memoirs of the comtesse du barry-第82节

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He　attempted　to　justify　himself；　but；　interrupting　him；　I　exclaimed；　〃My　good　friend；　you　have　set　up　a　reputation　of　your　own　creating　and　inventing；　and　well　it　is　you　took　the　office　upon　yourself　for　no　one　else　would　have　done　it　for　you；　but　you　perceive　how　frail　have　been　its　foundations；　for　the　moment　you　are　compelled　to　stand　upon　your　own　resources　you　faint；　and　are　easily　overcome。〃

He　endeavoured　to　make　a　joke　of　the　affair；　but　indeed　it　seemed　to　accord　as　ill　with　his　natural　inclination　as　did　the　restitution　of　the　100；000　livres。　　However；　he　brought　them　to　me　the　following　day；　and　as　I　was　expecting　the　arrival　of　madame　de　Mirepoix；　I　placed　them　in　a　porcelain　vase　which　stood　upon　my　chimney…piece。　　Unfortunately　for　the　marechale；　comte　Jean　presented　himself　before　she　did。　　He　came　to　inform　me；　that　my　husband　（of　whose　quitting　Toulouse　I　had　forgotten　to　tell　you）　had　again　arrived　in　Paris。　　I　did　not　disguise　the　vexation　which　this　piece　of　intelligence　excited　in　me。

〃And　wherefore　has　comte　Guillaume　returned　to　Paris？〃　inquired　I；　angrily。

〃Because　he　is　afraid。〃

〃Afraid　of　what？〃　　replied　I。

〃Of　being　murdered；〃　answered　comte　Jean：　〃it　is　a　most　horrible　and　authentic　story。　　Imagine　to　yourself　the　dangers　of　his　situation：　some　brigands；　who　have　a　design　on　his　life；　have　written　him　an　anonymous　billet；　in　which　they　protest　they　will　certainly　murder　him；　unless　he　deposits　50；000　livres　in　a　certain　place。　　You　may　suppose　his　terror；　money　he　had　none；　neither　was　his　credit　sufficiently　good　to　enable　him　to　borrow　any。　As　a　last　and　only　chance；　he　threw　himself　into　a　carriage；　and　hastened；　tremblingly；　to　implore　your　assistance。〃

〃And　I　am　quite　certain　you　will　not　withhold　yours　from　him；〃　answered　I

〃You　are　perfectly　right；〃　cried　he；　〃but　unfortunately　just　now　I　have　not　a　single　crown　I　can　call　my　own；　so　that　it　rests　with　you　alone；　my　dearest　sister；　to　save　the　life　of　this　hapless　comte　du　Barry。〃

〃I　am　extremely　distressed；　my　dear　brother…in…law；〃　replied　I；　〃that　I　am　just　as　poor；　and　as　unable　to　afford　the　necessary　aid　as　yourself；　my　purse　is　quite　empty。〃

〃Faith；　my　dear　sister…in…law；　I　am　not　surprised　at　that　if　you　convert　a　china　vase　into　a　receptacle　for　your　bank　notes。〃

Saying　this；　he　drew　a　bundle　of　notes　from　the　hiding…place　in　which　I　had　deposited　them。　　〃Do　you　know；〃　continued　comte　Jean；　〃I　really　think　we　shall　find　money　enough　here。〃　　He　began　to　count　them：　and　when　he　had　finished　he　said；　〃My　dear　sister；　neither　your　husband　nor　myself　wish　to　importune　you；　or　put　you　to　any　inconvenience；　therefore　you　shall　merely　oblige　him　with　the　loan　of　these　50；000　livres　to　extricate　him　from　his　present　peril；　they　shall　be　faithfully　and　quickly　restored　to　you；　and　a　note　of　hand　given　you　for　that　purpose　if　you　desire　it。〃　　So　saying；　he　divided　the　money　into　two　parts；　replaced　one　in　the　vase；　and　pocketed　the　other。

I　was　very　indignant　at　the　cool　impudence　with　which　this　was　done；　and　my　patience　had　well　nigh　forsaken　me：　however；　I　restrained　myself；　and　I　was　happy　enough　that　I　could　so　far　conquer　myself。　　My　reproaches　would　not　have　induced　comte　Jean　to　give　me　back　my　money；　and　would　only　have　roused　his　violence；　which；　when　once　excited；　found　vent　in　language　so　vehement　and　energetic；　that　I　did　not　desire　to　hear　any　more　of　it　than　I　could　help。　　At　these　moments　he　selected　not　the　politest　expressions；　but　those　which　were　the　strongest：　and　besides；　such　was　the　ungovernable　nature　of　comte　Jean's　temper；　that　once　roused；　he　would　have　treated　the　king　himself　with　as　little　consideration　as　he　did　me。　　Still；　he　never　deliberately　insulted　me；　nor　did　he　compose　those　insulting　verses　respecting　me；　which　were　printed　as　his；　in　〃。〃　　This　would　have　been　an　indignity　I　would　quickly　have　caused　him　to　repent　having　offered。

〃Well；〃　inquired　I；　〃are　you　very　glad　to　see　your　brother　in　Paris？〃

'No；　'pon　my　soul！〃　　returned　he；　〃but　since　he　is　here；　we　must　do　the　best　we　can　with　him；　he　was　very　anxious　to　see　his　sister…in…law　and　niece。　　He　says　the　former　is　ugly　as　sin；　and　the　latter　almost　as　handsome　as　you。〃

〃Very　gallant；〃　replied　I；　〃but　tell　me；　comte　Jean；　does　this　elegant　compliment　proceed　from　my　husband　or　yourself？〃

We　were　just　then　interrupted　by　the　arrival　of　the　　marechale；　and　comte　Jean　retired。

〃Well；　my　dear；〃　she　began；　〃have　you　seen　M。　de　Sartines；　and　did　you　speak　to　him　respecting　those　100；000　livres？〃

　〃Oh；　yes；〃　replied　I；　〃he　gave　them　back　to　me；　but　I　have　already　had　half　of　them　stolen　from　me。〃

〃By　comte　Jean；　I'll　engage；〃　cried　she。　　〃Upon　my　word；　that　man　is　a　perfect　spendthrift；　a　prodigal；　who；　if　you　do　not　take　great　care；　will　certainly　ruin　you。　　And　what　will　you　do　with　the　remaining　50；000　livres；　my　dear　friend；　where　will　you　place　them？〃

〃In　your　hands；　my　dear　marechale；　'tis　his　majesty's　command。〃

〃To　that　command；〃　answered　she；　〃I　must　perforce　submit〃；　and；　taking　the　bundle　of　notes；　she　continued；　〃Assure　his　majesty　that　it　will　ever　be　my　greatest　pride　and　pleasure　to　obey　his　slightest　wish。　　My　respect　for　his　orders　can　only　be　equalled　by　my　tender　friendship　for　her　who　is　the　bearer　of　the　royal　mandate。〃　　Then；　deliberately　putting　the　money　in　her　pocket；　she　exclaimed；　〃You　must　own　that　comte　Jean　is　a　great　rogue。〃



CHAPTER　XXXIX


My　　alarmsAn　　of　the　Comte　Jean　endeavours　to　direct　the　king's　ideasA　supper　at　TrianonTable　talkThe　king　is　seized　with　illnessHis　conversation　with　meThe　joiner's　daughter　and　the　small…poxMy　despairConduct　of　La　Martiniere　the　surgeon

I　had　occasionally　some　unaccountable　whims　and　caprices。　　Among　other　follies　I　took　it　into　my　head　to　become　jealous　of　the　duchesse　de　Cosse；　under　the　idea　that　the　duke　would　return　to　her；　and　that　I　should　no　longer　possess　his　affections。　　Now　the　cause　of　this　extravagant　conduct　was　the　firmness　with　which　madame　de　Cosse　refused　all　overtures　to　visit　me；　and　I　had　really　become　so　spoiled　and　petted；　that　I　could　not　be　brought　to　understand　the　reasonableness　of　the　duchesse　de　Cosse　refusing　to　sanction　her　rival　by　her　presence。

Yon　may　perceive　that　I　had　not　carried　my　heroic　　projects　with　regard　to　madame　de　Cosse　into　execution。　　Upon　these　occasions；　the　person　most　to　be　pitied　was　the　duke；　whom　I　made　answerable　for　the　dignified　and　virtuous　conduct　of　his　wife。　　My　injustice　drove　him　nearly　to　despair；　and　he　used　every　kind　and　sensible　argument　to　convince　me　of　my　error；　as　though　it　had　been　possible　for　one　so　headstrong　and　misguided　as　myself　to　listen　to　or　comprehend　the　language　of　reason。　　I　replied　to　his　tender　and　beseeching　epistles　by　every　cutting　and　mortifying　remark；　in　a　word；　all　common　sense　appeared　to　have　forsaken　me。　　Our　quarrel　was　strongly　suspected　by　part　of　the　court；　but　the　extreme　prudence　and　forbearance　of　M。　de　Cosse　prevented　their　suppositions　from　ever　obtaining　any　confirmation。　　But　this　was　not　the　only　subject　I　had　for　annoyance。　　On　the　one　hand；　my　emissaries　informed　me　that　the　king　still　continued　to　visit　the　baroness　de　New…k；　although　with　every　appearance　of　caution　and　mystery；　by　the　assistance　and　connivance　of　the　duc　de　Duras；　who　had　given　me　his　solemn　promise　never　again　to　meddle　with　the　affair。　　The　　of　the　　furnished　me　likewise　with　a　long　account　of　the　many　visits　paid　by　his　majesty　to　her　establishment。　　The　fact　was；　the　king　could　not　be　satisfied　without　a　continual　variety；　and　his　passion；　which　ultimately　destroyed　him；　appeared　to　have　come　on　only　as　he　advanced　in　years。

All　these　things　created　in　my　mind　an　extreme　agitation　and　an　alarm；　and；　improbable　as　the　thing　appeared　even　to　myself；　there　were　moments　when　I　trembled　lest　I　should　be　supplanted　either　by　the　baroness　or　some　…fresh　object　of　the　king's　caprice；　and　again　a　cold　dread　stole　　over　me　as　I　anticipated　the　probability　of　the　health　of　Louis　XV　falling　a　sacrifice　to　the　irregularity　of　his　life。　　It　was　well　known　throughout　the　chateau；　that　La　Martiniere；　the　king's　surgeon；　had　strongly　recommended　a　very　temperate　course　of　life；　as　essentially　necessary　to　recruit　his　constitution；　wasted　by　so　many　excesses；　and　had　even　gone　so　far　as　to　recommend　his　no　longer　having　a　mistress；　this　the　courtiers　construed　into　a　prohibition　against　his　possessing　a　friend　of　any　other　sex　than　his　own；　for　my　own　part；　I　experienced　very　slight　apprehensions　of　being　dismissed；　for　I　well　knew　that　Louis　XV　reckoned　too　much　on　my　society　to　permit　my　leaving　the　court；　and　if　one；　the　more　tender；　part　of　our　union　were　dissolved；　etiquette　could　no　longer　object　to　my　presence。　　Still　the　advice　of　La　Martiniere　was　far　from　giving　me　a　reason　for　congratulation；　but　these　minor　grievances　were　soon　to　be　swallowed　up　in　one　fatal　catastrophe；　by　which　the　honours；　and　pleasures　of　Versailles　were　for　ever　torn　from　me。

The　　of　the　；　fearing　that　some　of　the　subordinate　members　of　that　establishment　mi