第9章

wasconductedintothesameapartmentasbefore，whereIfound

thesamefemaleswhohadthenassistedatmytoilet*againprepared

tolendtheiraid；andfromthismomentIhadaregular

establishmentofattendantsappointedformyuse。

*Awordofwhichthemeaninghasgreatlychangedover

thelasttwocenturies。

Hereitmeansputtingonher

clothing，makeup，jewelry，andsoforth。

Throughmost

ofthisbookitisspelled“toilette。“——Gutenberged。

Themomentthekingwasinformedofmyarrival，unabletorestrain

hisimpatience，hehastenedtometoassistatmydressingtable，

andhecontinuedstandingbesidemesolongastheoperation

lasted；Ifeltgreatlyembarrassed，notknowingwhetherIdurst

takethelibertyofrequestinghimtobeseated。

However，my

silenceonthesubjectwasgreatlyadmired，andascribedtomy

perfectacquaintancewithpolishedlife，wheninrealityit

originatedfrommeretimidity。

Mytriumphwascomplete；the

monarchsmiledatandadmiredeverywordasitfellfrommylips，

kissedmyhands，andplayedwiththecurlsofmylonghair，

sportivelytwistinghisfingersamidstmyflowingringletswith

allthevivacityofaloveroftwenty。

Thecompanyuponthis

eveningwasdifferentfromthatoftheformeroccasion，consisting

oftheducdeDuras，firstgentlemanofthebedchamber，andthe

ducd’Ayen，whohadthereputationofbeingagreatwit；however，

inmyopinion，hewasmuchmoredeservingthecharacterofareal

fiend；hisverybreathwaspoisonous，andhistouchvenomousas

thebiteofanadder。

IwellrememberwhatM。deFleurysaidof

himtothekinginmypresence。

“Sire，“saidhe，“thethingI

mostdreadintheworldnexttoabitefromM。d’Ayen，isthe

biteofamaddog。“

Formyownpart，Ididnotintheendlook

uponhimwithlessterror，andwellhepaidmeformyfears。

Upononeoccasion，whenthekingwasspeakingofmetohim，he

said，“IamwellawarethatIsucceedSt。Foix。“

“Yes，sire“；repliedtheduke，“inthesamemannerasyourmajesty

succeedsPharamond！“

Ineverforgavehimthosewords，dictatedbyafiendishmalice。

However，upontheeveningofmyfirstintroductiontohim，he

behavedtomewiththemostmarkedpoliteness。

Iwasthenan

objectofnoconsequencetohisinterests，andhisvisionhadnot

yetrevealedtohimtheheightIwasdestinedtoattain。

Helooked

uponmebutasoneofthosemeteorswhichsparkledandshonein

thecastleatVersaillesfortwenty-fourhours，andsanktorise

nomore。

TheducdeDuraswasnotanill-disposedperson，butinconceivably

stupid；indeed，witwasbynomeansafamilyinheritance。

Both

fatherandson，goodsortofpeopleinotherrespects，werefor

eversayingordoingsomegoodthinginsupportoftheirreputation

forstupidityatcourt。

Onedaythekingquitejokinglyinquired

oftheducdeDuras，whatwasdonewiththeoldmoons。

“Upon

myword，sire，“repliedhe，“Icangiveyounoidea，neverhaving

seen，butwithyourmajesty’spermission，Iwillendeavortolearn

fromM。deCassini*！“

Tosuchapitchdidthepoorman’ssimplicity

extend。

Bothfatherandsonwerenominatedtoattendthekingof

Denmark，whenonhisroadtovisitFrance。

Thekingobservedto

apersonwhorepeatedittome:“TheFrencharegenerallystyled

aclever，wittynation；IcannotsayIshouldeverhavebeenable

todiscoverit，hadIbeentemptedtoformmyopinionfromthe

specimentheyhavesentme。“

*Theroyalastronomer——Gutenberged。

AsfarasIamconcerned，aftersayingsomanyunfavorablethings

oftheMessrs。

deDuras，Imustdothemthejusticetosay，that

theirconducttowardsmewaseverythingthatcouldbedesired。

Iwasalwaysgladtoseethem；itgavemyownimaginationasort

ofsedativedosetoconversewiththesetwosimple-mindedbeings，

whoseinterestsIwasalwaysreadytopromotebyeverymeansin

mypower，andItrustthememoryofwhatIhavedonewillbe

longrememberedbythenoblehouseofDuras。

Thissupperdidnotpassoffsogailyastheformerone。

Theduc

deDurasspokeaslittleaspossible，inthedreadofmakingsome

unluckyspeech，andtheducd’Ayensatdevouringthespleenhe

couldnotgiveventto，andmeditatingfreshobjectsuponwhom

toexercisehismalignity；hevainlyendeavoredtoleadmeonto

makesomeridiculousobservation，butwithoutsuccess；happily

forhim，thekingdidnotperceivehisaim。

Myroyalloverwas

indeedsoentirelyengrossedbyme，thathelostalltheduke’s

manoeuvres；histransportsappearedtoomuchforhissensesto

sustain，andhevowedthatIshouldneverquithimmore，but

remaintobeelevatedbyhispowertothefirstplaceatcourt。

Atthemonarch’ssign，thetwoguestswithdrew。

Whentheducd’Ayenquittedtheroom，’Thatnoblemanisbyno

meanstomytaste，“saidItotheking，“hehastheairofaspy，

whowishesmenogood。“

“Doyoureallythinkso，mylovelycomtesse？“

“Iamcertainofit；andIalreadyshudderatthebareanticipation

ofanenemyhavingaccesstoyourmajesty’sear。“

“Reassureyourself，“saidtheking，withtheutmosttenderness，

“inmeyouhaveasuredefender，whowillneverforsakeyou；look

uponmefromthisminuteasyournaturalprotector，andwoeto

himonwhoseheadyourdispleasureshallfall。“

Afterthisconversationthekingandmyselfretiredtorest，and

whenhequittedmeinthemorning，heentreatedmenottoreturn

toParis，buttogivehimmycompanyforawholeweek。

Lebel

madehisappearancetobegIwouldconsidermyselfmistressof

theapartmentsIoccupied，andthathehadreceivedordersto

providemewithanestablishmentuponthemosthandsomescale。

ThatverydayHenriette，whomIhadsentfor，andinstitutedas

myheadwaiting-woman，informedme，thatanoldgentleman，attired

astho’foragrandgala，butwhorefusedtosendinhisname，

beggedtobepermittedtopayhisrespects。

Ibadeheradmit

him；itwastheducdeRichelieu。

“Madamelacomtesse，“saidhe，bowinglow，“Icometocomplain

ofyourwantofcondescension；unless，indeed，yourmemoryhas

beenatfault。

WasitpossiblethatwhenIhadthehonorof

suppingwithyoutheothernight，youdidnotrecollectyour

formeroldfriend？“

“If，indeed，myforgetfulnesswereafault，monsieurlemarechal，

itwasoneinwhichyouboreanequalshare；youwerenotmore

forwardthanmyselfindisplayingmarksofrecognition。“

“Thataroseonlyfromthedazzlingincreaseofyourbeauty。

Youwerebutanymphwhenlastmyeyeshadbeheldyou，andnow

youarematuredintoagoddess。“

Thedukethenmadesomeslightallusiontothefamilyofmadame

Lagarde，butguessingwithhisadmirabletact，thatsuch

reminiscencescouldnotbeparticularlyagreeabletome，he

dexterouslyturnedtheconversation，byrequestingpermissionto

presenttomehisnephew，theducd’Aiguillon，thathemightleave

aworthysubstituteandchampionnearthekingwhenstateaffairs

calledhimintoGascony；hecravedmykindofficestoobtainthe

intimateacquaintanceofcomteJean。

Theyweresubsequentlyat

daggersdrawnwitheachother，butthishaughtyoverbearinglord

conductedhimselfatfirstwiththemostabjectservility。

The

thirdfavorhehadtosolicitwasthatIwouldnamehimtothe

kingasfrequentlyasopportunitiesoccurredtoformoneofour

supperparties。

AllthisIengagedtodo，norindeedcouldI

refuseaftertheviolentprotestationsoffriendshiphemademe。

“Youwill，erelong，“saidhe，“seethewholecourtatyourfeet，

butbewareofconsideringthemallasyourfriends；haveacare，

aboveall，oftheduchessedeGrammont。

Shehasbeenlong

endeavoringtoobtaintheking’saffections，andshewillsee

withhatredandfuryanothermoreworthyengrossingtheplace

shehassovainlycontendedfor；sheandherimpertinentbrother

willcallintheaidofthedevilhimselftodispossessyouofyour

elevatedseat；youarelostifyoudonottwistboththeirnecks。“

“How，monsieurlemarechal，shallImarkmycareerbyamurder？“

“Youtakemetooliterally；IonlymeanthatinyourplaceI

wouldnotbeatthetroubleofkeepinganytermswiththem。“

“Ah，monsieurleduc，Iunderstandyounow；yetitseemsabad

augurytohavetobeginmyreignbycabalsandintrigues。“

“Alas！

myfaircomtesse，youaretoogood，tooguilelessfora

courtlife；betweenourselvesweareallhypocritesmoreorless；

mistrusteveryone，eventhosemakethefinestprotestations。“

“Inthatcasethefirstobjectofmysuspicionwouldbemyold

andesteemedfriendthemarechaldeRichelieu。“

“Ah，madame！

thisisnotfairusage，thustoturnmyweapons

againstmyself，andtofightmewithmyownarms。“

Uponthisthedukequittedme，andscarcelyhadhelefttheroom，

whentheduclaVauguyonentered。

Thisgentlemanofferedmeno

advice；hecontentedhimselfbystylingtheJesuitshis“verygood

friends，“andcontinuallyturningtheconversationupontheir

merits。

Iallowedhimtoexpresshisattachment，without

interruption，forthesedisagreeablemen，whomIdetermined

inmyownmindtohavenothingtodowith，recollectingallIhad

heardoftheirdisliketooursex。

Afteranhourpassedinamusing

talk，theducdelaVauguyonretired，wellpleasedwithhisvisit，

andhisplacewasimmediatelysuppliedbycomteJean，towhomI

communicatedallthathadpassedbetweenmylatevisitorsandmyself。

“Forheaven’ssake，“saidhe，“letusnotbethedupesofthese

greatlords；beforewerangeourselvesunderthebannersofeither

ofthemletussecureourownfooting；letuswaittillyou

arepresented。“

“But，mygoodfriend，Imustbeamarriedladytoobtainthathonor。“

“Andsoyouwillbeshortly，donotbeuneasyaboutthat。