Dorine——MademoiselleChoinandthemarechald’Uxelles——Zamor——
M。deMaupeou’swig——Henriette——TheducdeVilleroiandSophie——
LetterfromthecomtesseduBarrytotheducdeVilleroi——His
reply——Thecountesswritesagain——MadameduBarryandSophie——
LouisXVandthecomtesseduBarry
Amongthenumberwhichcomposedmyhouseholdwerethreebeings
whoplayedconspicuouspartsinmyfamily，andwhoreceivedthe
kindestcaressesinhonouroftheirmistress。
Thesethreefavoured
objectswereDorine，Zamor，andHenriette。
Followingtheorderor
disorderinwhichIhavewrittenthusfar，Iwillfirstintroduce
mydearDorinetoyournotice。
Sweet，beautifulDorine！
howamiablyaffectionateandattached
tothymistresswertthou！
Thepooranimalstillexists；forI
wouldhaveyouknowthatIamspeakingofamostfaithfullittle
dog；nowindeedgrownold，asthmaticandsnappish；butfifteen
yearssince，distinguishedforherlightness，swiftness，andgrace，
forherprettylittlecountenance，whiteteeth，largesparkling
eyes，longtuftedtail，andaboveall，forhersnow-whitecoat，
spottedhereandtherewiththemostbeautifulbrown。
DorinewasjustthreemonthsoldwhenmadamedeMontmorency
broughthertomeinhermuff；herthroatwasadornedwitharich
goldcollar，bearingthearmsoftheduBarrys，andclaspedwitha
largesapphiresurroundedwithdiamonds。
Themomentshesawme
Dorineleapeduponmylapwiththemostendearingfamiliarity，
andfromthatperiodhasneverquittedme。
Mytrainofcourtiers
hastenedtobecomethoseofthenewfavouritelikewise；and
pastrycooksandconfectionersrackedtheirbrainstoprocure
temptingmorselsforthegentleDorine。
Shesippedhercoffee
dailyfromagoldensaucer，andZamorbetweenwhomandDorine
amutualdislikeexistedwasappointedhercupbearer。
The
wonderfulinstinctofthehighlygiftedanimalsoontaughther，
thatalthoughshehadfreepermissiontobarkatalltherestof
theworld，therewasonepersoninittowhomitbehovedherto
showherselfinhermostgraciousandsmilingmoods；whothis
personwasIleaveittoyoursagacitytodivine。
She，however，
indemnifiedherselfforthisextracomplaisancebybarkingand
bitingatallwhoapproached；andthehandsomest，bestturned
leginthecourtwasnotsecurefromthesharpteethofmademoiselle
Dorine。
Nevertheless，allviedinpraisingandfondlingher，and
Iwasenchantedwiththegeneraladmirationsheexcited，aswell
astheattentionshereceived。
OnedaythatIwasexultingly
relatingtotheducd’Aguillonthecaresandpraiseslavishedon
mydog，hereplied，“Thegranddauphin，sonofLouisXIV，after
thedeathofhiswife，MarieChristineofBavaria，secretlyespoused
mademoiselleChoin。
Themarechald’Uxelles，whowasnotignorant
ofthismarriage，professedhimselfthemostdevotedfriendof
thelady；hevisitedherregularlymorningandevening，and
evencarriedhisdesiretopleasehersofar，astosendaservant
withadishofgrilledhareforthehousedog，whohadaparticular
fancyforgamedressedinthatmanner！
Theseattentionsand
assiduitieswerefaithfullycontinuedforseveralyears，tillthe
granddauphindied，andthennomoremorningandeveningvisits，
nomorepresentstoeithermistressordog。
Applythestorywell，“
addedtheduke，asheterminatedhisrecital。
Unfortunatelythe
applicationofthetalepresenteditselfbuttoosoon，andIhave
experiencedthesadtruthofthehistoryofmademoiselleChoin。
Atthedeathofthekingso，didmyvisitorsdisappear；andpoor
DorinehaspartakenofthedisgraceofthecomtesseduBarry。
ThesecondobjectofmyregardwasZamor，ayoungAfricanboy，
fullofintelligenceandmischief；simpleandindependentinhis
nature，yetwildashiscountry。
Zamorfanciedhimselftheequal
ofallhemet，scarcelydeigningtoacknowledgethekinghimself
ashissuperior。
ThissonofAfricawaspresentedtomebythe
ducdeRichelieu，cladinthepicturesquecostumeofhisnative
land；hisheadornamentedwithfeathersofeverycolour，ashort
petticoatofplaitedgrassaroundhiswaist，whiletherichest
braceletsadornedhiswrists，andchainsofgold，pearls，and
rubies，glitteredoverhisneckandhungfromhisears。
Never
wouldanyonehavesuspectedtheoldmarechal，whoseparsimony
wasalmostproverbial，ofmakingsuchamagnificentpresent。
InhonourofthetragedyofAlzire，Ichristenedmylittlenegro
Zamor，towhombydegreesIbecameattachedwithallthetenderness
ofamother。
Youaskmewhy？
IndeedthatismorethanIcan
tell；perhapsatfirstIlookeduponhimasasortofpuppetor
plaything，but，imperceptiblytomyself，Ibecamepassionately
fondofmylittlepage，norwastheyoungurchinslowinperceiving
theascendancyhehadgainedoverme，and，intheend，toabuse
hisinfluence，andattained，asIhavebeforesaid，analmost
incredibledegreeofinsolenceandeffrontery。
StillIpardoned
allhisfolly，andamusedmyselffrommorningtonightwith
watchinghisnimblefingersperformathousandtricksofjugglery。
EvennowthatIhavelostthegaietyofmyhappydays，whenI
recallhisirresistiblycomicways，Icatchmyselflaughing，like
anoldsimpleton，atthebarerecollectionofhismonkeyfeats。
Icouldrelatetwentyofhismischievouspranks，eachmore
amusingthantheother。
Iwill，however，excuseyoufromhearing
nineteenofthem，uponconditionthatyoushalllistentothe
twentieth，whichIselectasbeingtheshortest。
Oneday，uponwhichIhadinvitedsomeselectfriendstodinner，a
superbpiewasbroughttotableasapresentwhichtheungallant
M。deMaupeouhadhadthepolitenesstosendmeinthemorning。
Oneofthecompanyproceededtocutit，whenscarcelyhadhe
piercedthecrust，thanitsperfidiouscontentsprovedtobean
immenseswarmofcockchafers，whichspreadhummingandbuzzing
alloverthechamber。
Zamor，whohadneverbeforeseenthese
insects，begantopursuethemallovertheroom，buzzingand
hummingasloudlyastheydid。
Thechaselastedalongtime；but
atlastthepoorcockchaferswearyofcarryingonthewar，and
mistakingtheperukeofM。deMaupeouforanimpregnablefortress，
flewtotakerefugethere。
WhatdidZamordo，butruntothe
chancellor，snatchoffhiswig，andcarryitintriumphtoa
corneroftheroomwithitscolonyofcockchafers，leavingusall
toadmirethebaldheadofthechiefmagistrate。
Icouldwillingly
haveenjoyedaheartylaughatthisscene，but，outofrespectfor
M。deMaupeou，IfeignedtobemuchdispleasedwithZamor，whom
Idesiredoneoftheattendantstoflogforhisrudeness。
However，
theguestsandthechancellorunitinginentreatiesthatIwould
pardonhim，Iwasobligedtoallowmyassumedangertogiveway
totheirrequest，andtheculpritreceivedapardon。
TherewasbutonepersonintheworldwhomZamorreallyfeared；
hewashoweverongoodtermswithallmyfriends，anddidnot
disdainthesocietyoftheking。
Youhaveheardthatthelatter，
bywayofamusement，bestowedonmylittlenegrothetitleof
governorofthePavillondeLucienne，witharevenuearising
therefromofathousandcrowns，andthatthechancellorcaused
thenecessarypaperstobepreparedanddeliveredtohimsealed
withthestateseal。
Butofallthepersonswhovisitedme，theonemostbelovedby
ZamorwasmadamedeMirepoix，whonevercamewithoutbringing
himamusingpresentsorsomesweetmeats。
Thesightofherthrew
himintoecstasiesofdelight；andthemomenthecaughtsightof
her，hewouldclaphishands，leapwithjoy，dancearoundher，
andkissherhand，exclaiming，““““Ah！
Madamelamarechale“。
Thepoormarechalealwaysdreaded
meetingthekingwhenshecametovisitmeandZamor；forthegreat
delightofhismajestywastomakemylittlenegrorepeataname
ofIsraelitishorigin，whichhedidinsoridiculousamanner，that
themodestyofmyfairfriendwasmostshockinglyputtotheblush。
Onepersonalonenevervouchsafedtobestowtheslightestglance
ofencouragementuponmylittleimpofAfrica，andthiswascomte
Jean，whoevenwentsofarastoawehimintosilenceeitherbya
frownoragestureofimpatience；hismostlivelytrickscould
notwinasmilefromthecount，whowaseitherthoughtfulor
preoccupiedwithsomeambitiousschemeoffortune。
Zamor
soonfeltaspeciesofinstinctivedreadofthisoverpoweringand
awe-inspiringgenius，whosesuddenappearancewouldchillhim
inhiswildestfitsofmirthfulmischief，andsendhimcowering
toacorneroftheroom；wherehewouldremainhuddledtogether，
andapparentlystupefiedandmotionless，tillthecountquitted
theapartment。
Atthemomentofmywritingthis，Zamorstillresidesundermy
roof。
Duringtheyearshehaspassedwithmehehasgainedin
height，butinnoneoftheintellectualqualitiesdoesheseemto
havemadeanyprogress；agehasonlystrippedhimofthecharms
ofinfancywithoutsupplyingothersintheirplace；norcanI
venturetoaffirm，thathisgratitudeanddevotiontomearesuch
asIhavereasontoexpecttheyshouldbe；*forIcanwithtruth
affirm，thatIhaveneverceasedtolavishkindnessonhim，and
tobe，ineverysenseoftheword，agoodmistresstohim。
*Thiswretch，whomthecomtesseduBarry
loadedwithherfavoursandbenefits，conducted
hertothescaffold-EDITORi。e。，author
Therewasonememberofmyestablishment，however，whomIpreferred
toeitherDorineorZamorandthiswasHenriette，whowassincerely
attachedtome，andwho，forthatveryreason，wasgenerally
dislikedthroughoutthecastle。
Ibadprocuredagoodhusband
forher，onwhomIbestowedapostwhich，bykeepingbothhimself
andhiswifeintheclosevicinityofthecastle，preventedmykind
friendfromquittingme。