assembly, Louis XIV. became red with anger,
and looked around him to ascertain by the countenances of those that
were present, if this humiliation had been prepared for him. But as he
saw nothing upon the impassible visage of the cardinal, nothing on that
of his mother, nothing on those of the assembly, he resigned himself,
and sat down, taking care to be seated before anybody else.

The gentlemen and ladies were presented to their majesties and monsieur
le cardinal.

The king remarked that his mother and he scarcely knew the names of any
of the persons who were presented to them; whilst the cardinal, on the
contrary never failed, with an admirable memory and presence of mind,
to talk to every one about his estates, his ancestors, or his children,
some of whom he named, which enchanted those worthy country gentlemen,
and confirmed them in the idea that he alone is truly king who knows his
subjects, from the same reason that the sun has no rival, because the
sun alone warms and lightens.

The study of the young king, which had begun a long time before, without
anybody suspecting it, was continued then, and he looked around him
attentively to endeavor to make out something in the physiognomies which
had at first appeared the most insignificant and trivial.

A collation was served. The king, without daring to call upon the
hospitality of his uncle, had waited for it impatiently. This time,
therefore, he had all the honors due, if not to his rank, at least to
his appetite.

As to the cardinal, he contented himself with touching with his withered
lips a bouillon, served in a gold cup. The all-powerful minister, who
had taken her regency from the queen, and his royalty from the king, had
not been able to take a good stomach from nature.

Anne of Austria, already suffering from the cancer which six or eight
years after caused her death, ate very little more than the cardinal.

For Monsieur, already puffed up with the great event which had taken
place in his provincial life, he ate nothing whatever.

Madame alone, like a true Lorrainer, kept pace with his majesty; so that
Louis XIV., who, without this partner, might have eaten nearly alone,
was at first much pleased with his aunt, and afterwards with M. de
Saint-Remy, her maitre d'hotel, who had really distinguished himself.

The collation over, at a sign of approbation from M. de Mazarin, the
king arose, and, at the invitation of his aunt, walked about among the
rank