Sophie Dawes, Queen of Chantilly . but anyone who wished to gainher favour had to be open-handed. The purchase of Saint-Leu was not effected alto-gether without protest—at least, from one person,the only person, perhaps, whom the due de Bourbonhad ever really loved in his whole life. Thatperson was his sister, Louise Adelaide de Conde,^abbess of Remiremont. It was this lady, a modeldaughter and sister, who was chosen by LouisXVIII in 1816 to preside over the convent whichthe duchesse dAngouleme caused to be establishedin the prieure in the Temple, the prison of LouisXVI and Marie Antoinette an
Sophie Dawes, Queen of Chantilly . but anyone who wished to gainher favour had to be open-handed. The purchase of Saint-Leu was not effected alto-gether without protest—at least, from one person,the only person, perhaps, whom the due de Bourbonhad ever really loved in his whole life. Thatperson was his sister, Louise Adelaide de Conde,^abbess of Remiremont. It was this lady, a modeldaughter and sister, who was chosen by LouisXVIII in 1816 to preside over the convent whichthe duchesse dAngouleme caused to be establishedin the prieure in the Temple, the prison of LouisXVI and Marie Antoinette and once the scene ofher long and lonely captivity. Louise Adelaidesown happiness had been ruined by her fatherscruel refusal to allow her to marry the man ofher choice, on the plea that he was beneath hernotice. Matters, owing to the dukes scandalous rela- 1 This lady, who was known as Soeur Marie-Joseph de laMisericorde, re-established the order of the Benedictine Nuns ofthe Perpetual Adoration of the Holy Sacrament in 1824. 42. ^>!ADA>n: _- JMIKMIRRE ® MADAME PREMIERE, DUCHESSE D ANGOULEME, DAUGHTER OFLOUIS XVI., BORN AT VERSAILLES ON DECEMBER I9TH, 1778 A Pathetic Appeal tions with the baronne de Feucheres, had becomevery strained between the brother and sister;so estranged were they now that the princesshad almost ceased to write to her brother. How-ever, on hearing that he intended to purchaseSaint-Leu, the abbess wrote one more letterbeseeching him to break with his mistress beforeit was too late. Her letter ended with thesewords : In Gods name, do not let Saint-Leu becomein your old age the haunt of ... I know not ofwhom, nor of what. But you know what I mean,so I need say no more. Adieu, oh, you who everwere, still are, and always shall be the well-beloved of my heart ! We can judge of the affection that once unitedthe brother and sister from the extraordinaryfact that the duke had dared to ask his sister tobe godmother to his illegitimate daughter, Adele—howe
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