V were known, and instantly aroused against me the two enemies
with whom I had been threatened--the duc de Choiseul and the duchesse de
Grammont, his sister. I must say, however, that, at first, the brother
contented himself with despising me, but the duchesse was furious; I had
offended her feminine self-love, and she could not forgive me. I have
told you that she obtained possession of the king by stratagem. This is
fact. She was in a place of concealment during a regal debauch, and when
Louis left the table, with his head heated by wine, she awaited him in
his bed to commit a sort of violence on him. What curious ambition! As
soon as this noble lady learned my position, she was desirous of knowing
who I was, and I have been told since all the measures she took to learn
this. She did not confine her search to the circle of Versailles, but
hastened to prosecute her inquiries in Paris with M. de Sartines. The
lieutenant of police not suspecting the favor that awaited me, as well
as that which I already enjoyed, and on the other hand persuaded of that
of the Choiseul family, set all his bloodhounds on my traces. They did
not fail to bring him back a thousand horrible tales about me, with
which he gratified the duchesse, who, thinking thereby to do me a severe
injury, spread in the chateau a multitude of prejudicial tales against
me, hoping that they would reach the ears of the king and disgust him
with his amour. It was at this juncture that appeared in the "_Nouvelles
a la Main_" those infamous articles, collected in what they call the
Collection of Bachaumont. From the same source proceeded the songs _a la
Bourbonnaise_ which filled Paris, and were sung about everywhere. These
scandals produced no other effect than increasing the attachment which
the king had for me, and to diminish that which he felt for the duc de
Choiseul.

Passion never reasons; if it had common sense, it would perceive that it
cannot disgust a lover by vilifying his mistress, but, on the contrary,
interests his self-love in supporting her. Thus all these intrigues
scathed me not; I did not mention to my counsellor comte Jean an insult
which I met with in the park at Versailles from madame de Grammont. I
did not tell it to the king, not wishing to create any disturbance
at court. I avenged myself by myself, and think I conducted myself
remarkably well in this adventure, which was as follows:

I was walking in the garden with Henriette, who had give