"Sire, how can I be well when there is trouble in my family?"

"Ah, bon Dieu! what is this?" said he, turning to me.

"I am insulted, hooted: they say that I have the misfortune to be no longer in the good graces of your majesty."

"Ah, tell them they lie in their throats," replied the king, kissing me on the forehead; "you are the woman of my heart, and she whom I would fain load with honors."

"Your majesty speaks to me," I answered, "with great condescension [my sister-in-law left the room that she might not spoil the explanation], but yet you are the cause of the insolences which I am subjected to from the vile crew."

"What is the matter with you to-day? In truth you are a perfect little devil."

"I wish I were, that I might punish evil tongues, since there is no king of France to avenge me."

"You are severe, madame," replied Louis XV, turning his imposing and handsome face towards me, and to which he vainly endeavored to give an air of anger. I saw my success, and added,

"Yes, sire, it is insupportable for me to think that I am supposed not to possess your friendship, and that I only play the part of a temporary friend. It makes me wretched: you must not be angry if I complain of you to your royal self."

"Well, well, you madcap, what must I do? Whom must I banish?"

"Oh, sire, no one: with your august support I fear no person; nothing but appearances."

"You are an excellent creature; in your place madame de Pompadour would have imprisoned half France."

"That was because she loved revenge better than she loved your majesty. As for me, I should be miserable if I were the cause of one single family complaining against you."

The king, delighted at these words, which really came from my heart, embraced me tenderly two or three times, and said,

"I wish your enemies could understand you, for they would soon be at your knees. But if we imprison or exile no person, how shall we strike terror into them?"

"It is not terror but envy that I would excite. Let me be presented at court, and all my wishes will be satisfied."

"I cannot for the life of me divine why you should lay so much stress on coming to weary yourself with the ceremonies of myself and daughters. Heaven preserve you from all the irksomeness of court ceremony!" And Louis XV sighed. "Did you ever think," he added, "of all the vanities, all the interests I have to manage; all the intrigues that are perpetually agitating, and all the opposition made to me? The court, the city, the people, will rise against me: they will clamor, groan, complain; verse, prose, epigram, and pamphlet will appear in uninterrupted succession. You would be first attacked, and hatred will perhaps extend to me. I shall see again the times when the Damiens, in the name of the parliaments, as one party says, in the name of the Jesuits, as the other party says, and, what is more true, in the name-"

The king suddenly paused; a deep shade of melancholy settled on his features, his n.o.ble head dropped on his bosom. Louis XV remained for some time motionless; at length,

"Well," he exclaimed, attempting to force a smile, "well! I will write to the ladies de Grammont, to inform them that they need not give themselves the trouble to remain near me at the chateau."

On his saying these words I darted towards the door, and went into my chamber. The king followed, and finding there mademoiselle Chon, who was working at some tapestry, said to her,

"Mademoiselle, I confide to your care, and by oral lettre de cachet, the most amiable little devil in France. And now, mademoiselle du Barry, having nothing further to add, I pray G.o.d to take you to His powerful and holy keeping."

After this pleasantry the king, delighted at the gay termination of a somewhat serious scene, went, or rather vanished; for to use a proverbial expression, he ran like a thief.

As soon as I was alone with my sister-in-law, I told her all that had pa.s.sed.

"I see," said she, "that the king is fearful of offending the duc de Choiseul, and giving annoyance to his daughters. But a step must be determined on which will place you out of the reach of complete disgrace. Would it not be best to get some n.o.bleman, who can do so with influence, to speak to him on the subject? If the duc de Richelieu were here-"

"But," I instantly exclaimed, "have we not his nephew, the duc d'Aiguillon? He is well with the king, and I am certain will take the most lively interest in all that concerns me."

"I have no doubt of it," said Chon, with a sly look. "Write to him to come, and you can arrange your ulterior proceedings."

On this advice, which was quite to my taste, I went instantly to my writing-table, the last present which the king had made me. It was made of silver gilt, and china slabs beautifully painted. When I opened it, a gla.s.s was lifted which reflected my countenance. I sat down and wrote the following note to the duc d'Aiguillon:-

"You must be content. I want your a.s.sistance, I really want it. The moment has come for deserving all my confidence. Will you have it at all risks and perils? Reflect well before you undertake this: if you accept, come to-day at five o'clock precisely, neither later nor sooner."

A little while afterwards the following reply was brought.

"One thing displeases me in your letter which else enchants me. You appear to doubt my obedience. Am I not your slave? And when you say to me go, will I not go? Rely on me as on yourself; even more: for your vivacity may lead you into error, and I shall preserve my reason. Yes, madame, I will, when near you, preserve my reason when your interests are at stake. At the fixed hour I shall have the honor to lay at your feet my respectful homage and boundless devotion."

It was impossible to express a real sentiment with more delicacy. I was charmed at it, no longer doubting that the duke would consider my interests as his own. I awaited the hour of five with impatience, when my good fortune brought the prince de Soubise. After the first compliments,

"Well, madame la comtesse, when is your presentation to take place?"

"I do not know, monsieur le marechal; there are obstacles in the way. I fear that they who wish to injure me abuse their influence with the king."

"I see that his majesty hesitates, altho' he is desirous of giving you station. He must be stimulated to know that he is master; and that if he shows any wavering in this particular, it will be made use of to govern him hereafter."

Heartily did I applaud the language of M. de Soubise: I did not suspect that the dear prince had another motive behind. At the end of the interview he said,

"Madame, you would not have been as you now are had you been more conciliatory towards me. I know the king, and know how to manage him. I flatter myself that you would have been now presented had you deigned to hear my advice."

"Did I reject it? Was I wrong in declining to have mademoiselle Guimard as amba.s.sadress? Were you a.s.sured of her silence? Might she not have compromised us?"

"You are right; I did as one would have done at your age, and you have done as I should do at mine; but there is always time to amend."

"Certainly, prince."

"You accept my advice, then."

"Yes," I replied, seeing the defile in which he wished to entrap me, "yes, if I am presented thro' your influence, from that moment you become my guide and mentor. But it is important that the presentation be not delayed; I rely on you to speak to the king this day about it; and I know that he will give me every particular of the immense service you will render me."

For once the madcap girl got the better of the practised courtier. M. de Soubise, taken in his own snare, politely excused himself, and left me with an a.s.surance that he would speak to the king. He did speak, but obtained nothing more than any other. You will see in my next letter that I did not arrive at the accomplishment of my wishes without much trouble. There were in this affair more intrigues for and against me than were afterwards set on foot to decide war with America.

CHAPTER VII

The comtesse and the duc d'Aiguillon-M. de Soubise-Louis XV and the duc d'Aiguillon-Letter from the comtesse to the king-Answer of the king-The "Nouvelles a la Main"-The comtesse and Louis XV-The supper-The court ladies mystified-The comtesse and M. de Sartines

I was still triumphing at the skill which I had displayed in my conference with the prince de Soubise when the duc d'Aiguillon entered.

"Good heaven," said he, kissing my hand very tenderly, "into what inquietude did you throw me by your dear and cruel letter. The ambiguity of your style has caused me inexpressible sorrow; and you have added to it by not allowing me to come to you at the first moment."

"I could not: I thought it would be dangerous for you to appear before the king previously to having seen me."

"Would the king have thought my visit strange?" asked the duke, not without some emotion.