s with feigned names, in the hope that they will reach
me. Such slanders ought not to annoy you: in the days of madame de
Pompadour, the same thing was done. The same schemes were tried to ruin
madame de Chateauroux. Whenever I have been suspected of any tenderness
towards a particular female, every species of intrigue has been
instantly put in requisition. Moreover," he continued, "madame de
Grammont attacks you with too much obstinacy not to make me believe but
that she would employ all possible means to attain her end."

"Ah," I exclaimed, "because she has participated in your friendship you
are ready to support her."

"Do not say so in a loud tone," he replied laughingly; "her joy would
know no bounds if she could believe it was in her power to inspire you
with jealousy."

"But," I said, "that insolent Guemenee; has she also to plume herself
on your favors as an excuse for overpowering me with her hatred, and for
tearing me to pieces in the way she does?"

"No," was the king's answer; "she is wrong, and I will desire her
father-in-law to say so."

"And I will come to an explanation with the prince de Soubise on this
point; and we will see whether or not I will allow myself to have my
throat cut like an unresisting sheep."

I did not fail to keep my word. The prince de Soubise came the next
morning; chance on that day induced him to be extraordinarily gallant
towards me; never had he praised me so openly, or with so much
exaggeration. I allowed him to go on; but when at length he had
finished his panegyric, "Monsieur le marechal," said I to him, "you are
overflowing with kindness towards me, and I wish that all the members of
your family would treat me with the same indulgence."

Like a real courtier he pretended not to understand me, and made no
reply, hoping, no doubt, that the warmth of conversation would lead me
to some other subject; but this one occupied me too fully to allow me to
divert my attention from it; and, seeing that he continued silent, I
continued, "madame your daughter-in-law behaves towards me like a
declared enemy; she assails me by all sorts of provocation, and at last
will so act, that I shall find myself compelled to struggle against her
with open force."

You must be a courtier, you must have been in the presence of a king who
is flattered from morning to night in all his caprices, to appreciate
the frightful state in which my direct attack placed the prince de
Soubise. Neither his