opinion, who replied that it would be very sad to act thus, but that he was for it.  Villars wished to paraphrase, but contained himself, and said he hoped the Parliament would obey.  Pressed by the Regent, he proposed to wait for fresh news before deciding; but, pressed more closely, he declared for the interdiction, with an air of warmth and vexation, extremely marked.  Nobody after this dared to hesitate, and the majority voted by an inclination of the head.

A short time afterwards it was announced to M. le Duc d’Orleans that the Parliament had set out on foot, and had begun to defile through the palace.  This news much cooled the blood of the company, M. le Duc d’Orleans more than that of any one else.

After this the Regent, in a cheerful manner, called upon the Presidents of the Councils to bring forward any business they might have on hand, but not one had any.  The Marechal de Villars said, however, that he had a matter to produce, and he produced it accordingly, but with a clearness which, under the circumstances, was extraordinary.  I fancy, however, that very few knew what he was talking about.  We were all too much occupied with more interesting matters, and each voted without speaking.  Bad luck to those who had had business to bring forward this day; they who conducted it would have known but little what they said:  they who listened, still less.

The Council finished thus, from lack of matter, and a movement was made to adjourn it as usual.  I stepped in front of M. le Prince de Conti to M. le Duc d’Orleans, who understood me, and who begged the company to keep their seats.  La Vrilliere went out by order for news, but there was nothing fresh.

CHAPTER XCIII

It was now a little after ten.  We remained a good half-hour in our places, talking a little with each other, but on the whole rather silent.  At the end some grew fidgety and anxious, rose and went to the windows.  M. le Duc d’Orleans restrained them as well as he could; but at length Desgranges entered to say that the Chief-President had already arrived, in his coach, and that the Parliament was near.  So soon as he had retired, the Council rose by groups, and could no longer be kept seated.  M. le Duc d’Orleans himself at last rose, and all he could do was to prohibit everybody from leaving the room under any pretext, and this prohibition he repeated two or three times.

Scarcely had we risen when M. le Duc came to me, rejoiced at the success that had hitherto been had, and much relieved by the absence of the bastards.  Soon after I quitted him the Duc d’Orleans came to me, overpowered with the same sentiment.  I said what I thought of the consternation of every one; and painted the expression of M. d’Effiat, at which he was not surprised.  He was more so about Besons.  I asked if he was not afraid the bastards would come to the Bed of justice; but he was certain they would not.  I was resolved, however, to prepare his mind against that contingency.