She put the harem on
an admirable system, and instructed the
in all the
necessary etiquette.
The Madame of my time was a woman of noble appearance, tall,
ascetic, with a keen eye and imperious manner. She expressed a
sovereign contempt for all the low-born beauties confided to her
trust. However, she did not treat her wards ill, for some one of
them might produce a passion in the heart of the king, and she
was determined to be prepared for whatever might fall out. As to
the noble ladies, they were her favourites. Madame did not divide
her flock into fair and dark, which would have been natural, but
into noble and ignoble. Besides Madame, there were two
under-mistresses, whose duties consisted in keeping company with
the young ladies who were placed there. They sometimes dined
with new comers, instructed them in polite behaviour, and aided
them in their musical lessons or in dancing, history, and literature
in which these were instructed. Then followed a dozen
women of lower station, creatures for any service, half waiting
women, half companions, who kept watch over the young ladies,
and neglected nothing that could injure each other at every
opportunity. The work of the house was performed by proper
servants and male domestics, chosen expressly for their age and
ugliness. They were paid high, but in return for the least
indiscretion on their part, they were sent to linger out their
existence in a state prison.
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