havewrittentomybrotherWilliamtosetoutwithoutdelayfor
Paris。
Yourswainwillbeeasilyinducedtomarryyou。
What
doyouthinkofthat？“
IgavecomteJeantocomprehend，bysigns，thatIleftmydestiny
inhishands，andhekissedmyhandsandwithdrew。
Theking
managedtostealafewminutestoconversewithme。
“Youdidnotintrustme，mysweetfriend，“saidhe，“withthe
circumstanceofyourhavingformerlyknowntheducdeRichelieu；
lessreservedonthesubjectthanyouwere，hetoldmehehadseen
youatthehouseofmadameLagarde，whoconsideredyouoneof
herdearestfriends。“
“Sire，“repliedI，“Iwastoomuchoccupiedwithyourmajesty，
tothinkofanyotherpersonintheworld。“
Myanswerdelightedhim，helookedatmeinthemost
graciousmanner。
“Youwouldalmostpersuademethatyouloveme，“saidhe，smiling。
“Indeed，yourmajesty，“saidI，“Ionlypraythatyoudesirethe
continuanceofmyaffection。“
“Inthatcase，“repliedhe，kissingmyhandwithfervor，“youdo
butpartakeofmytendernessforyou。“
Thesewordsflatteredmyvanity，andhereImustdeclarethatif
Ineverfeltforthekingthatviolentattachmentwhichistermed
love，Ieverentertainedforhimthewarmestesteem。
Hewasso
attentive，sokindtome，thatImusthavebeenamonsterof
ingratitudecouldIhavelookeduponhimwithindifference。
Oursupperonthisnightwasagainlivelyasthefirsthadbeen。
TheducdeRichelieuentertaineduswithseveralamusinganecdotes；
notthattheycontainedanythingverypiquant，buttheduke
relatedthemwell，andwewereallinthehumortobepleased，
andlaughedheartilyatwhathesaid。
ComteJean，whoseeye
constantlyfollowedme，appearedperfectlysatisfiedwithallI
saidordid。
Asfortheking，heseemedenchantedwithme，and
seemedwhollyoccupiedinwatchingmylooks，thathemight
anticipatemywants。
Aftersupper，inthewhich
followed，heexplainedhimselfintermswhichleftmenodoubt
howsecurelymyempireoverhimwasestablished。
Hadhebeen
lessexplicitonthesubject，theflatteringmarksoffavor，and
theadulatorycomplimentsIreceivedfromallonthefollowing
day，wouldwellhaveassuredmeofit。
Iwasnolongeranobscure
andfriendlessindividual，butthebelovedmistressoftheking；
Iwas，tousetheexpressionofLebel，anewsunwhichhadarisen
toilluminehorizonofVersailles。
Icouldnolongerdoubtmy
powerwhenIsawnoblepersonagespresentthemselvestosolicit
themostservileemploymentsaboutmyperson。
Amongstothers，I
mightinstanceacertainladydeSt。Benoit，whocontinuedfirst
ladyofmychamber，duringthewholetimeofmyregency；——my
justly-valuedHenriettebeingcontentedtotakethesecondplace
ofhonor。
Theducd’Aiguillon——TheducdeFronsac——Theduchessede
Grammont——Themeeting——Sharpwordsonbothsides——Theducde
Choiseul——Mesdamesd’Aiguillon——Letterfromtheducd’Aiguillon——
ReplyofmadameduBarry——MademoiselleGuimard——Theprincede
Soubise——Explanation——TheRohans——MadamedeMarsan——Courtfriendships
TheducdeRichelieu，whowasinhastetogotoGuienne，lostno
timeinpresentingtometheducd’Aiguillon。
Hewasnotyoung，
buthandsomeandwellmade，withmuchamiabilityandgreat
courage。
Asincerefriend，noconsiderationcouldweakenhis
regard；anadversarytobedreaded，noobstaclecouldrepresshis
boldness。
Hisenemies——andamongstthemheincludedthewhole
magistracy——hisenemies，Isay，haveusedhimshamefully，buthe
treatedthemtooillforthemtobebelievedinanythingtheysay
ofhim。
Ifhewereambitious，hehadtheexcuseofsuperiormerit，
andifheshowedhimselftoosevereinoneparticular，itproceeded
fromanenergyofmindwhichdidnotallowhimtohavemore
pityforothersthantheyhadforhim。
Donot，myfriend，think
thattheattachmentIhadforhimcantransportmebeyondjust
limits。
Sinceheisinhisgrave，myillusions，ifIhadany，have
dissipated。
Ionlygivetomydeceasedfriendsthetributedue
tothem——truthandtears。
Butreally，withoutthinkingofit，I
amattributingtomyselfthesevirtueswithoutnecessity，forgetting
thatyouarenotoneofthosewhowouldfainrendermeasblack
aspossibleintheeyesofposterity。
Inproportionasthefirstsightoftheunclehadprejudicedme
againsthim，somuchmorediditpropitiatemetowardsthenephew。
Isawinhimagenerousheart，andageniuscapableofloftyactions
whichyouwouldvainlyhavesoughtforinthemarechaldeRichelieu。
Nodoubtatthebeginningofourtheducd’Aiguillon
onlysawinmeawomanwhocouldbeusefultohisprojectsand
plans；butsoonhisheartjoinedthealliance，andadevotionof
calculationwassucceededbyavehementpassion，ofwhichIwas
justlyproud，asitsubduedtomychainsthemostaccomplished
ofcourtiers。
Ourfirstinterviewwaslively。
Themarechalandhesupported
theconversationwithmuchgaiety。
M。deRichelieu，asIhave
alreadytoldyou，hadneitherwitnorinformation，butpossessed
thateaseofthefirstcircles，thosemannersofhighbreeding，
thosecourtlygraces，whichoftensurpasswitandinformation。
“Mynephew，“saidhetotheduke，“madamecandomuchforus，
butwemustfirstdosomethingforher。
Withoutsupport，without
friends，shewillbelostatVersailles；letusbeherpartisans
ifshewillallowit，andletheryouthhavethebenefitof
ourexperience。“
Thetoneinwhichtheducd’Aiguillonreplieddelightedme。
He
saidhewasbuttoohappytoserveme，andbeggedmetorelyon
himasIwouldonmyself。
“But，“hecontinued，“butwehavetostrugglewithapowerful
party。
TheduchessedeGrammontandherbrotherarenotthe
personstogiveupthefieldwithoutstrikingablow。
But，madame，
bytheassistanceofyourhappyandlovelystar，Iwillenterthe
listswithpleasure，andifaglanceofyoureyeswillrecompense
aconqueror，Ishallbehe。“
“Oh，“exclaimedtheduke，“mynephew’sasecondAmadisin
gallantry，andofundauntedcourage。
Youwillbesatisfied
withhim，madame，muchmorethanwithmyson，whoonly
resemblesthefamilyinhisdefects。“
TheducdeFronsacwasjustlyhatedbyhisfather；hewaswhatis
calledadecidedscamp，withoutoneredeemingpointorvirtue。
Dissipatedwithoutagreeableness，acourtierwithoutaddress，a
soldierwithoutcourage，hethoroughlydeservedhisbadreputation。
Hewasnothated，becausehatredimpliesaspeciesofhonor，buthe
wasuniversallydespised。
Hisfatherhatedhim；hehatedhisfather。
Thereciprocitywasedifying。
IhaveoftenseentheducdeFronsac，
andalwayswithdisgust。
Hehadincurredtheextremityof
punishment；whentryingtocarryoffabutcher’sdaughter，he
renderedhimselfguiltyofthetriplecrimesofarson，rape，and
robbery。
Thiswasthemostsplendiddeedofhislife，atleasthis
fathersaidso，theonlyoneinwhichhehadshown——guesswhat
for，myfriend，Iwillnotpenthecynicalwordmadeuseofbyhis
father。