d at my toilette, could not repress his
admiration; he even insisted upon clasping my necklace, in order that he
might, as he said, flatter himself with having completed such a triumph
of nature and art.

At the hour fixed upon I set out, conducted by the ducs d'Aiguillon and
de Cosse, and now I remember I have introduced this latter to you for
the first time, however I will promise that it will not be for the last;
he possessed, and still possesses all the virtues of his noble house,
he was impetuous from a deeply feeling heart, and proud from a
consciousness of being properly appreciated. Young, handsome, and
daring, he was pre-eminently calculated both to inspire love, and
to feel it; it was quite impossible for him to fail in winning the
affections of any female he exerted himself to please, and even at the
present time that he has lost some of his earlier graces, he is still
irresistible as ever; his naturally gay disposition was but ill suited
to nourishing grave or philosophic reasoning, but then he was the soul
of company, and possessed a fine and delicate wit which ever vented
itself in the most brilliant sallies. M. de Cosse, like the knights of
old, was wholly devoted to his king and his mistress, and would, I
am sure, had the occasion required it, have nobly died in defence of
either; I only pray he may never be put to the proof. I saw much of him
at the beginning of our acquaintance, but as his many amiable qualitie
became better known, I found myself almost continually in his society,
indeed as I have something to confess in the business, I could hardly
choose a better opportunity than the present, did I not recollect that
the good duc d'Aiguillon is waiting all this while for me to announce
the _entree_ of our party into the ante-room of Madame de Valentinois.

My entrance was a complete _coupe-de-theatre_. I had been imagined
languishing on the bed of sickness, yet there I stood in all the fulness
of health and freshness of beauty. I could very easily read upon each
countenance the vexation and rage my appearance of entire freedom from
all ailment excited; however, I proceeded without any delay to the
mistress of the house, whom I found busily engaged in seating her
visitors, and playing the amiable to the dauphiness. This princess
seemed equally astonished at my unexpected apparition; nevertheless,
taken off her guard, she could not prevent herself from courteously
returning the profound salutation I