As　I　knew　she　had　a　sister　worth　above　80；000　livres　a　year；　I；　that　very　instant；　thought　of　a　double　match。　　I　had　no　hopes　they　would　think　of　me；　knowing　how　things　stood；　so　I　was　resolved　to　provide　for　myself。
  Having　got　a　hint　that　my　father　did　not　intend　to　carry　me　to　the　wedding；　as；　foreseeing；　it　may　be；　what　happened；　I　pretended　to　be　better　pleased　with　my　profession；　to　be　touched　by　what　my　father　had　so　often　laid　before　me　on　that　subject；　and　I　acted　my　part　so　well　that　they　believed　I　was　quite　another　man。
  My　father　resolved　to　carry　me　into　Brittany；　for　the　reason　that　I　had　shown　no　inclination　that　way。　　We　found　Mademoiselle　de　Retz　at　Beaupreau；　in　Anjou。　　I　looked　on　the　eldest　only　as　my　sister；　but　immediately　considered　Mademoiselle　de　Scepaux　（so　the　youngest　was　called）　as　my　mistress。
  I　thought　her　very　handsome；　her　complexion　the　most　charming　in　the　world；　lilies　and　roses　in　abundance；　admirable　eyes；　a　very　pretty　mouth；　and　what　she　wanted　in　stature　was　abundantly　made　up　by　the　prospect　of　80；000　livres　a　year　and　of　the　Duchy　of　Beaupreau；　and　by　a　thousand　chimeras　which　I　formed　on　these　real　foundations。
  I　played　my　game　nicely　from　the　beginning；　and　acted　the　ecclesiastic　and　the　devotee　both　in　the　journey　and　during　my　stay　there；　nevertheless；　I　paid　my　sighs　to　the　fair　one；she　perceived　it。　I　spoke　at　last；　and　she　heard　me；　but　not　with　that　complacency　which　I　could　have　wished。
  But　observing　she　had　a　great　kindness　for　an　old　chambermaid；　sister　to　one　of　my　monks　of　Buzai；　I　did　all　I　could　to　gain　her；　and　by　the　means　of　a　hundred　pistoles　down；　and　vast　promises；　I　succeeded。　　She　made　her　mistress　believe　that　she　was　designed　for　a　nunnery；　and　I；　for　my　part；　told　her　that　I　was　doomed　to　nothing　less　than　a　monastery。　　She　could　not　endure　her　sister；　because　she　was　her　father's　darling；　and　I　was　not　overfond　of　my　brother；＇Pierre　de　Gondi；　Duc　de　Retz；　who　died　in　1676。＇　for　the　same　reason。　　This　resemblance　in　our　fortunes　contributed　much　to　the　uniting　of　our　affections；　which　I　persuaded　myself　were　reciprocal；　and　I　resolved　to　carry　her　to　Holland。
  Indeed；　there　was　nothing　more　easy；　for　Machecoul；　whither　we　were　come　from　Beaupreau；　was　no　more　than　half　a　league　from　the　sea。　　But　money　was　the　only　thing　wanting；　for　my　treasury；　was　so　drained　by　the　gift　of　the　hundred　pistoles　above　mentioned　that　I　had　not　a　sou　left。　　But　I　found　a　supply　by　telling　my　father　that；　as　the　farming　of　my　abbeys　was　taxed　with　the　utmost　rigour　of　the　law；　so　I　thought　myself　obliged　in　conscience　to　take　the　administration　of　them　into　my　own　hands。　　This　proposal；　though　not　pleasing；　could　not　be　rejected；　both　because　it　was　regular　and　because　it　made　him　in　some　measure　believe　that　I　would　not　fail　to　keep　my　benefices；　since　I　was　willing　to　take　care　of　them。　I　went　the　next　day　to　let　Buzai；＇One　of　his　abbeys。＇　which　is　but　five　leagues　from　Machecoul。　　I　treated　with　a　Nantes　merchant；　whose　name　was　Jucatieres；　who　took　advantage　of　my　eagerness；　and　for　4；000　crowns　ready　money　got　a　bargain　that　made　his　fortune。　　I　thought　I　had　4；000；000；　and　was　just　securing　one　of　the　Dutch　pinks；　which　are　always　in　the　road　of　Retz；　when　the　following　accident　happened；　which　broke　all　my　measures。
  Mademoiselle　de　Retz　（for　she　had　taken　that　name　after　her　sister's　marriage）　had　the　finest　eyes　in　the　world；　and　they　never　were　so　beautiful　as　when　she　was　languishing　in　love；　the　charms　of　which　I　never　yet　saw　equalled。　　We　happened　to　dine　at　a　lady's　house；　a　league　from　Machecoul；　where　Mademoiselle　de　Retz；　looking　in　the　glass　at　an　assembly　of　ladies；　displayed　all　those　tender；　lively；　moving　airs　which　the　Italians　call　'morbidezza'；　or　the　lover's　languish。　　But　unfortunately　she　was　not　aware　that　Palluau；　since　Marechal　de　Clerambaut；　was　behind　her；　who　observed　her　airs；　and　being　very　much　attached　to　Madame　de　Retz；　with　whom　he　had　in　her　tender　years　been　very　familiar；　told　her　faithfully　what　he　had　observed。
  Madame　de　Retz；　who　mortally　hated　her　sister；　disclosed　it　that　very　night　to　her　father；　who　did　not　fail　to　impart　it　to　mine。　　The　next　morning；　at　the　arrival　of　the　post　from　Paris；　all　was　in　a　hurry；　my　father　pretending　to　have　received　very　pressing　news；　and；　after　our　taking　a　slight　though　public　leave　of　the　ladies；　my　father　carried　me　to　sleep　that　night　at　Nantes。　　I　was；　as　you　may　imagine；　under　very　great　surprise　and　concern；　for　I　could　not　guess　the　cause　of　this　sudden　departure。　　I　had　nothing　to　reproach　myself　with　upon　the　score　of　my　conduct；　neither　had　I　the　least　suspicion　that　Palluau　had　seen　anything　more　than　ordinary　till　I　arrived　at　Orleans；　where　the　matter　was　cleared　up；　for　my　brother；　to　prevent　my　escape；　which　I　vainly　attempted　several　times　on　my　journey；　seized　my　strong　box；　in　which　was　my　money；　and　then　I　understood　that　I　was　betrayed；　in　what　grief；　then；　I　arrived　at　Paris；　I　leave　you　to　imagine。
  I　found　there　Equilli；　Vasse's　uncle；　and　my　first　cousin；　who；　I　daresay；　was　one　of　the　most　honest　men　of　his　time；　and　loved　me　from　his　very　soul。　　I　apprised　him　of　my　design　to　run　away　with　Mademoiselle　de　Retz。　　He　heartily　approved　of　my　project；　not　only　because　it　would　be　a　very　advantageous　match　for　me；　but　because　he　was　persuaded　that　a　double　alliance　was　necessary　to　secure　the　establishment　of　the　family。
  The　Cardinal　de　Richelieu　＇Armand　Jean　du　Plesais；　Cardinal　de　Richelieu；　was　born　in　1585；　and　died　in　1642。＇　（then　Prime　Minister）　mortally　hated　the　Princesse　de　Guemenee；　because　he　was　persuaded　she　had　crossed　his　amours　with　the　Queen；＇Anne　of　Austria；　eldest　daughter　of　Philip　HL；　King　of　Spain；　and　wife　of　Louis　XIII。；　died　1666。＇　and　had　a　hand　in　the　trick　played　him　by　Madame　du　Fargis；　one　of　the　Queen's　dressing　women；　who　showed　her　Majesty　（Marie　de　Medicis）　a　love…　letter　written　by　his　Eminence　to　the　Queen；　her　daughter…in…law。　　The　Cardinal　pushed　his　resentment　so　far　that　he　attempted　to　force　the　Marechal　de　Breze；　his　brother…in…law；　and　captain　of　the　King's　Life…　guards；　to　expose　Madame　de　Guemenee's　letters；　which　were　found　in　M。　de　Montmorency's＇Henri　de　Montmorency　was　apprehended　on　the　1st　of　September；　1632；　and　beheaded　in　Toulouse　in　November　of　the　same　year。＇　coffer　when　he　was　arrested　at　Chateau　Naudari。　　But　the　Marechal　de　Breze　had　so　much　honour　and　generosity　as　to　return　them　to　Madame　de　Guemenee。　　He　was；　nevertheless；　a　very　extravagant　gentleman；　but　the　Cardinal　de　Richelieu；　perceiving　he　had　been　formerly　honoured　by　some　kind　of　relation　to　him；　and　dreading　his　angry　excursions　and　preachments　before　the　King；　who　had　some　consideration　for　his　person；　bore　with　him　very　patiently　for　the　sake　of　settling　peace　in　his　own　family；　which　he　passionately　longed　to　unite　and　establish；　but　which　was　the　only　thing　out　of　his　power；　who　could　do　whatever　else　he　pleased　in　France。　　For　the　Marechal　de　Breze　had　conceived　so　strong　an　aversion　to　M。　de　La　Meilleraye；　who　was　then　Grand　Master　of　the　Artillery；　and　afterwards　Marechal　de　La　Meilleraye；　that　he　could　not　endure　him。　　He　did　not　imagine　that　the　Cardinal　would　ever　look　upon　a　man　who；　though　his　first　cousin；　was　of　a　mean　extraction；　had　a　most　contemptible　aspect；　and；　if　fame　says　true；　not　one　extraordinary　good　quality。
  The　Cardinal　was　of　another　mind；　and　had　a　great　opinionindeed；　with　abundance　of　reasonof　M。　de　La　Meilleraye's　courage；　but　he　esteemed　his　military　capacity　infinitely　too　much；　though　in　truth　it　was　not　contemptible。　　In　a　word；　he　designed　him　for　that　post　which　we　have　since　seen　so　gloriously　filled　by　M。　de　Turenne。
  You　may；　by　what　has　been　said；　judge　of　the　divisions　that　were　in　Cardinal　de　Richelieu's　family；　and　how　much　he　was　concerned　to　appease　them。　　He　laboured　at　them　with　great　application；　and　for　this　end　thought　he　could　not　do　better　than　to　unite　these　two　heads　of　the　faction　in　a　close　confidence　with　himself；　exclusive　of　all　others。　To　this　end　he　used　them　jointly　and　in　common　as　the　confidants　of　his　amours；　which　certainly　were　neither　suitable　to　the　lustre　of　his　actions　nor　the　grandeur　of　his　life；　for　Marion　de　Lorme；　one　of　his　mistresses；　was　little　better　than　a　common　prostitute。　　Another　of　his　concubines　was　Madame　de　Fruges；　that　old　gentlewoman　who　was　so　often　seen　sauntering　in　the　enclosure。　　The　first　used　to　come　to　his　apartment　in　the　daytime；　and　he　went　by　night　to　visit　the　other；　who　was　but　the　pitiful　cast…off　of　Buckingham　and　Epienne。　　The　two　confidants　introduced　him　there　in　coloured　clothes；　for　they　had　made　up　a　hasty　peace；　to　which　Madame　de　Guemenee　nearly　fell　a　sacrifice。
  M。　de　La　Meilleraye；　whom　they　called　the　Grand　Master；　was　in　love　with　Madame　de　Guemenee；　but　she　could　not　love　him；　and　he　being；　both　in　his　own　nature　and　by　reason　of　his　great　favour　with　the　Cardinal；　the　most　imperious　man　living；　took　it　very　ill　that　he　was　not　beloved。　　He　complained；　but　the　lady　was　insensible；　he　huffed　and　bounced；　but　was　laughed　to　scorn。　　He　thought　he　had　her　in　his　power　because　the　Cardinal；　to　whom　he　had　declared