These various reports threw me into a train of painful and uneasy
reflections. Louis XV. had never before bestowed such marks of
favour upon any
of the had attained this height with the most inconceivable rapidity.
Chamilly interrupted my meditations, by presenting himself with
an account of his having been commissioned by his majesty to
cause a most splendid suit of diamonds to be prepared for
mademoiselle Julie, the king not considering any jewels of Paris
worthy her acceptance. By way of a finish to all this, I learned
that two ladies, one of whom was a duchess, had openly boasted
at Versailles of their relationship to Julie. This was a more
decided corroborative than all the rest. Courtiers of either
sex are skilful judges of the shiftings of the wind of court
favour, and I deemed it high time to summon my brother-in-law
to my assistance, as well as to urge him to exert his utmost
energies to support my tottering power.
My communication tormented comte Jean as much as it did me; he
proposed several means of combating this rising inclination on the
part of Louis XV. I assented to whatever he suggested, and we set
to work with an eagerness, increased on my part by a species of
gloomy presentiment, which subsequent events but too fatally
confirmed. The marechale de Mirepoix, who, from being on good
terms with every person, was sure to be aware of all that was going
on, spoke to me also of this rival who was springing up in
obscurity and retirement; and it was from the same source I
learned what I have told you of the two ladies of the court.
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