_August 6th._--We were told this morning that the King and Prince
Leopold were expected at Versailles. Quantities of troops passed our
windows in their way to the Avenue Trianon, where the King was to
review them. There were some La Roche Jacquellines on black horses.
At about twelve o'clock we went (along with Mr. and Mrs. Spurrier) to
Neptune's Bath, near which the King was to pass. The women charged a
franc apiece for our chairs. There were rows of soldiers behind the
trees. There was a great quantity of people around Neptune's Bath;
there seemed to be nearly all Versailles.[40]
There were several carriages waiting for the King in case it should
rain, etc.; one of them was gold and red, very gaudy-looking. A
carriage came on first before the King. When the King came, one needed
four eyes: to look at the King on one side and round to Neptune's Bath
at the other, for as soon as ever he came the waters began to play
like fairy-work. The water shot out of each vase, Neptune's horses
spouted, and the whole water seemed covered with spouts and cascades.
In the first open carriage was the King, the Duchess d'Angoulême,
Monsieur, and the Duchess de Berri. Prince Leopold did not come.
Several carriages followed with attendants. The King is a _very_ fat,
contented-looking man. As soon as the carriages had passed the waters
stopped. It was an extremely pretty sight. The King went on to the
Trianons and stayed there for a long while. When he returned the waters
played again. They came back with large bunches of flowers in each
carriage. We saw great numbers of the soldiers returning. Although the
waters played for so short a time, some of the pipes burst. It costs
1200 francs every time the great waters play. The _restaurateurs_ make
a great deal of money when they play, as it brings numbers of people
from Paris. About a week before this the _restaurateurs_ caused it to
be put in the newspapers that the great waters were to play; and this
brought a great many people, who found to their disappointment that it
was all false.
[Illustration: GARDE ROYALE. INFANTERIE CHASSEUR, Ier RÉGIMENT]