Page 150 - Princess Belle-Etoile and Prince Cherie

him so strongly, that she at last induced him to
make choice of a princess of his own family. As
it would be necessary to dissolve his marriage
with the poor Queen Blondine, who had lived
at her mother's country-house, with the three
dogs, which she had named Chagrin, Mouron,
and Douleur, in consequence of all the misery
they had caused her, the Queen-Mother sent

for her; she got into the carriage, taking the
whelps with her; she was dressed in black,
with a long veil which fell down to her feet. In
this apparel she looked more beautiful than
the sun, although she had become pale and
thin, for she scarcely ever slept, and never ate
but from complaisance, and every one pitied

her poor mother; the King was so much
affected that he dared not look at her, but
when he remembered that he ran the risk of
having no other heirs but these whelps, he
consented to everything.
The marriage-day being fixed, the Queen-
Mother, at the suggestion of the admiral's
wife, (who always hated her unfortunate
sister,) commanded the Queen Blondine to

appear at the ceremony. Everything was done
to make it grand and sumptuous, and as the
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