the costliest furnishings and objects of art that money could buy. When
Evelyn paid a visit to the Court he records:

"But that which engaged my curiosity was the rich and
splendid furniture of this woman's apartment, now twice
or thrice pulled down to satisfy her prodigality and
expensive pleasures; while her Majesty's does not exceed
some gentlemen's wives in furniture and accommodation.

"Here I saw the new fabrics of French tapestry, for
design, tenderness of work and incomparable imitation of
the best paintings, beyond anything I ever beheld. Some
pieces had Versailles, St Germain's, and other palaces of
the French King, with huntings, figures, and landscapes,
exotic flowers and all to the life, rarely done. Then for
Japan cabinets, screens, pendule clocks, great vases of
wrought plate, table-stands, sconces, branches, braseras,
etc., all of massive silver and out of number, besides
some of his Majesty's best paintings!"

Probably at this time of her illicit queendom the only thorn in Louise
de Querouaille's bed of roses was that vulgar, "gutter-rival" of hers,
Nell Gwynn, with whom she suffered the indignity of sharing Charles's
affection. To the high-born, blue-blooded daughter of centuries of
French nobles (of whom her tradesman-father always affected a
disconcerting ignorance) the very sight of her saucy and successful
rival, the ex-orange-wench, was a contamination. She pretended to stifle
in breathing the same air, and with high-tossed head sailed past Madame
Nell (the mother of a duke), in the Court _salons_ and corridors, as if
she were carrion.