Villeroihasspokenoflovetoyou？“
“Yes，indeed，madam，“repliedthepoorgirl，weepingbitterly。
“Andyoureturnhispassion。“
“Ibelieveso，madam。“
Thisconfessionmademesmile。
Icontinued——
“Thenyouarenotquitesureofthefact？“
“No，madam；forwhenIdonotseehimIforgetallaboutit；but
whenheisbeforeme，sohandsomeandsogenerous，sofullof
love，Itrytomakemyselfequallyfondofhim；butsomehowI
cannothelppreferringhiscourier，M。l’Eclair。“
Theselastwordscompletelydestroyedallattemptsatpreserving
mygravity，andIburstintothemostuncontrollablelaughter，
which，however，soongaveplacetoapainfulrecollectionofhow
soonthisyoungandartlesscreature，assimpleasshewasbeautiful，
waslikelytolosethisopen-heartednessinthehandsofherseducer。
“Sophie，“saidItoheratlast，“thisunfortunateaffairforbids
myretainingyouanylongerinmyservice；Iamcompelledto
sendyoufromme。
Itrustthisnobleloverofyourswillnever
forsakeyou；haveacareonlytoconcealfromhim，shouldyou
persistinencouraginghisaddresses，thathehasarivalinthe
personofhiscourier，l’Eclair。“
Sophiethrewherselfweepingatmyfeet。
Iraisedandencouraged
herbythekindestwordstopursuetherightpath，butIremained
steadyinmydeterminationofsendingherfromme。
Iwasnotmistaken。
TheducdeVilleroibecamethepossessorof
poorSophie，andpubliclyboastedofhavingherunderhisprotection。
Hedidnot，however，proceedtotheseextrememeasuresuntilhe
hadessayedeverypossiblemeansofeffectingareconciliation
withme，andheemployedmorethanahundredpersonsinthevain
attemptofinducingmetopardonhim。
Withthisviewthemarechale
deMirepoix，whosesuccourhehadimplored，observedtomethat
itwassometimesnecessarytofeigntooverlookaninsult；I
replied，thatdissimulationwasanartIknewnothingof，nordid
Iwishevertoacquireit。
“Really，mydearcountess，“criedshe，“youshouldnotliveat
court，youareabsolutelyunfitforit。“
“Itmaybeso，“repliedI；“butIwouldratherquitVersailles
altogetherthanbesurroundedbyfalseandperfidiousfriends。“
Alltheremonstrancesofthegood-naturedmarechalewerefruitless，
Icouldnotbringmyselftopardonamanwhohadsoopenly
outragedmyfriendship。
DirectlyIsawtheking，Irelatedthewholeaffairtohim。
“Itmustbeconfessed，“saidhe，“thatthedukehasbehavedvery
illtowardsyou，buthehascertainlyshownhistasteasfaras
regardsSophie。
Sheisasweetcreature。“
“Ah！
youareallalike，“criedI。
“Yougentlementhinkapretty
faceanexcuseforeveryfault；andheonlydeservesblamewho
canattachhimselfwherebeautyiswanting。“
“Becauseheisasimpletonforsodoing，“saidLouisXVwiththe
utmostgravity，givingmeatthesametimeanaffectionateembrace。
CHAPTERXXIV
TheprincedesDeuxPonts——PrinceMax——ThedauphinandMarie
Antoinette——ThecomtesseduBarryandBridgetRupert——Thecountess
andGenevieveMathon——Noel——Freshamours——Nocturnaladventure——
Conclusionofthisintrigue
AllmyfriendswerenottreacherousastheducdeVilleroi；andI
maygratefullyassertIhavepossessedmanytrueandsincereones
whohaveeverfaithfullyadheredtomyfortunes。
Oneinparticular
Ishallmentionhere，thatImayrecommendhimtoyourwarmest
esteem；for，althoughofhighanddistinguishedrank，hedidnot
despisethegoodopinionofthemeanestcitizen。
Ispeakofthe
princedeDeuxPonts，CharlesAugusteChristian。
Thisprince，who
chancedtovisitFranceduringthezenithofmycourtfavour，was
verydesirousofseeingme，andbothheandhisbrotherwere
presentedtomebythecomtedelaMarche，theirfriend，and
theyquicklyrequestedthehonorofmyfriendship。
Auguste
Christianpleasedmemostbyhisgentleandamiablemanners，
althoughmostpersonsgavethepreferencetohisbrother，Maximilian
Joseph，betterknownbythenameofprinceMax。
AugusteChristian，
inthefervourofhisattachment，speakingopenlytomeofthe
delicacyofthesituation，proposedtome，incaseofanyreverse，
thatIshouldseekanasyluminhisdominions；andImustdohim
thejusticetosay，thatatthedeathoftheking，farfrom
forgettinghisproffer，helostnotimeinremindingmeofit。
Fidelityandattachmentsuchashis，issufficientlyrareto
meritaplaceinmyjournal。
TheprincedesDeuxPontswas
presumptiveheirtoanimmenseinheritance，thatoftheelectorate
ofBavaria，andtheelectoratePalatine，tothelatterofwhich
hewasdirectheirafterthedeceaseofhiscousin，thepresent
elector。
Icouldalmostwishthathehadalreadysucceededto
thesepossessions:hecanneverreigntoosoonforthehappiness
ofhissubjects。
PrinceMaxhadservedinFrance；hewasextremelywelllooked
uponatcourtbothbythekingandtheprincesses。
Asforthe
dauphiness，prejudicedagainsthimasshewasbyhermother，
shenaturallyregardedhimwithaneyeofcoolmistrust，and
manifestedheropendislikebyneverinvitinghimtoanyofher
parties。
PrinceMaxspokeofthispointedneglecttotheking，
whoimmediatelysummonedthedauphin。
“Myson，“saidheto
him，“IseewithregretthatprinceMaxisneveraninvitedguest
atanyofyourballsandfetes。
Remember，hebelongstoafamily
whichhasbeenourmostancientally，anddonottakeupthe
quarrelsofahousewhich，untilyourmarriage，haseverbeen
disposedindeadlyhatredtous。“
Ifthedauphinwasnotgiftedwithaveryextensivecapacity，he
waspossessedofsufficientplainsensetocomprehend，andto
enterintotheviewsofhisgrandfather，towhomhepledgedhis
word，thathenceforwardprinceMaxshouldbetreatedwithmore
respect；andhekepthisword，fortheinstanthereturnedtohis
apartments，hecommandedtheducdelaVauguyontoaddthename
ofprinceMaxtothelistofinvitedpersons。
Whenthepaperwas
drawnoutitwascarriedtothedauphiness，whowaswithher
husband。
ShereadontillshecametothenameofprinceMax，
whichshedesiredmightbeerased；butthedauphininterfered。
“Obligeme，“criedhe，“bysufferingthisnametoremain；his
ancestorshaveforagesbeenthefriendsofourfamily，andhis
alliancemayonedaybeusefultousinGermany。“
Thedauphinesscomprehendedthesignificationofthesewords，
andherfineeyeswerefilledwithtears。
However，shenolonger
insistedupontheerasure，whenherhusband，whomosttenderly
lovedher，furtherdeclaredittobetheking’sdesirethat
nothingshouldbedonewhichcouldinanywaydispleasethe
princedesDeuxPonts。
Hewas，therefore，fromthatperiod
invitedtothehouseofMarieAntoinette，whoindemnifiedherself
forthiscompulsorycivility，byrefusingtobestowuponhimone
singlesmileorgraciousword。
Itmustindeedbeagreedthatthe
dauphinesshadbroughtwithherintoFrancetoomanyAustrian
notions，whichshewaslonginlosingforthoseofawifeand
mother；butnowatthemomentofmywritingthis，sheismuch
changed，andisastrueaFrenchwomanasthoughshehadbeen
bornandbredinParis。
Unfortunately，thepeopleappearslowin
givinghercreditforheralteredopinions，andtothismistake
willsheowethelossofthatgeneralloveandpopularityto
whichshehassuchjustclaims。
PrinceAugusteChristianentertainedformeasincereregard，
whichIreturnedwiththetruestfriendship。
Myfeelingswere
aspureandsimpleashisown，spiteoftheodiouscalumnies
withwhichmyenemieshaveattackedthisharmlessacquaintance；
buttheirslanderinthismatterwasnoworsethanthemannerin
whichtheyspokeofeverypersonwhovisitedme。
Accordingto
theirreport，Iwasthemistressofallwhopresentedthemselves。
’Tiswellforyou，yecourtlydames，thatyoumayconvertfriends
intoloverswithimpunity；bethenumbereversolargenonedares
arraignyourconduct；butforthoseofmorehumblepretensionsit
isindeedconsideredatrocioustonumbermorethantwoadmirers；
shouldweasktoswellthelisttoathird——whatcomments，what
scandal，whatvilifyingreportsareincirculation！
Inthis
letter，myfriend，Ishallspeaktoyouexclusivelyofmyself。
Youwillfindlittleinmyconducttopraise，andIfear，
much
toblame。
Youwilleasilyperceivemyheartwasbetterthanmy
head；anddearasyouropinionistome，Iwriteoninthehope，
thatshouldmycandidavowallosemeanyportionofyouresteem，
itwillyetobtainmealargershareofyourfriendship。
The
dismissalofSophiefrommyserviceoccasionedavacancyinmy
household。
Immediatelyherdeparturewasknown，Ireceived
numberlesssolicitationsfromallwhoheardofit。
Threedays
afterwards，Henriettecametoinformmethatthewifeofan
attorneyofChateletsolicitedthetaskofservingmeinSophie’s
stead；thatshewasawell-lookingandrespectableperson，and
mightveryprobablysuitme。
“Willyouseeher，madam？“
continuedHenriette。
“Sheis
recommendedbythemarchionessdeMontmorency。“
“Willingly，“answeredI；“desirehertocomein。“