Cécile: Gates of Gold


 *  "Cecile: Gates of Gold" redirects here.

Cécile: Gates of Gold is a book about Cécile Revel from the Girls of Many Lands line, which was retired. The book was sold with the Cécile doll, however could be purchased seperatley. The book is written in first person, and includes a "Then and Now: A Girl's Life" section in the end.

Facts

 * Author: Mary Casanova
 * Illustrator: Jean-Paul Tibbles
 * First Published: 2002
 * Setting: France in 1711

Characters

 * Cécile Revel
 * Dr. Revel
 * Maman/Mrs. Revel (Mentioned Only)
 * "Madame" Elisabeth Charlotte/La Duchesse d'Orléans
 * Françoise
 * Madame de Maintenon
 * King Louis XIV
 * Marie-Adélaïde
 * Le Duc de Bourgogne
 * Monsieur Titti
 * Mademoiselle Minette
 * Charmille
 * Charmion
 * Charmonte
 * Stabdille
 * Dr. Fagon
 * Anjou
 * Bretagne
 * Phillipe

Quick Summary

 * "When twelve-year-old Cécile Revel is given the unexpected chance to serve at King Louis XIV's court, she is unprepared for what she finds there. She has long dreamed of life at court- of elegance and beauty, fine dresses, and an end to her constant hunger -but she never imagined how complicated- and dangerous -life at court would be."


 * Taken from the inside flap of Cécile: Gates of Gold.

Chapter 1: Runaway Horse
Cécile Revel is walking in the forest of Rileaux, the village where she lives. She is gathering mushrooms for their soup for supper. Her father had warned her to be careful of soliders. Cécile is pondering on how hard it is for life as a peasant, when she hears hounds baying. Presently, a large group of riders pass, hunting, dressed richly in robes and hats with gilded carts. After a small, chaotic moment of shouting and cheering, the group passes on, Cécile unnoticed. Cécile realizes she has seen the king's hunting party and wishes to have such finery as she saw. She laments on how her mother had died, and her few belongings. She imagines her life if she lived at court and pretends to dance with an imaginary courtier. However, Cécile is startled by a runaway horse behind her from the hunting party. She manages to calm him down, as Cécile as a way with animals. She is looking aaround to see whom he belongs to, when she hears cries for help, in French. However, the accent is foreign.

Chapter 2: An Unexpected Reward
Cécile waits to hear the voice again, and hears a moan. In a muddy ravine, she finds a rider from the hunting party. Cécile judges the rider to be about the age of a grandmother. She reassures the woman, and runs off to find her father. He quickly washes his hands (for health purposes) and comes with Cécile. The woman looks surprised and even relieved when she sees Cécile's father. Dr. Revel realizes her arm is dislocated. With a quick yank and Cécile's help, her arm is fixed. After a while, the woman recovers from her pain and thanks Dr. Revel and Cécile. After scolding her horse playfully, she states her name, Elisabeth Charlotte, la Duchesse d'Orléans. She is known by "Madame," and is from Germany. She is the king's sister-in-law. Madame comments on Cécile's wonderful manners and asks how she calmed down her horse. Cécile, very nervous, explains how she just has a way with animals. When she states her name, Madame glances between father and daughter and says, "Revel, it is?" She asks how she can repay Dr. Revel and Cécile for healing her arm and catching her horse. Cécile silently hopes for money so they could have food, fabric for a new skirt, and maybe even soft leather shoes instaed of Cécile's hard, wooden, clogs.

However, Dr. Revel asks Madame to grant Cécile a position at court, which Madame grants. Madame has been in need of a servant to care for her six dogs. She mentions Cécile's calming effect on animals, and grants the request. Cécile, beyond shocked, feels numb. A position at court is everything she dreamed about, however she wouldn't be able to care for her father, who has a cough. However, she follows her father's wishes and thanks Madame.

Chapter 3: A Warning
Cécile's feet hurt after many hours of walking, however Madame and Cécile eventually find their way back to Marly, the king's hunting estate. The king approaches Madame and confronts her saying, "A search party was sent for you, but I see you delievered yourself back to us." Slightly embarrassed, Madame explains about her adventure. The king then invites everyone to eat supper. Cécile, not sure exactly what to do, is tapped on the shoulder. A young woman named Françoise, Madame's lady-in-waiting was asked by Madame to help Cécile. Walking throughout Marly, Cécile is almost overcome by the lavish wealth of the estate. However, she is lead into a smaller room and directed to take a bath. Madame de Maintenon appears, and carries with her a certain powerful presence. Madame de Maintenon shows her obvious distain for Madame, and gives a, rather accusing, warning to Cécile to be careful, in the case she wishes to harm or spy on the king. Cécile immeadiatley declares her loyalty to the king, and Madame de Maintenon leaves with a final, omnious air. The maids audibly sigh and start whispering. Cécile is quickly scrubbed, dressed, and brushed and shown to a bed, where she falls asleep, despite the happenings of the day.

Cécile wakes at dawn to find Françoise offering her an gown and chemise. Cécile is surprised to find that such a expensive gown would be made especially for her, sewn only last night. She's amazed that so many pains would be taken for her, only a servant of the dogs, while the children in the villages must run around half-naked because the families can't afford clothes. With these thoughts, she dresses. Everything fits Cécile perfectly, though the shoes are a little tight. Françoise brushes Cécile's hair, and hands her some bread to eat quickly. Françoise and Cécile then go out to the courtyard, where coaches are ready to take the royal party back to Versailles. Cécile sees a happy family walking towards a coach. Françoise, seeing her questioning look explains that the parents are a prince, le Duc de Bourgogne, and a princess, Marie-Adélaïde. They are the grandchildren of the king, and have two children of their own. Cécile later learns the children's name to be Bretagne and Anjou.

Cécile remembers with great sadness her father, and how he had walked Madame and Cécile to the edge of the meadow. Through tears, his last words to Cécile were "You are my pride, Cécile. Be true to who you are." With a promse to write to him, Cécile walked away with Madame. Remembering where she was, Cécile saw Madame step forward. Cécile knows she is in Madame's service, and starts to follow after her, but is stopped by Françoise, who quickly warns Cécile, saying, "The first thing to learn, Cécile, is that every single event, every single movement at court, comes with a set of rules. It's called etiqutte. many a position has been lost for not knowing who goes first." (This segment is on the back of the book.)

Cécile nervously thanks Françoise, but is filled with apprehension at the strictness of her position at court. Françoise and Cécile eventually join Madame in a coach. Madame comments on Cécile's great posture with approval, however Cécile feels overwhelmed. Madame acknowledges that and comments that sometimes, she too is lost by just how large everything is. She says this is the reason she loves her dogs so much, because they give her "companionship in what can be the loniest places on earth."

Chapter 4: The Palace
Cécile is surprised that such a beautiful coach can be so incredibly bumpy. Madame inquires as to how Cécile's feet are, and Cécile lies, saying her find. Madame declares that around her, Cécile is to speak the truth. With hestitation, Cécile admits that yes, her feet are very swollen, and, though the shoes are gorgeous, they are rather tight. Madame understands and says for Cécile to take off her shoes and put up her feet, as they are alone, with only Madame and Françoise in the coach and a long ride ahead. After complying with Madame's request, Cécile gazes out the window. She sees dark storm clouds in the sky and nervously asks Madame if the procession will take shelter. Apparently, this is highly unlikely as the king has a meeting he doesn't want to miss.

But, with a jolt, the horses start galloping. Madame, Françoise, and Cécile grab onto the velvet handles inside the coach. Cécile fears they will tip, but Madame reassures her, saying that God doesn't take a person's life before it is time, and that her fall yesturday was the 25th fall in all her years of hunting. Madame is still alive, with some help from Cécile.

So, the procession travels on, but near a village, there is a massive jolt that sends Cécile flying into Madame's lap. Cécile, extremely embarrassed, apologizes. But, Madame takes no notice and looks out the window. Screaming and crying can be heard, so Madame summons the driver. The driver explains the king's coach trampled some peasants. Madame requests a full report, and in a few minutes, the driver returns. Two children were playing in the mud. The driver blames the parents for not keeping proper watch over their children, and says that for compensation, the king is giving a few coins to the families. Cécile thinks that no amount of coins is conpensation for a friend, brother, or sister, but hopes her face doesn't reveal what she thinks.

Soon, the coaches continue, but Cécile looks out her window to see a crowd of peasants gathered around the two small children on the edge of the road. Cécile is haunted by that image, and can barely believe the driver blamed the parents. The parents work in the fields all day, and still barely are able to put food on the table, thanks to the king's horrible taxes. Cécile wonders why the king was so busy, he ran over two children, and why the lives of his people are only worth a couple of coins.

The storm soon passes, but Cécile's dark thoughts do not. As they approach the palace of Versailles, they see a thin woman with a child wraped in her skirts. The woman yells at the passing coach that they have no bread. Madame shakes her head and comments that hunger and a lack of money are everywhere, but that nothing can be done. Cécile privately wonders how many loaves of bread Madame's broach, brimming with jewels, could buy.

As the coach continues, the temperature rises. Cécile sees a building with a massive courtyard full of glistening horses and coaches and soliders. Cécile asks if this is the palace, but, with a kindly laugh, Françoise explains that the building was the stable. She points out the palace, and Cécile simply stares at the palace of Versailles. A massive drive of cobblestone lead up towards the palace and beyond the golden gates.

Cécile hears music, "like nothing [she] had ever heard before." After Madame is carried off in a sedan chair, Cécile and Françoise disembark. Cécile is afraid she'll get crushed in the crowd of thousands, but as the music swells, King Louis XIV, the royal family, and Madame de Maintenon exit their carraiges and file into the palace. Françoise explains that the palace is in the center, where the king can keep an eye on everything. Cécile nods, but gets the impression Françoise is warning her, like Madame de Maintenon. Cécile is still surprised by all the wealth that surrounds her, and her head aches from the cheering. Despite all the ribbons and lace and silk and gold and feathers, she can only see the desperation of the woman and her child, and the despair of the families of the two children that were trampled.

Chapter 5: Madame's Dogs
After the king is in the palace and the crowd disperses, Cécile and Françoise enter the palace. Once again, Cécile is surprised by the wealth, but chokes from the strong stench of perfume and body odor. She longs for fresh air, and a look at the sky. But, Françoise leads her through more rooms. Eventually, they come to a set of doors, one of which Françiose takes her pinky nail and scratches it down the door. Cécile later learns that the nail of the pinky finger is grown long for exactly this reasion. Cécile and Françoise enters the room, fresh and open and light colored, much to Cécile's relief. Madame is at a table near a window, writing, and barely acknowledges the two girls. But, to Cécile, she says Françoise will introduce Cécile to her dogs. There are six dogs, all sitting around Madame. Madame says for her to sit on the floor, and Cécile learns that she will never sit in a chair when Madame is present, but stand or sit on the floor. Madame starts talking to herself, saying, "I simply have to write another letter. Along with my ocin collection, it is what I do. I'll write another letter, seal it with wax, and then, like all of my letters, it will be read before it leaves the palace. That old trollop constantly meddles, as if Im' a danger to France - indeed!" Cécile looks back to Françoise, and she tries to guess her age. After determining that Françoise is probably around twenty, Cécile kneels down to meet Madame's dogs. She admires their strange ears, noses, and eyes, and remember seeing this certain breed of dogs in paintings with thier rich owners. Cécile recalls her father explaining about this breed, Continental Toy Spaniels, being the favorite lap dogs at court. Cécile is, once again, surprised that the peasants couldn't care for their children, yet that the nobles could afford to lavishly care for servants to attend to their dogs. Françoise whispers to Cécile that she can't "find more loyal and loving dogs than these." Cécile lets the dogs smell her scent, and pets them, all the while assuring them that they will all be good friends. Cécile falls in love with the dogs, especially with the fact that the dogs don't care at all about her background and position. After becoming familiar with Cécile's scent they return to Madame.

Monsier Titti is the oldest and was the first to greet Cécile and the first to go back to Madame. Mademoiselle Minette is white with black spots. Then there is Charmille, Charmion, and Charmonte, all with curly, golden fur. Charmion starts whining, and Cécile, sensing the problem, places a chair next to Madame. Charmion stops whimpering, and curls up next to Madame in the chair. The sixth and last dog is Stabdille, the largest. He is extremley intelligent and curious and "glances to [Cécile] as if to say, See? I'm doing my job. I hope you do yours."

Chapter 6: Disaster
Françoise taught Céciole how to brush the dog's fur, wipe their noses, and clean their teeth, eyes, and ears. Cécile watches the dogs clambor around Madame whenever she writes. At night, the dogs sleep around Madame, while Cécile sleeps in a cot at the perimeter of the room. The next day, the dogs become restless and start whining, and Madame asks Cécile to walk the dogs. Cécile and Françoise leash the dogs, and Françoise helps lead Cécile outside. Cécile asks Françoise if she ever gets lost, and Françoise says she does sometimes, but that "all the paths lead back - eventually - to the palace." Françoise shows Cécile the orangerie, and Cécile sees her very first orange tree. In the courtyard, there is a massive pool. Cécile feels a sharp pull and looks down to see an empty dog collar. She sees Stabdille racing towards two women, Madame de Maintenon and the princess, a small boy, and a carriage. Cécile finally remembers Stabdille's name, and calls for him, but he keeps running. Françoise takes the other dogs collars and Cécile runs after the little puppy. Stabdille stands on Princess Marie-Adélaïde's skirts, and she laughes and recognizes Stabdille as one of Madame's dogs. The son of the princess starts playing with Stabdille, but Stabdille leaps at the boy playfully, and, though both Cécile and the princess reach for them, both boy and dog tumble into the fountain.

Chapter 7: Doctor Fagon
Cécile goes into the fountain and grabs the dog, and the governess, Madame de Maintenon, grabs the boy. His forehead is scraped, with blood, and coughs up water. Stabdille, dripping wet, is in Cécile's arms and her new dress saturated up to the waist. Cécile immeadiatley starts apologizing, but Princess Marie-Adélaïde graciously shurgs off the indcident, saying, "Oh, just a cool swim on a hot afternoon." The boy stops crying and asks about the puppy. His mother says the puppy belongs to Madame and he wants to beome friends with him. Madame de Maintenon says nothing during the incident but glares at Cécile. She signals silently for two soliders to come, and Cécile bows her head. She becomes extremely afraid she'll be sent home, a dishonor to her father. However, Madame de Maintenon only asks for a page to summon Dr. Fagon to examine Bretagne, the little boy. Cécile relaxes for a moment, but Madame de Maintenon warns Cécile that she will blame Madame if anything serious happens to Bretagne. Cécile apologizes profusely, and Bretagne asks to pet Stabdille. Cécile complies, after glancing at Madame de Maintenon and Marie-Adélaïde for permission. After petting the dog for a moment, Bretagne looks up to Cécile and says that he will be kingo one day, and that Cécile must bring Stabdille to him whenever he wishes. Cécile laughs, but complies. Bretagne asks Cécile's name and, as she answers, a man behind her echoes her last name. Dr. Fagon, the man, addresses Cécile. "We had a doctor of the same name here years ago shipped off to the Bastille." Cécile is in shock, and remembers the stories she's heard of the Bastille. However, she is extremely sure the man is not her father, thinking firmly it is impossible. She notices Françoise waiting and asks if she may take the dog, but Bretagne shakes his head. Dr. Fagon leans over and asks to examine the great-grandson of the king. The little boy asks for the doctor not to bleed him. Cécile rememebers her father's strong opinion of bleeding. He called it "complete and absolute lunacy. Never take away something useful and necessary to the body, like blood." However, Dr. Fagon determines that Bretagne won't be bleed this time, as the royal family is bled regularly. Cécile is glad for a moment that she is not royal herself Dr. Fagon looks at Bretagne's head with a magnifying glass and puts some ointment on it. Marie-Adélaïde thanks the doctor graciously and announces they are giong to visit Grandpa, which would be the king's son. As they departed, traliing water, Stabdille tries to follow, but Cécile holds him tightly. Dr. Fagon looks at her and states, "You have that doctor's eyes - rather serious, a bit close together. And you say your name is - " However, Cécile takes her leave and pretends she can't hear him and hurries back to Françoise.

Chapter 8: Endless Etiquette
Spetember comes and goes quickly with Cécile learning etiquette and the normal routine of court life.

Chapter 9: A Season of Rain
Later in the afternoon, Cécile asks Madame about the doctors at the palace. Madame, with passion, states that if the royal people took walks and breathed fresh air, everyone would be a lot healthier. She gives a very passionate opinion of how unhealthy some of the royals live. Cécile asks Madame about Dr. Revel. Madame remembers him apparently, and calls him a "man of deep convictions." He apparently joined Madame in her beliefs that people should breath fresh air, take walks, and drink a lot of fresh water. Madame cointinues, "He spoke up against many of th epractices at court that tend to kill peple off more than help them. He was a good man who stood up for his beliefs." Madame stops abrutly, and Cécile knows not to persue the subject. The weather changes to rain, and it rains for many weeks, and though the dogs protest, Cécile drags them out into the weather. Cécile spends hours sitting on a cushion on the floor and reads novels that Madame lent to her and wrties letters to her father. She tells him of life at court, and asks him about the doctor here, believing he has a cousin or relative by the same name. She also asks for advice with the dog's health, and he always gives a great answer, but never addresses the question of Dr. Revel. One day, a page comes and gives a note to Madame. Apparently, Bretagne won't complete his studies without seeing Stabdille. Madame comments on how Madame de Maintenon spoils her children, but relents. Cécile steps outside with Stabdille, and notices the page is her age. She asks him if he lives at court. The page answers that "all pages live, train, and study in quarters above the stable." Cécile confides that when she first came here, she thought that the stable was the palace. With a grin, the page admits that he too thought that. "I come from the country. I had never dreamd of such a place." Cécile nods, and says, "My dreams were - well, simple. Real life is never exactly like a dream, is it?" She asks the page what he studies, and he says horse handling and etiquette, like Cécile expected, but aslso science, literature, history, and mathematics. Cécile states there are no places for girls to study those subjects, but learns of St. Cyr, a school for girls. Cécile decides that it is impossible for her to attend St. Cyr, and plans to finish her days at court. Madame had said that there is no escape, and Cécile is too young to think of marriage. As Cécile walks towards Marie-AdélaIde's room...

Then and Now: A Girl's Life
The Then and Now section is the parrallel to the Looking Back section for the Historical Characters. The Then and Now section in Cécile: Gates of Gold addresses:


 * The "Sun King," King Louis XIV
 * The Palace of Versailles
 * Entertainment
 * Fashion
 * The Life of a Peasant
 * Education
 * France Today

Glossary of French Words
In the back of the book, there are several pages that serve as a glossary of French words used throughout the book. The words are listed with the proper pronounciation and the definiton.

Items Associated with Cécile: Gates of Gold

 * Cécile Revel Doll