“Yourmajestyspeakstome，“Ianswered，“withgreatcondescension
[mysister-in-lawlefttheroomthatshemightnotspoilthe
explanation]，butyetyouarethecauseoftheinsolenceswhich
Iamsubjectedtofromthevilecrew。“
“Whatisthematterwithyouto-day？
Intruthyouareaperfect
littledevil。“
“IwishIwere，thatImightpunisheviltongues，sincethereis
nokingofFrancetoavengeme。“
“Youaresevere，madame，“repliedLouisXV，turninghisimposing
andhandsomefacetowardsme，andtowhichhevainlyendeavored
togiveanairofanger。
Isawmysuccess，andadded，
“Yes，sire，itisinsupportableformetothinkthatIamsupposed
nottopossessyourfriendship，andthatIonlyplaythepartofa
temporaryfriend。
Itmakesmewretched:youmustnotbeangryif
Icomplainofyoutoyourroyalself。“
“Well，well，youmadcap，whatmustIdo？
WhommustIbanish？“
“Oh，sire，noone:withyouraugustsupportIfearnoperson；
nothingbutappearances。“
“Youareanexcellentcreature；inyourplacemadamedePompadour
wouldhaveimprisonedhalfFrance。“
“Thatwasbecauseshelovedrevengebetterthanshelovedyour
majesty。
Asforme，IshouldbemiserableifIwerethecauseof
onesinglefamilycomplainingagainstyou。“
Theking，delightedatthesewords，whichreallycamefrommy
heart，embracedmetenderlytwoorthreetimes，andsaid，
“Iwishyourenemiescouldunderstandyou，fortheywouldsoon
beatyourknees。
Butifweimprisonorexilenoperson，how
shallwestriketerrorintothem？“
“ItisnotterrorbutenvythatIwouldexcite。
Letmebe
presentedatcourt，andallmywisheswillbesatisfied。“
“Icannotforthelifeofmedivinewhyyoushouldlaysomuch
stressoncomingtowearyyourselfwiththeceremoniesofmyself
anddaughters。
Heavenpreserveyoufromalltheirksomenessof
courtceremony！“
AndLouisXVsighed。
“Didyoueverthink，“he
added，“ofallthevanities，alltheinterestsIhavetomanage；
alltheintriguesthatareperpetuallyagitating，andalltheopposition
madetome？
Thecourt，thecity，thepeople，willriseagainst
me:theywillclamor，groan，complain；verse，prose，epigram，and
pamphletwillappearinuninterruptedsuccession。
Youwouldbe
firstattacked，andhatredwillperhapsextendtome。
Ishallsee
againthetimeswhentheDamiens，inthenameoftheparliaments，
asonepartysays，inthenameoftheJesuits，astheotherparty
says，and，whatismoretrue，inthename——“
Thekingsuddenlypaused；adeepshadeofmelancholysettledon
hisfeatures，hisnobleheaddroppedonhisbosom。
LouisXV
remainedforsometimemotionless；atlength，
“Well，“heexclaimed，attemptingtoforceasmile，“well！
Iwill
writetotheladiesdeGrammont，toinformthemthattheyneed
notgivethemselvesthetroubletoremainnearmeatthechateau。“
OnhissayingthesewordsIdartedtowardsthedoor，andwent
intomychamber。
Thekingfollowed，andfindingtheremademoiselle
Chon，whowasworkingatsometapestry，saidtoher，
“Mademoiselle，Iconfidetoyourcare，andbyoral，themostamiablelittledevilinFrance。
Andnow，
mademoiselleduBarry，havingnothingfurthertoadd，Ipray
GodtotakeyoutoHispowerfulandholykeeping。“
Afterthispleasantrytheking，delightedatthegaytermination
ofasomewhatseriousscene，went，orrathervanished；forto
useaproverbialexpression，heranlikeathief。
AssoonasIwasalonewithmysister-in-law，Itoldherallthat
hadpassed。
“Isee，“saidshe，“thatthekingisfearfulofoffendingtheduc
deChoiseul，andgivingannoyancetohisdaughters。
Butastep
mustbedeterminedonwhichwillplaceyououtofthereachof
completedisgrace。
Woulditnotbebesttogetsomenobleman，
whocandosowithinfluence，tospeaktohimonthesubject？
If
theducdeRichelieuwerehere——“
“But，“Iinstantlyexclaimed，“havewenothisnephew，theducd’
Aiguillon？
Heiswellwiththeking，andIamcertainwilltake
themostlivelyinterestinallthatconcernsme。“
“Ihavenodoubtofit，“saidChon，withaslylook。
“Writeto
himtocome，andyoucanarrangeyourulteriorproceedings。“
Onthisadvice，whichwasquitetomytaste，Iwentinstantlyto
mywriting-table，thelastpresentwhichthekinghadmademe。
Itwasmadeofsilvergilt，andchinaslabsbeautifullypainted。
WhenIopenedit，aglasswasliftedwhichreflectedmycountenance。
Isatdownandwrotethefollowingnotetotheducd’Aiguillon:——
“Youmustbecontent。
Iwantyourassistance，I
reallywantit。
Themomenthascomefordeserving
allmyconfidence。
Willyouhaveitatallrisksand
perils？
Reflectwellbeforeyouundertakethis:if
youaccept，cometo-dayatfiveo’clockprecisely，
neitherlaternorsooner。“
Alittlewhileafterwardsthefollowingreplywasbrought。
“Onethingdispleasesmeinyourletterwhichelse
enchantsme。
Youappeartodoubtmyobedience。
AmInotyourslave？
Andwhenyousaytome，
willInot？
Relyonmeasonyourself；even
more:foryourvivacitymayleadyouintoerror，
andIshallpreservemyreason。
Yes，madame，I
will，whennearyou，preservemyreasonwhenyour
interestsareatstake。
AtthefixedhourIshall
havethehonortolayatyourfeetmyrespectful
homageandboundlessdevotion。“
Itwasimpossibletoexpressarealsentimentwithmoredelicacy。
Iwascharmedatit，nolongerdoubtingthatthedukewould
considermyinterestsashisown。
Iawaitedthehouroffive
withimpatience，whenmygoodfortunebroughttheprincede
Soubise。
Afterthefirstcompliments，
“Well，madamelacomtesse，whenisyourpresentationtotakeplace？“
“Idonotknow，monsieurlemarechal；thereareobstaclesinthe
way。
Ifearthattheywhowishtoinjuremeabusetheirinfluence
withtheking。“
“Iseethathismajestyhesitates，altho’heisdesirousofgiving
youstation。
Hemustbestimulatedtoknowthatheismaster；
andthatifheshowsanywaveringinthisparticular，itwillbe
madeuseoftogovernhimhereafter。“
HeartilydidIapplaudthelanguageofM。deSoubise:Ididnot
suspectthatthedearprincehadanothermotivebehind。
Atthe
endoftheinterviewhesaid，
“Madame，youwouldnothavebeenasyounowarehadyoubeen
moreconciliatorytowardsme。
Iknowtheking，andknowhowto
managehim。
Iflattermyselfthatyouwouldhavebeennowpresented
hadyoudeignedtohearmyadvice。“
“DidIrejectit？
WasIwrongindecliningtohavemademoiselle
Guimardasambassadress？
Wereyouassuredofhersilence？
Mightshenothavecompromisedus？“
“Youareright；Ididasonewouldhavedoneatyourage，andyou
havedoneasIshoulddoatmine；butthereisalwaystimetoamend。“
“Certainly，prince。“
“Youacceptmyadvice，then。“
“Yes，“Ireplied，seeingthedefileinwhichhewishedtoentrap
me，“yes，ifIampresentedthro’yourinfluence，fromthat
momentyoubecomemyguideandmentor。
Butitisimportant
thatthepresentationbenotdelayed；Irelyonyoutospeakto
thekingthisdayaboutit；andIknowthathewillgivemeevery
particularoftheimmenseserviceyouwillrenderme。“
Foroncethemadcapgirlgotthebetterofthepractisedcourtier。
M。deSoubise，takeninhisownsnare，politelyexcusedhimself，
andleftmewithanassurancethathewouldspeaktotheking。
Hedidspeak，butobtainednothingmorethananyother。
You
willseeinmynextletterthatIdidnotarriveatthe
accomplishmentofmywisheswithoutmuchtrouble。
Therewere
inthisaffairmoreintriguesforandagainstmethanwereafterwards
setonfoottodecidewarwithAmerica。
CHAPTERVII
Thecomtesseandtheducd’Aiguillon——M。deSoubise——LouisXV
andtheducd’Aiguillon——Letterfromthecomtesse
totheking——
Answeroftheking-The““——Thecomtesseand
LouisXV——Thesupper——Thecourtladiesmystified——Thecomtesseand
M。deSartines
IwasstilltriumphingattheskillwhichIhaddisplayed
inmyconferencewiththeprincedeSoubisewhenthe
ducd’Aiguillonentered。
“Goodheaven，“saidhe，kissingmyhandverytenderly，“into
whatinquietudedidyouthrowmebyyourdearandcruelletter。
Theambiguityofyourstylehascausedmeinexpressiblesorrow；
andyouhaveaddedtoitbynotallowingmetocometoyouat
thefirstmoment。“
“Icouldnot:Ithoughtitwouldbedangerousforyoutoappear
beforethekingpreviouslytohavingseenme。“
“Wouldthekinghavethoughtmyvisitstrange？“
askedtheduke，
notwithoutsomeemotion。
“Thatisnotthepoint。
Theblackspiteofmyenemieshasnot
yetdeprivedmeofthecounselsofafriend。
Butasitisnecessary
tospeaktothekinginmyfavor，Iwishthatheshouldnotknow
thatyoudosoatmyrequest。“
AfterthisIrelatedtothedukemyconversationwiththeking。
“Yoursituationisdelicate，“saidhetome，“butitshouldnot
troubleyou。
Thekingisweak，wemustgivehimcourage。
Itis