. Five fair sisters : an Italian episode at the court of Louis XIV. urself always well informed of her intrigues, ^ Rebenac to Louis XIV, 7 October 1688. In the same despatch,the Ambassador refers to Marie in these terms : As for the Constabless,she is here in a little convent, which she leaves whenever she feels does not meddle in any intrigues ; she has many influential friends,and, although she has not quarrelled with her sister, the Comtesse deSoissons, no one was so much rejoiced as was she at the order that hadbeen given the latter to withdraw. In subsequent despatches, the
. Five fair sisters : an Italian episode at the court of Louis XIV. urself always well informed of her intrigues, ^ Rebenac to Louis XIV, 7 October 1688. In the same despatch,the Ambassador refers to Marie in these terms : As for the Constabless,she is here in a little convent, which she leaves whenever she feels does not meddle in any intrigues ; she has many influential friends,and, although she has not quarrelled with her sister, the Comtesse deSoissons, no one was so much rejoiced as was she at the order that hadbeen given the latter to withdraw. In subsequent despatches, the Ambassador speaks frequently to theKing of a person devoted to the interests of France, whom he oftenconsults, but whose name he does not mention. And, in one dated16 January 1689, he states that he has given a portrait of the King setwith diamonds to the person for whom your Majesty intended it, andthat it has been received with respect and gratitude. In the opinion ofLucien Perey, there can be no question that this mysterious person was th**Constabless From a contemporary print OLYMPE MANCINI, COMTESSE DE SOISSONS FIVE FAIR SISTERS 385 in order to give on this subject to the Queen thecounsel most conformable to her interests.^ The resentment which Marie Louises refusal tointercede for her with Carlos II had occasioned Madamede Soissons did not last long, and, on 22 October,Rebenac informs Louis XIV that the Comtesse deSoissons is reconciled to the Queen, and has expressedher great regret for having unjustly accused her ofhaving had any share in the events which have recentlytaken place. Although Carlos II had allowed himself to be pre-vailed upon to withdraw his order to Madame deSoissons, he remained convinced that the countess wasa sorceress of a peculiarly dangerous type, and that thenon-arrival of the long-awaited heir to his throne wasdue to a spell which she had cast over his consort andhimself. All his efforts were now directed to theraising of this supposed
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