Who this Mademoiselle was, Madame de Sevigne shall herself tell. The following, one of the most curious of her letters, is addressed to her cousin, De Coulanges: "I am going to tell you a thing, which, of all things in the world, is the most astonishing, the most surprising, the most marvellous, the most miraculous, the most triumphant, the most bewildering, the most unheard-of, the most singular, the most extraordinary, the most incredible, the most unexpected, the most exalting, the most humbling, the most rare, the most common, the most public, the most private,--till this moment,--the most brilliant, the most enviable, in short, a thing of which no example is to be found in past times; at least, nothing quite like it;--a thing which we do not know how to believe in Paris; how, then, are you to believe it at Lyons? a thing which makes all the world cry out, 'Lord, have mercy on us!' a thing which has transported Madame de Rohan and Madame d'Hauterive; a thing which is to be done on Sunday, and yet perhaps will not be completed till Monday. I cannot expect you to guess it at once. I give you a trial of three times; do you give it up? Well, then, I must tell you. M. de Lauzun is to marry, next Sunday, at the Louvre; guess whom. I give you four times to guess it; I give you six; I give you a hundred. 'Truly,' cries Madame de Coulanges, 'it must be a very difficult thing to guess; 'tis Madame de la Valliere.' 'No, it isn't, madame.' ''Tis Mademoiselle de Retz, then.' 'No, it isn't, madame; you are terribly provincial.' 'O, we are very stupid, no doubt,' say you; ''tis Mademoiselle Colbert.' Farther off than ever. 'Well, then, it must be Mademoiselle de Crequi?' You are not a bit nearer. Come, I see I must tell you at last. Well, M. de Lauzun marries, next Sunday, at the Louvre, with the king's permission, Mademoiselle--Mademoiselle de--Mademoiselle de--guess the name!--he marries 'MADEMOISELLE,'--the _great_ Mademoiselle; Mademoiselle, the daughter of the late Monsieur; Mademoiselle, granddaughter of Henry the Fourth; Mademoiselle d'Eu, Mademoiselle de Dombes, Mademoiselle de Montpensier, Mademoiselle d'Orleans, Mademoiselle, cousin of the king, Mademoiselle, destined to the throne, Mademoiselle, the only woman in France fit to marry Monsieur! Here's pretty news for your _coteries_! Exclaim about it as much as you will; let it turn your heads; say, we 'lie,' if you please; that it's a pretty joke; that it's 'tiresome;' that we are a 'parcel of ninnies;' we give you leave; we have done just the same to others. Adieu! The letters that come by the post will show whether we have been speaking truth or not." Once more with her to Paris, and listen to the graphic description which she gives her daughter of the French court:-- "PARIS, Wednesday, _July 24th, 1676_.