The Journey.
The next day being agreed upon for the departure, the king, at eleven o'clock
precisely, descended the grand staircase with the two queens and Madame, in
order to enter his carriage drawn by six horses, that were pawing the ground in
impatience at the foot of the staircase. The whole court awaited the royal
appearance in the Fer-a-cheval crescent, in their travelling costumes; the large
number of saddled horses and carriages of ladies and gentlemen of the court,
surrounded by their attendants, servants, and pages, formed a spectacle whose
brilliancy could scarcely be equalled. The king entered his carriage with the two
queens; Madame was in the same one with Monsieur. The maids of honor
followed their example, and took their seats, two by two, in the carriages destined
for them. The weather was exceedingly warm; a light breeze, which, early in the
morning, all had thought would have proved sufficient to cool the air, soon
became fiercely heated by the rays of the sun, although it was hidden behind the
clouds, and filtered through the heated vapor which rose from the ground like a
scorching wind, bearing particles of fine dust against the faces of the travelers.
Madame was the first to complain of the heat. Monsieur's only reply was to throw
himself back in the carriage as though about to faint, and to inundate himself with
scents and perfumes, uttering the deepest sighs all the while; whereupon
Madame said to him, with her most amiable expression: - "Really, Monsieur, I
fancied that you would have been polite enough, on account of the terrible heart,
to have left me my carriage to myself, and to have performed the journey yourself
on horseback."
"Ride on horseback!" cried the prince, with an accent of dismay which showed
how little idea he had of adopting this unnatural advice; "you cannot suppose
such a thing, Madame! My skin would peel off if I were to expose myself to such
a burning breeze as this."
Madame began to laugh.
"You can take my parasol," she said.
"But the trouble of holding it!" replied Monsieur, with the greatest coolness;
"besides, I have no horse."
"What, no horse?" replied the princess, who, if she did not secure the solitude
she required, at least obtained the amusement of teasing. "No horse! You are
mistaken, Monsieur; for I see your favorite bay out yonder."
"My bay horse!" exclaimed the prince, attempting to lean forward to look out of
the door; but the movement he was obliged to make cost him so much trouble
that he soon hastened to resume his immobility.
"Yes," said Madame; "your horse, led by M. de Malicorne."
"Poor beast," replied the prince; "how warm it must be!"
And with these words he closed his eyes, like a man on the point of death.
Madame, on her side, reclined indolently in the other corner of the carriage, and
closed her eyes also, not, however, to sleep, but to think more at her ease. In the
meantime the king, seated in the front seat of his carriage, the back of which he
