(Le Rouergue)

“We turned Mme des Ursins into an idol. Thirteen years after the death, this woman who was loved and hated in equal measure had become a sort of fetish among us. What did we really know about her? What everybody knew about her. When Philippe of Anjou became king of Spain, she was already a widow and was residing in Rome. She was called to Madrid, where she was to play a pivotal role in affairs of state. Queen Marie Louise governed Philippe, and Mme des Ursins governed the queen. When it looked like she was heading for a fall, she proved to be indestructible. And just when she seemed all-powerful, her support crumbled. And now, by a twist of fate, I found myself in the company of the man who knew her best of all. M. d’Aubigny, who was eighteen years her junior, was the companion of the princess for forty years. M. de Saint-Simon nicknamed him her ‘funny beau’. Perhaps he would be able to tell me exactly what happened.”