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

372 ^THE PRINCESS LOUISA MARY. [1712.
returning with, her son and daughter, to St. Germains
that evening.
The Princess Louisa, although much delighted at her
reunion with her beloved brother, was greatly moved at
this sudden separation from the friendly community of
nuns, by whom she was almost adored.
When she parted from her favourite friend, Lady Hen-
rietta Douglas, who had taken the veil as a nun at Chaillot,
she could not refrain from tears. The Princess returned
to St. Germains with her royal mother, her brother, the
Chevalier de St. George, and the ladies-of-honour by
whom they had been attended during their sojourn at
Chaillot. These were the Duchess of Perth, the Countess
of Middleton, and Lady Strickland. The femmes-de-cham-
bres followed in a hired carriage.*
The distress of the exiled families at St. Germains, was
greatly increased that winter, by the high price of pro-
visions, while the conditions of the peace of Utrecht, con-
vinced the tenderly united family of the royal Stuarts,
that the sore trial of separation was at hand. Yet the
finessing policy of the Duke of Marlborough, and some
others of the trimming politicians of the period, together
with the declining health of Queen Anne, flattered the
widow and children of James II. with deceitful hopes for
the future.
The Dauphin, as much deceived, in the aspect of public
affairs, as his luckless English cousins, paid them a visit
at St. Germains, to congratulate them on their prospects.
Great reliance was placed by the widowed Queen and
her son and daughter, on the friendship of this amiable,
unworldly Prince, and his consort, but " the arm of flesh "
was not to profit them. The Dauphiness was attacked
* Memorials of Mary Beatrice, in the Archives cm Eoyaume.