Madame de l'Hopital had had a vast number of gallant adventures,
which she was very fond of relating. I shall mention two of the
most amusing, which will serve to convey an idea of the skilfulness
and ready wit with which she extricated herself from the most
embarrassing circumstances.
A young man, whose love she permitted, whose name was the chevalier
de Cressy, was obliged, in order to visit her, to scale a terrace
upon which a window opened, which conducted to the sleeping-room
of his mistress. He was generally accompanied by his valet, a
good-looking youth, who, disliking a state of idleness, had
contrived to insinuate himself into the good graces of the lady's
maid. The valet, during his master's stay with madame, had
likewise ascended the terrace, and penetrated, by the aid of another
window, into the chamber where reposed the object of his tender
love. All this was accomplished with as little noise as possible,
in order to prevent the mischance of awakening the marquis de
l'Hopital, who was quietly asleep in an adjoining room.
One clear moonlight night, at the very instant when M. de Cressy
was about to step out of the window, in order to return to his own
apartment, a terrible crash of broken glass was heard. The
terrified chevalier sought the aid of his ladder, but it had
disappeared. Not knowing what to do, the chevalier returned to
madame de l'Hopital, who, seized with terror, had only just time
to conceal him in her chamber, when the marquis opened his window
to ascertain the cause of all this confusion.
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