ThenwewillshowtherebelsarealcomtesseduBarry；
andwhethermysister-in-lawbealadyofsixmonths’standingor
onlyofyesterday，thatisofnoconsequencetothekingofFrance。“
AfterthisconversationLebeldeliveredthemessagetotheduchesse
deGrammont，whotoldhimthatsheshouldwritetoToulousetothe
attorney-general。
ThiswaswhatthecomteJeanwishedandhewas
preparedforher。
But，youwillsaytome，wasitcertainthatyourassertedhusband
wouldmarryyou？
Weretherenodifficultiestofear？
None。
ComteGuillaumewaspoor，talented，andambitious；helikedhigh
living，andwouldhavesoldhimselftothedevilforriches。
He
washappyinmarryingme。
ComteJeanwouldnothaveventured
suchaproposaltohisotherbrother，thecomted’Hargicourt，who
hadmuchgoodsenseandgreatnotionsofpropriety，andwhoat
Versailleswascalledthe；adistinctionnotover
flatteringtohistwobrothers。
Thesameeveningthewholefamilyarrived，andwaspresentedtome
thenextday。
Mytwofuturesisters-in-lawfrightenedmeatfirst
withtheirprovincialmannersandsouthernaccent；but，aftera
fewminutes，IfoundthatthisGasconpronunciationhadmanycharms
withit。
MesdemoisellesduBarrywerenothandsomebutvery
agreeable。
OnewascalledIsabelle，whomtheyhadnicknamed
，theother’snamewasFanchon，andhernamehadbeen
abbreviatedto“。“
Thelatterhadmuchtalent，andeven
broughttoVersailleswithher，aninstinctivespiritofdiplomacy
whichwouldhavedonehonortoapractisedcourtier。
Shewould
havebeenthoughtsimple，unsophisticated，andyetwasfull
ofplotandcunning。
Iwassoonmuchpleasedwithher，andthekingbecameequally
so。
Hewasalwaysverymuchamusedathearinghertalk
provincially，orrecitetheversesofoneGondouli，apoetof
Languedoc。
Heusedtomakeherjumpuponhisknees；andaltho’
shehadpassedthefirstbloomofyouth，heplayedwithherlike
achild。
Butwhatmostparticularlydivertedtheking，wascalling
mysister-in-lawbyhernickname；“，“
hewasalwayssaying，“dothis，gothere，comehere。“
LouisXV
didthesamewithhisowndaughters:hehadamongstthema，
a，a，andtheyweretheladiesVictoire，
Adelaide，andSophie，whomhethuselegantlydesignated。
Iso
soonsawthetasteofthekingfornicknamesthatIgavehim
one，itwasLafrance。
Sofarfrombeingangrywithme，helaughed
totearseverytimethatIcalledhimso。
Imustconfess，，thattheanecdoteaboutthecoffeeistrue。*Iwillonly
justifymyselfbysaying，thatifIexpressedmyselfcoarselyit
wasnotinconsequenceofmyvulgareducation，butbecausethe
kinglikedsuchmodesofexpression。
*LouisXVhadahabitofmakinghisowncoffeeafter
dinner。
Onedaythecoffeeboiledoverthesidesofthe
pot，andmadameduBarrycriedout，“Eh，Lafrance，
toncafef——lecamp。“
author
Letmereverttomymarriage，whichwasperformedsecretlyatthe
parishofSaintLaurent。
Ibelievethekingknewofit，altho’he
neveralludedtoitanymorethanmyself。
Thusthemaliceofmy
enemieswascompletelybalkedinthisaffair。
Somedaysafterwards
comteJeanreceivedaletterfromtheattorney-generalofthe
parliamentofToulouse，M。themarquisdeBonrepos-Riquet。
This
gentlemaninformedmybrother-in-lawthathehadbeenappliedto，
toinstituteaninquiryatallthenotaries，andamongstallthe
registersoftheparishesfortheproofofmymarriage；thathe
warnedustobeonourguard，andthatwhateverdiligencehe
mightbedesiredtoemploy，heshoulddonothingwithoutinforming
us。
Wefelttheobligationofthisproceeding，andmybrother-in-law
thankedtheattorney-generalinmynameaswellasinhisown。
He
toldhimthatitwasnotatToulousethatthepartiesinterested
shouldmaketheirresearchesformymarriagecertificate，butat
Paris，eitherattheparishchurchofSaintLaurent，oratthe
notary’s，Lepotd’Auteuil。
M。deBonreposgavepartofthisreply
totheduchessedeGrammont。
Greatwasthebustleamongstthe
Choiseuls！
Ileaveyoutojudgeofthefuryoftheladyorladies，
forthecontessedeGrammontwasnolessirritatedthantheother，
alwaysprepossessedwiththeidea，thattopleasethekingwas
towrongtheirfamily。
ThecomtessedeGrammonthadnothalfthe
talentoftheduchesse，shehadonlyherfaults。
Sheshowedherself
sorudeandimpertinenttowardsme，thatIwasatlengthcompelled，
nottoexileherofmyownaccord，buttoallowthatsheshould
besoserved。
ButIanticipate，forthisdidnotoccuruntilthe
followingyear。
Thekingbyallhiskindnessesendeavoredtorecompensemefor
theseattacks:heappearedcharmedtoseemesurroundedbymy
husband’sfamily。
HeplacedamongstthepagesthevicomteAdolphe
duBarry，sonofcomteJean，ayoungmanofgreatpromise，but
whosedestinywassobriefandsounfortunate。
Myhusband’sfamily
testifiedmuchaffectionforme，asdidtheducd’Aiguillon，towhom
Idailyattachedmyself。
Hecarefullykeptfrommeallthatcould
givemepain，andtookathousandprecautionsthatnounpleasant
reportsshouldreachme。
Ifwepassedashorttimewithoutmeeting
hewrotetome，andIconfessIwasdelightedwithacorrespondence
whichformedmyownstyle。
MademoiselleChon，mysister-in-law，
andIalsowrotetoeachother，andthatfromoneroomtoanother。
Irememberthatoneday，havingbrokenaglassofrockcrystalwhich
shehadgivenme，Iannouncedmymisfortuneinsuchsolemnstyle，
andwithsowellfeignedatoneofchagrin，thattheletteramused
thewholefamily。
Thekingsawit，andwassomuchpleasedthat
hekeptit，andnextdaysentmeagoldengobletenrichedwith
stones，whichIgavetoChon，towhomitrightfullybelonged。
JourneytoChoisy——ThecomtesseduBarryandLouisXV——Theking
ofDenmark——TheczarPeter——FrederickII——TheabbedelaChapelle——
Anexperiment——Newintrigues——Secretagents-Thecomtesseand
LouisXV——Ofthepresentation——Letterofthecomtessetothe
ducd’Aiguillon——Reply——PrincedeSoubise
UptothisperiodIhadresidedconstantlyatVersaillesorParis，
accordingtothepleasureoftheking，buthadneverfollowedhis
majestyinanyofhisjourneys。
Hewishedtopasssomedaysat
hisdelightfulchateauatChoisy，situatedonthebanksofthe
Seine。
ItwasdecidedthatIshouldbeoftheparty，takingthe
nameofthebaronessdePamklek，aGermanlady，asthatwould
savemefromtheembarrassmentinwhichIshouldbeplacedwith
thekinginconsequenceofmynon-presentation。
Theprincede
Soubise，theducsdelaTrimoulle，d’Ayen，d’Aiguillon，andthe
marquisdeChauvelin，werealsotoattendtheking。
Theking
remainednearlythewholetimewithme，andthetomy
apartmentbecameafavornotaccordedtoeverybody。
Asmall
committeemetthere，andtalkedofeverythingexceptwhatis
rational；andIcanassureyouthatwithsuchconversationtime
passesveryquickly。
Onedaythekingenteredmyapartmentholdinginhishandaletter。
“Iamabouttoreceive，“saidhe，“avisitthatwillnotgiveme
muchpleasure。
MybrotherofDenmarkistraversingEurope，and
isabouttocometoFrance。
！
whatinconvenient
personsareyourtravellingkings！
Whydotheyleavetheir
kingdoms？
Ithinktheyareverywellathome。“
“Yes，sire，butthereisanexcuseforthem:theyarewearyof
admiringyourmajestyatadistance，andwishforthehappiness
ofknowingyou。“
Atthiscomplimentthekingrubbedhishandswithasmile，which
healwaysdidwhenhewassatisfied，andthensaid，
“Thereisnotintheheartsofforeignpotentatesthesame
affectiontowardsmypersonasyoufeel。
ItisnotmebutFrance
theywishtosee。
IrememberthatwhenveryyoungIreceiveda
visitfromtheczarPetertheGreat，PetertheFirstImeanto
say。