st
place, whether his majesty would very easily grant you this _lettre
de cachet_, which most certainly I do not deserve. You have served my
nephew and neglected me; I wished to try the strength of my poor wings,
and I find, like many others, that I must not hope to soar to any
height."

While we were thus talking the marechale de Mirepoix was announced. I
was still much agitated, and she immediately turned towards the duke,
as if to inquire of him the cause of my distress: upon which, M. de
Richelieu related all that had passed with a cool exactitude that
enraged me still further. When he had finished, I said,

"Well, madame la marechale, and what is your opinion of all this?"

"Upon my word, my dear countess," answered madame de Mirepoix, "you have
ample cause for complaint, but still this poor duke is not so culpable
as you imagine him to be. He has large expenses to provide for: and
to obtain the money requisite for them he is compelled to look to
his majesty, whose favor he desires to win by administering to his
pleasures."

"Alas!" replied the duke, "can you believe that but for the pressure of
unavoidable circumstances I would have separated myself from my nephew
and my fair friend there?"

"Come, come," cried the marechale, "I must restore peace and harmony
between you. As for you, my lord duke, be a true and loyal subject; and
you, my sweet countess, use your best endeavors to prevail on the king
to befriend and assist his faithful servant."

I allowed myself to be managed like a child; and instead of scratching
the face of M. de Richelieu, I obtained for him a grant of 100,000
livres, which the court banker duly counted out to him.

CHAPTER XXXII

A prefatory remark--Madame Brillant--The marechale de
Luxembourg's cat--Despair of the marechale--The ambassador,
Beaumarchais, and the duc de Chaulnes--the comte d'Aranda--
Louis XV and his relics--The abbe de Beauvais--His sermons--
He is appointed bishop

When I related to comte Jean my reconciliation with the duc de
Richelieu, and the sum which this treaty had cost me, my brother-in-law
flew into the most violent fury; he styled the marechal a plunderer of
the public treasury. Well may the scripture tell us we see the mote in
our neighbor's eye, but regard not the beam which is in our own eye. I
was compelled to impose silence on comte Jean, or in the height of his
rage he would have offered some insult to the old marech