n vogue, where she
met Duclos, with whom she immediately formed a strong friendship.

After the death of M. de Bellegarde, her wealth was considerably
increased, a piece of good fortune which enabled her to carry out all
her plans. It was at this time, 1755, that she induced Rousseau
to live in her cottage, "l'Hermitage;" and for about two years she
enjoyed perfect happiness with him. By a peculiar freak of fate she
fell in with Grimm, who was introduced to her by Rousseau and who had,
for some time, been on the hunt for a "faithful mistress." This German
by birth, but Frenchman in spirit, had championed her at a dinner,
where she was the object of the severest reproach. She had burned
the papers of her sister, Mme. de Jully, who had betrayed an honest
husband. Stricken with smallpox, just before dying, she confessed all
to Mme. d'Epinay. The latter owed Mme. de Jully fifty ecus and the
note was among the papers of Mme. de Jully. Mme. d'Epinay was accused
of having burned the note to which it was asserted she had access; and
Grimm undertook to plead her cause, an act which so elated madame that
she turned all her affection upon her defender, whereupon Rousseau
departed. Later on, the note having been found, Mme. d'Epinay was
completely vindicated. Grimm then became her third lover.

This third marriage, so to speak, was one of reason; the first was one
of mere emancipation; the second, one of passion and genuine love.
In 1755, worn out physically, she took a trip to Switzerland, to be
treated by the famous Dr. Tronchin; there she became so ill that Grimm
was summoned. They remained together for about two years, and after
her return to Paris she reopened her salon of "La Chevrette." Her
reunions partook more of the nature of our house parties; the salon
was an immense room, in which the members would pair off and divert
themselves as they pleased; in that respect "La Chevrette" was
unique. After her fortune, which at one time was quite large, became
diminished, partly through her own extravagance and partly through
that of her son, who was the very counterpart of his father, she was
forced to rent "La Chevrette" and, later on, "La Briche," where she
had opened her second salon.

The last years of her life she spent in Paris with Grimm. She had
reached such a physical condition that her sufferings could be
relieved only by the use of opium. Financial relief came to her in
1783, when the Academy awarded her the Montyon