ight have supposed,
by the clamours it occasioned, that the ex-minister had been the atlas
of the monarchy; and that, deprived of his succour, the state must fall
into ruins. The princesses were loud in their anger, and accused me
publicly of having conspired against virtue itself! The virtue of such
a sister and brother! I ask you, my friend, is not the idea truly
ludicrous?

The dauphiness bewailed his fall with many tears; at least, so I was
informed by a lady of her suite, madame de Campan. This lady was a most
loquacious person; she frequently visited my sister-in-law; and, thanks
to her love of talking, we were always well-informed of all that was
passing in the household of Marie Antoinette. However, the dauphin was
far from sharing the grief Of his illustrious spouse. When informed
of the dismissal of the duke, he cried out, "Well, madame du Barry has
saved me an infinity of trouble--that of getting rid of so dangerous a
man, in the event of my ever ascending the throne." The prince did not
usually speak of me in the most flattering terms, but I forgave him on
the present occasion, so much was I charmed with his expression relative
to the late minister; it afforded me the certainty that I should not
have to dread the possibility of his recalling de Choiseul.

Whilst many were bewailing the downfall of the des Choiseuls, others,
who had an eye more to self-interest, presented themselves to share
in the spoils of his fortune. There were the princes de Soubise and de
Conde, the duc de la Vauguyon, the comtes de Broglie, de Maillebois, and
de Castries, the marquis de Monteynard and many others, equally anxious
for a tempting slice of the ministry, and who would have made but one
mouthful of the finest and best.

The marquise de 1' Hopital came to solicit my interest for the prince
de Soubise, her lover. I replied, that his majesty would rather have the
marechal for his friend than his minister; that, in fact, the different
appointments had taken place; and that, if the names of the parties
were not immediately divulged, it was to spare the feelings of certain
aspirants to the ministry: madame de 1' Hopital withdrew, evidently much
disconcerted at my reply. Certainly M. de Soubise must have lost his
reason, when he supposed that the successor of M. de Choiseul would be
himself, the most insignificant prince of France; he only could suppose
that he was equal to such an elevation. However this may be, he took
upon h