finding
themselves once more together under the roof of royalty after so many
long and sorrowful separations, after seeing each other so often on the
very verge of ruin, they might well be proud of their mutual constancy,
which had deserved and brought about the halo of prosperity surrounding
that auspicious day, and together look forward for the rest of their
lives with the solid hope of sharing a glorious repose.

Around the Queen, the Cardinal was welcomed by a brilliant array of
great nobles and fair ladies, formerly the bitter enemies Of Richelieu's
successor, but who were there assembled to compliment him upon his happy
return.

Amongst those ladies foremost in their congratulations was the Princess
Palatine, with whom we have already made some acquaintance--Anne de
Gonzagua, one of the most eminent personages of the seventeenth century.
Of an admirable beauty, which served in some sort as a setting to an
intellect the most solid, she was as capable of taking part in the
deliberations of statesmen as in the assemblies of wits or in gallant
intrigues, seeking, it is true, her advantages, but not by the betrayal
of any one; who, without treason to royalty, had given advice the most
judicious to the Fronde, and would have saved it, if the Fronde could
have been saved. As she had never ceased to keep up the best
understanding with Mazarin, she could very well associate herself with
his triumph.

She was there also, that other famous female politician, of a grade
still higher, as beautiful and as gallant, of a less gracious, perhaps,
but yet stronger disposition, more capable still of grand enterprises,
and never suffering herself to be stayed by any danger or any
scruple--the widow of the Constable de Luynes, Marie de Rohan, Duchess
de Chevreuse, who formerly had lent a hand to every plot concocted
against Mazarin, and in concert with the Palatine had proposed, as we
have seen, the sole measure which could bring together all the
Cardinal's enemies, and form a great aristocratical party strong enough
to make head against royalty:--the marriage of Conde's son with a
daughter of the Duke d'Orleans, and that of her own daughter with the
Prince de Conti. This latter match having been broken off in a manner
the most outrageous to her feelings, Madame de Chevreuse had separated
from Conde with eclat; and, too experienced to ally herself with the
sort of _tiers-parti_ which Retz had proposed, but allowing herself to
be ge