favourite even carried her audacity so far as to
address her royal mistress personally, the Queen was startled into a
reply.[129] She soon, however, recovered her self-possession; and
pleading fatigue, broke up the circle by retiring to her own apartments.

The mortification of Madame de Nemours, whose highest ambition had been
to secure the affection of her new sovereign, and whose pride had been
sorely wounded by the undignified office that she had been compelled to
fulfil, had not, however, yet reached its culminating point; for as on
the approach of the King, who was in his turn preparing to withdraw, she
awaited some acknowledgment of the submission with which she had obeyed
his commands, she was startled to see a frown gather upon his brow as
their eyes met; and still more so to hear herself rebuked for the
ungracious manner in which she had performed her task; an exhibition of
ill-will to which, as he averred, Madame de Verneuil was solely indebted
for the coldness of her reception.

The Duchess curtseyed in silence; and Henry, without any other
salutation, slowly pursued his way to the ante-room, followed by the
officers of his household.

On the 12th of the month the Queen changed her residence, and took up
her abode in the house of Zamet,[130] where she was to remain until the
Louvre was prepared for her reception, a precaution which Henry had
utterly neglected; and on the 15th she at length found herself
established in the palace which had been opened to her with so much
apparent reluctance. On the morrow Marie appeared in the costume of the
French Court,[131] with certain modifications which at once became
popular. Like those by whom she was now surrounded, she wore her bosom
considerably exposed, but her back and shoulders were veiled by a deep
ruff which immediately obtained the name of the "Medicis," and which
bore a considerable resemblance to a similar decoration much in vogue
during the sixteenth century. The "Medicis" was composed of rich lace,
stiffened and supported by wire, and rose behind the neck to the
enormous height of twelve inches.[132] The dress to which this ruff was
attached was of the most gorgeous description, the materials employed
being either cloth of gold or silver, or velvet trimmed with ermine;
while chains of jewels confined it across the breast, descending from
thence to the waist, where they formed a chatelaine reaching to the
feet. Nor did the young Queen even hesitate to sa