Count Frontenac and New France under Louis XIV | Page 5

lived La Grange-Trianon, Sieur de Neuville,

a widower of fifty, with one child, a daughter of sixteen, whom he had
placed in the charge of his relative, Madame de Bouthillier. Frontenac
fell in love with her. Madame de Bouthillier opposed the match, and
told La Grange that he might do better for his daughter than to marry
her to a man who, say what he might, had but twenty thousand francs a
year. La Grange was weak and vacillating: sometimes he listened to his
prudent kinswoman, and sometimes to the eager suitor; treated him as a
son-in-law, carried love messages from him to his daughter, and ended
by refusing him her hand, and ordering her to renounce him on pain of
being immured in a convent. Neither Frontenac nor his mistress was of
a pliant temper. In the neighborhood was the little church of St. Pierre
aux Boeufs, which had the privilege of uniting couples without the
consent of their parents; and here, on a Wednesday in October, 1648,
the lovers were married in presence of a number of Frontenac's
relatives. La Grange was furious at the discovery; but his anger soon
cooled, and complete reconciliation followed. [Footnote: _Historiettes
de Tallemant des Réaux_, IX. 214 (ed. Monmerqué); Jal, _Dictionnaire
Critique_, etc.]
The happiness of the newly wedded pair was short. Love soon changed
to aversion, at least on the part of the bride. She was not of a tender
nature; her temper was imperious, and she had a restless craving for
excitement. Frontenac, on his part, was the most wayward and
headstrong of men. She bore him a son; but maternal cares were not to
her liking. The infant, François Louis, was placed in the keeping of a
nurse at the village of Clion; and his young mother left her husband, to
follow the fortunes of Mademoiselle de Montpensier, who for a time
pronounced her charming, praised her wit and beauty, and made her
one of her ladies of honor. Very curious and amusing are some of the
incidents recounted by the princess, in which Madame de Frontenac
bore part; but what is more to our purpose are the sketches traced here
and there by the same sharp pen, in which one may discern the traits of
the destined saviour of New France. Thus, in the following, we see him
at St. Fargeau in the same attitude in which we shall often see him at
Quebec.
The princess and the duke her father had a dispute touching her
property. Frontenac had lately been at Blois, where the duke had
possessed him with his own views of the questions at issue.

Accordingly, on arriving at St. Fargeau, he seemed disposed to assume
the character of mediator. "He wanted," says the princess, "to discuss
my affairs with me: I listened to his preaching, and he also spoke about
these matters to Préfontaine (_her man of business_). I returned to the
house after our promenade, and we went to dance in the great hall.
While we were dancing, I saw Préfontaine walking at the farther end
with Frontenac, who was talking and gesticulating. This continued for a
long time. Madame de Sully noticed it also, and seemed disturbed by it,
as I was myself. I said, 'Have we not danced enough?' Madame de
Sully assented, and we went out. I called Préfontaine, and asked him,
'What was Frontenac saying to you?' He answered: 'He was scolding
me. I never saw such an impertinent man in my life.' I went to my room,
and Madame de Sully and Madame de Fiesque followed. Madame de
Sully said to Préfontaine: 'I was very much disturbed to see you talking
with so much warmth to Monsieur de Frontenac; for he came here in
such ill-humor that I was afraid he would quarrel with you. Yesterday,
when we were in the carriage, he was ready to eat us.' The Comtesse de
Fiesque said, 'This morning he came to see my mother-in-law, and
scolded at her.' Préfontaine answered: 'He wanted to throttle me. I
never saw a man so crazy and absurd.' We all four began to pity poor
Madame de Frontenac for having such a husband, and to think her right
in not wanting to go with him." [Footnote: _Mémoires de
Mademoiselle de Montpensier_, II. 267.] Frontenac owned the estate of
Isle Savary, on the Indre, not far from Blois; and here, soon after the
above scene, the princess made him a visit. "It is a pretty enough
place," she says, "for a man like him. The house is well furnished, and
he gave me excellent entertainment. He showed me all the plans he had
for improving it, and making gardens, fountains, and ponds. It would
need the riches of a superintendent of finance to execute his schemes,
and how