My brother-in-law went into another
room, and madame de Bearn began to unswathe her foot in my
presence with the utmost caution and tenderness. I awaited the
evidence of her falsehood, when, to my astonishment, I saw a
horrible burn! I did not for a moment doubt, what was afterwards
confirmed, namely, that madame de Bearn had actually perpetrated
this, and maimed herself with her own free will. I mentally cursed
her Roman courage, and would have sent my heroic godmother to the
devil with all my heart.
Thus then was my presentation stopped by the foot of madame de
Bearn. This mischance did not dampen the zeal of my friends. On
the one hand, comte Jean, after having stirred heaven and earth,
met with the comtesse d'Aloigny. She consented to become my
godmother immediately after her own presentation, for eighty
thousand livres and the expenses of the ceremony. But mesdames
received her so unsatisfactorily, that my own feelings told me, I
ought not to be presented at court under her auspices.
We thanked the comtesse d'Aloigny therefore, and sent her, as a
remuneration, twenty thousand livres from the king.
Whilst comte Jean failed on one side, the duc d'Aiguillon
succeeded on another. He was someway related to madame de Bearn.
He went to visit her, and made her understand that, as the Choiseuls
neither gave nor promised her anything, she would be wrong in
declaring for them: that, on the other hand, if she declared for
me, I could procure for her the favor of the king.
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