h had fallen on the ground. Gontaut was the only person who
saw all this, and, after supper, he went up to the little lady, and said,
'You are an excellent friend.'--'I did my duty,' said she, and
immediately put her finger on her lips to enjoin him to be silent. He,
however, informed me of this act of friendship of the little heroine, who
had not told me of it herself." I admired the Countess's virtue, and
Madame de Pompadour said, "She is giddy and headlong; but she has more
sense and more feeling than a thousand prudes and devotees. D'Esparbes
would not do as much most likely she would meet him more than half-way.
The King appeared disconcerted, but he still pays her great
attentions."--"You will, doubtless, Madame," said I, "show your sense of
such admirable conduct."--"You need not doubt it," said she, "but I don't
wish her to think that I am informed of it." The King, prompted either
by the remains of his liking, or from the suggestions of Madame de
Pompadour, one morning went to call on Madame d'Amblimont, at Choisy, and
threw round her neck a collar of diamonds and emeralds, worth between
fifty thousand and seventy-five thousand francs. This happened a long
time after the circumstance I have just related.

There was a large sofa in a little room adjoining Madame de Pompadour's,
upon which I often reposed.

One evening, towards midnight, a bat flew into the apartment where the
Court was; the King immediately cried out, "Where is General Crillon?"
(He had just left the room.) "He is the General to command against the
bats." This set everybody calling out, "Ou etais tu, Crillon?" M. de
Crillon soon after came in, and was told where the enemy was. He
immediately threw off his coat, drew his sword, and commenced an attack
upon the bat, which flew into the closet where I was fast asleep. I
started out of sleep at the noise, and saw the King and all the company
around me. This furnished amusement for the rest of the evening. M. de
Crillon was a very excellent and agreeable man, but he had the fault of
indulging in buffooneries of this kind, which, however, were the result
of his natural gaiety, and not of any subserviency of character. Such,
however, was not the case with another exalted nobleman, a Knight of the
Golden Fleece, whom Madame saw one day shaking hands with her valet de
chambre. As he was one of the vainest men at Court, Madame could not
refrain from telling the circumstance to the King; and,