The duchesse imagining that the prince was timid, looked at him
with eyes of tenderness, and endeavored to attract and encourage
him by all means she could devise, but the monarch did not
understand her. The duchesse then addressed a few words, which
she hoped would lead to an explanation, but, to her dismay, his
majesty did not appear to understand her. Madame de Grammont
was furious at this affair. The duc d'Aiguillon, who was close to
her, had seen all, heard all, and related particulars to me. The
same day I told the king of my trick and its success. He laughed
excessively, and then scolded me for at all compromising his
Danish majesty.
"How, sire?" was my reply. "I did not sign his name; I have not
forged his signature. The vanity of the duchesse has alone caused
all the ridiculous portion of this joke. So much the worse for
her if she did not succeed."
I did not, however, limit my revenge to this. A second letter,
in the same hand, was addressed to my luckless enemy. This time
she was informed that she been made a butt of, and mystified. I
learned from M. de Sartines, who, after our compact, gave me
details of all, the methods she had pursued to detect the author of
these two epistles, and put a termination to all these inquiries,
by denouncing myself to M. de Sartines; who then gave such a
turn to the whole matter, that the duchesse could never arrive
at the truth.
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