M。D-nandmadamedeBlessac——Anecdote——Therendezvousandthe
Ball——ThewifeofGaubert——Theywishtogivehertotheking——
Intrigues——Theirresults——LetterfromtheducdelaVrilliereto
thecountess——Reply——Reconciliation
Amongstthepagesofthechapelwasonewhomthekingdistinguished
sogreatly，thatheraisedhimtotherankofagentlemanofthe
bedchamber，andconfidedtohischargethecabinetofmedals，
forwhichhehadimbibedatastesincehisliaisonwithmadame
dePompadour。
ThisesteemedpagewasnamedM。D-n，whounited
tothemostamiablewitavariedanddeepknowledgeofmenand
things。
Hehadhadadventuresatanagewhentheyareusually
justunderstood，andtalkedofthemwiththeutmostindiscretion。
Butthissofarfromdoinghimanyinjuryintheeyesoftheworld
onlyservedtomakehimthemoreadmired；forwomeningeneral
haveaninclinationforthosewhodonotrespecttheirreputation。
AttheperiodIalludetoamadamedeBlessac，averywell-looking
woman，tookuponherselftobeverykindlydisposedtowardsthe
gentleman-in-waiting。
Shetoldhimso，andthereuponM。de
D-nrangedhimselfunderherbanner，andsworeeternal
constancy。
However，thelady，bysomeaccident，becamegreatly
smittenwiththeprincedelaTrimouille，andwithoutquitting
thelittlekeeperofmedals，gavehimalordforasubstitute。
M。D-nsoonlearntthisfact，thathewasnotthesole
possessorofaheartwhichformedallhisjoyandglory。
He
foundhewasdeceived，andhesworetoberevenged。
NowtheprincedelaTrimouillehadforhismistressmademoiselle
Lubert，anopera-dancer，veryprettyandextraordinarilysilly。
M。D-nwenttoher；“Mademoiselle，“saidhe，“Icometo
offermyservicestoyouinthesamewaythatM。delaTrimouille
hasofferedhistomadamedeBlessac，withwhomIwason
exceedinglyintimateterms。“
TheservicesofyoungDnwereaccepted，andhewashappy。
Hethenwrotetohisformermistress，saying，thatanxioustogive
heraproofofhissincereattachmenthehadvisitedmademoiselle
Lubert，thathemightleaveheratleisuretoreceivethevisits
oftheprincedelaTrimouille。
MadamedeBlessac，stungtothequick，quarrelledwiththeprince，
whowasexcessivelyenragedwithhisrival；andtherecertainly
wouldhavebeenanaffairbetweenthesetwogentlemen，hadnot
thekingpreservedthepeacebysendinghisgentlemantoSt。
Petersburgastotheembassy。
M。D——nwentto
Russia，therefore，andonhisreturncametoseeme，andisnowone
ofthemostwelcomeandagreeableofthemenofmyprivatecircle。
AstomadamedeBlessac，shecontinuedtocarryonthewarin
grandstyle。
Herhusbanddyingshemarriedagainafoolishcount，
threepartsruined，andwhospeedilydissipatedtheotherquarter
ofhisownfortuneandthewholeofhiswife’s。
MadameRamosky
thenattackedtherichmenofthedayoneafteranother。
One
alonestoodoutagainsther；itwasM。delaGarde，whohadbeen
oneofmyadmirers。
MadameRamoskiwrotetohim；hedidnot
answer。
Atlengthshedeterminedonvisitinghim，andwrotehim
anote，tosaythatsheshouldcalluponhimaboutsixo’clockin
theevening。
WhatdidM。delaGarde？
Whyhegaveaballon
thatveryevening；and，whenmadameRamoskireachedhishotel，
shefounditilluminated。
Asshehadcomequiteunpreparedshe
wascompelledtoreturnasshecame，verydiscontentedly。
ButtoleavemadamedeBlessacandM。D——n，andtotalkof
myownmatters。
Wehadatthisperiodaverygreatalarmatthe
chateau，causedbythecrimeofaman，whopreferredratherto
assassinatehiswifethantoallowhertodishonorhim。
Itis
worthyofnarration。
AprettyshopkeeperofParis，namedGaubert，wholivedinthe
ruedelaMontagneSainte-Genevieve，hadrecentlymarrieda
womanmuchyoungerthanhimself。
FromthePetitPonttotherue
Mouffetard，madameGaubertwastalkedofforherlovelyfaceand
beautifulfigure；shewastheVenusofthequarter。
Everybody
paidcourttoher，butshelistenedtononeofherownrank，for
hervanitysuggestedthatshedeservedsuitorsofaloftierrank。
Herhusbandwasveryjealous。
UnfortunatelyM。Gauberthadfor
cousinoneofthevaletsoftheking:thisan，whoknewthetaste
ofhismaster，thoughthowhecouldbestturnhisprettycousin
toaccount。
HespoketoherofthegenerosityofLouisXV，of
thegrandeurofVersailles，andofthepartwhichherbeauty
entitledhertoplaythere。
Infact，hesomanagedtoturnthe
headofthisyoungwoman，thatshebeggedhimtoobtainforher
aplaceintheking’sfavor。
ConsequentlyGirardthatwashis
namewenttomadamedeLaugeac，andtoldhertheaffairasit
was。
Shepleasedwithanopportunityofinjuringme，wentto
Paris，andbetookherselftotheshopofmadameGaubert。
Shefoundhercharming，andspokeofhertotheducdela
Vrilliere，andbothagreedtoshowherportraittohismajesty。
Buthowtoprocurethisportrait？
Herhusbandwasherveryshadow，
andneverlefther。
，whowasneverataloss，
issuedaagainsthim，andtheunfortunateman
wasshutupinFortl’Eveque。
Itwasnotuntiltheportraitwas
finishedthathewassetatliberty。
Hereturnedtohishomewithoutguessingatthemotivesofhis
detention，buthelearnedthathiswifehadhadherportrait
paintedduringhisabsence，andhisjealousywassettowork。
SoonaletterfromGirard，afatalletter，whichfellintohis
hands，convincedhimoftheinjurydonehim。
Hetookhiswife
apart，and，feigningaresignationwhichhedidnotfeel，“My
love，“hesaid，“Ilovedthee，Ilovetheestill:Ithought，too，
thatthouwertcontentwithourcompetence，andwouldstnothave
quittedthinehusbandforanyotherintheworld:Ihavebeen
convincedotherwise。
AletterfromGirardinformsme，thatwith
thineownconsenttheking，whomthyportraithaspleased，desires
toseetheethisveryday。
Itisamisfortune，butwemust
submit。
OnlybeforethouartestablishedatVersailles，Ishould
wishtheetodinewithmeoncemore。
Youcaninvitecousin
Girard，too，forIowehimsomethingforwhathehasdoneforthee。“
Theyoungwifepromisedtoreturnandseeherhusband。
That
eveningattheperformanceatthecourtshewasseatedinthe
sameboxwiththemarquisedeLaugeac；theking’sglasswas
directedtowardsherthewholetime，andattheterminationof
thespectacleitwasannouncedtoher，thatshewastosleepat
thechateauthenextevening。
Theprojectwasneverrealized。
Thenextday，accordingtopromise，theyoungwifewenttoParis
withthevalet。
Sheinformedherhusbandofthesuccesswhich
hadbefallenher，andheappeareddelighted。
Dinnerbeingready，
theyseatedthemselvesattable，ateanddrank。
Girardbeganto
laughathiscousinforhiscomplaisance，whensuddenlyalldesire
tojestlefthim。
Heexperiencedmosthorriblepains，andhis
cousinsufferedaswellashimself。
“Wretches！“
saidGaubertto
them，“didyouthinkIwouldbrookdishonor？
No，no！
Ihave
deceivedyouboththebettertowreakmyvengeance。
Iamnow
happy。
Neitherkingnorvaletshalleverpossessmywife。
Ihave
poisonedyou，andyoumustdie。“
Thetwovictimsimploredhis
pity。
“Yes，“saidhetohiswife，“thysufferingspainme，and
Iwillfreeyoufromthem。“
ethenplungedaknifetoherheart；
and，turningtoGirard，said，“Asforthee，Ihatetheetoomuch
tokillthee；die。
“Andhelefthim。
ThenextdayM。deSartinescameandtoldmethewholestory。
He
hadlearntthemfromthevalet，whohadsurvivedhispoisoningfor
somehours。
Gaubertcouldnotbefound，anditwasfearedthat
hewouldattemptsomedesperatedeed。
Noonedaredmentionitto
theking，butthecaptainoftheguardsandthefirstgentleman
inwaitingtookeverypossibleprecaution；andwhenLouisXV
askedfortheyoungfemalewhowastobebroughttohim，they
toldhimthatshehaddiedofaviolentdistemper。
Itwasnot
untilsomedaysafterwardsthattheterrorwhichpervadedthe
chateauceased。
Theyhadfoundthebodyoftheunfortunate
GaubertonthebanksoftheSeine。
Inspiteofwhathadpassed，theducdelaVrillierehadthe
impudencetopresenthimselftome。
Itreatedhimwithdisdain，
reproachinghimandLaugeacfortheirconduct。
Heleftmein
despair，andwrotemethefollowingletter:——
“MADAMELACOMTESSE，-Yourangerkillsme。
Iam
guilty，butnotsomuchsoasyoumayimagine。
The
dutyofmyofficecompelsmetodomanythings
whicharedisagreeabletome。
Intheaffairfor
whichyouhavesoslightinglytreatedmethere
wasnointenttoinjureyou，butonlytoprocure
forthekinganamusementwhichshouldmakehim
themoreestimateyourcharmsandyoursociety。
Forgiveafaultinwhichmyheartborenoshare；I
amsufficientlymiserable，andshallnotknow
reposeuntilIbereinstatedinyourgoodgraces。
“Asforthepoormarchionesssheisnomoreto
blamethanmyself。