harmonybetweenyou。
　　Asforyou，mylordduke，beatrueand
　　loyalsubject；andyou，mysweetcountess，useyourbestendeavors
　　toprevailonthekingtobefriendandassisthisfaithfulservant。“
　　Iallowedmyselftobemanagedlikeachild；andinsteadof
　　scratchingthefaceofM。deRichelieu，Iobtainedforhima
　　grantof100，000livres，whichthecourtbankerdulycounted
　　outtohim。
　　CHAPTERXXXII
　　Aprefatoryremark——MadameBrillant——ThemarechaledeLuxembourg’s
　　cat——Despairofthemarechale——Theambassador，Beaumarchais，and
　　theducdeChaulnes——thecomted’Aranda——LouisXVandhisrelics——The
　　abbedeBeauvais——Hissermons——Heisappointedbishop
　　WhenIrelatedtocomteJeanmyreconciliationwiththeducde
　　Richelieu，andthesumwhichthistreatyhadcostme，my
　　brother-in-lawflewintothemostviolentfury；hestyledthe
　　marechalaplundererofthepublictreasury。
　　Wellmaythescripture
　　tellusweseethemoteinourneighbor’seye，butregardnot
　　thebeamwhichisinourowneye。
　　Iwascompelledtoimpose
　　silenceoncomteJean，orintheheightofhisragehewould
　　haveofferedsomeinsulttotheoldmarechal，whoalreadymost
　　heartilydislikedhimforthefamiliarityofhistoneandmanner
　　towardshim。
　　Ididallinmypowertokeepthesetwoenemies
　　fromcomingineachother’sway，counselledtothatbythe
　　marechaledeMirepoix，whoselineofpoliticswasofthemost
　　pacificnature；besidesIhadnoinclinationforawarcarried
　　oninmyimmediatevicinity，and，formyownpart，sofarfrom
　　wishingtoharmanyone，Iquicklyforgaveeveryaffrontoffered
　　tomyself。
　　Buthold！
　　IperceiveIamrunningonquitesmoothlyinmyown
　　praise。
　　Indeed，myfriend，itiswellIhavetakenthatoffice
　　uponmyself，forIfearnooneelsewouldundertakeit。
　　The
　　mostatrociouscalumnieshavebeeninventedagainstme；Ihave
　　beenvilifiedbothinproseandverse；and，amongstthegreat
　　numberofpersonsonwhomIhaveconferredthegreatestobligations，
　　nonehasbeenfoundwithsufficientcourageorgratitudetostand
　　forwardandundertakemydefence。
　　Idonotevenexceptmadamede
　　Mirepoix，whoseconducttowardsmeinformerdayswasmarkedby
　　themoststudiedattention。
　　Shecametomeoneevening，witha
　　faceofgrief。
　　“Mercyuponme，“criedI，“whatailsyou？“
　　“Alas！“
　　repliedshe，inapiteoustone，“Ihavejustquitteda
　　mostafflictedfamily；theirlossisheavyandirreparable。
　　The
　　marechaledeLuxembourgiswellnighdistractedwithgrief。“
　　“Goodheavens！“
　　exclaimedI，“cantheduchessedeLauzunbedead？“
　　“Alas！
　　no。“
　　“PerhapspoormadamedeBoufflers？“
　　“No，myfriend。“
　　“Whothenistheobjectofsomuchregret？
　　Speak；tellme。“
　　“MadameBrillant。“
　　“Afriendoftheoldmarechale’s？“
　　“Morethanafriend，“repliedmadamedeMirepoix；“herfaithful
　　companion；heronlycompanion；heronlybelovedobject，since
　　herloversandadmirersceasedtooffertheirhomage——inaword，
　　hercat。“
　　“Blessme！“
　　criedI，“howyoufrightenedme！
　　Butwhatsortofa
　　catcouldthishavebeentocausesomanytears？“
　　“IsitpossiblethatyoudonotknowmadameBrillant，atleast
　　byname？“
　　“Iassureyou，“saidI，“thisistheveryfirsttimeIeverheard
　　hername。“
　　“Well，ifitbeso，Iwillbecarefulnottorepeatsuchathing
　　tomadamedeLuxembourg；shewouldneverpardonyouforit。
　　Listen，mydearcountess，“continuedmadamedeMirepoix；“under
　　thepresentcircumstancesitwillbesufficientforyoutowrite
　　yournameinhervisiting-book。“
　　Iburstintoafitoflaughter。
　　“Itisnojoke，Ipromiseyou，“exclaimedthemarechale；“the
　　deathofmadameBrillantisapositivecalamitytomadamede
　　Luxembourg。
　　LettersofcondolencewillarrivefromChanteloup；
　　madameduDeffantwillbeindeepaffliction，andthevirtuesand
　　amiablequalitiesofthedeceasedcatwilllongfurnishsubjects
　　ofconversation。“
　　“Itwasthenasingularlyengaginganimal，Ipresume？“
　　“Onthecontrary，oneofthemoststupid，disagreeable，and
　　dirtycreaturesofitskind；butstillitwasthecatofmadame
　　deLuxembourg。“
　　Andafterthisfuneralorationthemarechaleandmyselfburst
　　intoaviolentfitoflaughter。
　　Whenthekingjoinedus，Iacquaintedhimwiththisdeath，andmy
　　conversationwiththemarechale。
　　LouisXVlistenedtomyrecital
　　withanairofgravity；whenIhadfinished，hesaid，“Thepresent
　　opportunityisadmirablyadoptedforsatisfyingtherequestofone
　　ofmyretinue，oneofthebest-heartedcreatures，andatthesame
　　timeoneofthesilliest
　　meninthekingdom。“
　　“Ibegyourpardon，sire，“criedI，“butwhatishisname？
　　For
　　thedescriptionissogeneral，thatIfearlestIshouldbeat
　　alosstorecollectofwhomyouarespeaking。“
　　“Youareveryill-natured，“criedLouisXV，“andIhardlyknow
　　whetheryoudeservetobegratifiedbyhearingthenameofthe
　　poorgentleman:however，Iwilltellittoyou；heiscalledCorbin
　　delaChevrollerie。
　　Afewdayssincethissimpleyoungman，
　　havingsolicitedanaudience，informedme，thathewasdesirous
　　ofmarryingarichheiress，butthattheyounglady’sfamilywere
　　resolved
　　sheshouldmarrynoonewhowasnotpreviouslyemployed
　　asanambassador。
　　Iexpressedmysurpriseatsostrangeacaprice，
　　butthepoorfellowendeavoredtovindicatehisbride’srelations，
　　bystatingthatthattheywerewillingtoconsiderhimasmy
　　ambassadorifIwouldonlycommissionhimtocarrysomemessage
　　ofcomplimentorcondolence。
　　AccordinglyIpromisedtoemploy
　　himupontheoccasionofthefirstdeathormarriagewhichshould
　　takeplaceinaducalfamily。
　　Now，IthinkIcannotdobetter
　　thanmakehimthebearerofmyinquiriesafterthemarechale
　　deLuxembourg。“
　　Thisideastruckmeashighlyamusing，andIimmediatelydispatched
　　aservanttosummonM。delaChevrollerietothepresenceofthe
　　king。
　　Thisbeingdone，thatgentlemanpresentedhimselfwithall
　　thedignityandimportanceofonewhofeltthatamissionofhigh
　　momentwasabouttobeentrustedtohim。
　　Hismajestychargedhimtodepartimmediatelytothehouseofmadame
　　deLuxembourg，andtoconveyhisroyalmaster’ssincerecondolences
　　fortheheavylossshehadsustainedinmadameBrillant。
　　M。CorbindelaChevrolleriedepartedwithmuchprideand
　　self-complacencyuponhisembassy:hereturnedinabouthalfanhour。
　　“Sire，“criedhe，“Ihavefulfilledyourroyalpleasuretomadame
　　deLuxembourg。
　　Shedesiresmetothankyoumosthumblyforyour
　　graciouscondescension:sheisinviolentdistressforthesevere
　　lossshehasexperienced，andbeggedmyexcuseforquittingme
　　suddenly，asshehadtosuperintendthestuffingofthedeceased。“
　　“Thestuffing！“
　　exclaimedtheking；“surelyyoumeantheembalming？“
　　“No，sire，“repliedtheambassador，gravely，“thestuffing。“
　　“MonsieurdelaChevrollerie，“criedI，burstingintoaviolent
　　fitoflaughter，“doyouknowinwhatdegreeofrelationshipthe
　　deceasedmadameBrillantstoodtomadamedeLuxembourg？“
　　“No，madam，“repliedtheambassador，gravely，“butIbelieveshe
　　washeraunt，forIheardoneofthefemalesinwaitingsay，that
　　thispoormadameBrillantwasveryold，andthatshehadlived
　　withhermistressduringthelastfourteenyears。“
　　Thusfinishedthislittlejest。
　　However，LouisXV，whowas
　　extremelykindtoallabouthim，especiallythoseinhisservice，
　　shortlyafterrecompensedhissimple-mindedambassador，by
　　intrustinghimwithacommissionatonceprofitableandhonorable。
　　Anothereventwhichtookplaceatthisperiod，causednoless
　　noisethanthedeathofmadameBrillant。
　　Atthistime，mademoiselle
　　Mesnardwas，forhermanycharmsofmindandperson，thegeneral
　　ragethroughoutParis。
　　Courtiers，lawyers，bankers，andcitizens
　　crowdedaliketooffertheirhomage。
　　Frailasfair，mademoiselle
　　Mesnardreceivedallkindly，andtookwithgracioussmilesthe
　　richgiftsshowereduponherbyhervariousadorers。
　　Thefirst
　　noblemenofthecourt，knightsofthedifferentorders，farmers-
　　general，allaspiredtothehonorofruiningthemselvesforher。
　　Shehadalreadysatisfiedtheruinouspropensitiesofatleasta
　　dozenoflovers，whentheducdeChaulnesenteredthelists，and
　　wasfortunateenoughtoeclipseallhisrivals。
　　Hemightlong
　　haveenjoyedthepreferencethusobtained，butforanactofthe
　　greatestimprudenceofwhichalovercouldbeguilty。
　　Hewasso
　　indiscreetastoinviteseveralofhismostintimatefriendsto
　　supwithhimselfandMademoiselleMesnard。
　　Amongstthenumber
　　wasCarondeBeaumarchais，amanpossessedofthegraceofa
　　princeandthegenerousprofusionofahighwayman。
　　Caronde
　　Beaumarchaisattractedthefancyoftheficklemademoiselle
　　Mesnard，amutualunderstandingwassoonestablishedbetween
　　them，andinasnuglittlecottagesurroundedbybeautifulgrounds
　　intheenvironsofPerelaChaise，theenamoredloversfrequently