“She was a Countess who rose from shame to reign like a Queen. An Empress wrote to her, with her own hand, as ‘ Ma chère cousine .’ At a lever-du-roi one morning (do you know what a lever-du-roi was?)⁠—a Cardinal, a Papal legate, offered to put on her stockings; a high and holy person like that looked on it as an honour! Did you know this? I see by your expression that you did not! Well, how did she die? Answer!”

“Oh! do stop⁠—you are too absurd!”