memoirs of the comtesse du barry-第70节

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While　we　were　thus　talking　the　marechale　de　Mirepoix　was　announced。　I　was　still　much　agitated；　and　she　immediately　turned　towards　the　duke；　as　if　to　inquire　of　him　the　cause　of　my　distress：　upon　　which；　M。　de　Richelieu　related　all　that　had　passed　with　a　cool　　exactitude　that　enraged　me　still　further。　　When　he　had　finished；　I　said；

〃Well；　madame　la　marechale；　and　what　is　your　opinion　of　all　this？〃

〃Upon　my　word；　my　dear　countess；〃　answered　madame　de　Mirepoix；　〃you　have　ample　cause　for　complaint；　but　still　this　poor　duke　is　not　so　culpable　as　you　imagine　him　to　be。　　He　has　large　expenses　to　provide　for：　and　to　obtain　the　money　requisite　for　them　he　is　compelled　to　look　to　his　majesty；　whose　favor　he　desires　to　win　by　administering　to　his　pleasures。〃

〃Alas！〃　　replied　the　duke；　〃can　you　believe　that　but　for　the　pressure　of　unavoidable　circumstances　I　would　have　separated　myself　from　my　nephew　and　my　fair　friend　there？〃

〃Come；　come；〃　cried　the　marechale；　〃　I　must　restore　peace　and　harmony　between　you。　　As　for　you；　my　lord　duke；　be　a　true　and　loyal　subject；　and　you；　my　sweet　countess；　use　your　best　endeavors　to　prevail　on　the　king　to　befriend　and　assist　his　faithful　servant。〃

I　allowed　myself　to　be　managed　like　a　child；　and　instead　of　scratching　the　face　of　M。　de　Richelieu；　I　obtained　for　him　a　grant　of　100；000　livres；　which　the　court　banker　duly　counted　out　to　him。



CHAPTER　XXXII


A　prefatory　remarkMadame　BrillantThe　marechale　de　Luxembourg's　catDespair　of　the　marechaleThe　ambassador；　Beaumarchais；　and　the　duc　de　Chaulnesthe　comte　d'ArandaLouis　XV　and　his　relicsThe　abbe　de　BeauvaisHis　sermonsHe　is　appointed　bishop

When　I　related　to　comte　Jean　my　reconciliation　with　the　duc　de　Richelieu；　and　the　sum　which　this　treaty　had　cost　me；　my　brother…in…law　flew　into　the　most　violent　fury；　he　styled　the　marechal　a　plunderer　of　the　public　treasury。　　Well　may　the　scripture　tell　us　we　see　the　mote　in　our　neighbor's　eye；　but　regard　not　the　beam　which　is　in　our　own　eye。　　I　was　compelled　to　impose　silence　on　comte　Jean；　or　in　the　height　of　his　rage　he　would　have　offered　some　insult　to　the　old　marechal；　who　already　most　heartily　disliked　him　for　the　familiarity　of　his　tone　and　manner　towards　him。　　I　did　all　in　my　power　to　keep　these　two　enemies　from　coming　in　each　other's　way；　counselled　to　that　by　the　marechale　de　Mirepoix；　whose　line　of　politics　was　of　the　most　pacific　nature；　besides　I　had　no　inclination　for　a　war　carried　on　in　my　immediate　vicinity；　and；　for　my　own　part；　so　far　from　wishing　to　harm　any　one；　I　quickly　forgave　every　affront　offered　to　myself。

But　hold！　　I　perceive　I　am　running　on　quite　smoothly　in　my　own　praise。　　Indeed；　my　friend；　it　is　well　I　have　taken　that　office　upon　myself；　for　I　fear　no　one　else　would　undertake　it。　　The　most　atrocious　calumnies　have　been　invented　against　me；　I　have　　been　vilified　both　in　prose　and　verse；　and；　amongst　the　great　number　of　persons　on　whom　I　have　conferred　the　greatest　obligations；　none　has　been　found　with　sufficient　courage　or　gratitude　to　stand　forward　and　undertake　my　defence。　　I　do　not　even　except　madame　de　Mirepoix；　whose　conduct　towards　me　in　former　days　was　marked　by　the　most　studied　attention。　　She　came　to　me　one　evening；　with　a　face　of　grief。

〃Mercy　upon　me；〃　cried　I；　〃what　ails　you？〃

〃Alas！〃　　replied　she；　in　a　piteous　tone；　〃I　have　just　quitted　a　most　afflicted　family；　their　loss　is　heavy　and　irreparable。　　The　marechale　de　Luxembourg　is　well　nigh　distracted　with　grief。〃

〃Good　heavens！〃　　exclaimed　I；　〃can　the　duchesse　de　Lauzun　be　dead？〃

〃Alas！　　no。〃

〃Perhaps　poor　madame　de　Boufflers？〃

〃No；　my　friend。〃

〃Who　then　is　the　object　of　so　much　regret？　　Speak；　tell　me。〃

〃Madame　Brillant。〃

〃A　friend　of　the　old　marechale　's？〃

〃More　than　a　friend；〃　replied　madame　de　Mirepoix；　〃her　faithful　companion；　her　only　companion；　her　only　beloved　object；　since　her　lovers　and　admirers　ceased　to　offer　their　homagein　a　word；　her　cat。〃

〃Bless　me！〃　　cried　I；　〃how　you　frightened　me！　　But　what　sort　of　a　cat　could　this　have　been　to　cause　so　many　tears？〃

〃Is　it　possible　that　you　do　not　know　madame　Brillant；　at　least　by　name？〃

〃I　assure　you；〃　said　I；　〃this　is　the　very　first　time　I　ever　heard　her　name。〃

〃Well；　if　it　be　so；　I　will　be　careful　not　to　repeat　such　a　thing　to　madame　de　Luxembourg；　she　would　never　pardon　you　for　it。　Listen；　my　dear　countess；〃　continued　madame　de　Mirepoix；　〃under　the　present　circumstances　it　will　be　sufficient　for　you　to　write　your　name　in　her　visiting…book。〃

I　burst　into　a　fit　of　laughter。

〃It　is　no　joke；　I　promise　you；〃　exclaimed　the　marechale；　〃the　death　of　madame　Brillant　is　a　positive　calamity　to　madame　de　Luxembourg。　　Letters　of　condolence　will　arrive　from　Chanteloup；　madame　du　Deffant　will　be　in　deep　affliction；　and　the　virtues　and　amiable　qualities　of　the　deceased　cat　will　long　furnish　subjects　of　conversation。〃

〃It　was　then　a　singularly　engaging　animal；　I　presume？〃

〃On　the　contrary；　one　of　the　most　stupid；　disagreeable；　and　dirty　creatures　of　its　kind；　but　still　it　was　the　cat　of　madame　de　Luxembourg。〃

And　after　this　funeral　oration　the　marechale　and　myself　burst　into　a　violent　fit　of　laughter。

When　the　king　joined　us；　I　acquainted　him　with　this　death；　and　my　conversation　with　the　marechale。　　Louis　XV　listened　to　my　recital　with　an　air　of　gravity；　when　I　had　finished；　he　said；　〃The　present　opportunity　is　admirably　adopted　for　satisfying　the　request　of　one　of　my　retinue；　one　of　the　best…hearted　creatures；　and　at　the　same　time　one　of　the　silliest　men　in　the　kingdom。〃

〃I　beg　your　pardon；　sire；〃　cried　I；　〃but　what　is　his　name？　　For　the　description　is　so　general；　that　I　fear　lest　I　should　be　at　a　loss　to　recollect　of　whom　you　are　speaking。〃

〃You　are　very　ill…natured；〃　cried　Louis　XV；　〃and　I　hardly　know　whether　you　deserve　to　be　gratified　by　hearing　the　name　of　the　poor　gentleman：　however；　I　will　tell　it　to　you；　he　is　called　Corbin　de　la　Chevrollerie。　　A　few　days　since　this　simple　young　man；　having　solicited　an　audience；　informed　me；　that　he　was　desirous　of　marrying　a　rich　heiress；　but　that　the　young　lady's　family　were　resolved　　she　should　marry　no　one　who　was　not　previously　employed　as　an　ambassador。　　I　expressed　my　surprise　at　so　strange　a　caprice；　but　the　poor　fellow　endeavored　to　vindicate　his　bride's　relations；　by　stating　that　that　they　were　willing　to　consider　him　as　my　ambassador　if　I　would　only　commission　him　to　carry　some　message　of　compliment　or　condolence。　　Accordingly　I　promised　to　employ　him　upon　the　occasion　of　the　first　death　or　marriage　which　should　take　place　in　a　ducal　family。　　Now；　I　think　I　cannot　do　better　than　make　him　the　bearer　of　my　inquiries　after　the　marechale　de　Luxembourg。〃

This　idea　struck　me　as　highly　amusing；　and　I　immediately　dispatched　a　servant　to　summon　M。　de　la　Chevrollerie　to　the　presence　of　the　king。　　This　being　done；　that　gentleman　presented　himself　with　all　the　dignity　and　importance　of　one　who　felt　that　a　mission　of　high　moment　was　about　to　be　entrusted　to　him。

His　majesty　charged　him　to　depart　immediately　to　the　house　of　madame　de　Luxembourg；　and　to　convey　his　royal　master's　sincere　condolences　for　the　heavy　loss　she　had　sustained　in　madame　Brillant。

M。　Corbin　de　la　Chevrollerie　departed　with　much　pride　and　self…complacency　upon　his　embassy：　he　returned　in　about　half　an　hour。

〃Sire；〃　cried　he；　〃I　have　fulfilled　your　royal　pleasure　to　madame　de　Luxembourg。　　She　desires　me　to　thank　you　most　humbly　for　your　gracious　condescension：　she　is　in　violent　distress　for　the　severe　loss　she　has　experienced；　and　begged　my　excuse　for　quitting　me　suddenly；　as　she　had　to　superintend　the　stuffing　of　the　deceased。〃

〃The　stuffing！〃　　exclaimed　the　king；　〃surely　you　mean　the　embalming？〃

〃No；　sire；〃　replied　the　ambassador；　gravely；　〃the　stuffing。〃

〃Monsieur　de　la　Chevrollerie；〃　cried　I；　bursting　into　a　violent　fit　of　laughter；　〃do　you　know　in　what　degree　of　relationship　the　deceased　madame　Brillant　stood　to　madame　de　Luxembourg？〃

〃No；　madam；〃　replied　the　ambassador；　gravely；　〃but　I　believe　she　was　her　aunt；　for　I　heard　one　of　the　females　in　waiting　say；　that　this　poor　madame　Brillant　was　very　old；　and　that　she　had　lived　with　her　mistress　during　the　last　fourteen　years。〃

Thus　finished　this　little　jest。　　However；　Louis　XV；　who　was　extremely　kind　to　all　about　him；　especially　those　in　his　service；　shortly　after　recompensed　his　simple…minded　ambassador；　by　intrusting　him　with　a　commission　at　once　profitable　and　honorable。

Another　event　which　took　place　at　this　period；　caused　no　less　noise　than　the　death　of　madame　Brillant。　　At　this　time；　mademoiselle　Mesnard　was；　for　her　many　charms　of　mind　and　person；　the　general　rage　throughout　Paris。　　Courtiers；　lawyers；　bankers；　and　citizens　crowded　alike　to　offer　their　homage。　　Frail　as　fair；　mademoiselle　Mesnard　received　all　kindly；　and　took　with　gracious　smiles　the　rich　gifts　showered　upon　her　by　her　various　adorers。　　The　first　noblemen　of　the　court；　knights　of　the　different　orders；　farmers…　general；　all　aspired　to　the　honor　of　ruining　themselves　for　her。　She　had　already　satisfied　the　ruinous　propensities　of　at　least　a　dozen　of　lovers；　when　the　duc　de　Chaulnes　entered　the　lists；　and　was　fortunate　enough　to　eclipse　all