Iprocuredtheking’sprotectionforthemiserable
　　objectoftheprincess’saffection；Iobtainedhissaferemoval
　　toanothercountry；and，havingdoneallthis，Icommunicatedmy
　　knowledgeofthetransactiontothecomtessed’Egmont。
　　Doesthis
　　bearanycomparisonwithherlineofconducttowardsme？“
　　“Butyourletter，madame；yourletter——“
　　“Wouldbearalterationsandamendments，sir，Iamaware:IadmitI
　　didnotsufficientlyinsistupontheatrocityofsuchanabuse
　　ofpower。“
　　“Youarethenresolved，madame，tomakeusyourenemies。“
　　“Ishouldbeverysorry，monsieurleduc，tobecompelledtosuch
　　extremities；butifyourfriendshipcanonlybepurchasedatthe
　　priceofmysubmittingtocontinuallyreceivetheinsultsofyour
　　family，Ishouldbethefirsttoceasetoaspiretoit。
　　If
　　Madamed’Egmontholdsherselfaggrievedbyme，lethercarryher
　　complaintbeforetheparliament；weshallthenseewhatredress
　　shewillget。
　　Shehascompromisedtheking’snamebyanarbitrary
　　act；andsinceyouthusattackme，youmustnottakeitamissif
　　Imakethekingacquaintedwiththewholebusiness。“
　　Themarechal，surprisedatsosevereareply，couldnolonger
　　restraintheragewhichfilledhim。
　　“Ishouldhavethought，
　　madame，“saidhe，“thatmydaughter，inwhoseveinsflowsroyal
　　blood，mighthavemeritedsomelittleconsiderationfromthe
　　comtesseduBarry。“
　　“Itiswell，then，monsieurleduc，“repliedI，“topointoutto
　　youyourerror。
　　Iseeinmyenemiestheirworksandactions
　　alone，withoutanyreferencetotheirbirth，beithighorlow；
　　andtheconductofmadamed’Egmonthasbeensoviolentand
　　unceasingtowardsme，thatitleavesmewithoutthesmallest
　　regretforthatIhavepursuedtowardsher。“
　　Ihadimaginedthatthisreplywouldstillfurtherirritatethe
　　angryfeelingsoftheducdeRichelieu，butitdidnot:heeasily
　　guessedthatnothingbuttheking’ssupportcouldhaveinspired
　　metoexpressmyselfwithsomuchenergy；and，ifpaternal
　　vanitystroveinhisheart，personalinterestsspoketherewith
　　evenaloudervoice。
　　Hethereforesoughttolayasidehisanger，
　　and，likeaskilfulcourtier，changinghisangrylookandtone
　　foroneofcheerfulness:
　　“Madame，“saidhe，“Iyield；Iseeitwillnotdotoenterthe
　　listsagainstyou。
　　IconfessIcamethismorningbuttosound
　　yourcourage，andalreadyyouhavedrivenmeoffthefield
　　vanquished。
　　ThereisonefavorIwouldimploreofyourgenerosity，
　　andthatis，tobesilentastoallthathastranspired。“
　　“Ishallnotspeakofit，monsieurleduc，“repliedI，muchmoved，
　　“unlessyouormadamed’Egmontsetmetheexample。“
　　“Inthatcasetheaffairwillforeverremainburiedinoblivion；
　　but，madame，Iwillnotconcealfromyou，thatmydaughterhas
　　becomeyourmostbitterandirreconcilableenemy。
　　“
　　“Themotiveswhichhaveactuatedme，monsieurle
　　marechal，are
　　suchastoleavemeverylittleconcernuponthatsubject。
　　flattermyselfthisaffairwillnotkeepyouawayfromme，who
　　wouldfainreckonasfirmlyonyourfriendshipasyonmaydoonmine。“
　　Themarechalkissedmyhandintokenofamity，andfromthat
　　momentthematterwasnevermentioned。
　　AsimilarscenehadalreadyoccurredwiththeprincedeSoubise，
　　relativetotheexileofhisdaughter。
　　Wasitnotsomewhat
　　strange，aswellasunjust，thatallthenoblemenofthedaywished
　　topreservetotheirrelationstherightofoffendingmewith
　　impunity，withoutpermittingmeeventherightofdefendingmyself。
　　MadameduBarryseparatesfrommadamedeBearn——Lettersbetween
　　theseladies——Portraitofmadamedel’Hopital——Theladder——The
　　bell——ConversationwithmadamedeMirepoix——FirstvisittoChantilly——
　　Intriguestopreventthecountessfromgoingthither——Theking’s
　　Displeasuretowardstheprincesses——ThearchbishopdeSenlis
　　Thespoiledchildoffortune，Ihadnowattainedtheheightofmy
　　wishes。
　　Theking’spassionaugmenteddaily，andmyempirebecame
　　suchastodefytheutmostendeavorsofmyenemiestoundermine
　　it。
　　Anotherwomaninmyplacewouldhaveemployedherpowerin
　　strikingterroramongstallwhowereopposedtoher，
　　butformy
　　ownpartIcontentedmyselfwithrepulsingtheirattemptstoinjure
　　me，andinproceedingtoseverityonlywhenmypersonalinterests
　　weretoodeeplyconcernedtoadmitofmypassingthematter
　　overinsilence。
　　Therewasnoaccusationtooinfamoustobelaidtomycharge；
　　amongstotherenormitiestheyscruplednottoallegethatIhad
　　beenthemurderessofLebel，theking’s，who
　　diedbypoison！
　　Wasitlikely，wasitprobablethatIshouldseek
　　thedestructionofhimtowhomIowedmyelevation，themost
　　devotedoffriends，andforwhommyheartcherishedthemost
　　livelysenseofgratitude？
　　WhatinterestcouldIpossiblyderive
　　fromtheperpetrationofsuchacrime？
　　Theimputationwastoo
　　absurdforbelief，butslandercareslittlefortheseeming
　　improbabilityofsuchanevent。
　　Thesimplefactremainedthat
　　Lebelwasdead，ofcoursethecruelandunjustconsequence
　　becameinthehandsofmyenemies，thatIhadbeentheprincipal
　　accessorytoit。
　　Mymosttriflingactionsweremisrepresentedwiththesameblack
　　malignity。
　　Theyevenmadeitacrimeinmetohavewrittento
　　madamedeBearn，thankingherforherpastkindnesses，andthus
　　settingheratlibertytoretirefromthemercenaryservicesshe
　　pretendedtohaveaffordedme。
　　Andwhocouldblamemeforseeking
　　torendermyselfindependentofhercontrol，orforbecomingweary
　　ofthetyrannicalguidanceofonewhohadtakenitintoherhead
　　thatIhadbecomehersoleproperty，andwho，inpursuanceof
　　thisidea，boredandtormentedmetodeathwithherfolliesand
　　exactions，andeventookuponherselftobeoutofhumoratthe
　　leastindicationofmyattachingmyselftoanyotherladyofthe
　　court。
　　Accordingtoherviewofthings，gratitudeimposedonme
　　therigorouslawofforminganintimacywithheralone；inaword，
　　sheexercisedovermethemostgallingdominion，whichmyfamily
　　hadlongcounselledmetoshakeoff；intruth，Iwasperfectly
　　tiredofbearingtheyokehercapriciousandoverbearingtemper
　　imposeduponme，butIdetermined，ifpossible，todonothing
　　hastily，andtoendureitwithpatienceaslongasIcould。
　　But
　　nowthatthenumberofmyfemalefriendswasaugmentedbythe
　　additionofthemarquisedeMontmorencyandthecomtessede
　　l’HopitalIdeterminednolongertobeartheconstantdisplayof
　　madamedeBearn’sdespoticsway，andfindingnochanceofaccommodating
　　ourtastesandhumors，Iresolvedtofreemyselffromherthraldom。
　　Anotherpowerfulreasonforthismeasurewasthedislikewith
　　whichthekingregardedher；notthatshewasdeficientinbirthor
　　goodbreeding，butamidstthepolishofhighlifesheoccasionally
　　introducedthemostvulgarandprovincialmanners，afaultofall
　　othersmostoffensivetotheking，whosedisgustwasfurther
　　excitedbytheundisguisedaviditywithwhich，ateveryopportunity，
　　shesoughttoturnheradmissiontotheking’sprivatesocietyto
　　account，bypreferringsomerequestorsolicitingsomeparticular
　　favor。
　　Insteadofgivingherselfuptothejoyandhilaritythat
　　reignedaround，sheseemedalwaysonthewatchtoseizeevery
　　possibleadvantagetoherself。
　　Immediatelythatthekingwas
　　apprizedofmyintentionofdismissingherfromanyfurthercares
　　forme，“Youarequiteright，“saidhe，“togetridofthis
　　troublesomewoman，whonevervisitsuswithoutcalculatingthe
　　degreeofinterestshecanderivefromit，andseemstome，
　　wheneversheapproachesme，astho’sheweredevisingsomefresh
　　petitiontoobtainfromme。
　　Andnow，too，thatthefirstladies
　　ofthecourtfillyourdrawing-rooms，whyshouldyouendureher
　　importunatepresence？“
　　Strengthenedbythesesentimentsontheking’spart，Ilostno
　　timeinwritingtomadamedeBearnaletter，ofwhichmanyfalse
　　copieswerecirculated；however，Isubjointhefollowingasthe
　　veritableepistleaddressedbymetothecountess:——
　　“MADAME，——Itwouldbetheheightofselfishnessonmypartto
　　taxfurtherthekindnessandattentionyouhavebeenpleasedto
　　showme。
　　Iamwellawarehowmanypublicandprivatedutiesclaim
　　yourcare，andIthereforewithmuchregretbegtorestoretoyou
　　thatlibertyyouhavesogenerouslysacrificedtomyinterests。
　　Consciousoftheennuiwhichoppressesyouinthispartofthe
　　country，Iwritetoentreatthatyouwillallownoconsideration
　　connectedwithmetodetainyoulongerinaplacesoirksome，but，
　　sinceourvisittoMarlyisconcluded，flyuponthewingsof
　　impatiencetothegayscenesofParisandLuxembourg。
　　Beassured
　　thatitwillatalltimesaffordmemuchpleasuretoevincethe
　　gratitudewithwhichIshalleverremain，
　　“Madame，yourssincerely，