aretheplagueofFrance；youwillseewhithertheywillleadit。“
Thekingspokethiswithananimatedair，andifatthismoment
M。delaVrillierehadcometoaskfora
againstawriter，thekingwouldnothaverefusedit。
“Besides，“addedtheking，inatoneoflessanger，butnoless
emphatically，“Iseewithpainthatthepolicedonotdotheirduty
withregardtoalltheseindignities。“
“Yet，“saidtheducdeDuras，“M。deSartinesdoeswonders。“
“Thenwhydoeshetoleratesuchinsults？
Iwilllethimknow
mydiscontent。“
TheducdeDuraswasalarmed，andkepthismouthclosed。
Theking
then，resuminghisgaiety，jokedthetwogentlemenontheirsecret
intrigues:thenchangingtheconversationsuddenly，hetalkedof
theexpectedarrivalofthekingofDenmark。
“DucdeDuras，“saidhe，“youandyoursonmustdotheofficeof
masterofceremoniestohismajesty。
Ihopeyouwill
endeavortoamusehim。“
“Yes，sire。“
“Mind，whatyouundertakeisnojoke。
Itisnoeasymatterto
amuseaking。“
ThiswasatruthwhichIperceivedateverymoment，andourmonarch
wasnottheonetobeamusedwithtriflingexertion。
Frequently
whenheenteredmyapartmenthethrewhimselfonanottoman，and
yawnedmostexcessively，yes，yawnedinmycompany。
Ihadbutone
modeofrousinghimfromthisapathy，butitwasasureone。
I
spokeofthehighmagistracyanditsperpetualresistancetothe
throne。
Thenthekingaroused，instantlysprungfromhisseat，
traversedtheroomwithrapidstrides，anddeclaimedvigorously
againstthe；thushestyledtheparliaments。
I
confess，however，thatIonlyhadrecoursetothe“blackgowns“
atthelastextremity。
LittledidIthinkthatatalaterperiod
Ishouldleaguemyselfagainstthem。
Ontheonehand，theduc
d’Aiguillonhatedthemmortally，andontheother，thecomteJean，
likearealToulousian，wouldhavecarriedtheminhisslippers；
sothatwaveringbetweentheadmirationoftheoneandthehatred
oftheother，Iknewnotwhichtolistento，orwhichpartytoside
with。
Buttoreturntopresentmatters。
Thekingwasalwaysthinkingofthe““and
determinedtoavengemeasopenlyasIhadbeenattacked。
Two
orthreedaysafterwardshegaveasupper，towhichheinvitedthe
duchesseandcomtessedeGrammont，madamedeForcalquier，the
princessdeMarsan，themarechaledeMirepoix，andthecomtesses
deCoignyanddeMontbarrey。
Theywereseatedattablelaughing
andamusingthemselves；theytalkedofthepleasureofbeingto
，ofhavingno；theypiercedmewitha
hundredthrusts；theytriumphed！
Andyetthekingwaslaughingin
hissleeve。
Atapremeditatedsignaltheducd’Aiguillon，oneof
theguests，askedhismajestyifhehadseenthecomtesseduBarry
thatday。
Thisterriblename，thrownsuddenlyintothemidstof
myenemies，hadtheeffectofathunder-clap。
Alltheladieslooked
ateachotherfirstandthenattheking，andtheducd’Aiguillon，
reservingprofoundsilence。
Hismajestythenreplied，thathehad
nothadthehappinessofvisitingmethatday，nothavinghadone
moment’sleisure；theneulogizedmeatgreatlength，andendedby
sayingtotheduke，
“IfyouseethecomtessebeforeIdo，besure
tosaythatIdrankthisglassofwinetoherhealth。“
Theladiesdidnotanticipatethis。
TheduchessedeGrammont
particularly，inspiteoflongresidenceatcourt，turnedpaleto
herveryears，andIbelievebutforetiquetteshewouldhave
fallenintoaswoon。
Ilearntafterwardsfromthemarechalede
Mirepoix，thattheduchesse，ongoinghome，gaveherselfuptoa
fitofrage，whichdidnotterminateevenonthefollowingday。
Whenthekingrelatedthisoccurrencetome，hewasasproud
ofitasifhehaddoneamostcourageousdeed。
ButIhaveomittedadaywhichwasofgreatimportancetomeinits
consequences。
ImeanthedaywhichfollowedthatonwhichIhad
complainedtotheducdeDurasofM。thelieutenantofpolice。
In
themorningearlymysister-in-lawcameintomyroom。
“Sister，“saidshe，“comteJeanisherewithM。deSartines，who
begstopayhisrespectstoyou。
Willyoureceivehim？“
“M。deSartines！
Yes，lethimcomein；Iwilltreathimas
hedeserves。“
ComteJeanthencamein，precededbythelieutenantofpolice:he
worealargeperukewithwhitepowder，andcurledwiththeutmost
care。
Wigswerehismania，andhehadaroomfilledfromfloor
toceilingwiththeseornaments。
Theducd’Ayensaid，thathe
nevershouldbeintroubleaboutthecouncilofstate，forincase
ofneed，itmightbefoundandreplenishedfromthehouseofthe
lieutenantofpolice。
LetusleavewigsandreverttoM。deSartines。
HeappearedbeforemewiththeairofTartuffe，and，forgivethe
phrase，。
“Madame，“saidhetome，“IhavebeeninformedthatIamin
disgracewithyou，andhavecometoinquirehowImayextricate
myselffromthismisfortune。“
“Yououghttoknow，sir。
TwiceinonemonthhaveIbeenshamefully
insulted；andyetthefirstintimationofsuchathingoughttohave
putyouonyourguard。“
M。deSartines，whommytonehadmuchsurprised，endeavoredto
justifyhimself，whencomteJeansaidtohim，
“Mydearlieutenantofpolice，allyouhavesaidgoesfornothing。
Onethingiscertain，andthatis，thatthereisadeficiencyof
respecttowardsmysister-in-law。
Yousaythatitisnotyour
fault:whatproofdoyougiveusofthis？
Whatinquirieshave
youmade？
Whatmeasureshaveyoutaken？
Any？
Whydoyoucome
tousifyouaidourenemies？“
M。deSartineswouldfainhaveensconcedhimselfinhisowndignity。
“M。duBarry，“washisreply，“Ishallrenderanaccountofmy
conducttotheking。“
“Verywell，sir，“Ireplied，“butdonotsupposethateitheryou
ortheChoiseulscangivemeanycauseoffear。“
M。deSartineswasthunderstruck；myboldnessastonishedhim。
At
lengthhesaid，
“Madame，youareangrywithmecauselessly；Iammorenegligent
thanculpable。
Itisuselesstosaythistotheking。“
“Iwillnotconcealfromyou，sir，thatheknowsitall，andis
greatlydiscontentedwithyou。
“
“Iamlostthen，“saidM。deSartines。
“Lost！
notprecisely，“repliedcomteJean；“butyoumustdecide
atonceandforeverwhatpartyyouwilljoin。
Ifyouarewithus
theywilluseyouharshly；ifyoutaketheoppositepartylookto
yourself。
Choose。“
Aftersometurningsandtwistings，accompaniedwithcompliments，
M。deSartinesdeclaredthathewouldrangehimselfunderour
banner。
ThenIextendedtohimmyhandintokenofreconciliation；
hetookitwithrespect，andkisseditwithgallantry。
Uptothis
timewehadconversedwithfeelingsofrestraintandstanding；but
nowweseatedourselves，andbegunaconferenceinform，astothe
mannerofpreventingarecurrenceoftheoffensiveoutragesagainst
me。
AsaproofofgoodintentionM。deSartinestoldmetheauthor
ofthetwoarticlesofwhichIcomplained。
Hewasawretch，named
Ledoux，whofortwelvehundredlivresperannumwrotedownall
thosewhodispleasedtheduchessedeGrammont。
Thisladyhadno
fearofdoingallthatwasnecessarytoremoveeveryobstacletothe
publicationofsuchinfamies。
AfterM。deSartineshadgivenusallthedetailswhichwedesired，
andafterIhadpromisedtoreconcilehimtohismaster，hewent
awaydelightedwithhavingseenme。
Believeme，myfriend，itis
necessarytobeashandsomeasIam，thatistosay，asIwas，to
seducealieutenantofpolice。