the handsomest man in France, and who was, moreover, a King. He was
perfectly persuaded that every woman would yield to the slightest desire
he might deign to manifest. He, therefore, thought it a mere matter of
course that women fell in love with him. M. de Stainville had a hand in
marring the success of that intrigue; and, soon afterwards, the Marquise
de C-----, who was confined to her apartments at Marly, by her relations,
escaped through a closet to a rendezvous, and was caught with a young man
in a corridor. The Spanish Ambassador, coming out of his apartments with
flambeaux, was the person who witnessed this scene. Madame d'Estrades
affected to know nothing of her cousin's intrigues, and kept up an
appearance of the tenderest attachment to Madame de Pompadour, whom she
was habitually betraying. She acted as spy for M. d'Argenson, in the
cabinets, and in Madame de Pompadour's apartments; and, when she could
discover nothing, she had recourse to her invention, in order that she
might not lose her importance with her lover. This Madame d'Estrades
owed her whole existence to the bounties of Madame, and yet, ugly as she
was, she had tried to get the King away from her. One day, when he, had
got rather drunk at Choisy (I think, the only time that, ever happened to
him), he went on board a beautiful barge, whither Madame, being ill of an
indigestion, could not accompany him. Madame d'Estrades seized this
opportunity. She got into the barge, and, on their return, as it was
dark, she followed the King into a private closet, where he was believed
to be sleeping on a couch, and there went somewhat beyond any ordinary
advances to him. Her account of the matter to Madame was, that she had
gone into the closet upon her own affairs, and that the King, had
followed her, and had tried to ravish her. She was at full liberty to
make what story she pleased, for the King knew neither what he had said,
nor what he had done. I shall finish this subject by a short history
concerning a young lady. I had been, one day, to the theatre at
Compiegne. When I returned, Madame asked me several questions about the
play; whether there was much company, and whether I did not see a very
beautiful girl. I replied, "That there was, indeed, a girl in a box near
mine, who was surrounded by all the young men about the Court." She
smiled, and said, "That is Mademoiselle Dorothee; she went, this evening,
to see the King sup in public, and to-morrow she is