recognized station in the train of the bride, that great numbers
applied for appointments to nominal offices for which they were to
receive no pay.

[Sidenote: The express.]

If Rene, Margaret's father, had been possessed of a fortune
corresponding to his rank, the expense of all these arrangements, at
least up to the time of the departure of the bridal party, would, have
been defrayed by him; but as it was, every thing was paid for by King
Henry, and the precise amount of every expenditure stands recorded in
certain old books of accounts which still remain among the ancient
English archives.

[Sidenote: Tournament.]

[Sidenote: The victors in the games.]

The nuptials of the princess were celebrated by a tournament and other
accompanying festivities, which were continued for eight days. In
these tournaments a great many mock combats were fought, in which the
most exalted personages present on the occasion took conspicuous and
prominent parts. The King of France himself appeared in the lists, and
fought with Rene, the father of the bride. The king was beaten. It
would have been impolite for any one to have vanquished the father of
the bride at a tournament held in honor of the daughter's nuptials.
The Count St. Pol, too, who had formerly been betrothed to Margaret,
but had not been allowed to marry her, fought very successfully, and
won a valuable prize, which was conferred upon him with great ceremony
by the hands of the two most distinguished ladies present, namely, the
Queen of France and Isabella of Lorraine, the bride's mother. Perhaps
he too was politely allowed to win his victory and his honorary prize,
in consideration of his submitting so quietly to the loss of the real
prize which his great competitor, the King of England, was so
triumphantly bearing away from him.

[Sidenote: Romantic incident.]

[Sidenote: Grand elopement.]

[Sidenote: The parents finally appeased.]

The celebrations of the eight days were interrupted and enlivened by
one remarkable incident, which for a time threatened to produce very
serious difficulty. It will be remembered that when the original
contract and treaty were made between Rene and the uncle of Isabella,
Antoine of Vaudemonte, at the time when peace was re-established
between them, after the battle in which Rene was taken prisoner, that
not only was it agreed that Margaret should be betrothed to the Count
St. Pol, but also that Yolante, Margaret's elder sister, was