toldthemallthathadpassed；givingmyopinionofthisladyas
Ithoughther——amaliciousprovokingcreature。
“Howsoonyoutormentyourself，“saidthechancellortome。
“Do
younotseethatthiswomanwantsapricetobebiddenforher？
Sheisyours，bodyandsoul，butfirstofallshemustbepaid。“
“Letthatbenoobstacle，“saidcomteJean，“wewillgiveher
money，butpresentusshemust。“
Onthisitwasdecided，that，onthefollowingmorning，my
brother-in-lawshouldgotoParistofindM。Morand，andget
himtoundertakethearrangement。
Thenextdaymybrother-in-lawwenttoM。Morand’s，andwhenhe
haddisclosedhismessageconcerningthecomtesse，thegood
Morandbegantolaugh。
Hetoldthecount，thattheprevious
eveningthisladyhadsentforhim；and，ongoingtoherhouse，
madamedeBearn，asaset-offagainsttheinconvenienceswhich
mightresulttoherfrombeingtheinstrumentofmypresentation，
hadstipulatedforcertaincompensations；such，forinstance，as
asumoftwohundredthousandlivres，awrittenpromiseofa
regimentforherson，andforherselfanappointmentinthe
establishmentofthefuture。
Thiswasthepointaimed
atbyalltheambitiouscourtiers。
ComteJeanthoughtthese
conditionspreposterous。
Hehadafromme，and
desiredM。Morandtooffertheladyonehundredthousandlivres，
andtoaddanassurancethatthekingshouldbeimportunedtoplace
youngBearnadvantageously，andtostationthemothertoher
wishes；andthereuponmybrother-in-lawreturnedtoVersailles。
ThecomteJeanhadscarcelyreturnedanhour，whenwereceiveda
letterfromM。Morand，stating，thathehadgone，inconsequence
oftheinstructionsofcomteJean，tothecomtessedeBearn；that
hehadfoundtheladypliantenoughonthefirstpoint，anddisposed
tocontentherselfwiththehalfofthesumoriginallydemanded；
thatonpointthesecond，Imeantheappointmentsofherselfand
son，shewouldcometonocompromise，andstuckhardandfastto
thewrittenpromiseoftheking；thathe，Morand，thoughtthisan
obstaclenottobeovercomeunlesswesubscribedtoherwishes。
Thisletterputmeinanexcessivelyill-humor。
Isawmypresentation
deferredtilldoom’sday，or，atleast，adjourned。
I
questionedmyfriends:theunanimousadvicewasthatIoughtto
mentionittothekingatoneofhiseveningvisits；andIdetermined
todosowithoutlossoftime。
WhenhismajestycameIreceivedhimverygraciously，andthen
saidtohim，
“Congratulateme，sire；Ihavefoundmygodmother。“
“Ah，somuchthebetter。“
Iknowthat，atthebottomofhis
heart，hesaid“somuchthe。“
“Andwho，“askedtheking，withimpatience，“maytheladybe？“
“MadamedeBearn，aladyofqualityinherownright，andofhigh
nobilityonherhusband’sside。“
“Yes，hewasa，andthesonhasjustleftthe
pages。
Ah！
shewillpresentyouthen。
That’swell；Ishall
feelfavoredbyher。“
“Woulditnotbebest，sire，totellhersoyourself？“
“Yes，yes，certainly；butaftertheceremony。“
“Andwhynotpreviously？“
“Why？
becauseIdonotwishtoappeartohaveforced
yourpresentation。“
“Well，then，“Ireplied，strikingthefloorwithmyfoot，“youwill
notdoformewhatyouwoulddoforawomanwhoisacomplete
strangertoyou。
Manythanksforyourexcessivekindness。“
“Well，well，donotscold。
Angerdoesnotbecomeyou。“
“Nomorethanthisindifferencesuitsyou；itiscruel。
Ifyou
recedefromsayingaword，whatwillyoudowhenItellyouof
theconditionsofmadamedeBearn？“
“Whatdoesthegoodcomtesseaskfor？“
“Thingspastconception。“
“What？“
“Shehasstipulationsunlimited。“
“Butwhataretheythen？“
“Ahundredthousandlivresforherself。“
“What，onlythat？
Wewillgrantsomuch。“
“Thenaregimentforherson。“
“Oh，heisthewoodtheymakecolonelsof，andifhebehavewell——“
“Butthen！
Shewishestobeannexedinsomestationorotherto
thehouseholdofthefuture。“
“Oh，thatisimpossible:alltheselectionshavebeenmade:but
wewillmakeanequivalentbyplacingoneofherfamilyaboutthe
personofoneoftheprinces，mygrandson。
Isthisall？“
“Yes，sire，thatisall，withonesmallformalityexcepted。
This
lady，whoisoneofmuchpunctilio，onlyconsiders
engagementsasbinding。
Shewishesforonewordinyour
majesty’shand-writing——“
“Amostimpertinentwoman！“
criedtheking，walkingwithrapid
stridesupanddownmyroom——
“Shehasdarednottobelieveme
onmyword！
Writing！——signature！
Shemistrustsmeasshewould
thelowestscribblerofFrance。
Awriting！
Mysignature！
My
grandfather，LouisXIV，repentedhavinggivenhistoCharost。
I
willnotcommitasimilarerror。“
“But，sire，whenaprincehasarealdesiretokeephisword，it
isoflittleimportwhetherhegivesitinwriting。“
Atthesewords，LouisXVfrownedsternly，butashehadthebest
senseintheworld，hesawthathewaswrong；andhavingnoreply
tomake，hedeterminedtofleeaway。
Iranafterhim，andtaking
himbythearm，hesaid，withassumedanger，whichdidnot
deceiveme:——
“Leaveme，madame，youhaveoffendedmyhonor。“
“Well，then，monsieurlaFrance，“repliedI，assumingalsoa
scoldingtone，“Iwillgiveyousatisfaction。
Chooseyourtime，
weapons，andplace；Iwillmeetyou，andweshallseewhether
youhavecouragetokillawomanwholivesforyouonly，and
whomyourenderthemostmiserablecreatureinexistence。“
LouisXVgavemeakiss，andlaughinglysaid，“Ioughttomake
yousleepintheBastilleto-night。“
“Iamthenmoremercifulthanyou，forIthinkIshallmakeyou
sleepinthecouchyoulovebest。“
Thisreplyamusedthekingexcessively，andhehimselfproposed
tosendformadamedeBearn。
Ishouldspeakofmypresentation
beforehim，andthenwithoutmakinganypositiveconcession，he
wouldseewhatcouldbedonetosatisfyher。
Forwantofanyother，Iacceptedthis。
ThecomtessedeBearn——Thesupper——LouisXV——Intriguesagainstmy
presentation——M。deRoquelaure——Thescaldedfoot——Thecomtesse
d’Aloigny——Theducd’AiguillonandmadamedeBearn——Angerofthe
king’sdaughters——MadameAdelaideandthecomtesseduBarry——
Dissatisfactionoftheking
M。Morandwasagainputinrequisition，andwentfrommetoask
madamedeBearntocomeandsupatmyapartments。
Wewerein
committee——mysisters-in-law，myself，andcomteJean。
Thecomtesse
madesomedifficultiesatfirst，underpretencethatshewasafraid
torefusemeasecondtime。
Ourmessengerassuredherbysaying，
thatasupperwouldnotbindhertoanything，andthatsheshould
stillbeatlibertytogiveanyreplyshepleased。
MadamedeBearn
allowedherselftobepersuaded，andsentmewordthatshewould
acceptmyinvitation。
Shewouldhavereflectedtwicebeforeshe
sofarcommittedherself，hadsheatallsuspectedtheturnwe
meanttoserveher。
ButIsawbythewordingofhernote，that
shestillhopedthatthekingwouldbeinducedtograntmethe
writtenpromisewhichIaskedforher。
Shecame。
Ireceivedherwithallpossiblecourtesy，andyetnot
withmuchheartiness。
Icouldnothelprememberingthevexatious
termsshesetuponhercomplaisance。
However，thesupperwas
gayenough，comteJeanandmysisters-in-law，whoknewverywell
howtodissemble，didthehonorsinamostagreeableway。
On
leavingtablewewentintothedrawing-room，andthenbeganto
discusstheseriousquestionwhichhadbroughtustogether。
At
thefirstwordswhichcomteJeanuttered，madamedeBearn，taking
myhandswitharespectfulfamiliarity，saidtome:——
“Ihope，madame，thatyouwillnothaveabadopinionofme，ifI
putsuchconditionstomydesireofobligingyou。
Thesituation
ofmyfamilyrequiresit，butitisonlyatrifleforthekingtogrant。“
“Muchmorethanyouimagine，madame，“Ireplied。
“Thekingdoes
notcaretoinvolvehimselfinsuchengagements。
Hedoesnot
like，moreover，thathissacredwordshouldbedoubted。“
“Ah？“
repliedthecunningcreature，“heavenforbidthatIshould
notblindlytrusttotheking’sword，buthismemorymayfail，or
he，likeothermen，mayforget。“
“Madame，“repliedcomteJean，withtheutmostgravity，“madame
isaladyasfullofprudenceasofkindness，butyetalittletoo
exacting。
Madamewishestohaveapromisesignedforherself
andson:thatistoomuch。
Whydoesshenotcontentherselfin
dividingthedifficulty，bysatisfyingherselfwithaverbal
promiseforwhatconcernsherself，andwithawrittenengagement
forwhatrelatestoherson？“
“，“repliedthecountess，“Iamanxiousto
arrangealltoourmutualsatisfaction。
Buthismajestywouldnot
surelyrefusetheentreatiesofmadameforwhatIask。“
“IwillspeaktohimofitthefirsttimeIseehim。“
“Oh，youareacharmingwoman。
Youwillobtainallfromthe
king，andmakeasurefriend——“
“Whosefriendshipisverydifficulttoacquire，“saidI，interruptingher。
Thecountesswouldhaverepliedtothis，whenmyfirst
，openingthetwofolding-doorsofthe
room，announcedtheking。
Atthisunexpectednamemyguesttrembled，andinspiteofthe
thickrougewhichcoveredhercheeks，Iperceivedsheturnedpale。
Shethensawthescenewehadpreparedforher:shewishedherself
ahundredleaguesoff:butshecoulddonothing，butremainwhere
shewas。
Itookherbythehand，alltremblingasshewas，and