totheJesuits，towhomhewasentirelydevoted，hehadappeared
toacceleratetheperiodoftheirdestruction；neverhadhebeen
abletopardonhispatronthefrightfulparthehadcompelled
himtoenactinthebusiness。
Yearshadnotweakenedhisancient
rancour，anditmightbesaid，thathehadclungtolifewithmore
thannaturalpertinacity，asunwillingtolayitdowntillhehad
avengedhimselfondeChoiseul。
LouisXVwrotetohim，desiring
hewouldavailhimselfofthefirstpretextthatoccurredto
requestanaudience。
Thisnotewasforwardedbyafootman，
thegoodabbeeasilydivinedthatthismysteryconcealedsome
greatdesign；hethereforehastenedtosolicitanaudienceas
desired。
Whenintroducedintothecabinetoftheking，his
majestyinquiredatonce，
“Monsieurl’abbe，canIdependuponyourdiscretion？“
“Sire，“repliedtheabbe，withabluntfrankness，“Iamsorry
yourmajestycandoubtit。“
“Besatisfied，sir，“repliedtheking，“Ihadnointentionto
offendyou；butIwishtoconsultyouuponapoint，theimportance
ofwhichyouwillfullyappreciate；answermewithoutdisguise。
DoyoubelievethattheservicesoftheducdeChoiseulare
usefultomykingdom，andthatmyinterestswouldsufferwereI
todismisshim？“
“Sire，“repliedM。delaVille，withouthesitation，“Iprotestto
you，asamanofhonour，thatthepresenceoftheducdeChoiseul
isbynomeansessentialtotheministry，andthatyourmajesty’s
interestswouldsustainnottheslightestinjurybyhisabsence。“
AfterthistheabbedelaVilleenteredintoparticularsunnecessary
torepeathere；itissufficienttosay，thatall
headvancedmateriallyaidedourwishes。
Heafterwardsreaped
therewardofhisfriendlyservices，forwhentheducd’Aiguillon
haddisplacedtheducdeChoiseul，hebestowedonM。delaVille
thetitleof，anofficecreatedfor
him，andthebishopricofTricomie。
Thegoodabbe
didnot，however，longenjoyhishonours，butendedhiscareerin1774。
Thisconversationhadbeenrepeatedtome；and，onmyside，I
leftnomeansuntriedofpreventingLouisXVfromplacingfurther
confidenceinhisminister；but，feebleandtimid，heknewnoton
whattodetermine，contentinghimselfwithtreatingtheduke
coolly；hesought，bycontinualrebuffsanddenialstohisslightest
request，tocompelhimtodemandthatdismissalhehadnotthe
couragetogive。
Whilstthesethingswereinagitation，madamedeMirepoix，who
hadbeenforsomedaysabsentfromVersailles，cametocallupon
me。
Thisladypossessedaconsiderableshareofwit；and，although
onthemostintimatetermswithme，hadnotaltogetherbrokenoff
withthedesChoiseuls，towhomshewasfurtherboundonaccount
oftheprincedeBeauvau，herbrother。
Itthereforeexcitedin
menosurprise，whenIheardthatthedesChoiseulshadcalled
onhertoascertain，whetheritwouldnotbepossible，throughher
mediation，tocometosometermswithme。
“Andyoumustnotbeangrywithme，“continuedshe，“for
undertakingthe；Iwellforesawallthedifficulties，
andentertainednohopesofitssuccess，butuponsecondthoughts，
IconsidereditbetterIshouldacceptthemission；for，incase
ofanegativebeingreturned，itwillbesafeinmykeeping，and
Iwillnotaddtothechagrinofafailuretheshameofadefeat。“
“Itismyopinion，“repliedI，“thatallpropositionscomingfrom
thesepeopleshouldberejected；theyhavecompelledmetoraise
betweenthemandmyselfanimmensewallofhatred，notless
difficulttosurmountthanthegrandwallofChina。“
“Yet，“repliedthemarechale，smiling，“theyaredisposedtopay
anypriceforsodoing。“
“Ihavefriends，“saidI，“fromwhomIcanneverseparatemyself。“
“Theyarewillingthatyourfriendsshallbetheirslikewise，“
criedshe，“fortheyseethatM。deMaupeou，theducdela
Vrilliere，andtheabbeTerray，areprovidedfor，andthatthe
ducd’Aiguillonaloneremainstobesuitablyestablished；M。de
Choiseulwouldbehappytoaidhiminobtainingthepostof
ministerofnavalaffairs。“
“Well，andtheduchessedeGrammont，“inquiredI，“wouldshe
visitme？“
“Oh，astothat，Iknownothingaboutit，andcanventureno
opinion；mycommissiondoesnotextendsofar。“
“Iunderstandyou，“saidI；“sheseeksforpeaceonlyasit
wouldenableherthebettertocarryonherhostilitiesagainst
me。
Iamsorry，madamelamarechale，thatIcannotaccept
yourtermsforareconciliation。“
“Remember，Iprayofyou，thatIhavebeenanambassadress，and
nothingmore，“saidmadamedeMirepoix；“recollectIhavespoken
toyouinthewordsofothers，notmyown。
Imustbegofyouto
besecret；ifyoudivulgetheparticularsofthismorning’s
conversation，itisIwhowillsufferbyit:yourfriendswillbe
displeasedwithmeformyinterference；andIhavenoinclination
toprovoketheangerofapartysopowerfulasyours。“
Ipromisedthemarechaletoobserveaninviolablesecrecy；and，
sowellhaveIkeptmypromise，thatyouarethefirstpersonto
whomIeverbreathedonesyllableoftheaffair。
Imustown，
thatitstruckmeasstrange，thattheducdeChoiseulshould
abandonhiscousin，andconsenttotakehisseatbesidetheduc
d’Aiguillon，whomhedetested:perhapsheonlysoughttodeceive
usallbygainingtime，tillthedeathoftheking。
Butwhat
availsspeculationuponthewordsandactionsofacourtier，
whoseheartisanabysstoodeepforgleamoflighttopenetrate？
Barond’Oigny，generalpost-master——Thekingandthecountess
readtheopenedletters——ThedisgraceofdeChoiseulresolved
upon————Anecdote——SpectreofPhilipII，king
ofSpain——TheducdeChoiseulbanished——VisitstoChanteloup——The
princesses——Thedauphinanddauphiness——Candidatesfortheministry
TheinterferenceofmadamedeMirepoix，originating，asitdid，
intheducdeChoiseul，letmeatonceintothesecretofhis
fearsandtheextentofmyownpower。
Theknowledgeofthe
weaknessofmyadversaryredoubledmyenergy；andfromthis
moment，Iallowednodaytopasswithoutforwardingthegreat
work，tillIsucceededineffectingtheduke’sruinandsecuringmy
owntriumph。
Thepamphleteersinthepayofmyenemies，and
thosewhomerelycopiedthesehirelings，assertthatoneevening
aftersupper，whenLouiswasintoxicatedwithwineandmyseductions，
Iprevaileduponhimtosignaagainsthis
minister，whichheimmediatelyrevokedwhenthebreakofdayhad
restoredtohimhissenses。
Thiswasamaliciousfalsehood。
Youshallheartheexactmannerinwhichthe
weresigned。
Ontheeveningofthe23dofDecember，hismajestyhavingengaged
tosupwithme，IhadinvitedM。deMaupeou，theducdelaVrilliere，
andtheprincedeSoubise。
Itappears，thattheking，previously
tocoming，hadgonetovisitthedauphiness；hehadnotmentioned
whitherhewasgoing，sothathisattendantsbelievedhimtobe
inmyapartments，anddirectedM。d’Oigny，post-mastergeneral，
toseekhimthere。
Thebaronbroughtwithhimapacketofopened
letters；whenhesawmealonehewishedtoretire，fortheservants，
believinghimtobeoneoftheexpectedguests，hadusheredhimin。
However，Iwouldnotpermithimtogountiltheking’sarrival；
and，halfsportively，halfseriously，Itookfromhimhisletters，
protestingIwoulddetainthemashostagesforhisobedienceto
mydesires。
AtthismomentLouisXVenteredtheroom；and
M。d’Oigny，havingbrieflystatedhisbusiness，bowedanddeparted。
Thebaronwasaveryexcellentman，possessinganextensiveand
intelligentmind；hewroteverypleasingpoetry，andhadnothis
attentionbeenoccupiedbytheposthefilled，hemighthavemade
aconspicuousfigureinliterature。
Whenwewerelefttoourselves，Isaidtotheking，
“Now，then，forthisinterestingandamusingbudget；forsuch，
Idoubtnot，itwillprove。“
“Notsofast，madam，ifyouplease，“repliedLouisXV；“perhaps
thesepapersmaycontainstatesecretsunfitforyoureye。“
“Greatsecretstheymustbe，“saidI，laughing，“confidedthusto
thecarelessnessofthepost。“
Sosaying，Ibrokethesealof
theenvelopesohastily，thatthegreaterpartofthelettersand
noteswerescatteredoverthecarpet。
“Welldone，“criedtheking。
“Ientreatyourmajesty’spardon，“saidI，“butIwillrepair
themischiefasfarasIcan。“
Istoopedtocollectthefallenpapers，andthekinghadthe
gallantrytoassistme:wesoonpiledthevariouslettersupona
tray，andbeganeagerlytoglanceovertheircontents。
Mygood
fortunemademeselectfromthemassthoseepistlesaddressedto
themembersofthecountryparliaments；theywerefilledwith
invectivesagainstme，insultingmentionoftheking，andpraises
oftheducdeChoiseul。
Itookespecialcaretoreadthemina
loudanddistinctvoice。
“Thisreallyisnottobeendured，“criedLouisXV；“thatthe
mistakenzealoftheselong-robedgentlemenshouldmakethem
thuscomplimentmyministeratmyexpense。“
“Somuchtheworseforyou，sire，“repliedI，“consideringthat
youcontinuetopreferyourministertoeveryotherconsideration。“
AsIcontinuedsearchingthroughtheletters，Ifoundandread
thefollowingphrase:——“Spiteofthereportsincirculation，Ido
notbelieveitpossiblethatM。deChoiseulwillbedismissed；he
istoonecessarytothe
king，who，withouthimwouldbeas
incapableasachildofmanaginghisaffairs:hismajestymust
preserveourfriendinofficeinspiteofhimself。“
WhenIhadfinished，thekingexclaimed，inanangrytone，“We
shallseehowfartheprophecyofthesesapientgentlemenis
correct，andwhethertheir’friend’issoimportanttomethat
Idarenotdismisshim。
Uponmyword，myministerhasplaced