e on
earth. "And where have I lived," says he, "and how ill have I been
served, that I should never till now be showed the finest woman in
France!"

This was the way in all the world the most likely to break in upon my
virtue, if I had been mistress of any; for I was now become the vainest
creature upon earth, and particularly of my beauty, which as other
people admired, so I became every day more foolishly in love with myself
than before.

He said some very kind things to me after this, and sat down with me for
an hour or more, when, getting up and calling his gentleman by his name,
he threw open the door: "_Au boire_," says he; upon which his gentleman
immediately brought up a little table covered with a fine damask cloth,
the table no bigger than he could bring in his two hands, but upon it
was set two decanters, one of champagne and the other of water, six
silver plates, and a service of fine sweetmeats in fine china dishes, on
a set of rings standing up about twenty inches high, one above another.
Below was three roasted partridges and a quail. As soon as his gentleman
had set it all down, he ordered him to withdraw. "Now," says the prince,
"I intend to sup with you."

When he sent away his gentleman, I stood up and offered to wait on his
Highness while he ate; but he positively refused, and told me, "No;
to-morrow you shall be the widow of Monsieur ----, the jeweller, but
to-night you shall be my mistress; therefore sit here," says he, "and
eat with me, or I will get up and serve."

I would then have called up my woman Amy, but I thought that would not
be proper neither; so I made my excuse, that since his Highness would
not let his own servant wait, I would not presume to let my woman come
up; but if he would please to let me wait, it would be my honour to fill
his Highness's wine. But, as before, he would by no means allow me;
so we sat and ate together.

[Illustration: THE VISIT OF THE PRINCE

_And refused to rise till he would allow me the honour to kiss his
hand_]

"Now, madam," says the prince, "give me leave to lay aside my character;
let us talk together with the freedom of equals. My quality sets me at a
distance from you, and makes you ceremonious. Your beauty exalts you to
more than an equality. I must, then, treat you as lovers do their
mistresses, but I cannot speak the language; it is enough to tell you
how agreeable you are to me, how I am surprised at your beauty, and
resolve to make you