my life."

The king showed the utmost good humor in the world during the rest
of the evening. He scolded me, however, for the mystery I had made in
concealing from him the agreeable visit of the marechale. I justified
myself easily by the pleasure which this surprise caused him; and, on my
side, gave my sincere thanks to the chancellor.

"You owe me none," said he; "the good marechale felt herself somewhat
ill at ease not to be on close terms with her who possesses the
affections of the king. It is an indispensable necessity that she should
play a part in the lesser apartments; and as the principal character no
longer suits her, she is contented to perform that of confidante, and
ran here on my first intimation."

"Never mind the motive that brought her," I said; "she is a companion
for me much more desirable than madame de Bearn."

"First from her rank," said the chancellor, smiling maliciously, "and
then by virtue of her cousinship with the Holy Virgin."

I confess that I was ignorant of this incident in the house of Levi; and
I laughed heartily at the description of the picture, in which one of
the lords of this house is represented on his knees before the mother of
God, who says to him, "_Rise, cousin_"; to which he replies, "_I know my
duty too well, cousin._" I took care, however, how I joked on this point
with the marechale, who listened to nothing that touched on the nobility
of the ancestors of her husband or on those of her own family.

Great had been the outcry in the palace against the duc de la Vauguyon
and madame de Bearn, but how much louder did it become on the defection
of the marquise de Mirepoix. The cabal was destroyed; for a woman of
rank and birth like the marechale was to me a conquest of the utmost
importance. The princesse de Guemenee and the duchesse de Grammont were
wofully enraged. This they manifested by satirical sneers, epigrams,
and verses, which were put forth in abundance. All these inflictions
disturbed her but little; the main point in her eyes was to possess the
favor of the master; and she had it, for he felt that he was bound to
her by her complaisance.

He was not long in giving her an unequivocal proof of his regard. The
duc de Duras asked her, in presence of the king and myself, why she did
not wear her diamonds as usual.

"They are my representatives," was her reply.

"What do you mean by representatives?" said I.

"Why, my dear countess, they are with a Jew instead