with Holland linen, velvet, and cloth of gold. The duchess carried her
grandchild to the font,--a font draped with cramoisy velvet.

"Monsieur the dauphin stood on the right and I heard it said that
there was no one on the left because there was none his equal. On
that day, the duchess wore a round skirt _à la Portuguaise_, edged
with fur. There was no train of cloth nor of silk, so I cannot
state who carried it,"

sagely remarks Alienor with incontrovertible logic.

Later events made later chroniclers less enthusiastic about the honour
paid to Mademoiselle[21] Mary by the dauphin. In a manuscript of La
Marche's _Mémoires_ at The Hague, the words "Lord! what a god-father!"
appear in the margin of the page describing the baptism.[22] But in
these early days of his five years' sojourn, Louis seems to have been
a pleasant person and to have posed as the ruined poor relation,
entirely free from pride at his high birth and delighted to repay
hospitality by his general complaisance.

Charles VII. received all the reports with somewhat cynical amusement.
He had no great trust in his son. "Louis is fickle and changeable and
I do not doubt that he will return here before long. I am not at all
pleased with those who influence him," are his words as quoted by
d'Escouchy.[23]

[Illustration: LOUIS XI FROM THE ENGRAVING BY A. BOILLY, AFTER THE
DRAWING BY J. BOILLY]

Undoubtedly, though, the king was much surprised at his son's action.