"I should certainly have liked very much to know, but the countess
forbade me to ask, and told me that I must suppress my curiosity;
and, on the other hand, make an effort to notice nothing at all,
else I should receive only half of the money; and, besides, if they
noticed that I knew what I was doing, I might be sent to the
Bastile. I was still upon that, and did not trouble myself about any
thing further, and asked nothing more, and only thought of learning
my lesson well, that I might get the fifteen thousand francs for my
marriage portion."

"So they gave you a lesson to learn?"

"Yes, the countess, and the gentleman who brought her to me, came
twice to me, and taught me how I ought to walk, how to hold my head,
to nod, and reach my hand to kiss. After teaching me this, they came
one day and carried me in a splendid coach to the house of the
countess. There I dined with them, and then we drove to Versailles.
They walked with me in the park, and at a place near the pavilion
they stood still, and said to me: 'Here is where you will play your
little comedy to-morrow; this is the spot which the queen has
herself appointed, and every thing which takes place is at the
express command of her majesty.' That entirely quieted me, arid I
turned back to Paris overjoyed, in company with the countess and her
companion. They kept me that night in their beautiful home, and on
the next day we drove again to Versailles, where the countess had a
small suite of apartments. She herself dressed me, and condescended
to help me like a waiting-maid."

"What kind of a suit did she put upon you?"