memoirs of the comtesse du barry-第57节

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were　it　not　for　the　great　esteem　I　entertain　for　the　duchesse　de　Choiseul；　in　whose　delicate　health　I　feel　much　interest。　　Have　a　care　that　you　do　not；　by　your　own　conduct；　oblige　me　to　adopt　harsher　measures；　and　hereupon　I　pray　God　to　have　you　in　his　keeping。〃

（Signed）　〃Louis；

（and　lower　down）　〃PHILIPPEAUX〃

When　this　letter　was　completed；　I　said　to　the　king；


〃Surely；　sire；　you　do　not　mean　to　forget　the　duke's　faithful　ally；　M。　de　Praslin？　　It　would　ill　become　us　to　detain　him　when　the　head　of　the　family　has　taken　leave　of　us。〃

〃You　are　right；〃　replied　the　king；　smiling；　〃besides；　an　old　broom　taken　from　a　masthead　would　be　as　useful　to　us　as　he　would。〃

Then；　turning　to　M。　de　la　Vrilliere；　the　king　dictated　the　following　laconic　notice：

〃COUSIN；I　have　no　further　occasion　for　your　services；　I　exile　you　to　Praslin；　and　expect　you　will　repair　thither　within　four　and　twenty　hours　after　the　receipt　of　this。〃

〃Short　and　sweet；〃　cried　I。

〃Now　let　us　drop　the　subject；〃　said　Louis；　　〃let　madame　de　Choiseul　repose　in　peace　to…night；　and　to…morrow　morning；　at　eleven　o'clock；　go　yourself；　M。　de　la　Vrilliere；　and　carry　my　orders　to　the　duke；　and　bring　back　his　staff　of　office。〃

〃To　whom　will　you　give　it；　sire？〃　　inquired　the　chancellor。

〃I　have　not　yet　considered　the　subject；〃　replied　the　king。

At　this　instant　M。　de　Soubise　was　announced。　　〃〃　exclaimed　the　king；　as　M。　de　Soubise；　little　suspecting　the　nature　of　our　conversation；　entered　the　room。　　I　profited　by　his　coming　to　slip　out　of　the　room　into　my　boudoir；　from　which　I　despatched　the　following　note　to　M。　d'Aiguillon：

〃MY　DEAR　DUKE；Victoria！　　We　are　conquerors；　master　and　man　quit　Paris　to…morrow。　　We　shall　replace　them　by　our　friends；　and　you　best　know　whether　you　are　amongst　the　number　of　them。〃

　When　I　returned　to　the　drawing…room；　the　king　exclaimed；

〃Come；　madam。；　you　are　waited　for；　the　prince　de　Soubise　has　a　very　curious　anecdote　to　relate；　which　befell　a　lady　of　his　acquaintance；　I　begged　of　him　to　defer　telling　it　till　you　rejoined　us。〃

〃Are　you　afraid　of　ghosts？〃　　inquired　the　marechal　of　me。

〃Not　this　evening；〃　replied　I；　〃to…morrow；　perhaps；　or　the　next　day；　I　may　be。〃

This　jest　amused　the　king　and　the　duc　de　la　Vrilliere；　whilst　M。　de　Maupeou；　who　seemed　to　fear　lest　I　should　by　any　indiscretion；　reveal　our　secret；　made　a　signal　of　impatience；　to　which　I　replied；　by　shrugging　up　my　shoulders。　　Poor　M。　de　Soubise；　although　he　did　not　comprehend　my　joke；　laughed　at　it　as　heartily　as　heartily　as　the　rest　who　saw　its　application。　　〃Oh！　　you　courtier；〃　thought　I　We　then　entreated　of　him　to　commence　the　recital　of　his　tale；　which　he　did　in　the　following　words

〃There　is　in　Lower　Brittany　a　family　gifted　with　a　most　singular　endowment：　each　member　of　the　family；　male　or　female；　is　warned　exactly　one　month　previous　to　his　or　her　decease　of　the　precise　hour　and　day　in　which　it　will　take　place。　　A　lady　belonging　to　this　peculiar　race　was　visiting　me　rather　more　than　a　month　since；　we　were　conversing　quietly　together；　when；　all　at　once；　she　uttered　a　loud　cry；　arose　from　her　seat；　endeavored　to　walk　across　the　room；　but　fell　senseless　upon　the　floor。　　Much　grieved　and　surprised　at　this　scene；　I　hastily　summoned　my　servants；　who　bestowed　upon　the　unfortunate　lady　the　utmost　attention；　but　it　was　long　ere　she　revived。　　I　then　wished　to　persuade　her　to　take　some　rest。　　'No；'　cried　she；　rising　and　giving　me　orders　for　her　immediate　departure；　〃I　have　not　sufficient　time　for　rest；　scarcely　will　the　short　period　between　me　and　eternity　allow　me　to　set　my　affairs　in　order。'　Surprised　at　this　language；　I　begged　of　her　to　explain　herself。　　'You　are　aware；'　said　she；　'of　the　fatal　power　possessed　by　my　family；　well；　at　the　moment　in　which　I　was　sitting　beside　you　on　this　sofa；　happening　to　cast　my　eyes　on　the　mirror　opposite；　I　saw　myself　as　a　corpse　wrapped　in　the　habiliments　of　death；　and　partly　covered　with　a　black　and　white　drapery；　beside　me　was　an　open　coffin。　　This　is　sufficient；　I　have　no　time　to　lose：　farewell；　my　friend；　we　shall　meet　no　more'　Thunderstruck　at　these　words；　I　suffered　the　lady　to　depart　without　attempting　to　combat　her　opinion。　　This　morning　I　received　intelligence　from　her　son　that　the　prophecy　had　been　fulfilledshe　was　no　more。〃

When　the　marechal　had　finished；　I　exclaimed；

〃You　have　told　us　a　sad　dismal　tale；　I　really　fear　I　shall　not　be　able　to　close　my　eyes　at　all　to…night　for　thinking　of　it。〃

〃We　must　think　of　some　means　of　keeping　up　your　spirits；〃　answered　Louis　XV。　　〃　As　for　your　story；　marechal；　it　does　not　surprise　me；　things　equally　inexplicable　are　continually　taking　place。　　I　read　in　a　letter　addressed　by　Philip　V；　of　Spain；　to　Louis　XIV；　〃that　the　spirit　of　Philip　II；　founder　of　the　Escurial；　wanders　at　certain　intervals　around　that　building。　　Philip　V　affirms　that　he　himself　witnessed　the　apparition　of　the　spectre　of　the　king。〃

At　this　moment　supper　was　announced。　　〃Come；　gentlemen；〃　said　I；　〃let　us　seek　to　banish　these　gloomy　ideas　around　our　festive　board。〃　　Upon　which　the　king　conducted　me　to　the　supper…room；　the　rest　of　the　company　following　us。　　Spite　of　all　my　efforts　to　be　gay；　and　induce　others　to　be　so　likewise；　the　conversation　still　lingered　upon　this　dismal　subject。

〃Heaven　grant；〃　exclaimed　the　chancellor；　〃that　I　may　not　soon　have　to　dread　a　visit　from　the　ghost　of　the　deceased　parliament；　however；　if　such　were　the　case；　it　would　not　prevent　my　sleeping。〃

〃Oh！〃　　cried　the　king；　〃these　long…robed　gentlemen　have　often　more　effectually　robbed　me　of　sleep　than　all　the　spectres　in　the　world　could　do；　yet　one　night〃



〃Well；　sire；〃　said　I；　seeing　that　Louis　was　silent；　〃and　what　happened　to　you　that　night？〃

〃Nothing　that　I　can　repeat；〃　answered　Louis　XV；　glancing　around　with　a　mournful　look。

A　dead　silence　followed；　which　lasted　several　minutes；　and　this

evening；　which　was　to　usher　my　day　of　triumph；　passed　away　in　the　most　inconceivable　dullness。　　What　most　contributed　to　render　me　uneasy　was　the　reflection；　that；　at　the　very　moment　when　we　had　freed　ourselves　of　our　enemies；　we　were　ignorant　who　would　fill　their　vacant　places。　　This　was　an　error；　and　a　great　one。　　My　friends　would　not　listen　to　the　nomination　of　the　Comte　de　Broglie；　the　Comte　de　Maillebois；　the　duc　de　la　Vauguyon；　any　more　than　either　M。　de　Soubise　or　M。　de　Castries。　　The　abbe　Terray；　having　upon　one　occasion　proposed　the　　marechal　duc　de　Richelieu；　he　very　narrowly　escaped　having　his　face　scratched　by　M。　d'Aiguillon；　who　cared　very　little　for　his　dear　uncle；　but　I　have　unintentionally　wandered　from　the　thread　of　my　narrative；　I　will　therefore　resume　it　at　once。

I　had　hoped　that　the　king　would　this　night　have　retired　to　his　own　apartment；　and　that　I　should　have　been　enabled　to　hold　a　secret　council　with　M。　de　Maupeou；　and　the　ducs　de　la　Vrilliere　and　d'Aiguillon；　but　no　such　thing。　　Imagining；　no　doubt；　that　I　should　be　kept　awake　by　my　fear　of　ghosts；　his　majesty　insisted　upon　remaining　with　me；　and　I　was　compelled　to　acquiesce。　　He　passed　a　very　agitated　night；　much　more　occupied　with　the　des　Choiseuls　than　me；　he　could　think　of　nothing；　speak　of　nothing；　but　the　sensation　which　their　disgrace　would　produce；　he　seemed　to　dread　his　family；　the　nobility；　the　nation；　Europe；　and　the　whole　world。　　I　strove　to　re…assure　him；　and　to　inspire　him　with　fresh　courage；　and；　when　he　quitted　me　in　the　morning；　I　felt　convinced　that　he　would　not　again　alter　his　determination。

As　soon　as　Louis　XV　had　left　me；　Comte　Jean　entered。　　Although　concealed　behind　the　curtain；　and　apparently　not　on　the　best　terms　with　me；　my　brother…in…law　nevertheless　directed　my　actions；　and　gave　me　most　excellent　advice。　　It　was　not　long　ere　the　duc　d'Aiguillon　arrived；　he　had　seen　M。　de　Maupeou　during　the　night；　and　learned　from　him　the　exile　of　the　late　minister；　but　beyond　that　fact　he　knew　nothing。　　He　inquired　of　me；　with　much　uneasiness；　whether　anything　had　been　decided　in　his　behalf。　　I　replied；　that　the　king　was　as　yet　undecided　in　his　choice　of　ministers；　but　that；　if　the　duc　d'Aiguillon　came　into　office；　he　would；　in　all　probability；　be　nominated　to　the　administration　of　foreign　affairs：　the　direction　of　the　war…office　had　been　my　noble　friend's　ardent　desire。

Whilst　we　were　thus　conversing　together　on　the　24th　of　December；　1770；　eleven　o'clock　struck；　and　we　could；　from　the　windows；　perceive　M。　de　la　Vrilliere　taking　his　way　towards　that　part　of　the　building　occupied　by　M。　de　Choiseul　when　at　the　castle。　　This　latter　was　in　conversation　with　M。　Conzie；　bishop　of　Arras；　when　the　arrival　of　the　duc　de　la　Vrilliere；　bearing　the　king's　commands；　was　signified　to　him。　　The　prelate；　not　doubting　but　the　mission　related　to　affairs　of　importance；　took　his　leave；　de　la　Vrilliere　then　presented　the　；　accompanying　it　with　some　remarks　of　his　own　upon　the　talents　of　the　minister；　and　his　regret　at　being　selected　for　so　unpleasant　an　office。　　〃A　truce　to　your　feigned　regrets；　my　lord　duke；〃　replied　the　disgraced　minister；　sarcastically；　〃I　am　well　assured　my　dismissal　could　not　have　been　brought　me　by　hands　more　ready　to　discharge　the　trust　than　yours。〃　Saying　this；　M。　de　Choiseul　placed　his　creden