Recollections of a Great Lady; Being More Memoirs of the Comtesse de Boigne, Edited from the Original MS (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1912 edition. Excerpt: ...one and certainly hurt her sister's feelings. 1 The marriage of the Princess Louise d'Orleans and the King of the Belgians, Leopold I., whose first wife had been Princess Charlotte of Walts, was celebrated at Compiegne on August S, 1832. 2 Daughter of the Marquis de Koure, lady to Queen Marie Amelie. " I knew," she replied, " that Louise would never consent to marry if she guessed the hundredth part of the grief I feel. I had promised mother not to dissuade her, for I think as she does, that marriage is not only proper, but is a woman's duty, and that attempts to avoid it are failings in one's duty towards God." Princess Marie faithfully followed these principles, for not only did she raise no objection to any of the marriages proposed for her, but she showed much willingness to agree to every successive project. Her grief-stricken heart at that time demanded help from her imagination. She became a close friend of Mlle. Antonine de Celles, and both plunged into a state of ecstatic devotion which bordered upon mysticism. Her governess, Mme. Mallet, took alarm and warned the Queen, whose sensible piety would not countenance these aberrations. She kept Princess Marie more constantly with her, and took advantage of the marriage of Mlle. de Celles with M. de Caumont to break oft' her intimacy with her daughter. I think that Mme. Mallet was beginning to grow uneasy concerning the future of the young Princess, of whom she was extremely fond. Though a highly educated person, Mme. Mallet had little common sense, which was replaced in her case by sympathy and devotion. Her two august pupils could not have been in better hands for the purpose of becoming equally virtuous and distinguished, but only a really dominant personality could have issued...