The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-28

among the middle classes had induced
people OF inferior rank to adopt the man
ners and customs Of high society; and not
withdrawing the absurd regulations OF
Louis XVI, which demanded proof Of no.
bility in the case Of any would-be officer.
any one who had wealth n education
could, as a matter Of fact, obtain a commits
sion. Rank and wealth were h u hand In
glove, both in garrison and in Paris society,
but the balls OF Versailles restored the line
Of demarcation between aristocracy and
riches in the most uncompromising manner
II seems, for instance, that NJ. de Dusson, q
young man Of charming appearance and m
mense wealth, an excellent oficer and a
~frequenter of the best Paris society, was 80
imprudent az to go TO one Of the these balls;
he was turned out with such harshness hat
he committed suicide on returning 10 PARIS,
in despair at the ridioule to which he had
exposed himself in an age when ridicuie
was the worst OF calamities The action
which had caused him such i~ntolerable
modification seemed a matter Of course to
members Of the court, but was hateful to
the opulent middle classes.
II was not only new gotten wealth. how
ever, that furnished victims for the Queens
balls. NJ. de Chabannes, Of high birth,
handsome, young, rich and almost O man
OF the hour, in making his first appearance
at a ball at Versailles was SO clumsy as TO
fall down while dancing and 30 tactless as
to cry Jesus Maria," as he fell. 1t was
a fall from which he never rose again. The
designation chung to him permanently to
his complete despair. He volunteered for
the American wars and distinguished him.
aalf in aptinn hnt ha NINA hQNk "JGSlla
Maria" as he went out. Thus it came to
pass that the Due de Coigny observed to
his daughter on the day they were presented
at court: Remember that in this country
vice is immaterial, but ridioule 10 fatal
IL is well known that there was much
high play at Versailles. King LOU XVI,
indeed, never played any game but trio trac
and petits fcus. He said one day 10 a man
who was playing for a high stake: Il can
understand your playing for high stakes II
il amuses you. You are playing with
money that belongs to you. but | should be
playing with other peoples money" Even
while he was making speeches OF this kind.
! however. his younger brother, the Comte
d'Artois, and Queen Marie Antoinette played
for such high stakes that they were obliged
TO admit to their society every damaged
ECpuldNlOn III LuIOBt III Oiutl w VIC INV w
make up a game that suited them. This
disastrous habit was the origin Of those
calumnies which brought a food OF vexation
upon the luckless Queen even before her
historical misfortunes had begun. Who
would have dared" asks Nine. de Boigne.
TO accuse the Queen OF France Of selling
herself for a diamond necklace il she had
not been seen before a table piled with
- x., (. f.AKn hAr astl-
jects? No doubt she set but little value
on the stakes. but people who gamble play
to win. and il is impossible to conceal some
show Of esgerness." According to the au-
thor Of these memoirs. however. the Queen
really did not care about play. but gambled
habitually. because she was absorbed by
another passion. that for being q la mode.
"She dressed TO be fashionable. ran into debt
to be fashionable. gambled to be fashion
able, was a freethinker to be fashionable.
and was a fiirt for the same reason. To he
a pretty woman entirely in the fashion
seemed to her the summit OF ambition.
and this caprice, unworthy Of a great queen.
was the sole origin OF the improprieties
which nave been cruelty exaggerated"
Mime. de Boigne, Of course. would not deny
that the Queen wished to be surrounded by
all the most agreeable young men OF the
court and accepted the compliments adj
dressed to the woman with far more pleasure
than those offered to the sovereign. h
result was that em~ptyheaded youths were
treated with greater favor and distinction
than men OF discretion and OF value to their
country. Envy and jealousy were quick
TO calumniate this fo~olishness.
Nevertheless, the author Of these memoirs
is convinced that the stories related of
the Queens love affairs by various libellous
writer's are so many calun nies. My
parents, who had every OPP rtunity of
seeing and knowing the nature OF her
! private life. always declared these rumors
to be without foundation. The Queen
was never strongly attracted but once,
and displayed, perhaps. only one weak
F, ness" The reference il to the Comte de
| Fersen, a Swede. who was an extremely
handsome and distinguished man when
he frat appeared AT the French court
The Queen began to firt with him, as she
| did with all foreigners. for foreigners were
then the fashion. He. on his part. fell
sincerely and passionately in owe. But
although not unappreciative OF his de-
votion, she obliged him to take his de-
parturc from the court. He wen to
America and stayed there for two years,
during which time he was 40 i'll that when
he returned 20 Versailles he was ten years
older in appearance and had lost almost
entirely his good looks. 1T was sup
posed" writes Nine. de Boigne. that this
change touched the Queens heart; what
ever was the reason. there was practically
no doubt among her intimate friends that
she yielded to her passion for NJ. Fersen.
He justified the sacrifice by boundless de-
votiop and an affection az sincere as it
was respectful and discreet; he lived only
| for her. and his life was arranged with the
express purpose of compromising her as
little as possible. Thus. though the con-
nection wa guessed. il never became a
subject of scandal"
Elsewhere Nine. de Boigne ~testifies that
II Marie Antoinette's desire to please had
lamentable results IL also had certain
ephemeral advantages. 1T gave the Queen
a certain charm; whenever she could forget
her part a. a fashionable woman, which
generally absorbed her. she was full of