haser　himself　took　in　a　bag　the　price　of　the　house　in　gold　to　the　King　in　his　private　closet。
  ＇Until　recently　little　was　known　about　the　Parc…aux…Cerfs；　and　it　　　　　　was　believed　that　a　great　number　of　young　women　had　been　maintained　　　　　　there　at　enormous　expense。　　The　investigations　of　M。　J。　A。　　Le　Roi；　　　　　　given　in　his　interesting　work；　〃Curiosites　Historiques　sur　Louis　　　　　　XIII。；　Louis　XIV。；　Louis　XV。；〃　etc。；　Paris；　Plon；　1864；　have　thrown　　　　　　fresh　light　upon　the　matter。　　The　result　he　arrives　at　（see　page　229　　　　　　of　his　work）　is　that　the　house　in　question　（No。　4　Rue　St。　Mederic；　　　　　　on　the　site　of　the　Pare…aux…Cerfs；　or　breeding…place　for　deer；　of　　　　　　Louis　XIII）　was　very　small；　and　could　have　held　only　one　girl；　the　　　　　　woman　in　charge　of　her；　and　a　servant。　　Most　of　the　girls　left　it　　　　　　only　when　about　to　be　confined；　and　it　sometimes　stood　vacant　for　　　　　　five　or　six　months。　　It　may　have　been　rented　before　the　date　of　　　　　　purchase；　and　other　houses　seem　sometimes　to　have　been　used　also；　　　　　　but　in　any　case；　it　is　evident　that　both　the　number　of　girls　and　the　　　　　　expense　incurred　have　been　absurdly　exaggerated。　　The　system　　　　　　flourished　under　Madame　de　Pompadour；　but　ceased　as　soon　as　Madame　　　　　　du　Barry　obtained　full　power　over　the　King；　and　the　house　was　then　　　　　　sold　to　M。　J。　B。　Sevin　for　16；000　livres；　on　27th　May；　1771；　Louis　　　　　　not　acting　under　the　name　of　Louis　de　Bourbon；　but　as　King；〃Vente　　　　　　par　le　Roi；　notre　Sire。〃　　In　1755　he　had　also　been　declared　its　　　　　　purchaser　in　a　similar　manner。　　Thus；　Madame　Campan　is　in　error　in　　　　　　saying　that　the　King　made　the　contract　as　Louis　de　Bourbon。＇＇And　　　　　　it　also　possible　that　Madam　Campan　was　correct　and　that　the　house　　　　　　she　refers　to　as　sold　for　a　〃bag　of　gold〃　was　another　of　the　several　　　　　　of　the　seraglio　establishments　of　Louis　XV。　　D。W。＇
  Louis　XV。　saw　very　little　of　his　family。　　He　came　every　morning　by　a　private　staircase　into　the　apartment　of　Madame　Adelaide。
  ＇Louis　XV。　seemed　to　feel　for　Madame　Adelaide　the　tenderness　he　had　　　　　　had　for　the　Duchesse　de　Bourgogne；　his　mother；　who　perished　so　　　　　　suddenly；　under　the　eyes　and　almost　in　the　arms　of　Louis　XIV。　　The　　　　　　birth　of　Madame　Ad6laide；　23d　March；　1732；　was　followed　by　that　of　　　　　　Madame　Victoire　Louise　Marie　Therese　on　the　11th　May；　1733。　　Louis　　　　　　had；　besides；　six　daughters：　Mesdames　Sophie　and　Louise；　who　are　　　　　　mentioned　in　this　chapter；　the　Princesses　Marie　and　Felicite；　who　　　　　　died　young；　Madame　Henriette　died　at　Versailles　in　1752；　aged　　　　　　twenty…four；　and　finally；　Madame　the　Duchess　of　Parma；　who　also　died　　　　　　at　the　Court。＇
  He　often　brought　and　drank　there　coffee　that　he　had　made　himself。　　Madame　Adelaide　pulled　a　bell　which　apprised　Madame　Victoire　of　the　King's　visit；　Madame　Victoire；　on　rising　to　go　to　her　sister's　apartment；　rang　for　Madame　Sophie；　who　in　her　turn　rang　for　Madame　Louise。　　The　apartments　of　Mesdames　were　of　very　large　dimensions。　　Madame　Louise　occupied　the　farthest　room。　　This　latter　lady　was　deformed　and　very　short；　the　poor　Princess　used　to　run　with　all　her　might　to　join　the　daily　meeting；　but；　having　a　number　of　rooms　to　cross；　she　frequently　in　spite　of　her　haste；　had　only　just　time　to　embrace　her　father　before　he　set　out　for　the　chase。
  Every　evening；　at　six；　Mesdames　interrupted　my　reading　to　them　to　accompany　the　princes　to　Louis　XV。；　this　visit　was　called　the　King's　'debotter'；＇Debotter；　meaning　the　time　of　unbooting。＇　and　was　marked　by　a　kind　of　etiquette。　　Mesdames　put　on　an　enormous　hoop；　which　set　out　a　petticoat　ornamented　with　gold　or　embroidery；　they　fastened　a　long　train　round　their　waists；　and　concealed　the　undress　of　the　rest　of　their　clothing　by　a　long　cloak　of　black　taffety　which　enveloped　them　up　to　the　chin。　　The　chevaliers　d'honneur；　the　ladies　in　waiting；　the　pages；　the　equerries；　and　the　ushers　bearing　large　flambeaux；　accompanied　them　to　the　King。　　In　a　moment　the　whole　palace；　generally　so　still；　was　in　motion；　the　King　kissed　each　Princess　on　the　forehead；　and　the　visit　was　so　short　that　the　reading　which　it　interrupted　was　frequently　resumed　at　the　end　of　a　quarter　of　an　hour；　Mesdames　returned　to　their　apartments；　and　untied　the　strings　of　their　petticoats　and　trains；　they　resumed　their　tapestry；　and　I　my　book。
  During　the　summer　season　the　King　sometimes　came　to　the　residence　of　Mesdames　before　the　hour　of　his　'debotter'。　　One　day　he　found　me　alone　in　Madame　Victoire's　closet；　and　asked　me　where　'Coche'＇Piggy＇　was；　I　started；　and　he　repeated　his　question；　but　without　being　at　all　the　more　understood。　　When　the　King　was　gone　I　asked　Madame　of　whom　he　spoke。　　She　told　me　that　it　was　herself；　and　very　coolly　explained　to　me；　that；　being　the　fattest　of　his　daughters；　the　King　had　given　her　the　familiar　name　of　'Coche'；　that　he　called　Madame　Adelaide；　'Logue'　＇Tatters＇；　Madame　Sophie；　'Graille'＇Mite＇；　and　Madame　Louise；　'Chiffie'＇Rubbish＇。　　The　people　of　the　King's　household　observed　that　he　knew　a　great　number　of　such　words；　possibly　he　had　amused　himself　with　picking　them　out　from　dictionaries。　　If　this　style　of　speaking　betrayed　the　habits　and　tastes　of　the　King；　his　manner　savoured　nothing　of　such　vulgarity；　his　walk　was　easy　and　noble；　he　had　a　dignified　carriage　of　the　head；　and　his　aspect；　with　out　being　severe；　was　imposing；　he　combined　great　politeness　with　a　truly　regal　demeanour；　and　gracefully　saluted　the　humblest　woman　whom　curiosity　led　into　his　path。
  He　was　very　expert　in　a　number　of　trifling　matters　which　never　occupy　attention　but　when　there　is　a　lack　of　something　better　to　employ　it；　for　instance；　he　would　knock　off　the　top　of　an　egg…shell　at　a　single　stroke　of　his　fork；　he　therefore　always　ate　eggs　when　he　dined　in　public；　and　the　Parisians　who　came　on　Sundays　to　see　the　King　dine；　returned　home　less　struck　with　his　fine　figure　than　with　the　dexterity　with　which　he　broke　his　eggs。
  Repartees　of　Louis　XV。；　which　marked　the　keenness　of　his　wit　and　the　elevation　of　his　sentiments；　were　quoted　with　pleasure　in　the　assemblies　of　Versailles。
  This　Prince　was　still　beloved；　it　was　wished　that　a　style　of　life　suitable　to　his　age　and　dignity　should　at　length　supersede　the　errors　of　the　past；　and　justify　the　love　of　his　subjects。　　It　was　painful　to　judge　him　harshly。　　If　he　had　established　avowed　mistresses　at　Court；　the　uniform　devotion　of　the　Queen　was　blamed　for　it。　　Mesdames　were　reproached　for　not　seeking　to　prevent　the　King's　forming　an　intimacy　with　some　new　favourite。　　Madame　Henriette；　twin　sister　of　the　Duchess　of　Parma；　was　much　regretted；　for　she　had　considerable　influence　over　the　King's　mind；　and　it　was　remarked　that　if　she　had　lived　she　would　have　been　assiduous　in　finding　him　amusements　in　the　bosom　of　his　family；　would　have　followed　him　in　his　short　excursions；　and　would　have　done　the　honours　of　the　'petits　soupers'　which　he　was　so　fond　of　giving　in　his　private　apartments。
  Mesdames　too　much　neglected　the　means　of　pleasing　the　wing；　but　the　cause　of　that　was　obvious　in　the　little　attention　he　had　paid　them　in　their　youth。
  In　order　to　console　the　people　under　their　sufferings；　and　to　shut　their　eyes　to　the　real　depredations　on　the　treasury；　the　ministers　occasionally　pressed　the　most　extravagant　measures　of　reform　in　the　King's　household；　and　even　in　his　personal　expenses。
  Cardinal　Fleury；　who　in　truth　had　the　merit　of　reestablishing　the　finances；　carried　this　system　of　economy　so　far　as　to　obtain　from　the　King　the　suppression　of　the　household　of　the　four　younger　Princesses。　They　were　brought　up　as　mere　boarders　in　a　convent　eighty　leagues　distant　from　the　Court。　　Saint　Cyr　would　have　been　more　suitable　for　the　reception　of　the　King's　daughters；　but　probably　the　Cardinal　shared　some　of　those　prejudices　which　will　always　attach　to　even　the　most　useful　institutions；　and　which；　since　the　death　of　Louis　XIV。；　had　been　raised　against　the　noble　establishment　of　Madame　de　Maintenon。　　Madame　Louise　often　assured　me　that　at　twelve　years　of　age　she　was　not　mistress　of　the　whole　alphabet；　and　never　learnt　to　read　fluently　until　after　her　return　to　Versailles。
  Madame　Victoire　attributed　certain　paroxysms　of　terror；　which　she　was　never　able　to　conquer；　to　the　violent　alarms　she　experienced　at　the　Abbey　of　Fontevrault；　whenever　she　was　sent；　by　way　of　penance；　to　pray　alone　in　the　vault　where　the　sisters　were　interred。
  A　gardener　belonging　to　the　abbey　died　raving　mad。　　His　habitation；　without　the　walls；　was　near　a　chapel　of　the　abbey；　where　Mesdames　were　taken　to　repeat　the　prayers　for　those　in　the　agonies　of　death。　　Their　prayers　were　more　than　once　interrupted　by　the　shrieks　of　the　dying　man。
  When　Mesdames；　still　very　young；　returned　to　Court；　they　enjoyed　the　friendship　of　Monseigneur　the　Dauphin；　and　profited　by　his　advice。　　They　devoted　themselves　ardently　to　study；　and　gave　up　almost　the　whole　of　their　time　to　it；　they　enabled　themselves　to　write　French　correctly；　and　acquired　a　good　knowledge　of　history。　　Italian；　English；　the　higher　branches　of　mathematics；　turning　and　dialing；　filled　up　in　succession　their　leisure　moments。　　Madame　Adelaide；　in　particular；　had　a　most　insatiable　desire　to　learn；　she　was　taught　to　play　upon　all　instruments；　from　the　horn　（wi