st!" said the companion, and looked towards me. Montreuil ceased
abruptly: our eyes met; his fell. I affected to look among the group as
if I had expected to find there some one I knew, and then, turning away,
I seated myself alone and apart. There, unobserved, I kept my looks on
Montreuil. I remarked that, from time to time, his keen dark eye glanced
towards me, with a look rather expressive of vigilance than anything
else. Soon afterwards his little knot dispersed; I saw him converse for
a few moments with Dubois, who received him I thought distantly; and
then he was engaged in a long conference with the Bishop of Frejus,
whom, till then, I had not perceived among the crowd.

As I was loitering on the staircase, where I saw Montreuil depart with
the Bishop, in the carriage of the latter, Hamilton, accosting me,
insisted on my accompanying him to Chaulieu's, where a late supper
awaited the sons of wine and wit. However, to the good Count's great
astonishment, I preferred solitude and reflection, for that night, to
anything else.

Montreuil's visit to the French capital boded me no good. He possessed
great influence with Fleuri, and was in high esteem with Madame de
Maintenon, and, in effect, very shortly after his return to Paris, the
Bishop of Frejus looked upon me with a most cool sort of benignancy; and
Madame de Maintenon told her friend, the Duchesse de St. Simon, that
it was a great pity a young nobleman of my birth and prepossessing
appearance (ay! my prepossessing appearance would never have occurred to
the devotee, if I had not seemed so sensible of her own) should not
only be addicted to the wildest dissipation, but, worse still, to
Jansenistical tenets. After this there was no hope for me save in the
King's word, which his increasing infirmities, naturally engrossing his
attention, prevented my hoping too sanguinely would dwell very acutely
on his remembrance. I believe, however, so religiously scrupulous was
Louis upon a point of honour that, had he lived, I should have
had nothing to complain of. As it was--but I anticipate! Montreuil
disappeared from Paris, almost as suddenly as he had appeared there.
And, as drowning men catch at a straw, so, finding my affairs at a very
low ebb, I thought I would take advice, even from Madame de Balzac.

I accordingly repaired to her hotel. She was at home, and, fortunately,
alone.

"You are welcome, _mon fils_," said she; "suffer me to give you that
title: you are