第66章

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

theeagerimaginationsoftheopposingpartyha