Isentto
requestthekingtocometome；andwhenheenteredIthrew
myselfathisfeet，entreatinghimtoappeasehisdaughteronany
terms，andtoletmegoaway，sinceIbroughtsuchtroubleinto
hisfamily。
Theking，irritatedatmadameAdelaide’sconduct，wenttoher，
andtoldher，inaprivateinterview，thathewouldmakecertain
matterspublicifshedidnotholdhertongue；andshe，alarmed，
ceasedherclamor，orrather，contentedherselfincomplaining
inalowerkey。
Ofthepresentation——ThekingandtheducdeRichelieuatcomtesse
duBarry’s——M。delaVauguyon——Conversation——Letteroftheduketo
thecomtesseduBarry——Reply——Thecountessunitesherselfwiththe
Jesuitparty——MadameLouise——MadameSophie——M。Bertin——Madame
deBercheny
ThisfitofangerofmadameAdelaidehadgivenadditionalcourage
tothecabal。
Itbegantoexclaim
andplotagainstmewith
redoubledforce；hopingthustointimidatetheking，and
effectuallybarmypresentation；butitonlytendedtohastenit。
Oneevening，whenthekingandthemarechaldeRichelieuwere
withme，hesaidtome，
“Astopmustbeputtotheseclamors。
Iseethatuntilyouare
presented，therewillbedoubtsperpetuallyarisingandtormenting
usonthesubject；anduntilittakesplaceIshallhavenoease。
！
Letustakethebestmeansinourpowerofreducing
thesemalcontentstosilence。“
“Sire，“repliedthemarechal，“makeyourwillpalpable，andyou
willseeallthecourtsubmit。“
“Yes，butmydaughters？“
“Mesdamesknowbetterthananypersonsthedeferencedueto
yourorders。“
“Iassureyou，“repliedtheking，“thatitwillbeanunpleasant
quarterofanhourformetopass。“
“Well，sire，thenchargeoneofuswiththemission:thebishop
ofSenlis，forinstance，orM。delaVauguyon。
Ifeelassured
thateitherofthemwillacquithimselfadmirablyinthebusiness，
withthepreviousunderstandingthatyourmajestywillsupport
himwithyourauthority。“
“Iwilldosomostassuredly；butitwillbebestnottouseit
butatthelastextremity。
Ihavenowishtobemadeabugbear
tomyfamily。“
“Astotheselectionofanambassador，“Iinterrupted，“Ibegit
maynotfallonM。deRoquelaure；hehasbeenworkingagainst
meforsometime。“
“WhynotsendM。deJarente？“
inquiredtheking。
“Ah，sire，“repliedtheduke，“becausewecannottrusthim；he
isagay*fellow。
MadameSophiemighttellhim，thatheonly
tookthepartofmadameduBarry，becausehepasseshislife
amongstpetticoats。“
Flippant，light-minded，unreliable。
Atthetimethisbook
waswritten“gay“didnotcarryitspresentconnotationof
homosexuality，nordiditalwayscarrytheconnotationof
cheerfulandhappythatprecededthepresentconnotation——
Gutenberged。
“Trueenough，“saidtheking，“IprefertheducdelaVauguyon:
hehasagoodreputation——“
“Andwelldeserved，“saidtheoldmarechal，sneering。
“Yes，sire，
heisapiousman；atleast，heplayshispartwell。
“
“Peace，viper；yousparenobody。“
“Sire，Iamonlytakingmyrevenge。“
“Whydoyounotlikethegovernorofmygrandsons？“
“Intruth，sire，Imustconfesstoyou，thatexceptyourselfand
theladies，IhavenotmanylikingsatVersailles。“
LouisXVsmiled，andIpulledthebell；whenavaletappeared，
Isaid，
“GoandfindM。delaVauguyonforhismajesty。“
Whenwewerealone，“What，already？
“saidLouisXV。
“Madameisright，“repliedtheduke，“wemuststrikewhilethe
ironishot。“
Thekingbegantopaceupanddowntheroom，whichwashis
invariablecustomwhenanythingdisturbedhim:thensuddenlystopping，
“IshouldnotbeastonishedatapointblankrefusalfromM。de
laVauguyon。“
“Oh，sire，makeyourselfeasy；thegovernorhasnoinclinationto
followthestepsofMontausierorBeauvilliers。
Intruthyouare
verycandid；andImusttellyou，thatyouhavetoogoodan
opinionofus。“
AtthismomentM。delaVauguyonentered。
Hesalutedtheking
withhumility；andaskedhim，inamildtoneofvoice，whathis
pleasurewaswithhim。
“Arealmarkofyourzeal，“wastheking’sreply。
“Andofyourgallantry，“addedthemarechal，whosawthehesitation
oftheking。
LouisXVwasenchantedthatanothershouldspeak
forhim。
M。deRichelieucontinued:
“Hismajesty，monsieurleduc，wishesthatyoushouldprepare
mesdamestoreceiveourdearcountesshere，whensheshallappear
beforethemtopaythehomageofherrespectanddevotion。“
Theking，emboldenedbythesewords，said，“Yes，mydearduke，
Icanonlyfindyouinthechateauwhohaveanyinfluenceover
theprincesses，mydaughters。
Theyhavemuchrespect，andno
lessfriendship，foryou。
Youwilleasilybringthemtoreason。“
AsM。delaVauguyonseemedinnohurrytoundertakethecharge，
themarechaladded，
“Yes，sir，tomanagethisbusinessproperly，youandM。deSenlis
aretheonlymeninthekingdom。“
Themarechalhadhisreasonsforsayingthis，forasecretjealousy
existedbetweenthegovernorandthegrandalmoner。
M。dela
Vauguyonmadehastetosay，thathecouldnotresisthismajesty’s
orders，andhisdesiretobeagreeabletome。
“Ah！
youwillthendosomethingforme？“
Ireplied。
“Iam
delightedandproud。“
“Madame，“repliedthedukewithmuchgravity，“friendsareproved
onoccasion。“
“Thepresentoneprovesyourattachmenttome，“saidIinmy
turn；“andhismajestywillnotthinkitwrongofme，if，asa
recompense，Iembraceyouinhispresence“:and，onsayingthis，
IwentuptotheducdelaVauguyon，andgavehimtwokisses，
whichthepoormantookasquietlyaspossible。
“That’swell，“saidtheking。
“Youare，laVauguyon，amanofa
thousand。
Listenattentivelytome。
Iwishmuchthatthe
comtesseduBarryshouldbepresented；Iwishit，andthat，too，
indefianceofallthatcanbesaidanddone。
Myindignationis
excitedbeforehandagainstallthosewhoshallraiseanyobstacle
toit。
Donotfailtoletmydaughtersknow，thatiftheydonot
complywithmywishes，Iwillletmyangerfallheavilyonall
personsbywhosecounselstheymaybepersuaded；forIonlyam
master，andIwillproveittothelast。
Theseareyourcredentials，
mydearduke，addtothemwhatyoumaythinkfitting；Iwill
bearyououtinanything——“
“Mercy！“
saidtheducdeRichelieutomeinanundertone，“the
kinghaspouredforthallhisenergyinwords；hewillhavenone
lefttoactuponifhemeetswithanyresistance。“
Themarechal
knewthekingwell。
“Idoubtnot，sire，“repliedtheducdelaVauguyon，“thatthe
respectfuldutyofmesdameswillbereadytocomplywith
yourdesires。“
“Itrustandbelieveitwillproveso，“repliedthekinghastily。
“Iamagoodfather，andwouldnotthatmydaughtersshouldgive
mecausetobeangrywiththem。
LetmadameAdelaideunderstand，
thatshehaslatelyhadamistakenopinionofme，andthatshe
hasanopportunityofrepairinghererrorinthepresentinstance。
TheprincessesarenotignorantthatIhaveoftenshutmyeyes
uponcertainaffairs。
Enough；theymustnowtestifytheir
attachmentforme。
Whyshouldtheyopposethepresentationof
thecomtesse？
theywerenotsosqueamish
inthedaysofmadamedePompadour。“
AttheselatterwordsIcouldnotforbearlaughing。
LaVauguyon
anddeRichelieuleftusandheretheconversationterminated。
ThenextmorningtheybroughtmeanotefromtheducdelaVauguyon。
Thusitran:——
MADAME，——Readytoserveyou，Iwishtohavea
fewminutes’conversationwithyou。
Bepersuaded
thatIwillnottellyouanythingbutwhatwillbe
agreeableandusefultoyou。“
Iinstantlyanswered:——
“Youaretoogoodafriendformetorefusetosee
youwillinglyunderanycircumstances，and
particularlythepresent。
Yourconductyesterday
assuresyoumyeternalregard。