I am well aware how many public and private duties claim
your care, and I therefore (with much regret) beg to restore to you
that liberty you have so generously sacrificed to my interests.
Conscious of the ennui which oppresses you in this part of the
country, I write to entreat that you will allow no consideration
connected with me to detain you longer in a place so irksome, but,
since our visit to Marly is concluded, fly upon the wings of
impatience to the gay scenes of Paris and Luxembourg. Be assured
that it will at all times afford me much pleasure to evince the
gratitude with which I shall ever remain,
"Madame, yours sincerely,
"THE COMTESSE Du Barry."
"P. S. I am commissioned to entreat your acceptance of the
accompanying casket; it is the gift of one whose favors are never
refused; you will easily guess, to whom I allude, and I doubt not
bring yourself to conform to the usual custom."
The jewels sent were a pair of ear-rings and an
of emeralds
encircled with diamonds. The king was desirous of bestowing upon
madame de Bearn this particular mark of his recollection of her
services towards me, but it did not allay the indignation with
which she expressed her sense of my bitter ingratitude, as she
termed it, as tho' her interested cooperation had not been
sufficiently repaid . Nevertheless, she forbore to come to a
decided quarrel with me, but satisfied herself with loading me
with every reproach in private, whilst she wrote to thank me for
all the favors I had bestowed upon her, and entreated I would keep
her remembrance alive in the mind of my royal protector.
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