Dr. Meyer, who visited France in 1796 and who invented the story that the Queen, playing at rural life, had entrusted the King with the rôle of the farmer, while she became the farmer's wife and the Count d'Artois the huntsman, the Comte de Provence the miller, and the Cardinal de Rohan the curé of this tiny community. In accordance with this unfounded tale the Queen's house has been nicknamed the "Maison du Seigneur," the poultry house the "Presbytère" and so forth,—and these nicknames have clung to them ever since.

PLATE XXX

"QUEEN'S HOUSE," PETIT TRIANON

The simplicity of the buildings of the hamlet makes it unnecessary to describe them in detail. They were erected during the years 1783, 1784 and 1785 from designs by the architect Mique. The exteriors were covered with stucco to represent old brick, weather-worn stone and worm-eaten wood, and all of them, with the exception of the "Queen's House" which was partly covered with tiles, were roofed with thatch.

The "Queen's House" and "Billiard Hall" were connected by a rustic gallery, painted olive-green. The former contained a dining-room and some private apartments. The "Billiard Hall," as its name implies, was mainly occupied by a billiard room over which were sleeping chambers.

MANTELPIECE

STANDISH HALL

The "Mill" was at one time furnished with a mill-wheel and actually and practically used to grind grain for the inhabitants of the tiny village. The "Gardener's House" has been demolished. The "Poultry-House" was at one time used for the care of fowls and pigeons of which the Queen had a large number.

PLATE XXXI

"DAIRY" AND "MARLBOROUGH'S TOWER," PETIT TRIANON

As we have said, an almost indispensable feature of the English garden of this time was an artificial ruin; but although many models were made for the erection of such a ruin at the Petit-Trianon, none was ever erected. As a substitute however, a round tower was built, and in honor of the original the "Chanson de Marlborough," with its simple and plaintive air, which had just then been revived in popular favor, was named "Marlborough's Tower." It is probable that the building was supposed to suggest that tower from which Marlborough's widow saw the page "tout de noir habillé" who came to tell her of her husband's death. The tower ascended by an exterior staircase, and at the top was a circular balcony from which a view of the whole domain was visible, and from which signals might be exchanged with the palace at Versailles.