The next achievement was
to win the king.

Christina was apparently as familiar with the French court, and all
the intrigues there, from the information which she had obtained, as
if she had always been a resident at that court. She immediately
turned with very marked attention to Olympia Mancini, and seemed
dazzled by her beauty. The heart of the boy-king was won in seeing his
own good taste thus highly appreciated and sanctioned. Having thus
secured the queen and the king, Christina was well aware that she had
captivated the whole court.

An elegant collation was prepared. The plump little queen ate like a
hungry dragoon. The royal cortege, enveloping the Swedish princess,
returned to the palace of Compiegne. Several days were spent at
Compiegne, during which she astonished every one by the remarkable
self-poise of her character, her varied information, and the
versatility of her talents. She conversed upon theology with the
ecclesiastics, upon politics with the ministers, upon all branches of
science and art with philosophers and the _virtuosi_, and eclipsed the
most brilliant of the courtiers in the small-talk of gallantry.

She attended the theatre with the queen. During the tragedy she wept
like a child, heartily and unaffectedly. During the farce, which was
one of those coarse and pungent compositions by the poet Scarron,
which would now be scarcely tolerated, her shouts of laughter echoed
through the theatre. She astonished the court by clapping her hands
and throwing her feet upon the top of the royal box, like a rowdy in a
smoking-room.

[Illustration: VIEW OF FONTAINEBLEAU.]

From Compiegne, Christina, by invitation, went to Fontainebleau to
visit Mademoiselle de Montpensier. The piquant pen of Mademoiselle has
described this interview. Some allowance must perhaps be made for the
vein of satire which pervaded nearly all the utterances of this
haughty princess. The dress of Christina consisted of a skirt of gray
silk, trimmed with gold and silver lace, with a bodice of gold-colored
camlet trimmed like the skirt. She wore a kerchief of Genoa point
about her neck, fastened with a knot of white ribbon. A light wig
concealed her natural hair. Her hat was profusely decorated with white
plumes. She looked, upon the whole, Mademoiselle thought, like a
handsome boy.

Mademoiselle, accustomed to the rigid propriety of the French court,
was not a little surprised to hear Christina, during the comedy,
interlard