Shefeelsforyouasmuchesteem
　　asattachment，andisanxioustoproveitatany
　　opportunity。
　　Ibeseechyounottotreather
　　rigorously。
　　Thinkthatweonlyworktogetherfor
　　thegoodoftheking，andthatitwouldbeunjust
　　ofyoutohateusbecausewehaveendeavoredto
　　pleasethisexcellentprince。
　　Ihopethat，contented
　　withthisjustification，youwillnotrefusetogrant
　　methedoubleamnestywhichIaskofyourgoodness。“
　　Irepliedthus:——
　　“Yourletter，monsieurleduc，seducesmeno
　　morethanyourwords。
　　Iknowyouwell，and
　　appreciateyoufully。
　　Iwasignorantuptothis
　　time，thatamongstthedutiesofyouroffice，
　　certainsuchfunctionswereimposeduponyou。
　　Itappearsthatyouattendtothemaswellasto
　　others，andIsincerelycomplimentyouthereupon；
　　Ibegofyoutoannounceitinthe’CourtKalendar。’
　　Itwilladd，Iamconvinced，totheuniversalesteem
　　inwhichyouareheld。
　　“AstomadamedeLaugeac，sheisevenmore
　　insignificantthanyou，andthatisnotsayingmuch。
　　Ithankherforheresteemandattachment，but
　　candispensewithanymarksofthem；nogoodcan
　　comefromsuchanoneasshe。
　　Thus，M。leduc，
　　keepquietbothofyou，anddonotagainattempt
　　measureswhichmaycompromiseme。
　　Doyour
　　businessandleavemetomine。
　　“Iam，withalldueconsideration，
　　“Yourservant，
　　“COMTESSEDUBARRY“
　　Imentionedthistotheking，whoinsistedonreconcilingmewith
　　，whocameandknelttome。
　　I
　　grantedthepardon
　　sought，outofregardforLouisXV；butfromthatmomentthe
　　contemptIfeltforthedukeincreasedanhundredfold。
　　Conversationwiththeking——Marriageofthecomted’Artois——
　　Intrigues——Theplaceofladyofhonor——ThemarechaledeMirepoix——
　　ThecomtessedeForcalquierandmadameduBarry——Thecomtessede
　　ForcalquierandmadameBoncault
　　ThekingwasmuchannoyedattheindifferenceIevincedforall
　　statesecrets，andfrequentlyobservedtome，“Youarenotatall
　　likemadamedePompadour:shewasneversatisfiedunlessshe
　　knewallthatwasgoingon，andwaspermittedtotakeanactive
　　partineverytransaction；shewouldfrequentlyscoldmefornot
　　tellingherthingsofwhichIwasmyselfignorant。
　　Shewasat
　　thebottomofthemostsecretintrigues，andwatchedeveryturn
　　ofmycountenance，asthoughshesoughttoreadinmyeyesthe
　　inmostthoughtsofmymind。
　　Never，“continuedtheking，“did
　　womanmoreearnestlydesiresupremecommand；andsocompletely
　　hadshelearnedtoplaymypart，thatIhavefrequentlysurprised
　　hergivingprivateinstructionstomyambassadors，differing
　　altogetherfromwhatImyselfhaddictatedtothem。
　　Uponthesame
　　principleshemaintainedatvariouscourtsenvoysandministers，
　　whoactedbyherorders，andinhername；sheevensucceededin
　　obtainingthefriendshipofthegraveandaustereMarieTherese，
　　whoultimatelycarriedhercondescensionsofar，asonlytoaddress
　　themarchionessbythetitleof’cousin’and’dearfriend。’
　　Imust
　　confess，however，thattheseproceedingsonthepartofmadame
　　dePompadourwerebynomeansagreeabletome，andIevenprefer
　　yourignoranceofpoliticstoherincessantinterferencewiththem。“
　　ThiswassaidbyLouisXVupontheoccasionoftheapproaching
　　marriageofthecomted’Artois，theobjectofuniversalcabaland
　　courtintriguetoallbutmyself，whopreservedperfecttranquillity
　　amidstthegeneralexcitementthatprevailed。
　　Variousreasonsmadethemarriageofthisprinceamatterof
　　imperativenecessity。
　　Inthefirstplace，theopengallantryof
　　theyoungcounthadattractedacrowdofdisreputablepersonages
　　ofbothsexestoVersailles，andmanyscandalousadventures
　　occurredwithinthechateauitself；secondly，amotivestillmore
　　importantintheeyesofLouisXV，originatedinthecircumstance
　　ofneitherthemarriageofthedauphinnorthatofthecomtede
　　Provencehavingbeenblestwithanyoffspring。
　　Thekingbegan
　　todespairofseeinganydescendantsinadirectline，unless
　　indeedheavenshouldsmileupontheweddedlifeofthecomte
　　d’Artois。
　　LouisXVdislikedtheprincesoftheblood，andthe
　　bareideathattheducd’Orleansmightonedaywieldhissceptre
　　wouldhavebeenworsethandeath。
　　Manyallianceswereproposedfortheprince。
　　MarieJosephe，
　　infantaofSpain，wastheninhertwentiethyear，andconsequently
　　tooold。
　　TheprincessMarie-Francoise-Benedictine-Anne-Elizabeth-
　　Josephe-Antonine-Laurence-Ignace-Therese-Gertrude-Marguerite-
　　Rose，etc。，etc。，ofPortugal，althoughyoungerthanthefirst-
　　mentionedlady，wasyetconsideredaspasttheagethat
　　would
　　haverenderedherasuitablematchforsoyoungabridegroom。
　　ThedaughterofanyoftheelectoralhousesofGermanywasnot
　　consideredaneligiblematch，andtheprideofthehouseofBourbon
　　couldnotstooptosoignobleanalliance。
　　Therewasno
　　alternativelefttherefore，buttoreturntothehouseofSavoy，
　　andtakeasisterofthecomtessedeProvence。
　　Thisproposal
　　waswellreceivedbytheroyalfamily，withtheexceptionof
　　thedauphiness，whodreadedtheunitedpowerandinfluenceof
　　thetwosisters，ifcircumstancesshouldeverdirectitagainst
　　herselforherwishes；andIheardfromgoodauthority，that
　　boththeimperialMarieThereseandherdaughtermademany
　　remonstrancestothekinguponthesubject。
　　“Theempress，“said
　　LouisXV，oneday，“believesthatthingsarestillmanagedhere
　　asinthedaysofthemarquisedePompadourandtheducde
　　Choiseul。
　　Thankheaven，Iamnolongerunderthedominionofmy
　　friendandherpensionaries。
　　Ishallfollowmyowninclinations，
　　andconsult，inthemarriageofmygrandson，theinterestsof
　　FranceratherthanthoseofAustria。“
　　ThelittleattentionpaidbyLouisXVtotherepresentationsof
　　MarieTheresefurnishedmyenemieswithafreshpretextfor
　　ventingtheirspleen。
　　Theyaccusedmeofhavingbeenbribedby
　　thecourtofTurin，whichardentlydesiredasecondalliancewith
　　France。
　　Iwasmostunjustlyaccused，forIcanwithtruthaffirm，
　　thatthecomtedelaMarmora，ambassadorfromPiedmonttoParis，
　　neitherbywordnordeedmadeanyattempttointerestmeinhis
　　success。
　　Thekingwasthefirstpersonwhoinformedmeofthe
　　contemplatedmarriage，andmyonlyfaultifitcouldbecalled
　　onewashavingapprovedofthematch。
　　Morethanoneintriguewassetonfootwithinthechateauto
　　separatetheprinces。
　　Manyweretheattemptstosowtheseeds
　　ofdissensionbetweenthedauphinandthecomted’Artois，as
　　wellastoembroilthedauphinwith。
　　Thefirst
　　attemptprovedabortive，butthefactionagainst
　　succeededsofarastoexcitealastingjealousyandmistrust
　　inthemindofMarieAntoinette。
　　Thisprincesswasfarfrom
　　contemplatingthemarriageofthecomted’Artoiswithanyfeelings
　　ofpleasure，andwhenhernewsister-in-lawbecameamother，she
　　bewailedherownmisfortuneinbeingwithoutchildrenwithall
　　thefeelingsofayoungandaffectionateheart。
　　Heavendidnot，
　　however，alwaysdenyhertheboonshesoardentlydesired。
　　Youwill，readilybelievethatthesameanxietyprevailedupon
　　theoccasionofthisapproachingmarriageashadexistedatthe
　　unionsofthedauphinandthecomtedeProvence，toobtainthe
　　variouspostsandplacestheambitionofdifferentpersonsled
　　themtodesireintheestablishmentofthenewlymarriedpair。
　　WishingonmyownparttoofferthemarechaledeMirepoixaproof
　　ofmyhighestimationofherfriendshiptowardsme，Iinquired
　　ofherwhetherasuperioremploymentaboutthepersonofthe
　　comtessed’Artoiswouldbeagreeabletoher？
　　“Alas！
　　mydearcreature，“repliedthegood-naturedmarechale，“I
　　amtoooldnowtobearthetoilandconfinementofanyservice。
　　Thepostofladyofhonorwouldsuitmeexcellentlywellasfar
　　asregardstheincomeattachedtoit，butbynomeansagreewith
　　myinclinationsasfarasdischargingitsfunctionsgoes。
　　Yousee
　　Iamperfectlycandidwithyou。
　　Listentome；ifyoureallywish
　　toobligeme，youcandothis——givethetitletoanother，and
　　bestowthepecuniarypartoftheengagementonme。
　　Inthat
　　manneryouwillbeabletogratifytwopersonsatthesametime。“
　　“Iwillendeavor，“saidI，“tomeetyourwishesasfarasI
　　possiblycan，andyoumaybeassuredthatyoushallderivesome
　　advantagefromthismarriage。“
　　AndIkeptmywordbyshortlyafterobtainingforthemarechale
　　asumof50，000livres；amostneedfulsupply，forthepoor
　　marechalehadtore-furnishherhouse，herpresentfittings-up
　　beingnolongerendurablebytheeyeofmodishtaste:shelikewise
　　receivedanaugmentationof20，000livrestoherpension。
　　This
　　proceedingwashighlyacceptabletoher，andthekingafforded
　　hisassistancewiththebestpossiblegrace。
　　Hecouldbegenerous，
　　anddothingswithagoodgracewhenhepleased。
　　Therefusalofthemarechale，whichitwasagreedweshouldkeep
　　secret，obligedmetocastmyeyesuponaworthysubstitute，and
　　IatlengthdecideduponselectingthecomtessedeForcalquier，
　　aladywhopossessedeverycharmwhichcancharmandattract，
　　joinedtoafaultlessreputation；and，settingasideherstrict
　　intimacywithmyself，thecourtenviousasitiscouldfindno
　　faultwithher。