Lives of the last four princesses of the royal house of Stuart

1711.] VISIT OF THE DAUPHINESS. 3G5
and conversed with the Queen very tenderly apart, while
the Princess entertained the Duchess de Berri. After
some time, her majesty told her daughter to show the
Duchess de Berri the house, and the Dauphiness remained
alone with her.
When the Princess and the Duchess returned, the
Dauphiness begged the Queen to allow the Princess to
take a walk with her ; to which a willing assent having
been given, they went out together. The heavy rain
having rendered the gardens unfit for the promenade, the
royal friends returned into the house, and the Princess took
the Dauphiness to see the work, with which she seemed
much pleased. They afterwards rejoined the Queen in
her apartment. As it was Saturday, and past four o'clock,
continues our authority,* her majesty did not offer a colla-
tion to the Dauphiness and her sister-in-law, the Duchess
de Berri, but only fish and bread, and a flask of Muscat.
The Dauphiness, the same day, gave orders to the
Duchess de Lauzun, that there should be a party made
for the chase in the Bois de Boulogne, on purpose for the
Princess of England, and a supper prepared for her at the
house of the Duchess, at Passy. There were two great
obstacles in the way of the Princess enjoying this pleasure,
— obstacles which the poverty of her royal mother appa-
rently rendered insurmountable. She had neither a horse
proper for her to mount, nor a riding dress, fit for her to
appear in before the gay and gallant court of France.
Bitter mortifications these for a youthful beauty, and
she the daughter of a king ! The Dauphiness, however,
who had either guessed or been informed of these de-
ficiencies in her less fortunate cousin's stud and wardrobe,
wrote to the widowed Queen, " entreating her to permit
the Princess Louisa to join the hunting party at the Bois
* Memorials of Mary Beatrice, in the Hotel de Soubise.