to the career of a voluptuary, was with instinctive
sagacity striving to undermine the resources of the haughty nobility,
and to render his own court the most magnificent in Europe.

For several months the court continued immersed in gayety. Dancing, in
all variety of costumes, was the great amusement of the king. There
were balls every evening. Mademoiselle de la Valliere became more and
more the object of the marked attentions of Louis. All his energies
seemed absorbed in the small-talk of gallantry; still there were
occasional indications that there were latent forces in the mind of
the king which events might yet develop.

One evening the king was attending a brilliant ball in the apartments
of Henrietta. As he was earnestly engaged in conversation with the
beautiful Louise, some important dispatches were placed in his hands.
He seated himself at a table to examine them. Many eyes watched his
countenance as he silently perused the documents. It was observed at
one moment that he turned deadly pale, and bit his lip with vexation.
Having read the dispatches to the end, he angrily crushed them in his
hand, and said to several of the officers of the court who were around
him,

"Our embassador in London has been publicly insulted by the Spanish
embassador." Then turning to M. Tellier, the Minister of War, he said,
"Let my embassador at Madrid leave that city immediately. Order the
Spanish envoy to quit Paris within twenty-four hours. The conferences
at Flanders are at an end. Unless Spain publicly recognizes the
superiority of our crown, she may prepare for a renewal of the war."

These orders of the king created general consternation. It was
virtually inaugurating another war, with all its untold horrors. M.
Tellier seemed thunderstruck. The king, perceiving his hesitation,
said to him imperiously,

"Do you not understand my orders? I wish you immediately to assemble
the council. I will meet them in an hour."

The king then returned to the ladies, and entered into trifling
small-talk with them, as if nothing of moment had occurred.

It seems that a dispute had arisen in London between the French and
Spanish embassadors upon the point of precedence. This had led to a
bloody encounter in the streets between the retinues of the two
ministers. The French were worsted. The Spaniards gained the contested
point.

The King of Spain was the brother of Anne of Austria. His first wife,
the mother of Maria Theresa, was s