“ThatImosthumblythankedtheprincesses，butthatthestate
ofmyhealthdidnotpermitofmyvisitingChantillyforthepresent。“
“Thatisallverywell，“answeredLouisXV；“youhaveframed
yourexcusewithmuchgenerosity，whichIgreatlyfearwillmeet
withaverydifferentturn；forifyoudonotaccompanymeto
Chantilly，thereportcirculatedwillbe，thattheprincesseshave
forbiddenyoutheirpresence；whichmydearlybeloveddaughters，
whosecharactersIfullyunderstand，willneitheraffirmnordeny
beforethepublic，whilstinprivatetheywillvowthatthey
prohibitedyoufromfollowingthem。
Alwaysexceptingmadame
Louise，whoisanangeluponearth，asshewillmostassuredlybe
onedayinheaven，whereItrustherprayersformeandmine
willbeheard。“
Ididnotatthetimepayanyparticularattentiontothelatter
partoftheking’sdiscourse，for，indeed，thebeginningwasfar
moreinterestingtome；butwhenIafterwardslearntthatmadame
LouisehadquittedthegrandeursofVersaillesforthegloomand
austerityofaconventIrecollectedit，andeasilycomprehended
thatitwasspokeninallusiontoaneventwhichtookplacesome
timeafterwards，andofwhichIshallspeakinitsproperplace。
However，theking’spredictionwasexactlyverified；andthe
reportingeneralcirculationwas，thattheprincesseshad
declaredtheirintentionofnotgoingtoChantilly；itwas
furtherrumored，thatIwasthere，butinaprivateandconcealed
manner。
Thisiswhollyuntrue；thekingwouldneverhavepermitted
suchahumiliation；nordoIbelieveIshouldhavesubmittedtoit
hadheevendesiredit。
Howeverallthismaybe，hesoughtto
recompensemeforhisabsencebywritingamostdelightfulletter，
whichIwillsubjoinforyourgratification。
Tomeitwasofso
muchthegreatervalue，thathavingitsroyalwriter’spermission
toshowit，itbecamethefirstdeath-blowIaimedatthecabal
againstme。
Thekingpossessedamuchgreaterportionofwitand
talentthantheweaknessandtimidityofhischaracterpermitted
toappear。
UnpublishedletterofLouisXV——MadameduBarry’scousin，M。de
Maupeou——ThecomtesseduBarrysavesthelifeofayounggirl
seducedbytheartsofthecureofhervillage——Sheobtainspardon
ofthecomteandcomtessedeLouerne——Thekingpresentsherwith
Lucienne——Asecondmeetingwiththeyouthfulprophet——Hisfurther
predictions——Heissoughtfor——Hismysteriouslettertothecountess
“Howdoesmysweetfriendcontrivetobearourtedious
separation？
isshehappyandamused？
InthatcaseIcan
say，shehasgreatlytheadvantageoverhimwhonow
addressesher。
No，mylovelycountess，Iamdragging
onatediousanduninterestingexistence，spiteofthe
greatandearnestendeavorsofmygoodcousinandhost
toprovideformyenjoyingthegaietybywhichIam
surrounded；but，alas！
amidstthemanyfaceswith
whichhismansionisthronged，thatonewhichis
dearesttomeiswanting，andallbecomesablank
inmyeyes；andIyawnwithirrepressibleweariness
inthemidstoftheglitteringpageantsgivento
honormyarrival；andyoumayrestassuredthatI
shallhailwithdelighttheterminationofavisit，
whichseemsalreadytohaveswelledtheperiodof
ourseparationintoages。
Iwillnotattemptto
concealfromyou，thatthosewhohavegoodcause
toenvyyoursupremedominionovermyheart，have
seteveryschemeinactiontoleadmeevenintoa
temporaryoblivionofyou，buttheirattemptsare
asvainastheirimpotentrivalry，andneedcause
nouneasinesstoyou，mybelovedfriend。
I
frequentlysmileatthevastpainsandprecautionsof
whichmy’’istheobject；andIam
encountering’’someof
thosefairladieswhowouldfainusurpyourplace，
sometimesbedeckedwithjewelsrare，andsometimes，
asRacinesays，
“danslesimpleappareil
D’unebeaute，qu’onvientd’arracherausommeil。>’
“MadamedeGrammont，forinstance，takesaninfinityof
troublerespectingmychoiceofyoursuccessor，which
sheisresolvedshallbeeitherherselforoneofher
choosing。
IprotesttoyouthatIfindalltheseplots
andcounterplotsveryamusing；andcanonlysay，that
mydaughters，whoarecompletelydupedbythose
practisingthem，mustbemorecompletelydeceived
thanIhadimaginedpossible。
NorcanIquitedeny
thatIfeelahalfmischievousdelightinreducingto
despair，
“cepeuplederivales
Quitoutes，disputant，d’unsigrandinteret，
Desyeuxd’Assuerusattendentleurarret。>’
“which，ofcourse，meansmekeepsone
perpetualreplytoalltheirhigh-soundingpraisesand
eulogiumsofsuchorsuchalady。
’Sheiswellenough，
certainly；butthecomtesseduBarryexcelshera
hundredfold’:thenfollowsuchshrugs，suchcontortions
ofcountenance，andsuchvaineffortstorepressthe
rageofdisappointedvanityandambition，thatIam
nearlyreadytodiewithlaughter。
“Aproposofdying；Iinquiredthenumberofdeaths
whichtookplaceatChantillylastweek；onlyfour，
theysay！
NowIthinkthatnumberquitesufficient
forthesizeoftheplace。
Iwalkedasfarasthe
villagecemetery，whichislargeandjudiciously
placed。
Imusttellyou，thatoneofmyfootmenhas
gonetothatlastjourneyfromwhichnonereturn:
hewasatall，presumingsortoffellow，remarkable
fornothingbuthisimpertinence，andthecontinual
scrapeshewasforevergettingintoamongstthe
soubrettes。
However，hemetwithhisdeathinsome
suddenbrawl。
Mypeoplesoughttoconcealthis
pieceofintelligencefromme；buthavingonceheard
ofit，IdespatchedFlamarenstoascertaininwhat
cornerofthecemeteryhehasbeeninterred。
“TheducdeTresmestalksmuchofyou，andboasts
greatlytothehonorofyourfriendship；hehasdubbed
himselfyour’’；thisisnotamissforapeer
ofFrance，andwhatisstillmoregratifying，hehas
assumedatitlewhich，Ibelieve，nooneinthekingdom
willattempttodisputehisincontestableclaimtocall
hisown。
Villeroiisallimpatiencetoreturnto
Versailles。
ThedukesofRichelieuandd’Aiguillon，
bothuncleandnephew，recommendthemselvestoyour
kindrecollection。
Thusyouseeyoumayreckonupon
afewdevotedandattachedfriends，evenwithout
him，whosehandisbusilytracingtheselines，andhe，
Icanpromiseyou，isinferiortononeinthetruest
loveandaffectionforyou。
“TheladiesofwhomIwouldhaveyoubemostonyour
guardaremesdamesdeC。，deB。，deP。，deG。
They
reallythrowthemselvesinmywaytillIcancallthem
nothingbutfoolsfortheirpains；butImustdothem
thejusticetosaythattheyarelessambitiousthan
you，andsothattheycouldrobyouofyourplace
wouldcareverylittlewhetherIcouldofferthemmy
heartwiththeotherhonorstowhichtheyaspire；in
fact，’tistimeweweretogetheragain，forthepeople
hereseemdeterminedtoprofitbymystayamongst
them。
Mycousinentertainsusmagnificently，and
pleasuresucceedspleasureinacontinualroundof
enchantment:hetellsmehehasothersstillmore
charminginstoreagainstthetimewhenyouwill
honorhimwithyourpresence。
AmIrightin
promisingthiswillbeereverylong？
Adieu，whata
longletterhaveIwrittenyou。
Iwillnowconclude