withasubtleandpenetratingspirit——thattalentwhichprocures
　　advancementatcourt，shesaw，withpain，thatIsoughttoattract
　　otherfemalesaboutme:shewouldfainhaveremainedmyonly
　　friend，thatshemight，unopposed，influencemeinallIdid。
　　She
　　saw，therefore，theappearanceofmadamedeMirepoixinmy
　　drawing-roomwithuneasiness:herbadhumorwassufficiently
　　apparenttoattractthenoticeofthemarechale，wholaughedatit:
　　hersocialpositionasatitledwoman，andtheking’sfriendship，
　　givingherconfidencethathercreditwouldalwaysexceedthatof
　　mygodmother。
　　MadamedeBearnwascompelledtosubmittotheascendancyofthe
　　marechale，butyetdidnotthelessrelaxinhereffortstokeep
　　frommeallotherfemalesociety，shehopedthatatlasttheking
　　woulddistinguishher，andcallherintohisintimacyasmyfriend；
　　shewasnotmorefondofthecomtessed’Aloigny，altho’thenullity
　　ofthisladyneednothavealarmedhermuch。
　　Forme，Ibeganto
　　resenttheirksomenessofhavingincessantlyatmysideaperson
　　whomanifestedtooopenlyherdesiretocompelmetosubmitto
　　herwishes，andIwaited，tosecuremyfreedom，onlyuntilthe
　　circleoffemalesIcouldadmittomysocietyshouldbeextended。
　　SuchwereourreciprocalfeelingsduringourstayatMarly。
　　The
　　madamedeBearnwatchedmewithmorecarethanatVersailles，
　　fearing，nodoubt，thatthefreedomofthecountrymightfacilitate
　　connectionsprejudicialtoherinterests。
　　Littledidsheanticipate
　　onthisdaythestrokewhichwasinpreparationforher。
　　Iasked
　　herspitefullytotakeaturnwithmeintothepark，andItook
　　carenottoannouncethemeetingwhichwehadarranged。
　　Beholdusthenwalkingthiswayandthat，quitebychance，without
　　howevergoinganydistancefromthepavilion。
　　MadamedeBearn，
　　notlikingthevicinityofthechateau，wasdesiroustogointothe
　　wood。
　　Ideclinedthisundervainexcuses，whensuddenlymadame
　　deMirepoixandmadamedeFlaracourtappearedattheendof
　　averyshortwalk。
　　“Letusturnthisway，“saidthecountesstome，“herecomesone
　　ofourenemies，whomitwouldbeaswelltoavoid。“
　　“Whyturnaway？“
　　Ireplied；“sheisalone，wearetwo，andthen
　　themarechaledeMirepoixisnotopposedtous。“
　　Sayingthis，Iadvancedtowardsthem。
　　MadamedeFlaracourtappeared
　　verygracious:Irepliedtoheradvanceswithduepoliteness，and
　　insteadofseparating，wecontinuedtowalkabouttogether。
　　Madame
　　deBearnsawclearlythatchancewasnotthesolecauseofthis
　　meeting:shedissembledaswellasshecould。
　　Iafterwardslearnt
　　thatsheowedmeaspite，particularlyforthemysterywhichIhad
　　madeofthisoccurrence。
　　Themarkedsilence，andthesullenair
　　sheassumedduringthisinterview，andwhichhersenseand
　　knowledgeoftheworldshouldhavepreventedherfrommanifesting，
　　provedtome，onthisoccasion，asonmanyotherothers，that
　　tempercannotalwaysbeconquered，andthatattimesitwillburst
　　forthinspiteoftheexperienceandcautionofthecourtier。
　　Ididnotgivemyselfmuchtroubleonthissubject:Ihadwell
　　recompensedthegoodofficesofthecountess:Ihadampleproof
　　thatinservingmeshehadactedontheimpulseofself-interest:
　　wewerequits，Ithought，andIsawnoreasonwhyIshould
　　remainisolatedjusttoserveherpleasure。
　　WhenwereturnedtomyapartmentsIsawplainly，byhermutterings，
　　hersighs，andtheshruggingofhershoulders，thatshewasdeeply
　　irritatedatwhathadjusttakenplace。
　　Shewasdesirousof
　　provokinganexplanation，butasthatcouldonlytendtoher
　　disadvantage，shecontentedherselfwithleavingmeearlierthan
　　herusualwant，withoutsayinganythingdisagreeable。
　　Hercustom
　　wasnottoleavemealone，andherabruptdepartureconfirmedme
　　intheideaIhadimbibed，thatthissortofcomedyhadmuch
　　thwartedher。
　　InthecourseofthesamedayIreceivedavisitfromthecomtesse
　　deFlaracourt。
　　Thislady，whosesparklingeyesshonewithanair
　　ofmischief，presentedherselftomewithanappearanceof
　　opennessandconfidencewhichcompletelycloakedthemalignity
　　andtreacheryofhercharacter。
　　Shethrewherarmsroundmyneck
　　withasmuchgraceastenderness，andtakingmyhand，asifto
　　arrestmyattention，said:
　　“Iought，madame，toexplaintoyouthedelaythatIhavemade
　　beforeIintroducemyselftoyou，aswellasthepromptitudeof
　　thismyfirstvisit。
　　Iwasprejudicedagainstyou，andhadformed
　　afalseestimateofyou。
　　Mywithmesdamesd’Egmont，
　　deBrionne，anddeGrammontnaturallyplacedmeintherank
　　opposedtoyou:somuchforwhathaspassed。
　　ButIhaveseen
　　you:Ihavestudiedyouatadistance，aswellasclose，andI
　　haverecognised，withoutdifficulty，theinjusticeofyourenemies。
　　Ihavebeenenragedwithmyselfforhavingbeendeceivedregarding
　　you:Iwishtorepairmywrongs。
　　Enlightenedbytheopinionof
　　themarechaledeMirepoix，Ihavenothesitatedtoapproachyou
　　underherauspices，andourfirstmeetinghassohappilyfurnished
　　mewithanopportunityofappreciatingyou，thatIwouldnotdelay
　　anylongerthepleasureofmakingyouapersonalavowalofmy
　　pastsentiments，andofthosewithwhichyounowinspireme。“
　　ThetoneinwhichmadamedeFlaracourtutteredthesewordswasso
　　graciousandsopersuasive，thatIcouldnotresistthepleasureof
　　embracingher。
　　Shereturnedmykisswiththesameeagerness，
　　andwouldnotlistentomythanks。
　　“Allisexplainedbetweenus，“shecontinued，“letusforgetthe
　　past，andletusdoasifmeetingforthefirsttimeto-day；we
　　henceforwarddatethisasthefirstofouracquaintance。“
　　“Theaffabilitywithwhichyouhavepresentedyourselftome，“I
　　replied，“doesnotpermitmetobelievethatIhaveonlyknown
　　youfromthismorning；Iaminanillusionwhichwillonlyallow
　　metolookonourrecentallianceasanancientfriendship。“
　　Afterhavingexchangedsomeconversationofthesametenor，we
　　talkedofmysituationasregardedtheotherfemalesofthecourt。
　　“Theyhateyoufortworeasons，“saidthecountess:“inthefirst
　　place，becauseyouhavemadeaconquestwhichalltheworldenvies
　　you；secondlybecauseyouarenotoneofus。
　　Thereisnotone
　　familywhocanleanonyouinvirtueoftherightsofblood，or
　　allianceswhichstandinsteadofit。
　　Youhavesupersededawoman
　　whomorethananyothercouldhaveaclaimtoyourgoodfortune:
　　sheissistertotheprimeminister，whohasinhertrain，like
　　Lucifer，morethanathirdpartofheaven，forallthecourtiers
　　hangonherbrother。
　　“Ontheotherhand，wearenotaccustomedtoremainsolongin
　　oppositiontothewilloftheking。
　　Sucharesistanceisnotnatural
　　tous；itweighsuponus，itharmsus，thefavorofourmaster
　　beingourchiefgood。
　　Weareonlysomethingthro’him，andwhen
　　combattingagainsthimwehaveneitherthecouragenorthe
　　perseverance。
　　Thusyoumaybeverycertainthatthemajority
　　ofwomenwhoopposeyoudoitagainstthegrain:andifyouadd
　　tothisthattheyareincessantlyexposedtothemurmursand
　　complaintsoftheirhusbands，sons，brothers，andlovers，you
　　willeasilybeconvincedthattheyonlyaspiretofindingameans
　　ofreconcilingtheregardtheyowetotheChoiseulsandtheterror
　　whichtheyinspire，withthedesiretheyhavetoseekyour
　　protectionandthefriendshipoftheking。
　　Thecabalonlyflies
　　ononewing，andIcannotdivineitssituationatthecommencement
　　ofthenextwinter。
　　Donotdisquietyourselfanymorewithwhat
　　itcando:keepyourselfquiet；continuetopleasethe’master，’
　　andyouwilltriumphoverthemultitudeaseasilyasyouhave
　　conqueredtheresistanceofmesdames。“
　　SuchwasthelanguageofthecomtessedeFlaracourt:itagreed，
　　asyouwillperceive，withthatofmadamedeMirepoix，andI
　　oughtthemoretobelieveit，asitwasthefruitoftheir
　　experienceandprofoundknowledgeofcourtmanners。
　　Their
　　exampleprovedtome，aswellastheirwords，thatallthosewho
　　approachedthekingcouldnotbearforalongtimethepositionin
　　whichheplacedthosewhomhedidnotlookuponwithpleasure。
　　However，LouisXVevincedmoreplainlyfromdaytodaythe
　　ascendancyIhadoverhismind。
　　Heassistedpubliclyatmytoilet*，
　　hewalkedoutwithme，leftmeaslittleaspossible，andsought
　　byeveryattentiontoconsolemefortheimpertinenceswithwhich
　　myenemiesbespatteredme。
　　Thefollowinganecdotewillproveto
　　youhowlittleconsiderationhehadforthosepersonswhodaredto
　　insultmeopenly。
　　OnedayatMarly，Ienteredthedrawing-room；therewasavacant
　　seatneartheprincessedeGuemenee，Iwenttoit，andscarcely
　　wasseatedwhenmyneighborgotup，saying，“Whathorror！“
　　and
　　betookherselftothefurtherendoftheroom。
　　Iwasmuchconfused:
　　theoffencewastoopublicformetorestrainmyresentment，and
　　evenwhenIwishedtodosothethingwasscarcelypossible。
　　The
　　comteJean，whohadwitnessedit，andmysisters-in-law，who
　　learntitfromhim，wereenraged。
　　Iwascompelledtocomplainto
　　theking，whoinstantlysenttheprincessedeGuemeneeanorder
　　toquitMarlyforthwith，andbetakeherselftotheprincessede
　　Marsan，ofthechildrenoftheroyalfamilyofFrance，
　　ofwhosepostshehadthereversion。
　　Neverdidajustchastisementproduceagreatereffect。