第73章

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

oneof