her
as he would have accepted anything put before him by the court. The
queen was incapable of exerting any beneficial influence upon him; in
fact, the more he became alienated from her, the more humble and timid
did she appear when in his presence. The reign of Mlle. de Nesle had
lasted less than a year, when the beautiful Mme. de La Tournelle,
created Duchesse de Chateauroux, replaced her; the latter lived but
a short time, being the second mistress of Louis XV. to die within a
year. After her death the king raised the beautiful Mme. d'Etioles
to the honor of _maitresse-en-titre_; she, as Mme. de Pompadour, was,
without doubt, the most prominent, possibly the most intelligent and
intellectual, certainly the most powerful, of all French mistresses.
It was the first time that a _bourgeoise_ of the financier class
had usurped the position of mistress--that honor having belonged
exclusively to the nobility.

After the first infidelities of the king, Marie Leczinska's life
became more and more austere and secluded; she remained indoors, far
from the noise and activity of Versailles, leaving only for charitable
purposes or for the theatre. Her mornings were entirely occupied in
prayers and moral readings, after which followed a visit to the king,
a little painting, the toilette, mass, and dinner. After dinner,
she retired to her apartments and passed the time making tapestry,
embroidering, and in charity work--no longer the recreation of
leisure, but the duty of charity which the poor expected. Her taste
for music, the guitar, the clavecin, all amusements in which
she delighted before her marriage, were abandoned. Under such
circumstances the mistress had full control of everything.

It was prophesied of Mlle. Jeanne Poisson, at the age of nine, that
she would become the mistress of Louis XV. (Mme. Lebon, who made this
pleasing prediction, was later rewarded with a pension of six hundred
livres.) Mlle. Jeanne was the natural daughter of a butcher, but
received a good education and, at the age of twenty, was married to Le
Normand d'Etioles, farmer of taxes. It was shortly after this that
she managed to attract the king's attention, at a hunting party in
the forest of Senart. With the assistance of her friends, she was
successful in winning the king, and, in April, 1754, at a supper which
lasted far into the early morning, reposing in his arms, she virtually
became the mistress of Louis XV. The actual accomplishment of thi