barondeGonesserelatedtousacircumstancewhichhadjust
beencommunicatedtohimbyacountymagistrate。
Imusthere
apprizethereaderthattheseadministratorsofjusticewere
directedtocollectallthefacts，scandalous，horrible，ridiculous，
orpiquant，whichoccurredwithintheirjurisdiction，inorderthat，
beingforwardedtotheking，theymightaidindistractinghis
mindfromtheheavycaresofgovernment。
Alas！howmanystrange
andeventfulthingshaveIsincelearnedbysimilarchannels。
Thesupperterminated，theking’sfriendsremainedsometime
conversingwithus。
Whilstthesenoblemenwerebusilycelebrating
mypraisesinwordssufficientlyloudtoreachtheking’sear，the
barondeGonesse，standingbymyside，wasprosecutinghissuit
inthemostardentterms。
Ireceivedhisovertureswithbecoming
graceandmodesty。
AsIhavebeforesaid，theexterioroftheking
wasveryprepossessing，andwhathewantedinyouth，hemadeup
byallthematuregracesofdignifiedroyalty。
AtlastLebel
appeared，andmademeasigntorisefrommyseat。
Uptothis
periodnothinghadarisentobetraytheincognitooftheaugust
monarch，andinordertokeepupmypretendedignoranceofhis
grandeur，Iquittedtheapartmentwithlittleceremony。
Lebel
conductedmetoanadjoiningchamber，furnishedwiththeutmost
magnificence。
Whenwewereseated，heturnedtothecomteJean，
whohadfollowedus，andsaid，“Itrestswithyourselfwhetheryou
willreturntoParis，orremainatVersailles。
Butasfor，
whoseemsmuchfatigued，shewill，wetrust，honorusbyaccepting
abedatthecastle。“
Myself-createdbrother-in-lawunderstoodaswellasIdidthe
significanceofthesewords，andclearlyreadintheirimporthow
farIhadattractedthefavoroftheking。
Inordertohave
renderedtheimpressionmorelasting，wecouldhavewishedthat
mattershadbeenlessprecipitated，butwewereunderaroof
whereeverythingyieldedtothecapricesofitsmaster，and
resignationtohiswillbecameamatterofcourse。
AndhereI
trustImaybepardonedifIpassovercertaindetailswhich
couldnot，atthislapseoftime，interestoramuseanyone；
besides，altho’Ihavefoundnodifficultyinrecitingformer
eventsofmylife，Ifindmypenmoreprudishandcoythanwere
myearsormouth。
AllIshallsayis，thatthefollowingday，as
soonasIwasleftaloneinmychamber，Lebelentered，and
prostratinghimselfatthesideofmybed，——
“Madamelacomtesse，“saidhe，“isqueenandmistresshere。
Not
onlyhasyournobleloverfailedtocommunicatetometheusual
signalofdisgustordislike，buthehasspokenofyoutomeinthe
mostfavorablelight，declaring，that，forthefirsttimeinhislife，
hefelttheinfluenceofatrueandsincereaffection；forthis
reasonhedesiredIwouldnotconveytoyouthecontentsof
thiscasket，asoriginallyintended。“
“Andwhatdoesitcontain？“
askedI，withchildisheagerness。
“Oh，atrifleunworthyofherwhoisnowthemistressofhis
warmestlove；onlyapursecontainingahundredlouis，anda
suitofemeraldsworthasimilarsum。
Hebademesayitmight
haveservedtorecompenseamerefleetingfancy，butthatitis
unworthyofyourcharms，norcanheinsultyoubytheofferofit。“
“Willhethenseemeagain？“inquiredI。
“To-morrowevening，ifagreeabletoyou。“
“Onlysaythathiswishesaremine。“
“WouldyouwishtoseethecomteJeanbeforeyourise？
Hehas
beenwaitingwiththeutmostimpatiencetoseeyousinceseven
o’clockthismorning。“
“Lethimcomein。“
Thecomteentered，andIsawbythetriumphantjoypaintedon
hisface，thatLebelhadtoldhimofpropitiousstateofthings。
Heranuptomewithoutstretchedarms，congratulatingmeupon
mysuccess，andputtingatthesametimeseveralquestions，to
which，eitherfrommerewomanlycaprice，orpresumingupon
myrecentelevationtothecharacterofprimefavorite，Irefused
toreply。
Myfollydrewdownonmehissevereanger，andseveraloaths
escapedhislips，which，echoedbackbywallssounusedtosimilar
violence，struckLebelwithterror。
Thatfaithfulallyplacedhis
handoverhismouth，imploringofhimtorecollecthimself，and
theplacehewasin。
Asforme，dreadingsomefoolishburstof
hisimpetuosity，Itriedsomeofmysweetestsmiles，andinviting
himtositbesideme，relatedtohimandLebelthoseparticulars
whichmypenrefusestoretrace。
Amongstotherthings，Itold
themIhadsaidtotheking，thatIhadperfectlyknownwhohe
wasalltheprecedingeveningwhensuppingwithhim，andthathe
hadthesimplicitytosay，“hewassurprisedIhadnotappeared
moreembarrassedinhispresence。“
Ourconversationterminated，IwishedtoreturntoParis，andI
was，withoutfurtherhindrance，allowedtodepart。
Scarcelyhad
Iarrivedthereanhour，thanIreceivedfromhismajestya
magnificentdiamondagraffe，worthatleast60，000francs，and
banknotestotheamountof200，000livres。
ComteJeanandmyselfwerewellnighstupefiedwithastonishment
atthesightofsuchtreasures；tous，whohadneverinourlives
possessedsuchsums，theyappearedinexhaustible。
Mybrother-in-law
dividedthemintotwoequalportions，oneofwhichheputinto
hispocket，andtheotherintomy。
Withthisarrangement
Ididnotinterfere；nothingseemedtomemoresimplethanthathe
shouldsatisfyhisneedoutofmysuperfluity。
Ibestowedtwo
thousandcrownsuponHenriette，andexpendedinthecourseof
thedayatleastaquarterofmyrichesintrifles，asunnecessary
asuseless；andallthiswithoutoncerememberingthatasIowed
mypresentabundancetoamomentaryinclinationonthepartof
theking，sotheturnofanhour，orafreshfancyonthepartof
mymunificentadorer，mightreducemetotheunprovidedstate
inwhichIhadbeensolately。
Thateveningwaspassed
tete-a-tetewithcomteJean；hethought，asIdid，thatthe
foundationofourtreasurewasfirmasarock，andhegaveme
manycounselsforthefuturewhichIpromisedtoobserve；for
indeeditwastomyowninteresttodoso。
Uponhowmanyfollies
didwethendebate，which，butafewdaysafterwardswefound
practicable。
Thedifferentministerspassedinreviewbeforeus；
somewedetermineduponretaining，whilstothersweredismissed，
andalreadyIbeganinideatoactwithsovereignpoweroverthese
illustriouspersonages，amongstwhomIanticipatedshortlyplaying
soimportantapart。
“Afterall，“saidI，“theworldisbutan
amusingtheatre，andIseenoreasonwhyaprettywomanshould
notplayaprincipalpartinit。“
Theking’smessage——Letterfromthecountess——Asecondsupperat
Versailles——Theducd’Ayen——AshortaccountofM。deFleury——The
ducdeDuras-Conversationwiththeking——Thenextday——Avisit
fromtheducdeRichelieu——VisitfromtheducdelaVauguyon——Visit
fromcomteJean——Visitfromtheking——Athirdsupper——Favor
EarlythefollowingdayIreceivedamessagefromtheking，
accompaniedwithabouquetofflowerstiedroundwithastring
ofdiamonds。
Ashortletterwasannexedtothissplendidgift，
whichIwouldtranscribehere，haditnotbeentakenfromme
withmanyothers。
Myreply，whichIwroteuponthespurofthe
moment，wasconcise，and，asIpreservedtheroughcopy，under
theimpressionofitsbeingonedayuseful，Icangivethereader
theexactwords。
“Thebillettracedbyyournoblehands，rendersme
thehappiestofwomen。
Myjoyisbeyonddescription。
Thanks，monsieurleBaron，foryourcharmingflowers。
Alas！
theywillbefadedandwitheredbyto-morrow，
butnotsofleetingandshort-livedarethesentiments
withwhichyouhaveinspiredme。
Believeme，the
desireyouexpresstoseemeagainisentirelymutual；
andintheimpatiencewithwhichyouawaitournext
interview，Ireadbutmyownsentiments。
Theardor
withwhichyoulongtoembraceme，isfullyequalled
bytheaffectionwhichleadsmetodesirenogratification
greaterthanthatofpassingmywholelifeinyour
society。
Adieu，monsieurlebaron；youhaveforbidden
myaddressingyouasyourrankandmyrespectwould
haveme，Iwillthereforecontentmyselfwithassuring
youoftheardentaffectionofthe
“COMTESSEDuBarry。“
ThesignatureIadoptedwasaboldpieceoffalsehood，butit
wastoolatetorecede；besides，Iwasaddressingmyselfinmy
letter，nottotheking，buttothebarondeGonesse；forLouis，
byIknownotwhatunaccountablecaprice，seemedtowishto
preservehisincognito。
IhavesincelearnedthatFrancisI
assumedthesamename，altho’uponaverydifferentoccasion。
ReplyingtoaletterfromCharlesV，inwhichthatemperorhad
givenhimselfalongstringofhighsoundingtitles，hecontented
himselfwithsimplysigninghisletter，““LouisXVwasveryfondofborrowedappellations。
Unlikethevanitysocommontomankind，ofseekingtosetoff
theirpretensionsbyassumedtitles，itisthepleasureofroyalty
todescendtoalowergradeinsocietywhenconcealmentbecomes
desirable，eitherfrompolicyorpleasure；andLouissoughtinthe
familiarityinwhichaplainbaronmightsafelyindulge，arelief
fromtheennuiattendantupontherigidetiquetteofaregal
state。
Ihadomittedinmylettertothebaron，toremindhim
thatweweretomeetthatveryevening，butthatdidnotprevent
myrepairingtoVersaillespunctuallyattheappointedhour。