presentedhertotheking，saying，
“Sire，Inowdoforthislady，inmyowndrawing-room，whatshe
willhavethekindnesstodoformeatthestate-chamber。“
“Ah，“repliedtheking，“isitmadamedeBearnthatyoupresent
tome？
Iamindeeddelighted。
Herhusbandwasoneofmyfaithful
servants:Iwasmuchpleasedwithhersonwhenhewasoneof
pages，andIperceivethatsheherselfisdesirousoftestifying
tomeherattachmenttomyperson。
Ithankyou，madame；you
cannotconferagreaterfavoronme，andIshallembraceevery
opportunityofprovingtoyouhowmuchsatisfactionyourconduct
affordsme。“
Eachwordthatthekingutteredwenttotheheartofthecountess。
However，makingavirtueofnecessity，shereplied，thatshewas
proudandhappyatwhatthekinghadsaidtoher，andthatit
wouldbeherconstantaimtopleasehismajesty，flattering
herselfthatthekingwouldremembertheservicesoftheBearn
family，andwouldthinkofherinthedispensationofhisbounties。
“Youmayrelyonit，madame，“repliedLouisXV，“especiallyif
thecomtesseduBarryappliestomeinyourbehalf。“
Then，turningtowardsme，“When，then，isthisredoubtable
presentationtotakeplace？“
“Ontheday，sire，whenyourmajestyshallthinkproper，“Ireplied。
“Well！
IwillsendtheducdeRichelieutoyou，whowillarrange
thewhole。“
Thissettled，thesubjectwasturned，butmadamedeBearnlost
hertongueentirely。
Inspiteofallherendeavors，herforehead
becamecontractedeverymoment，andIamsureshewentaway
vexedanddisappointed。
Thefollowingmorning，thecomteJeanandmysister-in-lawwent
toherhouse。
Theytestifiedtheirregretforwhathadoccurred
thepreviousevening；theyassuredherthatwewouldnottake
anyadvantageoftheconditionlessengagementwhichshehadmade
topresentme，andthataltho’itwasimpossibletoaskthe
requiredguaranteesfromtheking，stillweshouldmostundeviatingly
adheretotheclausesofthetreaty:theyadded，thattheycame
toenquirewhensheshouldchoosetoreceivethehundredthousand
livres。
Thecountessreplied，thatinspiteoftherealdisadvantage
whichshemusthenceforwardlaborunderinthisaffair，shefelt
greatfriendshipforme，andwouldnotrefusetoobligeme，and
sheflatteredherselfthatIwouldespousehercausewiththe
king。
ThecomteJeanassuredherofthis，andsettledwithher
theperiodofthepaymentofthehundredthousandlivres，which
weretobepaidatsightonherdrawingonM。delaBorde，the
court-banker。
Thusthenmypresentationwasanassuredmatter:nothingnow
couldpreventit，atleastIfanciedsotomyself。
Ireckoned
withoutmyhost；Ididnotknowyetallthemaliceofacourtier
ladyorgentleman。
Asitwas，however，M。deChoiseulandhis
vilesisterhadgainedoveroneofmyservants，fortheyknewall
thathadpassed。
TheysoonlearnedthatmadamedeBearnhadcome
tosupperwithme，andthataftersupperavisitoftheking’shad
decidedthisladyonmypresentation:thistheydeterminedtoprevent。
Forthisend，theydespatchedasambassadorthechevalierde
CoignytothehouseofmadamedeBearn。
He，followingthe
instruction，soughtbyturnstoseduceandintimidatethecountess，
butallwentfornothing。
MadamedeBearntoldthechevalierde
Coigny，thatshehadbeenwithmetoaskmyinfluencewiththe
chancellor。
Thechevalierleftherwithoutbeingabletoobtain
anyotherinformation。
ThisbadsuccessdidnotdisheartentheChoiseuls。
Theysent
thistimetomadamedeBearn，M。deRoquelaure，bishopofSenlis，
andgrandalmonertotheking。
Thisprelatewasmuchlikedat
court，andinhighfavorwithmesdamestheking’sdaughters。
We
weregoodfriendstogetheratlast，butinthisparticularhewas
veryneardoingmegreatwrong。
M。deRoquelaurehavingcalled
onmadamedeBearn，toldherthathewellknewthenatureofher
communicationswithme。
“Donotflatteryourself，“saidhe，“thatyouwillobtainthro’
theinfluenceofthecomtesseduBarry，allthathasbeenpromised
you。
Youwillhaveopposedtoyouthemostpowerfuladversaries
andmostaugustpersonages。
Itcannotbeconcealedfromyou，
thatmesdamescontemplatethepresentationofthiscreaturewith
theutmostdispleasure。
Theywillnotfailtoobtaingreatinfluence
overthefuturedauphin，andwilldoyoumischiefwithhim；so
that，whetherintheactualstateofthings，orinthatwhichthe
ageandhealthofthekingmustleadustoanticipate，youwill
beinamostunfortunatesituationatcourt。“
Theoldbishop，withhismischievousfrankness，catechisedmadame
deBearnsoclosely，thatatlengthshereplied，thatsomuch
respectanddeferencedidsheentertaintowardstheprincesses，
thatshewouldnotpresentmeuntiltheyshouldaccordtheir
permissionformetoappear。
M。deRoquelauretookthisreply
totheChoiseuls。
MadamedeGrammont，enchanted，thinkingthe
pointalreadygained，sentmadamedeBearnaninvitationtosupper
thenextday，butthiswasnotthecountess’sgame。
Shewas
compelledtodecidepromptly，andshethoughttopreserveastrict
neutralityuntilfreshordersshouldissue。
Whatdoyousuppose
shedid？
Shewrotetous，madamedeGrammontandmyself，that
shehadscaldedherfoot，andthatitwasimpossibleforhertogo
fromhome。
OnreceivinghernoteIbelievedmyselfbetrayed，forsaken。
Comte
JeanandIsuspectedthatthiswasafeint，andwentwithall
speedtocallonthecomtessedeBearn。
Shereceiveduswithher
usualcourtesy，complainedthatwehadarrivedattheverymoment
ofthedressingofherwound，andtoldusshewoulddeferit；but
Iwouldnotagreetothis。
Mybrother-in-lawwentintoanother
room，andmadamedeBearnbegantounswatheherfootinmy
presencewiththeutmostcautionandtenderness。
Iawaitedthe
evidenceofherfalsehood，when，tomyastonishment，Isawa
horribleburn！
Ididnotforamomentdoubt，whatwasafterwards
confirmed，namely，thatmadamedeBearnhadactuallyperpetrated
this，andmaimedherselfwithherownfreewill。
Imentallycursed
herRomancourage，andwouldhavesentmyheroicgodmothertothe
devilwithallmyheart。
Thusthenwasmypresentationstoppedbythefootofmadamede
Bearn。
Thismischancedidnotdampenthezealofmyfriends。
On
theonehand，comteJean，afterhavingstirredheavenandearth，
metwiththecomtessed’Aloigny。
Sheconsentedtobecomemy
godmotherimmediatelyafterherownpresentation，foreighty
thousandlivresandtheexpensesoftheceremony。
Butmesdames
receivedhersounsatisfactorily，thatmyownfeelingstoldme，I
oughtnottobepresentedatcourtunderherauspices。
Wethankedthecomtessed’Aloignytherefore，andsenther，asa
remuneration，twentythousandlivresfromtheking。
WhilstcomteJeanfailedononeside，theducd’Aiguillon
succeededonanother。
HewassomewayrelatedtomadamedeBearn。
Hewenttovisither，andmadeherunderstandthat，astheChoiseuls
neithergavenorpromisedheranything，shewouldbewrongin
declaringforthem:that，ontheotherhand，ifshedeclaredfor
me，Icouldprocureforherthefavoroftheking。
Madamede
Bearnyieldedtohispersuasions，andchargedtheducd’Aiguillon
tosaytome，andevenherselfwrote，thatsheputherself
entirelyintomyhands；andthat，assoonasshewaswell，I
mightrelyonher。
What，Ibelieve，finallydecidedthislady
was，thefearthatifshedidnotcomplywithwhatIrequired，
Ishouldcontentmyselfwiththecomtessed’Aloigny。
Nowassuredofmyintroductress，Ionlydirectedmyattentionto
thefinalobstacleofmypresentation；Imeanthedispleasureof
mesdames。
IdonotspeakofmadameLouise，ofwhomIcanonly
writeintermsofcommendation；butIhadopposedtomemesdames
VictoireandSophie，andespeciallymadameAdelaide，who，asthe
eldest，gavethemtheirplanofconduct。
Thislatter，whohad
giventoomuchcausetobespokenofherselftohaveanyrightto
talkofothers，neverceasedharanguingaboutthescandalofmy
life；andIhadrecently，unknowntomyself，fallenintocomplete
disgracewithher。
Thisisthecase。
TheapartmentfromwhichIhaddislodgedM。deNoailleshad
beenrequestedofthekingbymadameAdelaide。
Ignorantofthis
Ihadinstalledmyselfthere。
IsoonlearnedthatIhadoffended
theprincess，andinstantlyhastenedtoofferhertheapartments
shewishedtohave。
Shecameintothem；butasitwasnecessary
formetobeaccommodatedsomewhere，thekinggavemetheformer
apartmentsofhisdaughter。
ThiswaswhatmadameAdelaidecalled
anactoftyranny；shemadethechateauechowithhercomplaints:
shesaidIhaddrivenherout，thatIwishedtoseparateherfrom
hersisters；thatIshouldweanherfather’saffectionentirely
fromher。
Suchinjusticedistressedmeexcessively。