dignityofanabbessofaregallyfoundedconvent。
Butinspite
ofherpretensions，IonlysawinhertherivalofGourdanand
Paris，andtreatedherassuch；thatis，withsomecontempt，for
withthatfeelingherofficeinspiredme。
ShetoldmeallIhave
describedtoyou，andmanyotherthingswhichhavesinceescaped
me。
Atthattimetherewereonlyfourinthehouse。
WhenshehadgivenmeallthedetailsIwished，Isentheraway，
desiringtobeinformedofallthatpassedinherestablishment。
FêtegivenbythecomtessedeValentinois——ThecomtesseduBarry
feignsanindisposition——Herdress——TheducdeCosse-Thecomte
andcomtessedeProvence——Dramaticentertainment——Favartand
Voisenon——Afewobservations——Apension——ThemarechaledeLuxembourg——
AdventureofM。deBombelles——Copyofaletteraddressedtohim——
LouisXV——M。deMaupeouandmadameduBarry
Mypresentsituationwasnotalittleembarrassing；knownand
recognisedasthemistressoftheking，itbutillaccordedwith
myfeelingstobecompelledtoaddtothattitlethesuperintendent
ofhispleasures；andIhadnotyetbeensufficientlyinitiated
intotheintriguesofacourtlifetoacceptthisstrangecharge
withoutmanifestdislikeandhesitation。
Nevertheless，whilstso
manywerecontendingforthehonourofthatwhichIcondemned，
Iwascompelledtostiflemyfeelingsandresignmyselftothe
badaswellasthegoodaffordedbymypresentsituation；ata
futureperiodIshallhaveoccasionagaintoreverttothe
duringtheperiodofmyreign，butforthe
presentIwishtochangethesubjectbyrelatingtoyouwhat
befellmeatafetegivenmebymadamedeValentinois，whileshe
feignedtogiveitinthehonourofmadamedeProvence。
ThecomtessedeValentinois，flatteredbythekindnessofthe
dauphiness’smannertowardsher，andwishingstillfurtherto
insinuateherselfintoherfavour，imaginedsheshouldpromote
herobjectbyrequestingthatprincesswoulddoherthehonour
topassaneveningatherhouse；herrequestwasgranted，and
thattoobeforetheduchessedelaVauguyoncouldinterfereto
preventit。
Furiousatnothavingbeenapprizedoftheinvitation
tilltoolatetocauseitsrejection，shevowedtomakethetriumphant
countesspaydearlyforhertriumph；formyownpartItroubled
myselfverylittlewiththesuccessofmadamedeValentinois，
which，infact，Iperceivedwouldratherassistthaninterfere
withmyprojects。
HithertoIhadnotmademyappearanceatany
ofthehousesofthenobilitywhentheprincesseswereinvited
thither；thisclearlyprovedtothepublic，ingeneral，howgreat
wastheoppositionIexperiencedfromthecourtparty。
Iwas
nowdelightedtoprovetotheParisiansthatIwasnotalwaysto
leadthelifeofarecluse，butthatIcouldfreelypresentmyself
atthosepartiestowhichotherladieswereinvited。
However，
asmyfriendsapprehendedthatthecomtessedeProvencemight
prevailuponherladyofhonournottoinviteme，bytheadvice
ofthechancellorandtheministerforforeignaffairs，itwas
arrangedthatIshouldforaweekprevioustothefetefeigna
severeindisposition。
Itwouldbeimpossibletodescribethejoy
withwhichthesefalsetidingswerereceivedbymyenemies。
We
areallapttopicturethingsaswewouldhavethem，andalready
theeagerimaginationsoftheopposingpartyhadconvertedthe
accountofmyillnessintoanincurableandmortaldisease。
Everyhourmyfriendsbroughtmeinfreshanecdotesoftheavidity
withwhichtherumourofmydangerousstatehadbeenreceived，
whilstIlayuponwhatthecreduloushopesofmyenemieshad
determinedtobemydeath-bed，laughingheartilyattheirfolly，
andpreparingfreshschemestoconfoundanddisappointtheir
anticipatedtriumph。
Oneveryimportantobjectofconsiderationwasmydressforthe
comingoccasion。
Thekingpresentedmewithanewsetofjewels，
andhimselfselectedthematerialsformyrobeandtrain，which
weretobecomposedofarichgreensatinembroideredwithgold，
trimmedwithwreathsofroses，andloopedupwithpearls；thelower
partofthismagnificentdresswastrimmedwithaprofusionof
thefinestFlemishlace。
Iworeonmyheadagarlandoffullblown
roses，composedofthefinestgreenandgoldwork；roundmy
foreheadwasastringofbeautifulpearls，fromthecentreof
whichdependedadiamondstar；addtothisapairofsplendidear-rings，
valuedat100，000crowns，withavarietyofjewelsequallycostly，
andyoumayformsomeideaofmyappearanceonthateventful
evening。
The，king，whopresidedatmytoilette，couldnot
represshisadmiration；heeveninsisteduponclaspingmynecklace，
inorderthathemight，ashesaid，flatterhimselfwithhaving
completedsuchatriumphofnatureandart。
AtthehourfixeduponIsetout，conductedbytheducsd’Aiguillon
anddeCosseandnowIrememberIhaveintroducedthislatterto
youforthefirsttime，howeverIwillpromisethatitwillnot
beforthelast；hepossessed，andstillpossessesallthevirtues
ofhisnoblehouse，hewasimpetuousfromadeeplyfeelingheart，
andproudfromaconsciousnessofbeingproperlyappreciated。
Young，handsome，anddaring，hewaspre-eminentlycalculatedboth
toinspirelove，andtofeelit；itwasquiteimpossibleforhim
tofailinwinningtheaffectionsofanyfemaleheexertedhimself
toplease，andevenatthepresenttimethathehaslostsomeof
hisearliergraces，heisstillirresistibleasever；hisnaturally
gaydispositionwasbutillsuitedtonourishinggraveorphilosophic
reasoning，butthenhewasthesoulofcompany，andpossesseda
fineanddelicatewitwhicheverventeditselfinthemostbrilliant
sallies。
M。deCosseliketheknightsofold，waswhollydevoted
tohiskingandhismistress，andwould，Iamsure，hadthe
occasionrequiredit，havenoblydiedindefenceofeither；Ionly
prayhemayneverbeputtotheproof。
Isawmuchofhimatthe
beginningofouracquaintance，butashismanyamiablequalities
becamebetterknown，Ifoundmyselfalmostcontinuallyinhis
society，indeedasIhavesomethingtoconfessinthebusiness，I
couldhardlychooseabetteropportunitythanthepresent，didI
notrecollectthatthegoodducd’Aiguilloniswaitingallthis
whileformetoannouncetheofourpartyintothe
ante-roomofMadamedeValentinois。
Myentrancewasacomplete。
Ihadbeen
imaginedlanguishingonthebedofsickness，yetthereIstood
inallthefulnessofhealthandfreshnessofbeauty。
Icould
veryeasilyreaduponeachcountenancethevexationandragemy
appearanceofentirefreedomfromallailmentexcited；however，
Iproceededwithoutanydelaytothemistressofthehouse，whom
Ifoundbusilyengagedinseatinghervisitors，andplayingthe
amiabletothedauphiness。
Thisprincessseemedequallyastonished
atmyunexpectedapparition；nevertheless，takenoffherguard，
shecouldnotpreventherselffromcourteouslyreturningthe
profoundsalutationImadeher。
Asfortheduchessedela
Vauguyon，whenshesawme，sheturnedalternatelyfromredto
white，andwasevenweakenoughtogivepublicventtoherfury。
ThecomtedeProvence，whohadbeentoldthatIwasnotexpected，
begantolaughwhenheperceivedme，andtakingthefirst
opportunityofapproachingme，hesaid，“Ah，madame！
soyoutoo
canmystifyyourfriends，Isee！
Haveacare；thesightofcharms
likeyoursissufficienttostriketerrorintoanyadversaries，
withouthavingrecoursetoanyexpedienttoheightentheireffect。“
Sayingthishepassedonwithoutgivingmetheopportunityof
replying，asIcouldhavewishedtohavedone。
ThemarechaledeMirepoix，towhomIhadconfidedmysecret，and
ofwhosefidelityIwasassured，waspresentatthefete。
Iavailed
myselfoftheofferofaseatnearheranddirectlywewereseated，
“Youareaclevercreature，“saidshe，“foryouhavecompletely
bewilderedallthefemalepartofthisevening’ssociety，andby
wayofafinishingstrokewillrunawaywiththeheartsofallthe
flutterershere，beforethefairladiestheywerepreviously
hoveringaround，haverecoveredtheirfirstastonishment。“
“Uponmyword，“saidI，smiling，“Idonotwonderatthekind
lookswithwhichtheladiesfavourme，ifmypresenceiscapable
ofproducingsomuchmischief。“
“Pray，mydear，“answeredthemarechale，“beundernomistake:
youmightbeasmuchbelovedasothersare，ifyoudidnot
monopolizetheking’saffections；theconsequenceis，thatevery
womanwithevenapassablefacelooksuponyouastheusurperof
herright，andastheficklegentlemenwhowoothesegentleladies
areallreadytotransfertheirhomagetoyoudirectlyyouappear，
youmustadmitthatyourpresenceiscalculatedtoproduceno
inconsiderabledegreeofconfusion。“
Thecommencementofaplaywhichformedpartoftheevening’s
entertainmentobligedustoceasefurtherconversation。
Thefirst
piecerepresentedwas“，“acharmingpastoral，to
whichthemusicofMonsignygaveafreshcharm；theactorswere
selectedfromamongthebestoftheComedieItalienne——thedivine
Clairval，andthefascinatingmademoiselleCaroline。
Iwas
completelyenchantedwhilsttheplaylasted；Iforgotbothmy
cabalsandrecenttriumph，andforawhilebelievedmyself
actuallytransportedtotheruralscenesitrepresented，surrounded
bythehonestvillagerssowelldepicted；butthisdelightful
visionsoonpassedaway，andsoon，toosoonIawokefromitto
findmyselfsurroundedbymyfriendsatcourt。
““wasfollowedbyaspeciesofcomedymixedwith
songs。
Thispiecewaswhollyinhonourofthedauphiness，with
theexceptionofsomeflatteringandgallantallusionstomyself
andsomegrosscomplimentstomycousinthechancellor，who，in
newsilkrobeandafinepowdered
wig，wasalsopresentatthisfete。
Theperformersinthislittlepiece，whowereFavart，theactor，
andVoisenon，thepriest，musthavebeenfullysatisfiedwiththe
receptiontheyobtained，forthecomedywasapplaudedasthough
ithadbeenoneoftheofVoltaire。
Ingeneral