第44章

“ThatImosthumblythankedtheprincesses，butthatthestate

ofmyhealthdidnotpermitofmyvisitingChantillyforthepresent。“

“Thatisallverywell，“answeredLouisXV；“youhaveframed

yourexcusewithmuchgenerosity，whichIgreatlyfearwillmeet

withaverydifferentturn；forifyoudonotaccompanymeto

Chantilly，thereportcirculatedwillbe，thattheprincesseshave

forbiddenyoutheirpresence；whichmydearlybeloveddaughters，

whosecharactersIfullyunderstand，willneitheraffirmnordeny

beforethepublic，whilstinprivatetheywillvowthatthey

prohibitedyoufromfollowingthem。

Alwaysexceptingmadame

Louise，whoisanangeluponearth，asshewillmostassuredlybe

onedayinheaven，whereItrustherprayersformeandmine

willbeheard。“

Ididnotatthetimepayanyparticularattentiontothelatter

partoftheking’sdiscourse，for，indeed，thebeginningwasfar

moreinterestingtome；butwhenIafterwardslearntthatmadame

LouisehadquittedthegrandeursofVersaillesforthegloomand

austerityofaconventIrecollectedit，andeasilycomprehended

thatitwasspokeninallusiontoaneventwhichtookplacesome

timeafterwards，andofwhichIshallspeakinitsproperplace。

However，theking’spredictionwasexactlyverified；andthe

reportingeneralcirculationwas，thattheprincesseshad

declaredtheirintentionofnotgoingtoChantilly；itwas

furtherrumored，thatIwasthere，butinaprivateandconcealed

manner。

Thisiswhollyuntrue；thekingwouldneverhavepermitted

suchahumiliation；nordoIbelieveIshouldhavesubmittedtoit

hadheevendesiredit。

Howeverallthismaybe，hesoughtto

recompensemeforhisabsencebywritingamostdelightfulletter，

whichIwillsubjoinforyourgratification。

Tomeitwasofso

muchthegreatervalue，thathavingitsroyalwriter’spermission

toshowit，itbecamethefirstdeath-blowIaimedatthecabal

againstme。

Thekingpossessedamuchgreaterportionofwitand

talentthantheweaknessandtimidityofhischaracterpermitted

toappear。

UnpublishedletterofLouisXV——MadameduBarry’scousin，M。de

Maupeou——ThecomtesseduBarrysavesthelifeofayounggirl

seducedbytheartsofthecureofhervillage——Sheobtainspardon

ofthecomteandcomtessedeLouerne——Thekingpresentsherwith

Lucienne——Asecondmeetingwiththeyouthfulprophet——Hisfurther

predictions——He