第77章

wasexactlywhatthislatterdesired，whoeagerlycarriedandread

thepapertothedifferentmembersofthecouncil，whoheardit

witheveryexpressionofsurpriseanddispleasure；thekingviewed

itasapieceofopenrebellion，andresolvedtopunishthewriter

withhisheaviestdispleasure；theducd’Aiguillonaskednothing

better，andereanhourhadelapsed，theducdelaVrilliere

receivedorderstodrawupainwhichthe

kingexpressedhisdiscontentofthecomtedeBroglie，deprived

himofthecommissionhehadgivenhimtogoandreceivethe

princessofSavoy，andexiledhimtoBuffee，oneofhisestates

nearAngouleme。

Thiswasamatterofgreattalkatthechateau；noonecould

imaginewhathadmadethecomtedeBroglieconducthimselfso

foolishly。

ItwasatthisperiodthatM。dMarchaultsaidof

him，whenhesawhimpasshishouseonhiswaytoBuffee，“Hehas

theministrybythetail。“

M。deBrogliehavinggone，hismajestywascompelledtolookout

foranotherconfidant，andraisedtothateminenceM。Lemoine，

clerkofhiscloset。

M。Lemoine，inaninferiorstationhadshown

himselfcompetenttofillthehighestofficesinthestate。

Such

abilitiesarerare。

Hewasanexcellentlawyer，admirable

chancellorofexchequer，andhadthekingsaidtohim，“Imake

theeageneral，“hewould，thenextday，havecommandedarmies

andgainedvictories。

Despitehismerithelivedlongunknown:

thereasonwasobvious——heknewnothingofintrigue；andhiswife，

thoughpretty，wasdiscreet；andthesearenotthemeanstoadvance

amanatcourt。

LouisXV，whoknewsomethingofmenwhenhechosetostudythem。，

wasnotslowindetectingthetalentofLemoine，andinconsequence

gavehimthatstationinwhichdeBrogliehadbeeninstalled。

No

soonerhadLemoineglancedovertheaffairssubmittedtohis

control，thanhebecamemasterofthem，asmuchasthoughthey

hadoccupiedthewholeofhislife，andinashorttimehegave

tohissituationanimportancewhichithadneverbeforereached。

Unwilling，however，toincurhatred，heenvelopedhimselfin

profoundmystery，somuchsothatnobody，withtheexceptionof

Messrs。

d’AiguillonanddeSartines，knewanythingofhislabors。

Thispleasedtheking，whowasaversetopublicity。

Theducd’Aiguilloncouldnotconcealhisjoyatbeingfreed

fromdeBroglie，hismosttroublesomecolleague。

Itwasagrand

pointgainedforhim，ashecouldnowmakesureofthepostof

secretary-at-war，themainobjectofhisambition。

Hewishedto

beplacedintheducdeChoiseul’sposition，andtoeffectthis

heredoubledhisattentionstowardstheking，who，thoughnot

reallyregardinghim，atlengthtreatedhimasthedearestofhis

subjects。

Thereareinexplicablemysteriesinweakcharacters；

obstinacyalarmsthem，andtheyyieldbecausetheyhateresistance。

Thekingwastodeath，andbecamedailymoredulland

heavy。

Isawhisgloomwithoutknowinghowtodisperseit，but

itd