* * * * * “The Day of Dupes”! This name has been attributed to Bassompierre, and no one was better able to appreciate its justice, since, whatever he may say to the contrary--and he would fain have us believe that he was only the innocent victim of circumstances--the marshal was undoubtedly one of these dupes. But let us listen to his explanations. He begins by denying most solemnly that before November 10 he had any knowledge that the Queen-Mother and Richelieu were at variance, except what he had gathered from “scraps of information,” and that he had no idea until some time afterwards that Marie had actually demanded from the King the disgrace of the Cardinal. He accompanied Louis to the Luxembourg on the morning of the 10th, as we have mentioned, but he assures us neither the King nor the Cardinal--whom he saw that evening--said a word to him about the stormy scene in the Queen-Mother’s cabinet, and that the matter was kept a profound secret between all the parties concerned. “This quarrel,” says he, “was kept so secret on all sides that no one knew anything about it or suspected it.” He then goes on to relate how on the evening of the 10th he accompanied the King to the apartments of _Monsieur_, from whom Louis had extracted a promise to be reconciled to the Cardinal. “The King sent to summon the Cardinal, and, after saying a few words to his brother, presented the Cardinal to him, and begged him to love him and to regard him as his servant. This _Monsieur_ rather coldly promised the King to do, provided that he [Richelieu] would comport himself towards him as he ought to do. I was present at this agreement, and afterwards, happening to be near the Cardinal, he drew me aside and said to me: ‘_Monsieur_ complains about me, and God knows if he has reason to do so; but the beaten pay the forfeit.’ I said: ‘Monsieur, do not attach any importance to what _Monsieur_ says. He only does what Puylaurens and Le Coigneux counsel him to do; and when you wish to hold _Monsieur_, hold him by means of them, and you will stop him.’ He said nothing to me afterwards about his quarrel;[134] and may God confound me if I even suspected it! After supper I went to visit the Princesse de Conti. I had previously attended the King’s _coucher_, and he did not give me any cause to suspect it. I inquired if he were leaving on the morrow;[135] and he told me that he was not. I found the Princesse de Conti in such ignorance of this affair, that not only did she not speak of it, but I shall certainly dare to swear that she knew nothing about it.