disappeared from France, to the
great relief of the court, and was seen there no more.

Olympia Mancini had ever increasing evidence that the love of the king
for her was but a frivolous and heartless passion. The Count de
Soissons, of Savoy, a young prince who had just become the head of his
house, visited the court of Louis XIV. The marvelous beauty of
Olympia, at first glance, won his heart. He was young, handsome,
chivalric, high-born, and was just entering upon a magnificent
inheritance. Olympia had recently lost by death a mother whom she
greatly revered, and a beloved sister. She was overwhelmed with grief.
The entire want of sympathy manifested by the king shocked her. He
thought of nothing but his own personal pleasure. Regardless of the
grief of Olympia, he exhibited himself, evening after evening, in
court theatricals, emulating the agility of an opera-dancer, and
attired in spangled robes.

Wounded and irritated by such conduct, Olympia accepted the proffered
hand of the Count de Soissons, who was grandson of Charles V. The
marriage was attended with great splendor at the palace of the Louvre.
All the court was present. The king himself seemed not at all
discomposed that another should marry the beautiful maiden whom he had
professed so ardently to love. Indeed, he was already beginning to
transfer his attentions to Mademoiselle d'Argencourt, a queenly beauty
of the high family of Conti. Her figure was perfect, her manners were
courtly in the highest degree, and all who approached her were charmed
with her conversational vivacity and tact.

But Mademoiselle's affections were already engaged, and, being fully
aware that the king flitted from beauty to beauty, like the butterfly
from flower to flower, she very frankly intimated to the king that she
could not receive his attentions. Louis was heart-broken; for such
fragile hearts are easily broken and as easily repaired. He hastened
to his mother, and told her that he must leave Paris to conquer his
passion. The love-sick monarch retired to Vincennes, spent ten days
there, and returned quite cured.

The marriage of Olympia, as we have mentioned, was celebrated with
very great brilliance. The ambitious cardinal, in heart disappointed
that he had not been able to confer the hand of Olympia on the king,
was increasingly desirous of investing the members of his family with
all possible eclat. He had imported for the occasion the principal
members of the Pope'