d　her　marked　preference。　　The　governess；　who　sought　to　advance　the　Princess　to　whom　nature　had　been　least　favourable；　was　offended　at　the　Dauphiness's　partiality　for　Madame　Elisabeth；　and　by　her　injudicious　complaints　weakened　the　friendship　which　yet　subsisted　between　Madame　Clotilde　and　Marie　Antoinette。　　There　even　arose　some　degree　of　rivalry　on　the　subject　of　education；　and　that　which　the　Empress　Maria　Theresa　bestowed　on　her　daughters　was　talked　of　openly　and　unfavourably　enough。　　The　Abbe　de　Vermond　thought　himself　affronted；　took　a　part　in　the　quarrel；　and　added　his　complaints　and　jokes　to　those　of　the　Dauphiness　on　the　criticisms　of　the　governess；　he　even　indulged　himself　in　his　turn　in　reflections　on　the　tuition　of　Madame　Clotilde。　Everything　becomes　known　at　Court。　　Madame　de　Marsan　was　informed　of　all　that　had　been　said　in　the　Dauphiness's　circle；　and　was　very　angry　with　her　on　account　of　it。
  From　that　moment　a　centre　of　intrigue；　or　rather　gossip；　against　Marie　Antoinette　was　established　round　Madame　de　Marsan's　fireside；　her　most　trifling　actions　were　there　construed　ill；　her　gaiety；　and　the　harmless　amusements　in　which　she　sometimes　indulged　in　her　own　apartments　with　the　more　youthful　ladies　of　her　train；　and　even　with　the　women　in　her　service；　were　stigmatised　as　criminal。　　Prince　Louis　de　Rohan；　sent　through　the　influence　of　this　clique　ambassador　to　Vienna；　was　the　echo　there　of　these　unmerited　comments；　and　threw　himself　into　a　series　of　culpable　accusations　which　he　proffered　under　the　guise　of　zeal。　　He　ceaselessly　represented　the　young　Dauphiness　as　alienating　all　hearts　by　levities　unsuitable　to　the　dignity　of　the　French　Court。　　The　Princess　frequently　received　from　the　Court　of　Vienna　remonstrances；　of　the　origin　of　which　she　could　not　long　remain　in　ignorance。　　From　this　period　must　be　dated　that　aversion　which　she　never　ceased　to　manifest　for　the　Prince　de　Rohan。
  About　the　same　time　the　Dauphiness　received　information　of　a　letter　written　by　Prince　Louis　to　the　Duc　d'Aiguillon；　in　which　the　ambassador　expressed　himself　in　very　free　language　respecting　the　intentions　of　Maria　Theresa　with　relation　to　the　partition　of　Poland。　　This　letter　of　Prince　Louis　had　been　read　at　the　Comtesse　du　Barry's；　the　levity　of　the　ambassador's　correspondence　wounded　the　feelings　and　the　dignity　of　the　Dauphiness　at　Versailles；　while　at　Vienna　the　representations　which　he　made　to　Maria　Theresa　against　the　young　Princess　terminated　in　rendering　the　motives　of　his　incessant　complaints　suspected　by　the　Empress。
  Maria　Theresa　at　length　determined　on　sending　her　private　secretary；　Baron　de　Neni；　to　Versailles；　with　directions　to　observe　the　conduct　of　the　Dauphiness　with　attention；　and　form　a　just　estimate　of　the　opinion　of　the　Court　and　of　Paris　with　regard　to　that　Princess。　　The　Baron　de　Neni；　after　having　devoted　sufficient　time　and　intelligence　to　the　subject；　undeceived　his　sovereign　as　to　the　exaggerations　of　the　French　ambassador；　and　the　Empress　had　no　difficulty　in　detecting；　among　the　calumnies　which　he　had　conveyed　to　her　under　the　specious　excuse　of　anxiety　for　her　august　daughter；　proofs　of　the　enmity　of　a；　party　which　had　never　approved　of　the　alliance　of　the　House　of　Bourbon　with　her　own。
  At　this　period　the　Dauphiness；　though　unable　to　obtain　any　influence　over　the　heart　of　her　husband；　dreading　Louis　XV。；　and　justly　mistrusting　everything　connected　with　Madame　du　Barry　and　the　Duc　d'Aiguillon；　had　not　deserved　the　slightest　reproach　for　that　sort　of　levity　which　hatred　and　her　misfortunes　afterwards　construed　into　crime。　　The　Empress；　convinced　of　the　innocence　of　Marie　Antoinette；　directed　the　Baron　de　Neni　to　solicit　the　recall　of　the　Prince　de　Rohan；　and　to　inform　the　Minister　for　Foreign　Affairs　of　all　the　motives　which　made　her　require　it；　but　the　House　of　Rohan　interposed　between　its　protege　and　the　Austrian　envoy；　and　an　evasive　answer　merely　was　given。
  It　was　not　until　two　months　after　the　death　of　Louis　XV。　　that　the　Court　of　Vienna　obtained　his　recall。　　The　avowed　grounds　for　requiring　it　were；　first；　the　public　gallantries　of　Prince　Louis　with　some　ladies　of　the　Court　and　others；　secondly；　his　surliness　and　haughtiness　towards　other　foreign　ministers；　which　would　have　had　more　serious　consequences；　especially　with　the　ministers　of　England　and　Denmark；　if　the　Empress　herself　had　not　interfered；　thirdly；　his　contempt　for　religion　in　a　country　where　it　was　particularly　necessary　to　show　respect　for　it。　He　had　been　seen　frequently　to　dress　himself　in　clothes　of　different　colours；　assuming　the　hunting　uniforms　of　various　noblemen　whom　he　visited；　with　so　much　audacity　that　one　day　in　particular；　during　the　Fete…Dieu；　he　and　all　his　legation；　in　green　uniforms　laced　with　gold；　broke　through　a　procession　which　impeded　them；　in　order　to　make　their　way　to　a　hunting　party　at　the　Prince　de　Paar's；　and　fourthly；　the　immense　debts　contracted　by　him　and　his　people；　which　were　tardily　and　only　in　part　discharged。
  The　succeeding　marriages　of　the　Comte　de　Provence　and　the　Comte　d'Artois　with　two　daughters　of　the　King　of　Sardinia　procured　society　for　the　Dauphiness　more　suitable　to　her　age；　and　altered　her　mode　of　life。
  A　pair　of　tolerably　fine　eyes　drew　forth；　in　favour　of　the　Comtesse　de　Provence；　upon　her　arrival　at　Versailles；　the　only　praises　which　could　reasonably　be　bestowed　upon　her。　　The　Comtesse　d'Artois；　though　not　deformed；　was　very　small；　she　had　a　fine　complexion；　her　face；　tolerably　pleasing；　was　not　remarkable　for　anything　except　the　extreme　length　of　the　nose。　　But　being　good　and　generous；　she　was　beloved　by　those　about　her；　and　even　possessed　some　influence　so　long　as　she　was　the　only　Princess　who　had　produced　heirs　to　the　crown。
  From　this　time　the　closest　intimacy　subsisted　between　the　three　young　families。　　They　took　their　meals　together；　except　on　those　days　when　they　dined　in　public。　　This　manner　of　living　en　famille　continued　until　the　Queen　sometimes　indulged　herself　in　going　to　dine　with　the　Duchesse　de　Polignac；　when　she　was　governess；　but　the　evening　meetings　at　supper　were　never　interrupted；　they　took　place　at　the　house　of　the　Comtesse　de　Provence。　　Madame　Elisabeth　made　one　of　the　party　when　she　had　finished　her　education；　and　sometimes　Mesdames；　the　King's　aunts；　were　invited。　The　custom；　which　had　no　precedent　at　Court；　was　the　work　of　Marie　Antoinette；　and　she　maintained　it　with　the　utmost　perseverance。
  The　Court　of　Versailles　saw　no　change　in　point　of　etiquette　during　the　reign　of　Louis　XV。　　Play　took　place　at　the　house　of　the　Dauphiness；　as　being　the　first　lady　of　the　State。　　It　had；　from　the　death　of　Queen　Maria　Leczinska　to　the　marriage　of　the　Dauphin；　been　held　at　the　abode　of　Madame　Adelade。　　This　removal；　the　result　of　an　order　of　precedence　not　to　be　violated；　was　not　the　less　displeasing　to　Madame　Adelaide；　who　established　a　separate　party　for　play　in　her　apartments；　and　scarcely　ever　went　to　that　which　not　only　the　Court　in　general；　but　also　the　royal　family；　were　expected　to　attend。　　The　full…dress　visits　to　the　King　on　his　'debotter'　were　continued。　　High　mass　was　attended　daily。　　The　airings　of　the　Princesses　were　nothing　more　than　rapid　races　in　berlins；　during　which　they　were　accompanied　by　Body　Guards；　equerries；　and　pages　on　horseback。　　They　galloped　for　some　leagues　from　Versailles。　　Calashes　were　used　only　in　hunting。
  The　young　Princesses　were　desirous　to　infuse　animation　into　their　circle　of　associates　by　something　useful　as　well　as　pleasant。　　They　adopted　the　plan　of　learning　and　performing　all　the　best　plays　of　the　French　theatre。　The　Dauphin　was　the　only　spectator。　　The　three　Princesses；　the　two　brothers　of　the　King；　and　Messieurs　Campan；　father　and　son；　were　the　sole　performers；　but　they　endeavoured　to　keep　this　amusement　as　secret　as　an　affair　of　State；　they　dreaded　the　censure　of　Mesdames；　and　they　had　no　doubt　that　Louis　XV。　would　forbid　such　pastimes　if　he　knew　of　them。　　They　selected　for　their　performance　a　cabinet　in　the　entresol　which　nobody　had　occasion　to　enter。
  A　kind　of　proscenium；　which　could　be　taken　down　and　shut　up　in　a　closet；　formed　the　whole　theatre。　　The　Comte　de　Provence　always　knew　his　part　with　imperturbable　accuracy；　the　Comte　d'Artois　knew　his　tolerably　well；　and　recited　elegantly；　the　Princesses　acted　badly。　　The　Dauphiness　acquitted　herself　in　some　characters　with　discrimination　and　feeling。　The　chief　pleasure　of　this　amusement　consisted　in　all　the　costumes　being　elegant　and　accurate。　　The　Dauphin　entered　into　the　spirit　of　these　diversions；　and　laughed　heartily　at　the　comic　characters　as　they　came　on　the　scene；　from　these　amusements　may　be　dated　his　discontinuance　of　the　timid　manner　of　his　youth；　and　his　taking　pleasure　in　the　society　of　the　Dauphiness。
  It　was　not　till　a　long　time　afterwards　that　I　learnt　these　particulars；　M。　Campan　having　kept　the　secret；　but　an　unforeseen　event　had　well…nigh　exposed　the　whole　mystery。　　One　day　the　Queen　desired　M。　Campan　to　go　down　into　her　closet　to　fetch　something　that　she　had　forgotten；　he　was　dressed　for　the　character　of　Crispin；　and　was　rouged。　　A　private　staircase　led　direct　to　the　entresol　through　the　dressing…room。　　M。　Campan　fancied　he　heard　some　noise；　and　remained