XVIII—FOUQUET, SUPERINTENDENT OF FINANCE 167 XIX—DEATH AND POISON 179 XX—AT VERSAILLES 192 XXI—MADAME DE MONTESPAN 200 XXII—BROKEN-HEARTED 208 XXIII—M. DE LAUZUN AND "MADEMOISELLE" 220 XXIV—A FAIR SUITOR 230 XXV—UNDER A COUCH 242 XXVI—SIGNING THE MARRIAGE CONTRACT 252 XXVII—PLOT AND COUNTERPLOT 258 XXVIII—THE ROYAL GOVERNESS 268 XXIX—CONNUBIAL BLISS 283 XXX—FALL OF DE MONTESPAN 293 XXXI—QUEEN MAINTENON 302 XXXII—AT MARLY 311 XXXIII—"THE END" 317 ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE INTERVIEW BETWEEN HENRY III. AND THE DUKE OF GUISE _Frontispiece_ From the painting by P. C. Comte. (With permission of Levy et Fils, Paris.) THE OLD LOUVRE 2 From an old print. THE PALAIS ROYAL, PARIS 5 SALON OF LOUIS XIII. AT FONTAINEBLEAU 20 LOUISE DE LAFAYETTE 26 From Monmerqué's "Tallemant des Réaux." MARQUIS DE CINQ-MARS 37 From a painting by Lenain. VICOMTE DE TURENNE 62 PRINCE DE CONDÉ 69 CARDINAL MAZARIN AS AN ART COLLECTOR 70 From a painting by H. J. Vetter. (By permission of Neurdein Frères, Paris.) VINCENNES 84 CARDINAL DE RETZ 87 ANNE OF AUSTRIA 90 DUCHESSE DE CHEVREUSE 110 DUCHESSE DE LONGUEVILLE 123 MADEMOISELLE DE LA VALLIÈRE 158 From a steel engraving. FOUQUET 168 COLBERT 176 MARIA THERESA 181 GALLERY OF HENRY II. AT FONTAINEBLEAU 191