Page 26 - Princess Belle-Etoile and Prince Cherie

took his departure, but with so much desire to
return quickly, that he risked his troops in
every encounter, and fortune continually
favoured his rashness, and crowned all his
plans with success. The Queen was confined,
however, before the campaign was ended, and
the Princess her sister gave birth the same day
to a beautiful boy, but died almost

immediately after.
Roussette, the admiral's wife, was very busy in
forming plans to injure the young Queen.
When she saw her the mother of such lovely
children, and had none herself, her rage
increased. She determined to speak at once to
the Queen-Mother, for there was no time to

lose. "Madam," said she to her, "I am so
deeply sensible of the honour your majesty has
done me in looking on me with some little
favour, that I would willingly sacrifice my
interests to further yours. I can comprehend
all the vexation that you must have endured
since the King and the Prince formed such
degrading alliances. Here are now four
children born to perpetuate the errors of their

fathers. Our mother is a poor villager, who
was in want of bread, when it occurred to her
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