totheJesuits，towhomhewasentirelydevoted，hehadappeared
　　toacceleratetheperiodoftheirdestruction；neverhadhebeen
　　abletopardonhispatronthefrightfulparthehadcompelled
　　himtoenactinthebusiness。
　　Yearshadnotweakenedhisancient
　　rancour，anditmightbesaid，thathehadclungtolifewithmore
　　thannaturalpertinacity，asunwillingtolayitdowntillhehad
　　avengedhimselfondeChoiseul。
　　LouisXVwrotetohim，desiring
　　hewouldavailhimselfofthefirstpretextthatoccurredto
　　requestanaudience。
　　Thisnotewasforwardedbyafootman，
　　thegoodabbeeasilydivinedthatthismysteryconcealedsome
　　greatdesign；hethereforehastenedtosolicitanaudienceas
　　desired。
　　Whenintroducedintothecabinetoftheking，his
　　majestyinquiredatonce，
　　“Monsieurl’abbe，canIdependuponyourdiscretion？“
　　“Sire，“repliedtheabbe，withabluntfrankness，“Iamsorry
　　yourmajestycandoubtit。“
　　“Besatisfied，sir，“repliedtheking，“Ihadnointentionto
　　offendyou；butIwishtoconsultyouuponapoint，theimportance
　　ofwhichyouwillfullyappreciate；answermewithoutdisguise。
　　DoyoubelievethattheservicesoftheducdeChoiseulare
　　usefultomykingdom，andthatmyinterestswouldsufferwereI
　　todismisshim？“
　　“Sire，“repliedM。delaVille，withouthesitation，“Iprotestto
　　you，asamanofhonour，thatthepresenceoftheducdeChoiseul
　　isbynomeansessentialtotheministry，andthatyourmajesty’s
　　interestswouldsustainnottheslightestinjurybyhisabsence。“
　　AfterthistheabbedelaVilleenteredintoparticularsunnecessary
　　torepeathere；itissufficienttosay，thatall
　　headvancedmateriallyaidedourwishes。
　　Heafterwardsreaped
　　therewardofhisfriendlyservices，forwhentheducd’Aiguillon
　　haddisplacedtheducdeChoiseul，hebestowedonM。delaVille
　　thetitleof，anofficecreatedfor
　　him，andthebishopricofTricomie。
　　Thegoodabbe
　　didnot，however，longenjoyhishonours，butendedhiscareerin1774。
　　Thisconversationhadbeenrepeatedtome；and，onmyside，I
　　leftnomeansuntriedofpreventingLouisXVfromplacingfurther
　　confidenceinhisminister；but，feebleandtimid，heknewnoton
　　whattodetermine，contentinghimselfwithtreatingtheduke
　　coolly；hesought，bycontinualrebuffsanddenialstohisslightest
　　request，tocompelhimtodemandthatdismissalhehadnotthe
　　couragetogive。
　　Whilstthesethingswereinagitation，madamedeMirepoix，who
　　hadbeenforsomedaysabsentfromVersailles，cametocallupon
　　me。
　　Thisladypossessedaconsiderableshareofwit；and，although
　　onthemostintimatetermswithme，hadnotaltogetherbrokenoff
　　withthedesChoiseuls，towhomshewasfurtherboundonaccount
　　oftheprincedeBeauvau，herbrother。
　　Itthereforeexcitedin
　　menosurprise，whenIheardthatthedesChoiseulshadcalled
　　onhertoascertain，whetheritwouldnotbepossible，throughher
　　mediation，tocometosometermswithme。
　　“Andyoumustnotbeangrywithme，“continuedshe，“for
　　undertakingthe；Iwellforesawallthedifficulties，
　　andentertainednohopesofitssuccess，butuponsecondthoughts，
　　IconsidereditbetterIshouldacceptthemission；for，incase
　　ofanegativebeingreturned，itwillbesafeinmykeeping，and
　　Iwillnotaddtothechagrinofafailuretheshameofadefeat。“
　　“Itismyopinion，“repliedI，“thatallpropositionscomingfrom
　　thesepeopleshouldberejected；theyhavecompelledmetoraise
　　betweenthemandmyselfanimmensewallofhatred，notless
　　difficulttosurmountthanthegrandwallofChina。“
　　“Yet，“repliedthemarechale，smiling，“theyaredisposedtopay
　　anypriceforsodoing。“
　　“Ihavefriends，“saidI，“fromwhomIcanneverseparatemyself。“
　　“Theyarewillingthatyourfriendsshallbetheirslikewise，“
　　criedshe，“fortheyseethatM。deMaupeou，theducdela
　　Vrilliere，andtheabbeTerray，areprovidedfor，andthatthe
　　ducd’Aiguillonaloneremainstobesuitablyestablished；M。de
　　Choiseulwouldbehappytoaidhiminobtainingthepostof
　　ministerofnavalaffairs。“
　　“Well，andtheduchessedeGrammont，“inquiredI，“wouldshe
　　visitme？“
　　“Oh，astothat，Iknownothingaboutit，andcanventureno
　　opinion；mycommissiondoesnotextendsofar。“
　　“Iunderstandyou，“saidI；“sheseeksforpeaceonlyasit
　　wouldenableherthebettertocarryonherhostilitiesagainst
　　me。
　　Iamsorry，madamelamarechale，thatIcannotaccept
　　yourtermsforareconciliation。“
　　“Remember，Iprayofyou，thatIhavebeenanambassadress，and
　　nothingmore，“saidmadamedeMirepoix；“recollectIhavespoken
　　toyouinthewordsofothers，notmyown。
　　Imustbegofyouto
　　besecret；ifyoudivulgetheparticularsofthismorning’s
　　conversation，itisIwhowillsufferbyit:yourfriendswillbe
　　displeasedwithmeformyinterference；andIhavenoinclination
　　toprovoketheangerofapartysopowerfulasyours。“
　　Ipromisedthemarechaletoobserveaninviolablesecrecy；and，
　　sowellhaveIkeptmypromise，thatyouarethefirstpersonto
　　whomIeverbreathedonesyllableoftheaffair。
　　Imustown，
　　thatitstruckmeasstrange，thattheducdeChoiseulshould
　　abandonhiscousin，andconsenttotakehisseatbesidetheduc
　　d’Aiguillon，whomhedetested:perhapsheonlysoughttodeceive
　　usallbygainingtime，tillthedeathoftheking。
　　Butwhat
　　availsspeculationuponthewordsandactionsofacourtier，
　　whoseheartisanabysstoodeepforgleamoflighttopenetrate？
　　Barond’Oigny，generalpost-master——Thekingandthecountess
　　readtheopenedletters——ThedisgraceofdeChoiseulresolved
　　upon————Anecdote——SpectreofPhilipII，king
　　ofSpain——TheducdeChoiseulbanished——VisitstoChanteloup——The
　　princesses——Thedauphinanddauphiness——Candidatesfortheministry
　　TheinterferenceofmadamedeMirepoix，originating，asitdid，
　　intheducdeChoiseul，letmeatonceintothesecretofhis
　　fearsandtheextentofmyownpower。
　　Theknowledgeofthe
　　weaknessofmyadversaryredoubledmyenergy；andfromthis
　　moment，Iallowednodaytopasswithoutforwardingthegreat
　　work，tillIsucceededineffectingtheduke’sruinandsecuringmy
　　owntriumph。
　　Thepamphleteersinthepayofmyenemies，and
　　thosewhomerelycopiedthesehirelings，assertthatoneevening
　　aftersupper，whenLouiswasintoxicatedwithwineandmyseductions，
　　Iprevaileduponhimtosignaagainsthis
　　minister，whichheimmediatelyrevokedwhenthebreakofdayhad
　　restoredtohimhissenses。
　　Thiswasamaliciousfalsehood。
　　Youshallheartheexactmannerinwhichthe
　　weresigned。
　　Ontheeveningofthe23dofDecember，hismajestyhavingengaged
　　tosupwithme，IhadinvitedM。deMaupeou，theducdelaVrilliere，
　　andtheprincedeSoubise。
　　Itappears，thattheking，previously
　　tocoming，hadgonetovisitthedauphiness；hehadnotmentioned
　　whitherhewasgoing，sothathisattendantsbelievedhimtobe
　　inmyapartments，anddirectedM。d’Oigny，post-mastergeneral，
　　toseekhimthere。
　　Thebaronbroughtwithhimapacketofopened
　　letters；whenhesawmealonehewishedtoretire，fortheservants，
　　believinghimtobeoneoftheexpectedguests，hadusheredhimin。
　　However，Iwouldnotpermithimtogountiltheking’sarrival；
　　and，halfsportively，halfseriously，Itookfromhimhisletters，
　　protestingIwoulddetainthemashostagesforhisobedienceto
　　mydesires。
　　AtthismomentLouisXVenteredtheroom；and
　　M。d’Oigny，havingbrieflystatedhisbusiness，bowedanddeparted。
　　Thebaronwasaveryexcellentman，possessinganextensiveand
　　intelligentmind；hewroteverypleasingpoetry，andhadnothis
　　attentionbeenoccupiedbytheposthefilled，hemighthavemade
　　aconspicuousfigureinliterature。
　　Whenwewerelefttoourselves，Isaidtotheking，
　　“Now，then，forthisinterestingandamusingbudget；forsuch，
　　Idoubtnot，itwillprove。“
　　“Notsofast，madam，ifyouplease，“repliedLouisXV；“perhaps
　　thesepapersmaycontainstatesecretsunfitforyoureye。“
　　“Greatsecretstheymustbe，“saidI，laughing，“confidedthusto
　　thecarelessnessofthepost。“
　　Sosaying，Ibrokethesealof
　　theenvelopesohastily，thatthegreaterpartofthelettersand
　　noteswerescatteredoverthecarpet。
　　“Welldone，“criedtheking。
　　“Ientreatyourmajesty’spardon，“saidI，“butIwillrepair
　　themischiefasfarasIcan。“
　　Istoopedtocollectthefallenpapers，andthekinghadthe
　　gallantrytoassistme:wesoonpiledthevariouslettersupona
　　tray，andbeganeagerlytoglanceovertheircontents。
　　Mygood
　　fortunemademeselectfromthemassthoseepistlesaddressedto
　　themembersofthecountryparliaments；theywerefilledwith
　　invectivesagainstme，insultingmentionoftheking，andpraises
　　oftheducdeChoiseul。
　　Itookespecialcaretoreadthemina
　　loudanddistinctvoice。
　　“Thisreallyisnottobeendured，“criedLouisXV；“thatthe
　　mistakenzealoftheselong-robedgentlemenshouldmakethem
　　thuscomplimentmyministeratmyexpense。“
　　“Somuchtheworseforyou，sire，“repliedI，“consideringthat
　　youcontinuetopreferyourministertoeveryotherconsideration。“
　　AsIcontinuedsearchingthroughtheletters，Ifoundandread
　　thefollowingphrase:——“Spiteofthereportsincirculation，Ido
　　notbelieveitpossiblethatM。deChoiseulwillbedismissed；he
　　istoonecessarytothe
　　king，who，withouthimwouldbeas
　　incapableasachildofmanaginghisaffairs:hismajestymust
　　preserveourfriendinofficeinspiteofhimself。“
　　WhenIhadfinished，thekingexclaimed，inanangrytone，“We
　　shallseehowfartheprophecyofthesesapientgentlemenis
　　correct，andwhethertheir’friend’issoimportanttomethat
　　Idarenotdismisshim。
　　Uponmyword，myministerhasplaced