hispliancyofdispositionratherthanhisresistancethatwemust
contendwith，andIgotoactuponit。
“
Itheninstructedthedukewithwhathadpassedbetweenmeand
theprincedeSoubise。
WhenIhaddone，thedukereplied:
“ExpectnothingfromtheprincedeSoubise:hewillspeak，no
doubt；buthow？
Inajesting，laughingway。
If，however，you
thinkhecanatallserveyou，givehimallyourconfidence。“
“No，no，never，“Irepliedwithquickness；“itisnotathingtobe
donelightly；wedonotselectaconfidant，counsellor，orfriend，
atrandom。
Doyounotknowthis，M。leduc？
Itisrequisitethat
theheartoftheonewhospeaksshouldreposeitselfontheheart
ofthefriendwholistens。
IrepeattoyouthatIhavenofeelingof
confidencetowardsM。deSoubise。
Infact，“Iaddedwithvisible
andtroubledemotion，“mychoiceismade，andyouhavetoomuch
heroismtowishtocombatit。“
Attheseflatteringwordsthedukeprecipitatedhimselfatmyfeet，
andsworetosupportmycausewithallhispowerandinterest。
I
repliedthatIfullyreliedonhisdevotionandprudence。
Comte
Jeanentered，anditwasagreedbetweenusthreethatIshouldsay
nomoretothekingofmypresentationbeforetheducd’Aiguillon
hadspokentohimofit；thatIshouldcontentmyselfwith
complainingwithoutpeevishness，andthatweshouldleavethe
openingmeasuretotheprincedeSoubise，andlethimbreakthe
icetohismajesty。
TheprincedeSoubisebehavedexactlyasthedukehadtoldme:he
cametomethenextmorningwithamysteriousair，whichalready
informedmeofallhehadtosay。
Hesaidthathehadvainly
tormentedtheking；thathismajestywishedthingstoremainjust
astheywere，anddesiredthatuntilaneworderofthingsnothing
shouldbealtered。
“Iamsorryforit，monsieurlemarechal，“Ireplied。
“WhilstIam
inthisprecarioussituation，whilstIremaininacornerofthe
stageasaconfidanteoftragedy，Icandonothingformyfriends，
particularlyforyou，monsieurlemarechal。“
“Onthecontrary，madame，“hereplied，“thekingwillbemore
disposedtolistentoyouwhilsthewillsupposethatyour
influenceisunknown。“
“Oh，“criedIwithafeelingofanger，“yougentlemencourtiers
thinkofnothingbutpolitics。
Asforme，whoamawoman，Ihave
othermattersforconsideration:Imusthavehonors，title，rank。
Myself-lovesufferscruellywhenIseemyselfimmolatedbythe
fearwhichtheladiesdeGrammontandthreeorfourotherintriguers
oftheirpartyareabletoexcite。“
Theprincewassomewhatstartledatthefreedomoflanguage
whichIusedtowardsladiesinsuchcreditatcourt:hebeggedme
tomoderatemyfeelings，andbelessmovedandexcited。
Bythis
theprincedeSoubiselosttheesteemwhichImighthaveaccorded
him，andthesecondplaceinmycounsels，whichImighthave
givenhim。
Itoldtheduke，whocametoseemethemomentafterwards，ofthe
failureoftheprince’sattempt。
Hetoldmethathehadnothoped
forabetterresult。
Hewenttotheking，flatteringhimselfwith
hopesofbettersuccess，butdidnotfindhim。
ThedaughtersofLouisXVhadunitedagainstmewithafury
whichnothingcouldjustify。
Theywereincessantlytalking
scandalofmypastlife，asiftherewereonlysaintsatcourt，as
iftheyhadnopranksoftheirowntoreproachthemselveswith。
Allthechateauknewoftheirlovers，andtherewas
evidenceofthetendernessofmadameAdelaide:asformadame
Louiseshewasanangeluponearth，andwastheonlyonewho
didnotjoininthecryagainstme。
Ontheotherhand，theking，
whilsthehadbutlittleloveforhisdeardaughters，preserved
towardsthemacomplaisanceandexternalappearanceofkindness
whichwasasubstituteforparentallove。
When
criedout，hestoppedhisearswithhistwohands，andseemed，
whilstlookingproudlyatFrance，tosay，“AmnotIagoodfather，
andarenotmydaughtersveryhappy，forIletthemcryoutwith
alltheirmight？“
Thenextdaytheducd’Aiguillonwentagaintotheking，andfound
himbewilderedwithfamilyscenesandthemurmuringsofthe
Choiseuls。
Whenmyambassadorhaddeliveredhismessage，the
kingaskedhimifhe，aswellastheprincedeSoubise，hadbeen
setuponhishaunchesbyme。
Theduke，nothingintimidatedatthis，toldthekingthatfarfrom
havingwishedthatheshouldbemyinterpreter，Ihadrequested
himnottoalludetothematter。
“Why，then，“saidLouisXVlaughing，“doyounotfollowthe
adviceofthecomtesse？“
“BecauseIentertainasincereattachmentforher，andthatIam
vexedtohearitsaidthattherearepersonswholeadyourmajesty。“
“Whoaretheinsolentsthatholdsuchlanguage？“
“Theysurroundyou，sire。
Thereisnotafemaleherebutaffirms
thatyoudarenotdecideonthepresentationofthecomtesse。“
“Ialoneammaster，andwillletthemknowitwhentheopportunity
arrives；butthepresentmomentisnotfitting。
Thecomtesseknows
howwellIloveher；andifshewillproveherfriendshiptowards
me，shewillremainquietforsometime。“
Thedukethoughtitbesttobesilent，andcametome。
After
relatingtheconversation，headded，“Donotappearatalldejected；
thekingwouldnotthenvisityoulestheshouldfindyououtof
temper。
WereIyouIshouldwritetohim；awordofpeacewould
sethimatease。“
Iapprovedthisadvice，andinstantlypennedthefollowingletter:——
Sire-Theytellmethatyourmajestyhasbeentormented
onmyaccount。
ItisatreasonofwhichIalonecould
believemyselfcapable。
ButwhyshouldIcomplain？
You
havedonesomuchformethatIoughttoesteemmyself
happy:youraugustfriendshipconsolesmethro’allmy
annoyances。
BeassuredthathenceforthIshallpoutno
more；Iwillbethebestsheepintheworld，relyingon
myshepherdfornothavingmyfleececuttooclosely；
forafterallIthinkIamthepettedewe，etc。“
Ashorttimeafterwardsapagebroughtmeasplendidboxof
withapairofrubyear-ringssurroundedwithdiamonds，andthis
shortbillet:——
“Yes，assuredlyyouaremypetewe，andalwaysshall
be。
Theshepherdhasastrongcrookwithwhichhe
willdriveawaythosewhowouldinjureyou。
Relyon
yourshepherdforthecareofyourtranquillity，and
thepeaceofyourfuturelife。“
Intheeveningthekingvisitedme。
Hewasembarrassed，butIset
himateasebyshowinghimalaughingcountenance，talkingonly
ofhispresent，whichIhadinmyears，andshakingmyheadabout
tokeepthedropsinmotion，whichsparkledwithgreatbrilliancy。
Hewaspleasedatthis，anddidnotleavemealltheevening。
In
themorningwewerethebestfriendsintheworld。
Somedayselapsed，whencomteJeancametome，bringingtwo
infamousarticleswhichhadappearedinthe“，“
andweredirectedagainstme。
Theywereatrociousanddeeply
chagrinedme:Iplacedthemonthemantel-piece，whereallwho
cameincouldseethem。
TheducdeDurasreadthem，andsaid，
“Concealtheseatrocitiesfromtheking。“
“No，“wasmyreply，“Iwishhimtoreadthem，thathemayknow
howhisaffectionsarerespected，andhowthepoliceofParisare
employedindoingtheirdutytothethrone。“
TheselastwordsannoyedM。deDuras，betweenwhomandM。de
Sartinestherewasaconnection:thedukewasindebtedtothe
lieutenant-generalofpoliceforthespecialsurveillancewhichhe
keptoverayounggirlofwhomhe，theducdeDuras，wasfoolishly
enamoured。
TremblingforhisM。deSartines，he
wrotetohiminhaste，buthadnotcourageortalentenoughto
undertakethedefenceoftheguiltyperson。
Thekingcameasusual；hisgeneralstationwasatthechimney-piece，
whereheamusedhimselfwithlookingatthebaublesthatornamented
it。
The““fellinhisway。
Hereadthem
once，thenagain；then，withoututteringaword，threwtheminto
thefire。
Iobservedhim，andsawthathewasfullofemotion
whichhesoughttoconceal，buttheangerburstforthsoon。
The
princedeSoubise，whosuppedwithusthatevening，askedtheduc
deDurasifhehadreadthe““
“No，“wasthereply；“Iseldomreadsuchnonsense。“
“Andyouarequiteright，“saidtheking。
“Thereisatpresenta
mostinconceivablemaniaforwriting。
Whatistheuse，Iaskyou，
gentlemen，ofthisdelugeofbooksandpamphletswithwhich
Franceisinundated？
Theyonlycontainthespiritofrebellion:
thefreedomofwritingoughtnottobegiventoeverybody。
Thereshouldbeinawell-regulatedstatesevenoreightwriters，
notmore；andtheseundertheinspectionofgovernment。
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