These ladies seemed to think, like Don Quixote and Sancho
Panza, that governments and five hundred thousand livres were to
be picked up on the highway. In truth, they spoke out
without disguise.
At this juncture the chancellor had a singular conversation
concerning me with the Choiseuls. He had been one morning to
call on the duke, and whilst they were discoursing, the duchesse
de Grammont came into her brother's apartment, and entered at
once into conversation.
"Ah, my lord, I am glad to see you. Your new friends carry you
off from your old ones. You are wrong to adore the rising sun."
'That was the idolatry of a great number of persons: but I beg of
you to be so very kind as not to speak to me in figures, if you
would wish me to understand you."
"Oh, you play off the ignorant. You know as well as I do what I
mean, and your daily visits to this
."
"Which, madame? There are so many at court!"
This sarcastic reply made the brother and sister smile; both of
them being fully competent to understand the merit of an epigram.
The duke fearing lest the duchess should go too far, judging by
what she had already said, thus addressed him:
"You are, then, one of the adorers of the comtesse du Barry?"
"Yes, monsieur le due; and would to God that, for your own
interest, you would be so too!"
"My brother set foot in the house of this creature!"
"Why not, madame? We see good company there; the prince de
Soubise, the ducs de la Trimouille, de la Vauguyon, Duras,
Richelieu, d'Aiguillon, and many others, not to mention the king
of France.
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