Ipleadguilty，andwillnolongerdelaythepainful
confessionIhavetomake。
Doyourememberasingularlyhandsomeyoungman，who，duringmy
abodewithmadameLagarde，fascinatedmetillmyverysensesseemed
bewilderedbymypassion。
Youknowhowhebetrayedme，andhow，
throughhim，Iwasexpelledthehouse，aswellasthetermination
ofthisfoolishadventure。
Youarenowtopassoversevenor
eightyears，andtakeyourplacewithmeinthedrawing-room，in
whichIstoodwhenIrangtosummonaservanttoconveyaletter
totheducdeVilleroi。
YoumayrememberwhatItoldyouinthe
lastchapterofthepersonwhoentered，ofhisagitationandhis
blushes，andofhisfixinghiseyeswithdeepmeaninguponmetill
hequittedtheroom-thisservantwasNoel！
HadIlistenedtothedictatesofprudence，Ishould，without
lossoftime，haveobtainedagainsthima，
whichwouldhavefreedmefromallchanceofdiscoverythrough
hismeans；butIcouldnotlistentosuchcool-blooded，though
cautious，suggestions。
Oneideaonlytookpossessionofmy
mind——theabsurddesiretoknowwhathadbecomeofNoelsincewe
separated，andbywhataccidentInowfoundhimwearingmylivery
inthecastle。
WiththisintentIavailedmyselfofthefirst
momentIwassecurefrominterruption，tosummonhimtomypresence。
Hethrewhimselfatmyfeet，imploringofmetopardonhisaudacity。
“Alas，madam！“
saidhe，“Iammoreunfortunatethanguilty。
Isaw
youwalkingsometimesince，andIcouldobtainnorestorpeace
tillIwasfortunateenoughtoobtainadmissiontoyourestablishment。
Punishmeformytemerityifyouwill；expelmefromthecastle，
havemeconfinedinaprison，Ideserveitall；but，voluntarily，
Icannotleavethishouse；andifyouwillonlypermitmystay，I
solemnlyvowyoushallseenothinginmyconductbutthezeal
ofanattachedandrespectfulservant。“
IwasweakenoughtopardonNoelandshortlyaftertoraisehim
totherankof，whichbroughthiminfinitely
toomuchaboutme。
Yes，myfriend，thewomanis，afterallattemptstoexcuseit，
blamableforbestowingheraffectionononebelowherselfinthe
scaleofsociety。
Natureherselfappearstohaveplantedinour
bosomsakindofinstinct，whichwarnsusfromit，andaprejudice
againstallthosewhosodegradethemselves。
Itisdifferent
withmen；theycanconferrankandelevationonthebelovedobject。
Awomanshouldalwayshavereasontolookuptoandfeelproud
ofthemantowhomsheconsignsherheart；thisspeciesofvanity
ismixedwiththenoblestlove，andthewomanwhocanoverlook
it，actsfrompassionofthelowest，basestkind。
Howeasyisit
toreason！
Alas！
WhyhaveInotalwaysactedaswellasIspeak。
IwasthusagainasecondtimeenthralledbyNoel，andmuchmore
so，too，thanIwillnowtellyou。
MyfaithfulHenriette，whose
devotedattachmentformekepthereverwatchfulofmysafetyand
reputation，wasthunderstruckatperceivingwhatIvainlystrove
toconcealfromher；and，asshehassincetoldme，waslongin
decidingwhethertospeaktomeoftheaffair，whenanunexpected
incidentarose，whichdeterminedher，ateveryriskofmy
displeasure，touseherendeavorstoputanendtosodisgraceful
aconnexion，whichmustinfalliblyhaveendedinmydisgrace。
Onenight，orrathermidnight，allwasatrestinthecastle，and
IwassleepingpeacefullyinthearmsofNoel，whenallatonce
Iwasawakenedbythesuddenopeningofanouterdoor，which
announcedtometheapproachoftheking，whohadmerelyone
moredoortoopenerehewouldbeinmyapartment。
Noel，terrified，
leapedquicklyoutofbed，andrantoseekrefugeinasmall
chamberadjoiningwhereHenrietteslept。
Happilyshewasyet
awake；and，bythelightofanight-lamporrecognized
Noel，who，withclaspedhands，conjuredhertotakepityuponhim。
Henriettesawthedanger，andputtingoutherhand，seizedhim，
anddrawinghimrapidlytowardsher，madehimliedownbeside
her。
Noel，struckwithhergoodness，waspreparingtoofferher
thesamemarksofhisgratitudehehadshownmeofhisrespect；
butrepulsinghim，shesaidinalowvoice，“Wretch，thinknotit
isonyouraccountIthusexposemyreputation；’tistosavethat
ofmybelovedmistress；eitherconductyourselfwithsilentrespect
oryouarelost。“
AtthisthreatNoel’scouragemeltedaway
andhelaystillasafrightenedchild。
“Listen，“saidHenriette，
“ifyoudonotquitthisplaceto-morrowatbreakofday，without
seekingtoseemadameagain，Iwilldenounceyoutotheking，
whowillinflictuponyouthemostdreadfulpunishment。“
WhilstthesethingswerepassinginthechamberofHenriette，I
didnotfeelperfectlyateaseonmyside，andmanywerethewise
reflectionsImadeuponmyfolly，aswellasthepromisesIgave
neveragaintoexposemyselftosuchimminentdanger。
Nordidmy
terrorsabatetillafterthekinghadquittedme。
Atthesoundof
mybellHenriettehastenedtomybed-side。
“MygoodHenriette，“saidItoher，tremblingfromheadtofoot，
“whatanightofanxietyhaveIpassed，Imustindeedconfess——“
“Fearnot，mybelovedmistress，“repliedshe；“Iwillwatchover
yoursafety，andtrusttobeenabledfullytoprovideforit。“
Idurstnotthenaskforanyfurtherexplanationofherwords，for
suchwastheascendancyhergoodandsteadyconducthadgivenher
overme，thatshewouldcertainlyhaveblamedmeformyglaring
imprudence。
Ipressedherhandinmutethankfulness；she
comprehendedmysilenceandleftmetomyself。
Attheendofsomedays，seeingnothingofNoel，Iventuredto
questionherastohisfate:shethenrelatedtomeallyouhave
beentold，andadded，thatthedayfollowingthisshamefuland
unfortunatenightshehadlostnotimeinapprizingthecomte
Jeanofallthathadoccurred，whohadquicklydespatchedNoel
outofthekingdom，furnishinghimwithapurseoftenthousand
livrestodefrayhistravellingexpenses。
Suchwasthefortunate
terminationofthisdisgracefulaffair；andnow，havingcompleted
mypainfulconfession，Iwillchangethesubjecttoothersdoubtless
morecalculatedtointerestyouthantherecitalofsuchlapses。
MadameduBarrysucceedsinalienatingLouisXVfromtheduede
Choiseul——LetterfrommadamedeGrammont——LouisXV——Thechancellor
andthecountess——LouisXVandtheabbedelaVille——Themarechale
deMirepoixandmadameduBarry
Mattersnowassumedanairofimportance。
Mystrugglewiththe
desChoiseulshadbecomeadeadlywar，whichcouldonlybe
terminatedeitherbyhisdownfallormydismissalfromcourt；
thislattermeasurewasnotveryprobable；anoldmanisnot
easilydetachedfromawomanwhomheloves，andeachdayonly
addedtomyascendancyoverthemindoftheking。
Itistrue，
thatthesameforceofhabitwhichenchainedLouisXVtome
boundhimlikewisetoM。deChoiseul。
Theideaofchangeterrifiedhim；
andsogreatwashisdreadoffreshfaces，thathewouldhave
preferreddyingwithhisoldminister，tocreatingayoungerone
whomightwitnesshisend。
Happilythedukehimselfbroughton
thecrisisofhisfate；hispowerwascrampedonallsides，yet，
resolvednottolayitdowntillthelastextremity，hesought
tostayhisfailingcreditwiththerisinginfluenceofthedauphiness。
Hisenemieswerenotslowinpointingouttothekinghisminister’s
frequentvisitsandgreatassiduitiestoaforeignprincess，and
enlargeduponthefataleffectsthisnewalliancemightproduce
tothemonarchy。
Meanwhilethechancellor，threatenedbytheparliaments，saw
onlyonewayofavertingthestormwhichwasabouttoburston
hishead。
Thiswastointroduceintothecabinetpersonsentirely
devotedtohimself；buttoaccomplishhispurpose，itwasnecessary
toexcludetheducdeChoiseulandhisparty。
M。deMaupeoucame
tomeinDecember，andafterhavinggentlyscoldedmeforwhat
hetermedmycarelessness，heshowedmealetterfromtheduchesse
deGrammont，which，hesaid，wouldwonderfullyaidourplans。
Thisletterwaswrittentooneofthepresidentsoftheparliament
ofToulous，M。de。
Icannotgiveyouhisname；for，although
Ihavepreservedtheoriginaloftheletter，Ihavemislaidthe
envelopeonwhichtheaddresswaswritten。
Iheregiveyoua
copyofthiscuriousandimportantproduction:——
“MONSIEURLEPRESIDENT，——Ipromisedtogive
youtheexactdetailsofallthatpassedinthisgay
metropolis，and’tiswithmuchpleasureIsitdown
tofulfillmyengagement。
Thingsgoonmuch
asusual，or，perhaps，Ishouldbespeakingmore
correctly，wereItosaytheyarerapidly
progressingfrombadtoworse。
Wehave
nolongerakinginFrance；allpowerislodged
inthehandsofonesprungfromthemostinfamous
origin；who，inconjunctionwithothersas
intriguingasherself，seeksonlytoruinthe
kingdom，andtodegradeitintheeyesof
othernations。
“Thenoblefirmnessofsovereigncourtsis
odioustopeopleofthisclass；thusyoumay
imaginethedetestationinwhichtheyregard
thecandidandloyalconductoftheduke。