dark oratory of the Montespans, to which, therefore, a
crowd was presently attracted. Alas! for the brevity and vanity of human
life! The marquess, who had but so short a time since entered the church
in manly prime, health, and strength, and in the full flush of happiness
and hope, now suddenly, ay, even as he knelt beside his beautiful wife,
and even as their spirits mingled in the same acts of devotion, the
marquess now, struck by the angel of death, laid cold, senseless, and
motionless, in the arms of his servants, who were vainly endeavouring to
recall that vital spark which was totally extinct. Victorine, the young
and lovely marchioness, thus suddenly and awfully reduced to widowhood,
had fallen into such violent hysterics, as to render the task of
supporting her almost dangerous to a noble youth who had voluntarily
undertaken it. The consternation of the spectators at this tragical
spectacle may be well imagined; but some two or three of them had,
nevertheless, presence of mind sufficient to fetch a physician, and
after medical aid had somewhat restored to composure the unhappy
Victorine, she, with her deceased husband, upon whom, alas, all efforts
of art had been bestowed in vain, was carefully conveyed to the Hotel
de Montespan. Upon the breast of the Comte de Villeroi had the head
of the afflicted marchioness rested, in the eventful hour of her sad
bereavement, and in less than six months did he supply to her the
place of her departed lord. This event occurred, it was then deemed,
prematurely, and the precise and censorious blamed the indelicate haste
with which Victorine had exchanged her weeds for bridal attire; but
the kind-hearted observed, "Poor young creature, all Paris knows that
Villeroi was the elected of her heart, long ere she was forced into a
marriage with Montespan; no wonder therefore is it, that the first act
of her recovered liberty should be, that of throwing herself into his
arms;" so, "all Paris," after this appeal to its knowledge of private
history, and best sympathies, could do no less than take the charitable
side of the question, and Madame la Comtesse de Villeroi was allowed,
unmolested by the voice of public censure, to reign awhile as bride
and belle in the high circles which her beauty and agreeable qualities
so well fitted her to adorn. Ere long, however, it was surmised that
Victorine found herself not quite so happy in her union with the object
of her first affection as she had