第16章

“Yourmajestyspeakstome，“Ianswered，“withgreatcondescension

[mysister-in-lawlefttheroomthatshemightnotspoilthe

explanation]，butyetyouarethecauseoftheinsolenceswhich

Iamsubjectedtofromthevilecrew。“

“Whatisthematterwithyouto-day？

Intruthyouareaperfect

littledevil。“

“IwishIwere，thatImightpunisheviltongues，sincethereis

nokingofFrancetoavengeme。“

“Youaresevere，madame，“repliedLouisXV，turninghisimposing

andhandsomefacetowardsme，andtowhichhevainlyendeavored

togiveanairofanger。

Isawmysuccess，andadded，

“Yes，sire，itisinsupportableformetothinkthatIamsupposed

nottopossessyourfriendship，andthatIonlyplaythepartofa

temporaryfriend。

Itmakesmewretched:youmustnotbeangryif

Icomplainofyoutoyourroyalself。“

“Well，well，youmadcap，whatmustIdo？

WhommustIbanish？“

“Oh，sire，noone:withyouraugustsupportIfearnoperson；

nothingbutappearances。“

“Youareanexcellentcreature；inyourplacemadamedePompadour

wouldhaveimprisonedhalfFrance。“

“Thatwasbecauseshelovedrevengebetterthanshelovedyour

majesty。

Asforme，IshouldbemiserableifIwerethecauseof

onesinglefamilycomplainingagainstyou。“

Theking，delightedatthesewords，whichreallycamefrommy

heart，embracedmetenderlytwoorthreetimes，andsaid，

“Iwishyourenemiescouldunderstandyou，fortheywouldsoon

beatyourknees。

Butifweimprisonorexilenoperson，how

shallwestriketerrorintothem？“

“ItisnotterrorbutenvythatIwouldexcite。

Letmebe

presentedatcourt，andallmywisheswillbesatisfied。“

“Icannotforthelifeofmedivinewhyyoushouldlaysomuch

stressoncomingtowearyyourselfwiththeceremoniesofmyself

anddaughters。

Heavenpreserveyoufromalltheirksomenessof

courtceremony！“

AndLouisXVsighed。

“Didyoueverthink，“he

added，“ofallthevanities，alltheinterestsIhavetomanage；

alltheintriguesthatareperpetuallyagitating，andalltheopposition

madetome？

Thecourt，thecity，thepeople，willriseagainst

me:theywillclamor，groan，complain；verse，prose，epigram，and

pamphletwillappearinuninterruptedsuccession。

Youwouldbe

firstattacked，andhatredwillperhapsextendtome。

Ishallsee

againthetimeswhentheDamiens，inthenameoftheparliaments，

asonepartysays，inthenameoftheJesuits，astheotherparty

says，and，whatismoretrue，inthename——“

Thekingsuddenlypaused；adeepshadeofmelancholysettledon

hisfeatures，hisnobleheaddroppedonhisbosom。

LouisXV

remainedforsometimemotionless；atlength，

“Well，“heexclaimed，attemptingtoforceasmile，“well！

Iwill

writetotheladiesdeGrammont，toinformthemthattheyneed

notgivethemselvesthetroubletoremainnearmeatthechateau。“

OnhissayingthesewordsIdartedtowardsthedoor，andwent

intomychamber。

Thekingfollowed，andfindingtheremademoiselle

Chon，whowasworkingatsometapestry，saidtoher，

“Mademoiselle，Iconfidetoyourcare，andbyoral

cachet>，themostamiablelittledevilinFrance。

Andnow，

mademoiselleduBarry，havingnothingfurthertoadd，Ipray

GodtotakeyoutoHispowerfulandholykeeping。“

Afterthispleasantrytheking，delightedatthegaytermination

ofasomewhatseriousscene，went，orrathervanished；forto

useaproverbialexpression，heranlikeathief。

AssoonasIwasalonewithmysister-in-law，Itoldherallthat

hadpassed。

“Isee，“saidshe，“thatthekingisfearfulofoffendingtheduc

deChoiseul，andgivingannoyancetohisdaughters。

Butastep

mustbedeterminedonwhichwillplaceyououtofthereachof

completedisgrace。

Woulditnotbebesttogetsomenobleman，

whocandosowithinfluence，tospeaktohimonthesubject？

If

theducdeRichelieuwerehere——“

“But，“Iinstantlyexclaimed，“havewenothisnephew，theducd’

Aiguillon？

Heiswellwiththeking，andIamcertainwilltake

themostlivelyinterestinallthatconcernsme。“

“Ihavenodoubtofit，“saidChon，withaslylook。

“Writeto

himtocome，andyoucanarrangeyourulteriorproceedings。“

Onthisadvice，whichwasquitetomytaste，Iwentinstantlyto

mywriting-table，thelastpresentwhichthekinghadmademe。

Itwasmadeofsilvergilt，andchinaslabsbeautifullypainted。

WhenIopenedit，aglasswasliftedwhichreflectedmycountenance。

Isatdownandwrotethefollowingnotetotheducd’Aiguillon:——

“Youmustbecontent。

Iwantyourassistance，I

reallywantit。

Themomenthascomefordeserving

allmyconfidence。

Willyouhaveitatallrisksand

perils？

Reflectwellbeforeyouundertakethis:if

youaccept，cometo-dayatfiveo’clockprecisely，

neitherlaternorsooner。“

Alittlewhileafterwardsthefollowingreplywasbrought。

“Onethingdispleasesmeinyourletterwhichelse

enchantsme。

Youappeartodoubtmyobedience。

AmInotyourslave？

Andwhenyousaytome，

willInot？

Relyonmeasonyourself；even

more:foryourvivacitymayleadyouintoerror，

andIshallpreservemyreason。

Yes，madame，I

will，whennearyou，preservemyreasonwhenyour

interestsareatstake。

AtthefixedhourIshall

havethehonortolayatyourfeetmyrespectful

homageandboundlessdevotion。“

Itwasimpossibletoexpressarealsentimentwithmoredelicacy。

Iwascharmedatit，nolongerdoubtingthatthedukewould

considermyinterestsashisown。

Iawaitedthehouroffive

withimpatience，whenmygoodfortunebroughttheprincede

Soubise。

Afterthefirstcompliments，

“Well，madamelacomtesse，whenisyourpresentationtotakeplace？“

“Idonotknow，monsieurlemarechal；thereareobstaclesinthe

way。

Ifearthattheywhowishtoinjuremeabusetheirinfluence

withtheking。“

“Iseethathismajestyhesitates，altho’heisdesirousofgiving

youstation。

Hemustbestimulatedtoknowthatheismaster；

andthatifheshowsanywaveringinthisparticular，itwillbe

madeuseoftogovernhimhereafter。“

HeartilydidIapplaudthelanguageofM。deSoubise:Ididnot

suspectthatthedearprincehadanothermotivebehind。

Atthe

endoftheinterviewhesaid，

“Madame，youwouldnothavebeenasyounowarehadyoubeen

moreconciliatorytowardsme。

Iknowtheking，andknowhowto

managehim。

Iflattermyselfthatyouwouldhavebeennowpresented

hadyoudeignedtohearmyadvice。“

“DidIrejectit？

WasIwrongindecliningtohavemademoiselle

Guimardasambassadress？

Wereyouassuredofhersilence？

Mightshenothavecompromisedus？“

“Youareright；Ididasonewouldhavedoneatyourage，andyou

havedoneasIshoulddoatmine；butthereisalwaystimetoamend。“

“Certainly，prince。“

“Youacceptmyadvice，then。“

“Yes，“Ireplied，seeingthedefileinwhichhewishedtoentrap

me，“yes，ifIampresentedthro’yourinfluence，fromthat

momentyoubecomemyguideandmentor。

Butitisimportant

thatthepresentationbenotdelayed；Irelyonyoutospeakto

thekingthisdayaboutit；andIknowthathewillgivemeevery

particularoftheimmenseserviceyouwillrenderme。“

Foroncethemadcapgirlgotthebetterofthepractisedcourtier。

M。deSoubise，takeninhisownsnare，politelyexcusedhimself，

andleftmewithanassurancethathewouldspeaktotheking。

Hedidspeak，butobtainednothingmorethananyother。

You

willseeinmynextletterthatIdidnotarriveatthe

accomplishmentofmywisheswithoutmuchtrouble。

Therewere

inthisaffairmoreintriguesforandagainstmethanwereafterwards

setonfoottodecidewarwithAmerica。

CHAPTERVII

Thecomtesseandtheducd’Aiguillon——M。deSoubise——LouisXV

andtheducd’Aiguillon——Letterfromthecomtesse

totheking——

Answeroftheking-The““——Thecomtesseand

LouisXV——Thesupper——Thecourtladiesmystified——Thecomtesseand

M。deSartines

IwasstilltriumphingattheskillwhichIhaddisplayed

inmyconferencewiththeprincedeSoubisewhenthe

ducd’Aiguillonentered。

“Goodheaven，“saidhe，kissingmyhandverytenderly，“into

whatinquietudedidyouthrowmebyyourdearandcruelletter。

Theambiguityofyourstylehascausedmeinexpressiblesorrow；

andyouhaveaddedtoitbynotallowingmetocometoyouat

thefirstmoment。“

“Icouldnot:Ithoughtitwouldbedangerousforyoutoappear

beforethekingpreviouslytohavingseenme。“

“Wouldthekinghavethoughtmyvisitstrange？“

askedtheduke，

notwithoutsomeemotion。

“Thatisnotthepoint。

Theblackspiteofmyenemieshasnot

yetdeprivedmeofthecounselsofafriend。

Butasitisnecessary

tospeaktothekinginmyfavor，Iwishthatheshouldnotknow

thatyoudosoatmyrequest。“

AfterthisIrelatedtothedukemyconversationwiththeking。

“Yoursituationisdelicate，“saidhetome，“butitshouldnot

troubleyou。

Thekingisweak，wemustgivehimcourage。

Itis