memoirs of the comtesse du barry-第13节

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s　of　the　comte　de　Montbarrey；　it　would　have　been　necessary　to　have　seen　him　as　he　then　was；　and　not　what　he　became　since　the　imbecility　of　M。　de　Maurepas。　　When　I　told　comte　Jean　of　his　visit；　he　would　not　believe　such　insolence。　　You　must　know　that　my　brother…in…law　also　wished　to　direct　me；　but　I　did　not　consider　him　sufficiently　clever。　　His　marvellous　genius　was　eclipsed　in　politics。　　He　swore　at　my　ingratitude；　and　I　could　only　appease　him　by　an　offering　of　plenty　of　money。

In　the　midst　of　this　cross…fire　of　intrigues；　one　was　devised　against　me　which　might　have　terminated　in　my　ruin；　but；　thanks　to　the　indefatigable　activity　of　comte　Jean；　only　served　to　fix　me　more　firmly　in　my　situation。　　Lebel；　of　whom　I　have　said　nothing　for　this　age；　came　to　me　one　day：　his　face　was　sad；　and　his　look　serious。　　By　his　manner　I　augured　that　my　reign　had　passed；　and　that　I　must　quit　my　post。　　I　awaited　what　he　should　say　with　mortal　impatience。　　At　length　he　began　thus：

〃Madame；　you　have　many　bitter　enemies；　who　are　laboring　to　effect　your　ruin　with　a　blood…thirstiness　which　nothing　can　assuage。　They　have　now　spread　a　report　that　you　are　not　married。　　This　infamous　calumny〃

〃Ah；　is　that　all？'　said　I　with　joy；　〃no；　my　dear　Lebel；　this　time　they　do　not　calumniate　me。　　The　worthy　creatures　for　once　are　right。〃

〃What；〃　said　Lebel；　in　a　tone　of　alarm　almost　comic；　〃what；　are　you　really　not　married？〃

〃No。〃

〃Are　you　not　the　wife　of　the　comte　Guillaume　du　Barry？〃

〃No。〃

〃Then　you　have　deceived　the　king；　and　played　with　me。〃

〃Lebel；　my　friend；　take　another　tone。　　No　one　has　any　right　to　complain。　　You　have　given　me　to　the　king　as　a　person　to　please　him；　I　do　so。　　The　rest　can　be　no　matter　of　yours。〃

〃Pardon　me；　madame；　it　is　a　matter　of　the　greatest　consequence　to　me。　　I　am　terribly　compromised　in　this　affair；　and　you　with　me。〃

Lebel　told　me　that　the　duchesse　de　Grammont　had　begged　him　to　call　upon　her；　and　had　bitterly　reproached　him　about　the　mistress　he　had　procured　for　the　king；　the　duchesse　affirmed　that　I　was　a　nameless　and　unmarried　creature；　and　added；　that　it　was　his　duty　to　make　the　king　acquainted　with　these　particulars；　unless　I；　the　pretended　wife　of　du　Barry；　would　consent　to　go　to　England　when　a　large　pension　should　be　assured　to　me。

〃No；　my　dear　Lebel；　I　will　not　go　to　England；　I　will　remain　in　France；　at　Versailles；　at　the　chateau。　　If　I　am　not　married　I　will　be；　the　thing　is　easily　managed。〃

Lebel。　　somewhat　assured；　begged　me　to　send　for　comte　Jean；　and　when　he　came　he　（Lebel）　recommenced　his　tale　of　grief。

〃You　are　drowning　yourself　in　a　glass　of　water；〃　said　my　future　brother…in…law　to　him；　beginning　to　treat　him　with　less　ceremony；　〃go　back　to　the　duchesse　de　Grammont；　and　tell　her　that　madame　was　married　at　Toulouse。　　She　will　have　an　inquiry　set　on　foot；　in　the　mean　while　my　brother　will　arrive；　and　the　marriage　will　take　place。　　Then　we　will　show　the　rebels　a　real　comtesse　du　Barry；　and　whether　my　sister…in…law　be　a　lady　of　six　months'　standing　or　only　of　yesterday；　that　is　of　no　consequence　to　the　king　of　France。〃

After　this　conversation　Lebel　delivered　the　message　to　the　duchesse　de　Grammont；　who　told　him　that　she　should　write　to　Toulouse　to　the　attorney…general。　　This　was　what　the　comte　Jean　wished　and　he　was　prepared　for　her。

But；　you　will　say　to　me；　was　it　certain　that　your　asserted　husband　would　marry　you？　　Were　there　no　difficulties　to　fear？　　None。　Comte　Guillaume　was　poor；　talented；　and　ambitious；　he　liked　high　living；　and　would　have　sold　himself　to　the　devil　for　riches。　　He　was　happy　in　marrying　me。　　Comte　Jean　would　not　have　ventured　such　a　proposal　to　his　other　brother；　the　comte　d'Hargicourt；　who　had　much　good　sense　and　great　notions　of　propriety；　and　who　at　Versailles　was　called　the　；　a　distinction　not　over　flattering　to　his　two　brothers。

The　same　evening　the　whole　family　arrived；　and　was　presented　to　me　the　next　day。　　My　two　future　sisters…in…law　frightened　me　at　first　with　their　provincial　manners　and　southern　accent；　but；　after　a　few　minutes；　I　found　that　this　Gascon　pronunciation　had　many　charms　with　it。　　Mesdemoiselles　du　Barry　were　not　handsome　but　very　agreeable。　　One　was　called　Isabelle；　whom　they　had　nicknamed　；　the　other's　name　was　Fanchon；　and　her　name　had　been　abbreviated　to　〃。〃　　The　latter　had　much　talent；　and　even　brought　to　Versailles　with　her；　an　instinctive　spirit　of　diplomacy　which　would　have　done　honor　to　a　practised　courtier。　　She　would　have　been　thought　simple；　unsophisticated；　and　yet　was　full　of　plot　and　cunning。

I　was　soon　much　pleased　with　her；　and　the　king　became　equally　so。　　He　was　always　very　much　amused　at　hearing　her　talk　　（provincially）；　or　recite　the　verses　of　one　Gondouli；　a　poet　of　Languedoc。　　He　used　to　make　her　jump　upon　his　knees；　and　altho'　she　had　passed　the　first　bloom　of　youth；　he　played　with　her　like　a　child。　　But　what　most　particularly　diverted　the　king；　was　calling　my　sister…in…law　by　her　nickname；　〃；〃　he　was　always　saying；　〃do　this；　go　there；　come　here。〃　　Louis　XV　did　the　same　with　his　own　daughters：　he　had　amongst　them　a　；　a　；　a　；　and　they　were　the　ladies　Victoire；　Adelaide；　and　Sophie；　whom　he　thus　elegantly　designated。　　I　so　soon　saw　the　taste　of　the　king　for　nicknames　that　I　gave　him　one；　it　was　Lafrance。　　So　far　from　being　angry　with　me；　he　laughed　to　tears　every　time　that　I　called　him　so。　　I　must　confess；　；　that　the　anecdote　about　the　coffee　is　true。*　I　will　only　justify　myself　by　saying；　that　if　I　expressed　myself　coarsely　it　was　not　in　consequence　of　my　vulgar　education；　but　because　the　king　liked　such　modes　of　expression。

*Louis　XV　had　a　habit　of　making　his　own　coffee　after　dinner。　　One　day　the　coffee　boiled　over　the　sides　of　the　pot；　and　madame　du　Barry　cried　out；　〃　Eh；　Lafrance；　ton　cafe　f　…　le　camp。〃　　（author）

Let　me　revert　to　my　marriage；　which　was　performed　secretly　at　the　parish　of　Saint　Laurent。　　I　believe　the　king　knew　of　it；　altho'　he　never　alluded　to　it　any　more　than　myself。　　Thus　the　malice　of　my　enemies　was　completely　balked　in　this　affair。　　Some　days　afterwards　comte　Jean　received　a　letter　from　the　attorney…general　of　the　parliament　of　Toulouse；　M。　the　marquis　de　Bonrepos…Riquet。　　This　gentleman　informed　my　brother…in…law　that　he　had　been　applied　to；　to　institute　an　inquiry　at　all　the　notaries；　and　amongst　all　the　registers　of　the　parishes　for　the　proof　of　my　marriage；　that　he　warned　us　to　be　on　our　guard；　and　that　whatever　diligence　he　might　be　desired　to　employ；　he　should　do　nothing　without　informing　us。　　We　felt　the　obligation　of　this　proceeding；　and　my　brother…in…law　thanked　the　attorney…general　in　my　name　as　well　as　in　his　own。　　He　told　him　that　it　was　not　at　Toulouse　that　the　parties　interested　should　make　their　researches　for　my　marriage　certificate；　but　at　Paris；　either　at　the　parish　church　of　Saint　Laurent；　or　at　the　notary's；　Lepot　d'Auteuil。　　M。　de　Bonrepos　gave　part　of　this　reply　to　the　duchesse　de　Grammont。　　Great　was　the　bustle　amongst　the　Choiseuls！　　I　leave　you　to　judge　of　the　fury　of　the　lady　or　ladies；　for　the　contesse　de　Grammont　was　no　less　irritated　than　the　other；　always　prepossessed　with　the　idea；　that　to　please　the　king　was　to　wrong　their　family。　　The　comtesse　de　Grammont　had　not　half　the　talent　of　the　duchesse；　she　had　only　her　faults。　　She　showed　herself　so　rude　and　impertinent　towards　me；　that　I　was　at　length　compelled；　not　to　exile　her　of　my　own　accord；　but　to　allow　that　she　should　be　so　served。　　But　I　anticipate；　for　this　did　not　occur　until　the　following　year。

The　king　by　all　his　kindnesses　endeavored　to　recompense　me　for　these　attacks：　he　appeared　charmed　to　see　me　surrounded　by　my　husband's　family。　　He　placed　amongst　the　pages　the　vicomte　Adolphe　du　Barry；　son　of　comte　Jean；　a　young　man　of　great　promise；　but　whose　destiny　was　so　brief　and　so　unfortunate。　　My　husband's　family　testified　much　affection　for　me；　as　did　the　duc　d'Aiguillon；　to　whom　I　daily　attached　myself。　　He　carefully　kept　from　me　all　that　could　give　me　pain；　and　took　a　thousand　precautions　that　no　unpleasant　reports　should　reach　me。　　If　we　passed　a　short　time　without　meeting　he　wrote　to　me；　and　I　confess　I　was　delighted　with　a　correspondence　which　formed　my　own　style。　　Mademoiselle　Chon；　my　sister…in…law；　and　I　also　wrote　to　each　other；　and　that　from　one　room　to　another。　I　remember　that　one　day；　having　broken　a　glass　of　rock　crystal　which　she　had　given　me；　I　announced　my　misfortune　in　such　solemn　style；　and　with　so　well　feigned　a　tone　of　chagrin；　that　the　letter　amused　the　whole　family。　　The　king　saw　it；　and　was　so　much　pleased　that　he　kept　it；　and　next　day　sent　me　a　golden　goblet　enriched　with　stones；　which　I　gave　to　Chon；　to　whom　it　rightfully　belonged。



CHAPTER　VI


Journey　to　ChoisyThe　comtesse　du　Barry　and　Louis　XVThe　king　of　DenmarkThe　czar　PeterFrederick　IIThe　abbe　de　la　Chapelle　An　experimentNew　intriguesSecret　agents…The　comtesse　and　Louis　XVOf　the　presentationLetter　of　the　comtesse　to　the　duc　d'AiguillonReplyPrince　de　Soubise

Up　to　this　period　I　had　resided　constantly　at　Versailles　or　Paris；　according　to　the　pleasure　of　the　king；　but　had　never　followed　his　majesty　in　any　of　his