havebeensuspectedofanytendernesstowardsaparticularfemale，
　　everyspeciesofintriguehasbeeninstantlyputinrequisition。
　　Moreover，“hecontinued，“madamedeGrammontattacksyouwithtoo
　　muchobstinacynottomakemebelievebutthatshewouldemployall
　　possiblemeanstoattainherend。“
　　“Ah，“Iexclaimed，“becauseshehasparticipatedinyourfriendship
　　youarereadytosupporther。“
　　“Donotsaysoinaloudtone，“herepliedlaughingly；“herjoy
　　wouldknownoboundsifshecouldbelieveitwasinherpower
　　toinspireyouwithjealousy。“
　　“But，“Isaid，“thatinsolentGuemenee；hasshealsotoplume
　　herselfonyourfavorsasanexcuseforoverpoweringmewithher
　　hatred，andfortearingmetopiecesinthewayshedoes？“
　　“No，“wastheking’sanswer；“sheiswrong，andIwilldesireher
　　father-in-lawtosayso。“
　　“AndIwillcometoanexplanationwiththeprincedeSoubiseon
　　thispoint；andwewillseewhetherornotIwillallowmyselfto
　　havemythroatcutlikeanunresistingsheep。“
　　Ididnotfailtokeepmyword。
　　TheprincedeSoubisecamethe
　　nextmorning；chanceonthatdayinducedhimtobeextraordinarily
　　gallanttowardsme；neverhadhepraisedmesoopenly，orwithso
　　muchexaggeration。
　　Iallowedhimtogoon；butwhenatlengthhe
　　hadfinishedhispanegyric，“Monsieurlemarechal，“saidItohim，
　　“youareoverflowingwithkindnesstowardsme，andIwishthatall
　　themembersofyourfamilywouldtreatmewiththesameindulgence。“
　　Likearealcourtierhepretendednottounderstandme，andmade
　　noreply，hoping，nodoubt，thatthewarmthofconversationwould
　　leadmetosomeothersubject；butthisoneoccupiedmetoofully
　　toallowmetodivertmyattentionfromit；and，seeingthathe
　　continuedsilent，Icontinued:“Farfromtreatingmeaswellasyou
　　do，madameyourdaughter-in-lawbehavestowardsmelikeadeclared
　　enemy；sheassailsmebyallsortsofprovocation，andatlastwill
　　soact，thatIshallfindmyselfcompelledtostruggleagainsther
　　withopenforce。“
　　Youmustbeacourtier，youmusthavebeeninthepresenceofa
　　kingwhoisflatteredfrommorningtonightinallhiscaprices，to
　　appreciatethefrightfulstateinwhichmydirectattackplacedthe
　　princedeSoubise。
　　Neitherhispoliticalinstinct，northetoneof
　　pleasantrywhichheessayedtoassume，northemoredangerous
　　resourceofoffendeddignity，couldextricatehimfromthe
　　embarrassmentinwhichhewasthrownbymywords。
　　Hecoulddo
　　nothingbutstammeroutafewunintelligiblephrases；andhis
　　confusionwassogreatandsovisible，thatthemarquisdeChauvelin，
　　hisnotoversincerefriend，cametohisassistance。
　　Theking，equally
　　surprisedatwhatIhadjustsaid，hastilyturnedandspoketoChon，
　　whotoldmeafterwards，thattheastonishmentofLouisXVhad
　　beenequaltothatoftheprincedeSoubise，andthathehadevinced
　　itbytheabsenceofmindwhichhehadmanifestedinhisdiscourse
　　andmanners。
　　M。deChauvelinthenturningtowardsme，said，“Well，madame，on
　　whatevilherbhaveyouwalkedto-day？
　　Canitbepossiblethat
　　youwouldmaketheprince，whoisyourfriend，responsibleforthe
　　hatredwhichoughttobeflatteringratherthanpainfultoyou，since
　　itisahomageexactedtowardsyourbrilliantloveliness？“
　　“Inthefirstplace，“Ireplied，“Ihavenointentiontocaston
　　monsieurlemarechal，whomIlovewithallmyheart，theleast
　　responsibilityrelativetotheobjectofwhichIcomplain。
　　Ionly
　　wishedtoevincetohimtheregretIexperiencedatnotseeingall
　　themembersofhisfamilylikehim:thisisall。
　　Ishouldbein
　　despairifIthoughtIhadsaidanythingthatwouldwoundhim；
　　andifIhavedoneso，Imostsincerelyaskhispardon。“
　　OnsayingthesewordsIpresentedmyhandtotheprince，who
　　instantlykissedit。
　　“Youare，“saidhe，“atthesametimecruelandyetmostamiable:
　　butifyouhavethepainfuladvantageofgrowingoldatcourt，you
　　willlearnthatmychildrenhavenotallthedeferenceandrespect
　　towardsmewhichtheyowetotheirfather；andIoftenampained
　　toseethemactinamannerentirelyoppositetomydesires，
　　howeveropenlymanifested。
　　Ifmydaughterdoesnotloveyou，it
　　istome，mostprobably，thatyoumustlookfortheand
　　:itisbecauseIloveyousomuchthatsheisagainst
　　you。
　　Ihavecommittedanerrorinpraisingyoubeforeher，and
　　herjealousywasnotproofagainstit。“
　　“Thatisveryamiableinyou，“saidI；“andnowwhatevermaybe
　　myfeelingsagainsttheprincessedeGuemenee，Iwillendeavorto
　　dissembleitoutofregardforyou；and，Iassureyou，thathowever
　　littleconsiderationyourdaughter-in-lawmaytestifytowardsme，I
　　willshowherafairside:endeavortomakepeacebetweenus。
　　I
　　onlyasktobeletalone，forIdonotseektobecometheenemy
　　ofanyperson。“
　　Altho’M。deSoubisesaidthathehadnoinfluenceoverthe
　　princessedeGuemenee，Ilearned，subsequently，thatthedayafter
　　thisscenehetestifiedtotheGuemeneesomefearsastohisfuture
　　destinyatcourt。
　　Hebeggedhernottoopposeherselftome；to
　　besilentwithrespecttome，andtokeepherselfsomewhatinthe
　　shadeifshewouldnotmakesomeadvancestowardsme。
　　Hisdaughter-
　　in-law，whosearroganceequalledherdissipationanddissolute
　　manners，replied，thatshewastoomuchaboveawomanofmysort
　　tofearorcareforme；thatmyreignatthechateauwouldbebut
　　brief，whilstherswouldonlyterminatewithherlife:thatshe
　　wouldneverconsenttoanactofweaknessthatwouldbederogatory
　　tohercharacterandrank。
　　Invaindidtheprincetrytosoften
　　her，andmakeherconsiderthatmyinfluenceoverthekingwas
　　immense:hepreachedtothedesert，andwascompelledtoabandon
　　hispurposewithoutgettinganythingbyhisendeavors。
　　Inowreturntomyconversationwithhim。
　　Duringthetimeitlasted
　　thekingdidnotceasetalkingtoChon，allthetimelisteningwith
　　attentiontowhattheprinceandIweresaying；andhedidnot
　　approachusuntiltheinterventionofM。deChauvelinhadterminated
　　thiskindofaquarrel。
　　Hereturnedtohisseatinfrontofthe
　　fire；andwhenwewerealone，saidtome，
　　“Youhavebeenveryspitefultothepoormarechal，andIsuffered
　　forhim。“
　　“Youareanexcellentfriend；and，nodoubt，itistheaffection
　　youbeartoM。deSoubisewhichmakesyoubehavesoharshlytome。
　　CanInot，withoutdispleasingyou，defendmyselfwhenIamattacked？“
　　“Ididnotsayso；butisitnecessarythathemustberesponsible
　　forthefolliesofhisrelations？“
　　“Intruth，sire，somuchtheworseforthefatherwhocannotmake
　　hischildrenrespecthim。
　　Ifthemarechalwasrespectedbythe
　　public，believemehewouldbesobyhisfamily。“
　　Thisretortwasperhapstoosevere。
　　Ifoundthisbythesilence
　　oftheking；butas，infact，itimportedlittle，and，byGod’s
　　help，Iwasneverundermuchconstraintwithhim，Isawhimblush，
　　andthenhesaidtome，
　　“Now，IundertaketobringmadamedeGuemeneeintoproperorder。
　　ThefavorIaskis，thatyouwouldnotmeddle。
　　Ihavepower
　　enoughtosatisfyyou，but，forheaven’ssake，donotenterinto
　　morequarrelsthanyouhavealready。
　　Itseemstomethatyou
　　oughttoavoidtheminsteadofcreatingsuchdisturbances。“
　　Hehadassumedagravetoneinreadingmethislecture:butaswe
　　wereinaplaceinwhichmajestycouldnotbecommitted，Ibegan
　　tolaughheartily，andtostartlehim，IsaidthathenceforwardI
　　wouldpilotmybarkmyself，anddefendmyselfbyopenlyassailing
　　allpersonswhotestifiedanaversiontome。
　　Howlaughableit
　　wastoseethecomicdespairinwhichthisdeterminationthrewthe
　　king。
　　Itseemedtohimthatthewholecourtwouldbeatloggerheads；
　　andhecouldnotrestrainhimselffromexclaiming，thathewoulda
　　hundredtimesratherstruggleagainstthekingofPrussiaandthe
　　emperorofGermanyunited，thanagainstthreeorfourfemalesof
　　thechateau。
　　Inaword，Ifrightenedhimsocompletely，thathe
　　decidedonthegreatestactofcouragehehadeveressayedinmy
　　favor:itwas，todesiretheinterventionoftheducdeChoiseul
　　inallthesequarrels。
　　Thecreditofthisministerwasimmense，andthiscreditwasbased
　　onfourpowerfulauxiliaries；namelytheparliament，thephilosophers，
　　the，andthewomen。
　　Thehighmagistracyfoundinhim
　　apublicandprivateprotector。
　　Theparliamentshadthemselvesa
　　greatmanyclients，andtheirvoices，giventotheducdeChoiseul，
　　gavehimgreatpowerinthedifferentprovinces。
　　Thephilosophers，
　　rangedunderthebannerofVoltaire，whowastheirgod，andof
　　d’Alembert，theirpatriarch，knewallhisinclinationsforthem，and
　　knewhowfartheymightrelyonhissupportinallattemptswhich
　　theymadetoweakenthepoweroftheclergy，andtodiminishthe
　　giganticricheswhichhadbeenamassedbyprelatesandmonasteries。
　　Thewriterswereequallydevotedtohim:theyprogressedwiththe
　　age，andasonallsidestheyessayedtoeffectimportantreforms，
　　itwasnaturalthattheyshouldrallyabouthiminwhosehands
　　wasthepoweroftheiroperations。
　　Theladiesadmiredhisgallantry:infact，theducdeChoiseulwas
　　amanwhounderstoodmarvellouslywellhowtocombineserious
　　laborswithpleasure。
　　Iwas，perhaps，theonlywomanofthecourt
　　whomhewouldnotlove，andyetIwasnottheleastagreeablenor
　　themostugly。
　　Itwasverynaturalforthemtoexalthismerit
　　andtakehimundertheirespecialprotection。
　　Thuswashe
　　supportedineveryquarterbythem；theyboastedofhismeasures，
　　andbydintofrepeatingintheearsofeverybodythatM。de
　　Choiseulwasaminister，andthesupportof
　　monarchy，theyhadcontrivedtopersuadethemselvesofthetruth
　　oftheirassertion。
　　Infact，ifFrancefoundherselffreedfrom
　　theJesuits，itwastotheducdeChoiseulthatthiswasowing，and
　　thisparamountbenefitassuredtohimuniversalgratitude。
　　Thekingwasfullyawareofthisunanimityofpublicopinionin
　　favorofhisminister。
　　Hewas，besides，persuaded，thatin