he entreated me not to return to Paris, but
to give him my company for a whole week. Lebel made his appearance to
beg I would consider myself mistress of the apartments I occupied, and
that he had received orders to provide me with an establishment upon the
most handsome scale.

That very day Henriette, whom I had sent for, and instituted as my head
waiting-woman, informed me, that an old gentleman, attired as tho' for a
grand gala, but who refused to send in his name, begged to be permitted
to pay his respects. I bade her admit him; it was the duc de Richelieu.

"Madame la comtesse," said he, bowing low, "I come to complain of your
want of condescension; unless, indeed, your memory has been at fault.
Was it possible that when I had the honor of supping with you the other
night, you did not recollect your former old friend?"

"If, indeed, my forgetfulness were a fault, monsieur le marechal, it
was one in which you bore an equal share; you were not more forward than
myself in displaying marks of recognition."

"That arose only from the dazzling increase of your beauty. You were but
a nymph when last my eyes had beheld you, and now you are matured into a
goddess."

The duke then made some slight allusion to the family of madame Lagarde,
but guessing with his admirable tact, that such reminiscences could not
be particularly agreeable to me, he dexterously turned the conversation,
by requesting permission to present to me his nephew, the duc
d'Aiguillon, that he might leave a worthy substitute and champion near
the king when state affairs called him into Gascony; he craved my kind
offices to obtain the intimate acquaintance of comte Jean. They
were subsequently at daggers drawn with each other, but this haughty
overbearing lord conducted himself at first with the most abject
servility. The third favor he had to solicit was that I would name him
to the king as frequently as opportunities occurred to form one of our
supper parties. All this I engaged to do, nor indeed could I refuse
after the violent protestations of friendship he made me.

"You will, ere long," said he, "see the whole court at your feet, but
beware of considering them all as your friends; have a care, above all,
of the duchesse de Grammont. She has been long endeavoring to obtain the
king's affections, and she will see with hatred and fury another more
worthy engrossing the place she has so vainly contended for; she and
her impertinent brother will ca