Louis Henri de Bourbon-Condé--He assumes the title of Duc de Bourbon, instead of that of Prince de Condé, and is known as _Monsieur le Duc_--His personal appearance--He loses an eye by a shooting accident--His military career--He becomes President of the Council of Regency on the death of Louis XIV.--His protection of John Law--His wealth--His character--His marriage with Marie Anne de Bourbon-Conti--Singular intrigue which precedes it--His indifference to his wife--His amours--The financier Berthelot de Pléneuf--Gallantries of Madame de Pléneuf--Saint-Simon’s portrait of her--Her daughter, Agnès de Pléneuf--Singular beauty and intelligence of this young girl--Violent jealousy which her mother conceives for her--Marriage of Agnès to the Marquis de Prie, who is soon afterwards appointed Ambassador at Turin--Her life at Turin--Disgrace and bankruptcy of Berthelot de Pléneuf--Financial straits of the de Pries--Madame de Prie comes to Paris to intercede with the Government on her husband’s behalf--Calumnies concerning her spread by her mother and her partisans--Her relations with the Regent 281–295 CHAPTER XXI Origin of the _liaison_ between _Monsieur le Duc_ and Madame de Prie considered--Extraordinary ascendency which the latter acquires over her lover--For a while, the favourite leads a life of pleasure, but is soon obliged to give her attention to politics--Exasperation of Madame de Pléneuf’s coterie against her--Insecurity of _Monsieur le Duc’s_ position--The Orléans faction--Intrigues of the War Minister Le Blanc and the Belle-Isles--Hatred of Madame de Prie for Le Blanc--She resolves to crush the common enemies of herself and _Monsieur le Duc_--Her skilful conduct--Murder of Sandrier de Mitry, chief cashier of La Jonchère, treasurer of the Emergency War Fund--Sinister suspicions concerning La Jonchère and Le Blanc--Madame de Prie determines to get to the bottom of the mystery--Her alliance with the Pâris brothers against the War Minister--Dubois persuades the Regent to withdraw his protection from Le Blanc--Arrest of La Jonchère and examination of his accounts--Disgrace and exile of Le Blanc--The death of Dubois puts a stop to the proceedings--Death of Philippe d’Orléans--_Monsieur le Duc_ becomes Prime Minister 296–313 CHAPTER XXII