by familiarising the Queen with politics, she penetrates every state secret, 164; renders the Queen popular among the people of central Spain, 164; her wise policy for the regeneration of Spain, 165; reduces both the ultra-French and purely Spanish political systems to impotence, 169; fathoms the intrigues and baffles the manoeuvres of Melgar, 170; Louville succumbs to her, 171; Porto-Carrero tenders his resignation, 172; Cardinal d'Estrees her tool without knowing it, 173; the Cardinal's cabal "rakes into her private life," 173; the Queen defends her with earnest importunity, 174; holds the Abbe d'Estrees in contempt, 176; the intercepted letter and its marginal note, 176; makes a false step in her statecraft, 176; the blunder leads to a great imbroglio, 177; did she always use her influence over the young Queen in a purely disinterested way? 177; at the age of sixty still had lovers, 177; her relations with d'Aubigny, her equerry, 178; gallantry and _l'entetement de sa personne_, St. Simon asserts to be her overwhelming weakness, 178; she rashly resents the accusation of her marriage with d'Aubigny, 179; nicely balances Louis XIV.'s power in his grandson's Court, 180; her egotistic and impatient ambition, 181; the stately haughtiness of her submission to Louis XIV., 181; her adroit flattery of Madame de Maintenon, 182; quits Madrid as a state criminal for Italy, 184; permitted to take up her abode at Toulouse, 184; her artful letters and politic conduct, 185; receives permission to appear at Versailles and justify herself, 186; the triumph of her restoration suddenly transforms her into "a court divinity," 188; she affects to be in no hurry to return to Spain, 189; procures the admission of d'Aubigny into the cabinets of Louis XIV. and Madame de Maintenon, 190; authorised to form her ministry, 191; her return to Spain prepared by the arrest of Leganez, 191; she triumphs at Versailles, 192; her lively appreciation of Louis XIV.'s mental qualities, 192; the question of the prospect of her replacing Madame de Maintenon, 193; Louis XIV. seduced both by her grace and talent, 193; turns all things to her advantage through her lucid common sense, 194; returns to Spain strengthened by disgrace, 194; determines to break up the cabal of the grandees, 195; foils the underhanded opposition of the high aristocracy, 196; triumphs on the very brink of a volcano, 197; nothing more honourable to her memory than her letters at this period of disaster, 200; by speeches, letters, and overtures, she consolidates the King's authority in Old Castile, 200; one of the most vigorous instruments ever made use of by Providence, 201; she flatters Madame de Maintenon about St. Cyr, 201;