himself with more discretion he forced 霹 duel upon Richelieu in which the Duc wounded Duc now the decided to break with the adoration princess, whose
becoming was perhaps little stifling. The poor young lady was heartbroken and tried several times to win him back, but the Duc in a courteous but firm man- ner made it quite clear that
could his mind
not be changed.
a
Richelieu then set himself to exact from the Regent who had not only torn from
the
il- his arms
most if not the most lustrious, cherished, of his mistresses, Mademoiselle de Valois, but for having made him spend a spring and summer in the Bastille.
The revenge was accom- plished in characteristic fashion. The Regent had a new mistress, Madam d'Arverne, wife of an officer in the Guards, who was very beautiful. He had installed her in a charming house in Saint-Cloud and he was the most devoted of lovers. Never did a favourite's posi tion appear more enviable or more secure than Madam d'Arverne's.
The Duc now appeared on the scene. Madam d'Arverne had heard much of this all- conquering nobleman. Soon they met frequently at fetes and balls so frequently that it seemed more than a the coincidence--and soon lady began to feel a
thrill when the Due levelled his lorgnette in her direction at the opera or led her out to dance.
Irresistible
How could Madame be expected to resist him who was irresistible? How could she fail to be flattered
by the homage of one
over whom titled ladies had been ready to fight to the death, whom princesses of the blood had consoled in the Bastille, and for whose sake the Regent's Own daughter had made so great a sacrifice?
16
In June, 1722. the Regent departed to attend the coronation of the young King at Rheims, leaving Madame d'Arverne at Ver- it would be sailles, where possible to keep her under closer observation than in Paris. His return was fol lowed by a momentous piece of news. Marais writes: The Regent told Madame the very same day that it was not proper for her to remain at Versailles, since it was a bad example for the King
The lady is suspected of infidelity with the Duc de Richelieu, who has taken advantage of the absence of the master." Poor Madame d'Arverne soon discovered that in ex- changing her royal admirer for the Duc, she had made a very bad bargain. A week or two of happiness. and ★ Continued on P. #
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