Cécile: Gates of Gold

Disaster

Cécile and Françoise take the dogs outside for a walk. Cécile watches as elaborately dressed ladies and gentlemen walk through the gardens. A series of large pools, called the Grand Canal, sits in the gardens. There’s gondolas, skiffs, and a small ship floating on it. There are large statues, flower beds, and shady groves of straight trees. There are many fountains as well, which have large statues in them.

Françoise explains that at one point, this area was a swamp, and the King used to come hunting there as a child. Now, he’s turned it into a grand palace, and Cécile realizes he makes it clear that he controls everything. She hopes she’ll never fall from the King’s favor.

Françoise has just pointed out the Orangerie, where the King gets his oranges, when Cécile looks down, and sees an empty collar. And running off, is Stabdille down the path, straight toward Madame de Maintenon and the Princess Marie-Adélaïde!

Cécile chases after the dog, and goes to grab him. At the same time, Madame de Maintenon is reaching for her grandson, who is misbehaving. And all of a sudden, in a tangle of arms and feet and legs and paws, the boy and the dog both fall into the fountain.