to you.... That poor little child must supply
all that we have lost."

Letters like this would give great consolation to Madame de Lafayette,
but alas, they came at long intervals, since many of her husband's
long epistles never reached her. Therefore Adrienne felt his absence
the more keenly, while rumors and exaggerated reports from America
made her days an agony. When, however, he returned to France in
February, 1779, her happiness was beyond all expression.

Adrienne's joy was increased by the fact that while her rash young
husband had left his native land under a cloud, because it was
understood that he did so against the command of the king, his return
was that of a conqueror, triumphant and in favor.

He was not allowed, however, wholly to forget his formal error. His
appeal to Adrienne for forgiveness for his absence was one that he had to
make to others. His father-in-law testified in a letter that, so far as
he was concerned, the recreant might be freely forgiven. Adrienne was
only too willing to receive the one who had left her to go on a mission
to the other side of the world; but what about the king whose command not
to leave the shores of France he had practically disobeyed? Many a man
had been shut up in the Bastille because of a much smaller offense.

Lafayette was brought to the court at Versailles by his relative, the
Prince de Poix. The king received him and graciously accorded a
punishment. He was to suffer imprisonment for the space of _one
week_--his prison to be the grand residence of his father-in-law, the
Hotel de Noailles! After that his pardon was to be freely granted by
his Majesty, with this warning--that he should avoid public places for
a time lest the people should manifest their admiration for his
disobedient conduct by their applause.

The king's warning was not indeed without reason. But there was no use
in trying to keep the impressionable French people from worshiping a
hero after their hearts had been captured by him. The gallantry and
the human-heartedness of Lafayette, as well as the ideals he
held--ideals that were becoming more and more captivating to the fancy
and to the reason of the French nation--contributed to make him the
favorite of the hour. A passage from a certain play never failed to
receive enthusiastic applause from the audiences because it was held
by all to be susceptible of direct application to Lafayette; and this
passage the queen copied in her own hand b