thiseffect。“
“Certainly；ifshemustsin，shehadbetterdosowithsomereason。“
Whilethesegentlemenwerethusdisposingofme，whatwasI
doing？
Alone，inmyroom，Iwaitedtheresultoftheirconference
withmortalimpatience。
ThecharacterIhadtoplaywasasuperb
one，andatthemomentwasabouttoenteronthestage，Ifeltall
thedifficultiesofmypart。
IfearedIshouldnotsucceed，butfail
amidtheinsultinghissesoftheVersaillesparty。
Myfearsatoncedisappeared，andthenIpicturedmyselfsitting
onathrone，magnificentlyattired；myimaginationwanderedin
alltheenchantmentsofgreatness；——then，asiffromremorse，I
recalledmypastlife。
TheformerloverofNicholasblushed
beforethefuturemistressofLouisXV。
Athousanddifferent
reflectionscrowdeduponme，andmingledinmybrain。
Iftolive
istothink，Ilivedawholeageinonequarterofanhour。
At
lengthIheardsomedoorsopen，acarriagerolledaway，andcomte
Jeanenteredmychamber。
“Victory！“
criedhe，embracingmewithtransport。
“Victory！my
dearJeanne，to-morrowyousupwiththeking。“
OnthisinformationIturnedpale，mystrengthforsookme，andI
wascompelledtositdown，orrathertofallintoachair；for，
accordingtoJeanJacquesRousseau，mylegsshookunderme
。
This，however，wastheonlymovementofweakness
whichIbetrayed。
WhenIrecoveredalittle，thecomteJeantold
metheconversationhehadhadwithLebel。
Ijokedaboutthetitle
ofbarondeGonesse，andIpromisedtotreatthekingasif
ignorantofhisincognito。
Onethingonlymademeuneasy，and
thatwassuppingwiththeducdeRichelieu，whohadseenme
beforeatmadamedeLagarde’s；buttheideathathewouldnot
remembermegavemerenewedcourage。
Onsoimportantanoccasion，comteJeandidnotforgettorepeat
hisinstructionsoveragain。
Thesearenearlyhiswords，forI
thinkIlearntthembyheart。
“Rememberthatitisonyourfirstinterviewthatyoursafety
depends。
Lethimlearn，throughyou，thoseuttertendernesses
whichhavebeensoughtforhiminvainheretofore。
Heislike
themonarchofold，whowaswillingtopaythehalfofhiscrown
foranunknownpleasure。
Lebelisweariedinseekingeveryweek
fornewfruit。
Heisquitedisposedtoserveyou，andwillsecond
youinthebestmanner。
Youareabouttobecomethecentreof
attractiontoallcourtiers，andnoble。
Youmust
expectthattheywillendeavortocryyoudown，becauseyouwill
havecarriedofffromthemagemtowhicheveryfamilyhasits
pretensions。
Youmustatfirststandfirmlybeforethestorm，but
afterwardyouwillfindallenlistthemselvesunderyourbanner，
whohavenowife，sister，nordaughter；thatis，allwhohaveno
mistresstooffertotheking。
Youmustattachthesetoyouby
placeandfavor:theymustbefirstthoughtof，andthenyoumust
thinkofyourselfandme，mydeargirl。“
“Allthisiswellenough，“Ireplied，“butasyetIamnothing。“
“！
to-morrowyouwillbeeverything，“criedcomte
Jean，withhisdeterminedenergy。
“Butwemustthinkabout
thismorrow。
Makehaste，noblecomtesse；gotoallthemilliners，
seekwhatiselegantratherthanwhatisrich。
Beaslovely，
pleasing，andgayaspossible；thisisthemainpoint，andGod
willdoalltherest。“
Hepronouncedthisblasphemyinalaughingtone，andIconfessI
couldnothelpjoininginthelaugh，andthenhastenedtocomply
withhisdirections。
Aslightpreface——ArrivalatVersailles————Portrait
oftheking——TheducdeRichelieu——ThemarquisdeChauvelin——The
ducdelaVauguyon-Supperwiththeking——Thefirstnight——The
followingday——ThecuriosityofcomteJean——Presentsfromthe
king——Howdisposedof
Thechancesagainstoursucceedinginourenterprisewereatleast
athousandtoone。
Theseauponwhich，trustingtothefavorable
influenceofmyleadingstar，wewereabouttoventure，wasfilled
withrocksandshoalswhichthreatenedthepoormarinerwhoshould
directhisbarknearthem。
Inthefirstplace，Ihadtodreadmy
obscurebirth，aswellasthemannerinwhichmylifehadbeen
passed；andstillmorehadItofeartheindifferentreputationof
comteJean。
Therewasmorethansufficientinallthistodisturb
aheadfarstrongerthanIcouldboast。
However，thankstomy
thoughtfulness，notroublesomethoughtsinterferedtobreakmy
restonthenightprecedingadaysoimportanttome，andIsleptas
tranquillyasthoughuponwakingIhadnootheroccupationformy
timethanawalkontheboulevards，oradrivetotheBoisdeBoulogne。
ComteJean，however，hadpassedaverydifferentnight；foronce，
thewhisperingsofambitionhadovercomeevenhisnatural
indifferenceandcarelessness，andtiredoftossingupona
sleeplesspillow，hearoseatthefirstbreakofday，reproached
meforslumberingsolong，andallowedmeneitherpeacenor
resttillIjoinedhimdressedforourjourney。
Atlength，we
setoutaccordingtoouragreementwithLebel；Iwasclosely
muffledupinmylarge——thecarriagerolledalongtill
wereachedVersailles，wherewehadforthelastmonthengageda
lodging，whichmightbeusefultousinallevents；wealighted，
andaftervainlyseekingafewmoments’repose，proceededon
foottoLebel，inwhoseapartmentsweweretoattireourselvesin
asuitablemanner。
“Youarewelcome，“saidthecomte，“prayconsideryourselfas
athome。“
“Iacceptyouraugury，“repliedI，“itwouldbeamusingenough
tofindthatmyyoungprophethadpredictedrightly。“
“Wellthen，“saidmyconductor，laughing，“Irecommendyouto
manageasliponthestaircase，itwouldbetakingpossession
afterthemanneroftheancients。“
“No，no，Ithankyou，“answeredI；“nofallsifyouplease，they
arenotpropitiousinFrance。“
Whilstwewerethusspeaking，wewerecrossingalongsuiteof
chambers，andreachedtheoneatwhichwewereexpected。
We
knockedcautiouslyatadoor，whichwasopenedtouswithequal
caution。
Scarcelyhadweentered，thanLebelcameeagerlyforward
toreceiveus。
“Ah，madame！“
criedhe，“Ibegantofearyoumightnotcome，
youhavebeenlookedforwithanimpatience——“
“Whichcanhardlyequalmine，“interruptedI；“foryouwere
preparedforyourvisitor，whilstIhaveyettolearnwhoisthe
friendthatsokindlydesirestoseeme。“
“Itisbetteritshouldbeso，“addedLebel；“donotseekeither
toguessordiscovermore，thanthatyouwillheremeetwith
somecheerfulsociety，friendsofmine，whowillsupatmyhouse，
butwithwhomcircumstancespreventmysittingdownattable。“
“How！“saidI，withaffectedsurprise，“notsupwithus？“
“Evenso，“repliedLebel；andthenaddedwithalaugh，“and
Isitdowntosuppertogether！
Whatanidea！
No！
youwillfind
thatjustastheguestsareabouttositdownattable，Ishall
suddenlybecalledoutoftheroom，andshallonlyreturnat
thecloseoftherepast。“
Allthiswasbutofsmallimporttome。
Nevertheless，Iaffected
toregrettheunavoidableabsenceofLebel。
Infact，Ibelieve
thatthefirstbreathinspiredatcourtisfraughtwithfalsehood
anddeceit，entirelydestructivetoeveryfeelingofnaturalcandor。
Lebel，withthemostceremoniousgallantry，conductedmetoa
privatedressing-room，whereIfoundseveralfemaleswaitingto
assistmeatmytoilet；Iabandonedmyselftotheircares，which
were，indeed，mostskilfullyexercisedinmybehalf。
Theywrought
wondersinmyappearance，bathingmeaftertheEasternfashion，
adorningmyhairandperson，tillIissuedfromtheirhandsblooming
andbeauteousasanhouri。
WhenIreturnedtotheroominwhichLebelwasexpectingme，his
surprisewasalmostoverpowering。
“Youare，indeed，“exclaimedhe，“thenewsunwhichistorise
uponVersailles。“
“Excellent！“
criedI，laughingextravagantly，“butliketheplanet
youarepleasedtocomparemewith，Imustreservemysplendid
risingtillIhaveobtainedfreshpowersfromtheaidofnight。“*
*，
isthewittyreplyintheoriginal，butwhichitis
impossibletorenderfullyandpiquantlythroughthe
dilutionofatranslation——tr。
Thecomteentered，andjoinedhiscongratulationsuponthebeauty
ofmyappearance；allatoncethehasty，soundofabell，violently
pulled，washeard。