undertake our defence. My uncle and I, his rightful and duteous heir,
offer the King devoted homage and unswerving fealty. We offer to forget
the past, to put our hearts and our swords at his service. Let him
withdraw his troops and those standards of his that have brought terror
and grief to our unhappy Lorraine. I offer to marry Mademoiselle de
Thianges, your beautiful and charming niece, and to make her happy, and
to surrender all any estates to the King of France, if I die without male
issue or heirs of any sort.

I know your kind-heartedness, madame, by a niece who is your picture. In
your hands I place her interests and my fate. I await your message with
impatience, and I shall receive it with courage if you fail to obtain
that which you ought to obtain.

Be assured, madame, of my unbounded admiration and respect.

CHARLES

I at once went to my house at Clagny, whither I privately summoned Madame
de Thianges. On reading this letter, my sister was moved to tears, for
she had always deeply felt how unjustly this family had been treated. She
was also personally attached to this same Prince Charles, whom to see was
to love.

We read this letter through thrice, and each time we found it more
admirable; the embarrassing thing was how to dare to let his Majesty know
its contents. However temperate the allusions to himself, there was
still the reproach of injustice and barbarity, set against the clemency
of Anne of Austria, and her generous compassion.

My sister said to me, "Go boldly to work in the matter. Despite your
three children, the King leaves you merely a marquise; and for my own
part, if my daughter becomes Duchesse do Lorraine, I promise you the
Principality of Vaudemont."

"It is quite true," I replied; "his conduct is inexplicable. To Madame
Scarron, who was only the governess of his children, he gives one of the
first marquisates of France, while to me, who have borne these three
children (with infinite pain), I admit he has only given some jewelry,
some money, and this pretty castle of Clagny."

"You are as clever as can be, my dear Athenais," said Madame de Thianges,
"but, as a matter of fact, your cleverness is not of a business kind. You
don't look after yourself, but let yourself be neglected; you don't push
yourself forward enough, nor stand upon your dignity as you ought to do.

"The little lame woman had hardly been brought to bed of Mademoiselle de
Blois, when she was made Duche