the ambition of the cardinal. He had no sooner comprehended the
nature of the influence I exerted over his royal tool, than he
poisoned his ear by insinuating that ambition, not love, was the
spring of all my efforts to elevate him to the level of his
magnificent destiny. Poor, weak Louis! He was anything that Cardinal
Mazarin chose to make him; so at the word of command he ceased to
love, and went to make an offering of his accommodating affections
to Marie. She made him take an oath never to look at me again."

"Did he respect the oath?"

"Just so long as he loved Marie. I need not tell you that I suffered
from his inconstancy. I was inexpressibly grieved; but pride upheld
me, and Louis never received a word or look of reproach for his
faithlessness. Meanwhile your father offered his hand, and before I
accepted it he was made acquainted with the history of my heart. I
concealed nothing from him, so that he was at once the confidant of
my past sorrows, and their comforter."

"Thank you, dear, dear mother," said Eugene, tenderly. "In the name
of all your children, let me thank you for your noble candor."

"I married the Prince de Soissons, and here, in presence of his
assembled ancestors, I swear that I have kept unstained the faith I
pledged him at the marriage-altar. Let the world belie me as it
will, Olympia Mancini has ever been a spotless wife. So true is
this, that Louis, when he had abandoned Marie, and had tired of his
queen, returned to me with vows of a love which he swore had been
the only genuine passion of his life; and when, as my husband's
loyal wife, I repulsed the advances of his sovereign, that sovereign