careful, officious, zealous, who came to see me soon after I had gone to
reside at the Hermitage, and, without any other introducer than himself,
had made his way into my good graces. He had a taste for drawing, and
was acquainted with artists. He was of service to me relative to the
engravings of the New Eloisa; he undertook the direction of the drawings
and the plates, and acquitted himself well of the commission.

I had free access to the house of M. Dupin, which, less brilliant than in
the young days of Madam Dupin, was still, by the merit of the heads of
the family, and the choice of company which assembled there, one of the
best houses in Paris. As I had not preferred anybody to them, and had
separated myself from their society to live free and independent, they
had always received me in a friendly manner, and I was always certain of
being well received by Madam Dupin. I might even have counted her
amongst my country neighbors after her establishment at Clichy, to which
place I sometimes went to pass a day or two, and where I should have been
more frequently had Madam Dupin and Madam de Chenonceaux been upon better
terms. But the difficulty of dividing my time in the same house between
two women whose manner of thinking was unfavorable to each other, made
this disagreeable: however I had the pleasure of seeing her more at my
ease at Deuil, where, at a trifling distance from me, she had taken a
small house, and even at my own habitation, where she often came to see
me.

I had likewise for a friend Madam de Crequi, who, having become devout,
no longer received D'Alembert, Marmontel, nor a single man of letters,
except, I believe the Abbe Trublet, half a hypocrite, of whom she was
weary. I, whose acquaintance she had sought lost neither her good wishes
nor intercourse. She sent me young fat pullets from Mons, and her
intention was to come and see me the year following had not a journey,
upon which Madam de Luxembourg determined, prevented her. I here owe her
a place apart; she will always hold a distinguished one in my
remembrance.

In this list I should also place a man whom, except Roguin, I ought to
have mentioned as the first upon it; my old friend and brother
politician, De Carrio, formerly titulary secretary to the embassy from
Spain to Venice, afterwards in Sweden, where he was charge des affaires,
and at length really secretary to the embassy from Spain at Paris. He
came and surprised me at Montmor