“Youareaverydangerouswoman，“criedtheking，interrupting
mebyloudfitsoflaughter，“andyouarecunningenougheven
tosurprisethesecretsofthestate。“
“’Tisyou，rather，whocouldnotresisttheinclinationtoletme
seethatyouknewwhatthemarechalhaddeclaredyouignorantof。
Whichofustwoisthemoretoblame，Iwonder？“
“Myself，Ithink，“answeredtheking；“forafterall，youdidbut
actwiththecandorandcuriosityofyoursex:itwasformeto
haveemployedmoreoftheprudenceofakinginmyrepliesto
yourinterrogatories。“
“Well，but，“saidI，“sinceyoureallydoknowallaboutthisman
withtheironmask，youwilltellittome，willyounot？“
“IshouldbeverycarefulhowIgratifiedyourcuriosity，“said
he；“thisisapointofhistorywhichmustneverbeclearedup；
statereasonsrequirethatitshouldforeverremainamatterofdoubt。“
“Andmusthaveyoutellme，“returnedI；“dopraytell，andI
willloveyouwithallmyheart。“
“Itcannotbe。“
“Andwhynot？
Thisunfortunatepersonhasbeenlongdeadwithout
leavinganyposterity。“
“Areyouquitesureofthat？“
inquiredtheking，inaserioustone。
“Butwhatsignifies，“saidI，“whetherhebedeadoralive？
I
entreatofyoutobestowuponmethisproofofyourconfidence。
Whoofallthosewhohavespokenofhimhavetoldthetruth？“
“Nobody；butVoltairehasapproacheditmorenearlythanany
oneelse。“
Afterthispartialconfessionthekingimploredofmetochange
theconversation，whichIcouldeasilyperceivewasextremely
disagreeabletohim。
Nevertheless，itseemedtomequiteclear，
thatthiscelebratedpersonbelongedtotheroyalfamily，butby
whattitleIcouldnotdevise。
ItwasinvainthatIafterwards
revivedthesubject；notevenduringthemosttenderconfidences
couldIobtaintheinformationIdesired。
PossiblyhadIlived
withhimsomeyearsmoreImighthavesucceededindrawingfrom
himallheknewrespectingtheobjectofmycuriosity。
Oldmen，
likechildren，canconcealnothingfromthosetheylove，andwho
haveobtainedoverthemaninfluencetheywillinglysubmitto。
BeforeIproceedtomoreimportantevents，Iwouldfainspeakof
personswithwhomIlivedbeforemyelevation。
Mygodfather，
M。BillardduMonceau，wasstillliving，aswellasmadameLagarde，
withwhomIhadresidedascompanion。
Myinterviewwiththe
formeriswellknown；andtheauthorsof“AnecdotesofMyLife，“
publishedthirteenyearssince，havestrictlyadheredtothetruth，
withtheexceptionofsomevulgarismstheyhaveputintothe
mouthofthatexcellentmanwhichheneveruttered。
AstomadameLagarde，shewasstrangelysurprisedtoseemearrive
atherhouse；andtheevidentembarrassmentmypresenceoccasioned
herwasasufficientrevengeonmypartforthemanyunkindthings
shehadsaidanddonerespectingme。
Iwouldnotprolongher
uncomfortablesituation，butstudiedtoconductmyselfwiththe
sameunaffectedsimplicityofformerdays。
Italkedoverthe
past，inquiredafterherfamily，andofferedmybestservicesand
protectionwithoutmaliceforwhatwasgoneby，andwithperfect
sincerityforthefuture。
Butspiteofallmyendeavorstospare
herfeelings，itwasevidentthatrageandhumiliationatthe
advantagemyalteredfortunesgavemeoverher，struggledwithin
her，andtheconflictofhermindwasbuttooplainlydepictedin
hercountenance。
However，thatwastheleastofmytroubles；I
soonrestoredhertocomparativecalmness；andbeforeIquitted
her，madeherpromiseshewouldcomeandseeme。
Shewouldgladlyhaveevadedthisrequest；butherson，themaster
ofrequests，whosufficientlymisjudgedmetofearmyresentment，
andwhopossessedgreatinfluenceoverher，inducedhertopresent
herselfatmyhouse。
Sheaccordinglycametocalluponme，witha
mindburstingwithspiteandjealousy；yetshechokeddownher
angrypassions，andsofarhumbledherself，astoentreatmy
pardonforherownsakeandthatofherfamily，forallher
unkindnesstowardsme。
Iwouldnotallowhertofinish；“Madame，“
saidI，“Ionlyallowagreeablerecollectionstofindaplacein
mymemory；hadIentertainedtheslightestresentmentagainst
eitheryouoryours，youmaybequitecertainIshouldnothave
againenteredyourdwelling；andIagainrepeattheofferI
madetheotherday，ofgladlyseizingthefirstopportunity
ofbeingusefultoyou。“
Eachofthesewordsexpressiveofthekindestfeelingstowards
herwaslikethestabofaponiard。
She，however，extolledthem
withthemostexaggeratedpraise，imploringmetobelievehow
deeplysheregrettedherbehavior，andtalkedsolongandsomuch
aboutit，thatwhenshequittedme，itwaswiththemostcertain
impressiononmymind，thatinherIpossessedamostviolentand
implacableenemy，andinthisconclusionIwasquitecorrect。
M。
Dudelay，herson，hadtheeffronterytorequesttobepresentedto
me，andchargedtheexcellentM。deLabordetomakeknownhis
wishestome。
IbeggedhewouldinformM。Dudelay，thatIadmitted
intothecircleofmyacquaintanceonlysuchaswereknowntothe
king；andthatifhethoughtpropertoapplytohismajesty，I
shouldobeyhisroyalwillonthesubject，whateveritmightbe。
Hejustlyconsideredthisrepulseasabitingraillery，forwhich
heneverforgaveme。
Ientertainednoillwillagainsthimforhis
pastperfidy，butIconsidereditstrangethatheshouldpresumeto
approachmewithfamiliarity。
Ishouldnothaveadoptedthesame
lineofconducttowardsthefarmer-general，hisbrother，who，
lessassuming，contentedhimselfwithassuringmeofhisdevotion，
andthesincereregretwithwhichhecontemplatedthepast，without
everseekingtointroducehimselfintomypresence。
ThechevalierdelaMorliere——PortraitoftheducdeChoiseul——
TheducdeChoiseulandthecomtesseduBarry——No
reconciliationeffected——MadameduBarryandtheduc
d’Aiguillon——MadameduBarryandLouisXV
AboutthisperiodIreceivedapieceofattention，anythingbut
gratifyingifconsideredinastrictlyhonourablesense。
The
contemptiblechevalierdelaMorliere，whodetestedme，and
subsequentlypursuedmewithrage，presumedtodedicatetome
somewretchedcollectionofhiscompositions，andIhadthe
weaknesstoacceptthededication；Ihadeventhestillgreater
follytoreceiveitsauthoratmyhouse；thispieceofcondescension
injuredmegreatly。
UntilthatperiodIhadnot，likemadamede
Pompadour，shownmyselftheprotectressandpatronessofmenof
letters；andevenmywarmestfriendscouldnotdeny，thatin
steppingforwardsastheencouragerofliterature，Ihadmadea
veryunfortunatechoiceinselectingthechevalierdelaMorliere
asthefirstobjectofmypatronage。
ButhowcouldIhavedone
otherwise？
TheprincedeSoubise，whofoundthismanserviceable
uponmanyoccasions，wouldhavesacrificedanythingtopromote
hisadvancement；andIhavebeenassured，thathadthemarechal
takenhalfthepainsonthedayprevioustothebattleofRasbach，
weshouldnothaveleftitsodisgracefully。
Thekingwellknewtheunfortunatechevalierforamanasdestitute
ofmodestyasmerit；whenthereforehesawhisbookuponthe
mantel-pieceofmydrawing-room，hesaid，
’So！
youaretheinspiringmuseofthechevalierdelaMorliere；
Ionlywarnyou，whenthedaycomesforhimtobehanged，
nottoaskmetopardonhim。“
“Beassured，“repliedI，“thatIwillneverdeprivethePlacede
Greveofonesoformedtodohonourtoit。“
Infact，thechevalierwaswithinanaceofreachingitbefore
hisfriendsanticipated；for，veryshortlyafterthisconversation，
hewasguiltyofthemostdetestablepieceofknaveryIever
heardof。
Helearnedthatanunfortunateyoungmanfromthe
country，intowhoseconfidencehehadwormedhimself，wasto
receive15，000livresonhisfather’saccount；heinvitedhimto
supper，and，bytheaidoftwovillainslikehimself，strippedhim
ofhislastsous。
Notsatisfiedwiththis，hewrotethefather
suchanexaggeratedaccountofhisson’slossandgeneralbad
habits，thattheenragedandirritatedparentprocuredanorder
toconfinehissonatSaintLazare！
Didyoueverhearofamore
infamousandaccomplishedroguethanmyhonourable？
However，Ishallgivehimuptohisfate，beitgoodorbad，and
proceedwiththerelationofmyaffairwithducdeChoiseul。
Ihadnamedtomadamedel’HopitalthehouratwhichIcould
receivetheduke。
Shehadrequested，inpursuanceofherdirections，
nodoubt，thattheconversationbetweenusshouldtakeplace
eitheramidstthegrovesofVersaillesorinthelabyrinthof
Marly；——theself-loveofM。deChoiseulinducinghimtodesire
thatthisinterviewshouldbesocontrived，astoweartheairof
amerechancerencontre。
TothisIwouldnotconsent；saying，
thatitdidnotsuitmypleasuretoquitthehouse；andthatwhen
agentlemansolicitedthefavourofspeakingtoalady，itbecame
hisbusinesstowaituponher，withoutexpectingsheshouldcome
insearchofhim；and，spiteofalltheargumentsofmadamede
l’Hopital，Ipersistedinmydetermination:shehadnoalternative
buttosubmit，andIawaitedthecomingofM。deChoiseulonthe
followingday。
TheducdeChoiseulpossessedagreaterreputationthanhis
talentswereentitledto；andhisadvancementwasmoreattributable
tohisgoodfortunethanhismerit。
Hehadfoundwarmand
powerfulassistantsinbothphilosophersandwomen；hewasa
confirmedegotist，yetpassedforamanwhocaredlittleforself。
Hewasquickatmattersofbusiness，andheobtainedthecharacter
ofadeepandprofoundpolitician。
Itmust，however，beadmitted，
thathewaswitty，gallant，andgiftedwithmannerssoelegantand
fascinating，thattheyneverfailedtoremovethefirstunfavourable
impressioncausedbyhisexcessiveplainness。
Thetideofpublic