IamnotyetsofarreducedthatIcannotpurchaseitfor
you。
Ihaveatriflingannuity——“
“Andyouwouldbeamuchricherman,“screamedTherese,“ifyou
wouldinsistuponthosepeopleattheoperapayingyouwhatthey
oweyou。“
Thesewordswereaccompaniedwithashrugofthe
shoulders,intendedtoconveyavastideaofherownopinion。
Rousseaumadenoreply;indeedheappearedtomelikeafrightened
childinthepresenceofitsnurse;andIcouldquicklysee,that
fromthemomentofherenteringtheroomhehadbecomerestless
anddejected,hefidgetedonhisseat,andseemedlikeaperson
inexcessivepain。
Atlengthherose,andrequestingmypardon
forabsentinghimself,headded,“Mywifewillhavethehonour
toentertainyouwhilstIamaway。“
Withthesewordsheopened
asmallglass-door,anddisappearedintheneighbouringroom。
WhenwewerealonewithTherese,shelostnotimeinopening
theconversation。
“Madam,“criedshe,“Itrustyouwillhavethegoodnesstoexcuse
M。Rousseau;heisveryunwell;itisreallyextremelyvexatious。“
IrepliedthatM。Rousseauhadmadehisownexcuses。
Justthen
Therese,wishingtogiveherselftheappearanceofgreatutility,
criedout,
“AmIwantedthere,M。Rousseau?“
“No,no,no,“repliedJeanJacques,inafaintvoice,whichdied
awayasifatadistance。
Hesoonafterre-enteredtheroom。
“Madam,“saidhe,“havethekindnesstoplaceyourmusicinother
handstocopy;IamtrulyconcernedthatIcannotexecuteyour
wishes,butIfeeltooilltosetaboutitdirectly。“
Ireplied,thatIwasinnohurry;thatIshouldbeinParissome
timeyet,andthathemightcopyitathisleisure。
Itwasthen
settledthatitshouldbereadywithinaweekfromthattime;
uponwhichIrose,andceremoniouslysalutingTherese,was
conductedtothedoorbyM。Rousseau,whosepolitenessledhim
toescortmethither,holdinghiscapinhishand。
Iretired,
filledwithadmiration,respect,andpity。
WhennextIsawtheducd’Aiguillon,Icouldnotrefrainfrom
relatingtohimallthathadhappened。
Myrecitalinspiredhim
withthemostlivelycuriositytoseeRousseau,whomhehad
nevermetinsociety。
Itwasthenagreed,thatwhenIwentto
fetchmymusicheshouldaccompanyme,disguisedinasimilar
mannertomyself,andthatIshouldpasshimoffasmyuncle。
At
theendoftheeightdaysIrepairedearlyasbeforetoParis;
thedukewasnotlonginjoiningmethere。
Hewassoinimitably
welldisguised,thatnopersonwouldeverhavedetectedthemost
elegantnoblemanofthecourtofFrancebeneaththegarbofa
plaincountrysquire。
Wesetoutlaughing。
likesimpletonsat
theeasyairwithwhichheworehisnewcostume;nevertheless
ourgaietydisappearedaswereachedthehabitationofJ。
J。
Rousseau。
Spiteofourselveswewerecompelledtohonourand
respectthemanoftalentandgenius,whopreferredindependence
ofideastoriches,andbeforewhomrankandpowerwerecompelled
tolayasidetheirunmeaningtrappingseretheycouldreachhis
presence。
Whenwereachedthefifthlanding-placeIrang,and
thistimethedoorwasopenedbyTherese,whotoldusMRousseau
wasout。
“But,madam,“answeredI,“Iamherebythedirectionofyour
husbandtofetchawaythemusichehasbeenengagedincopying
forme。“
“Ah,madam,“exclaimedshe,“isityou?
Ididnotrecollectyou
again;praywalkin。
M。Rousseauwillbesuretobeathomeforyou。“
“So,then,“thoughtI,“evengeniushasitsvisitinglists。“
We
entered;JeanJacquesformallysalutedus,andinvitedustobe
seated。
Hethengavememymusic;Iinquiredwhatitcameto;
heconsultedalittlememorandumwhichlayuponthetable,and
replied,“Somanypages,somuchpaper,eighteenlivrestwelve
sous;“which,ofcourse,Iinstantlypaid。
Theducd’Aiguillon,
whomIstyledmyuncle,wasendeavoringtoleadRousseauinto
conversation,whentheouterbellrang。
Theresewenttoopen
thedoor,andagentlemanentered,ofmatureage,althoughstill
preservinghisgoodlooks。
Thedukeregardedhiminsilenceand
immediatelymadesignsformetohastenourdeparture;Iobeyed,
andtookleaveofRousseau,withmanythankshispunctuality。
He
accompaniedusasbeforetodoor,andthereIquittedhimnever
toseehimmore。
Asweweredescendingthestaircase,M。d’Aiguillon
toldmethatthepersonwhohadsohastenedourdeparturewas
Duclas,andthathishurrytoquitRousseauarosefromhisdread
ofbeingrecognisedbyhim。
AlthoughM。Duclaswasaveryexcellent
man,ImustownthatIowednosmallgrudgeforavisitwhichhad
thusabridgedours。
Intheeveningtheducd’Aiguillonandmyselfrelatedtotheking
ourmorning’spilgrimage。
Ilikewiserecountedmyformervisit,
whichIhadconcealeduntilnow。
LouisXVseemedgreatlyinterested
withtherecitalofit;heaskedmeathousandquestions,andwould
fainhearthemosttriflingparticulars。
“Ishallneverforget,“saidLouisXV,“theamazingsuccess
obtainedbyhis’’Therecertainlyweresome
beautifulairs“,andthekingbegantohumoverthesongof
“