hat
part) was the matter that occasioned their being there, I know not what;
but, walking in the guard-chamber, and with his jack-boots on, and the
whole habit of the troop, as it is worn when our horse guards are upon
duty, as they call it, at St. James's Park; I say, there, to my
inexpressible confusion, I saw Mr. ----, my first husband, the brewer.

I could not be deceived; I passed so near him that I almost brushed him
with my clothes, and looked him full in the face, but having my fan
before my face, so that he could not know me. However, I knew him
perfectly well, and I heard him speak, which was a second way of knowing
him. Besides being, you may be sure, astonished and surprised at such a
sight, I turned about after I had passed him some steps, and pretending
to ask the lady that was with me some questions, I stood as if I had
viewed the great hall, the outer guard-chamber, and some things; but I
did it to take a full view of his dress, that I might farther inform
myself.

While I stood thus amusing the lady that was with me with questions, he
walked, talking with another man of the same cloth, back again, just by
me; and to my particular satisfaction, or dissatisfaction--take it which
way you will--I heard him speak English, the other being, it seems, an
Englishman.

I then asked the lady some other questions. "Pray, madam," says I, "what
are these troopers here? Are they the king's guards?" "No," says she;
"they are the _gens d'armes_; a small detachment of them, I suppose,
attended the king to-day, but they are not his Majesty's ordinary
guard." Another lady that was with her said, "No, madam, it seems that
is not the case, for I heard them saying the _gens d'armes_ were here
to-day by special order, some of them being to march towards the Rhine,
and these attend for orders; but they go back to-morrow to Orleans,
where they are expected."

This satisfied me in part, but I found means after this to inquire whose
particular troop it was that the gentlemen that were here belonged to;
and with that I heard they would all be at Paris the week after.

Two days after this we returned for Paris, when I took occasion to speak
to my lord, that I heard the _gens d'armes_ were to be in the city the
next week, and that I should be charmed with seeing them march if they
came in a body. He was so obliging in such things that I need but just
name a thing of that kind and it was done; so he ordered his gentleman
(I shou