mth
and indignation as the grandees of the court; and I could enjoy a laugh
on the subject of their angry displeasure as soon as my presentation was
decided upon.

The intrigues carried on by those about the princesses, and the
necessity of awaiting the perfect recovery of madame de Bearn, delayed
this (to me) important day till the end of the month of April, 1770.
On the evening of the 21st the king, according to custom, announced a
presentation for the following day; but he durst not explain himself
more frankly; he hesitated, appeared embarrassed, and only pronounced my
name in a low and uncertain voice; it seemed as tho' he feared his own
authority was insufficient to support him in such a measure. This I did
not learn till some time afterwards; and when I did hear it, I took the
liberty of speaking my opinion upon it freely to his majesty.

On the next day, the 22d, I was solely engrossed with my dress: it was
the most important era of my life, and I would not have appeared on it
to any disadvantage. A few days previously, the king had sent me, by the
crown jeweller, Boemer, a set of diamonds, valued at 150,000 livres, of
which he begged my acceptance. Delighted with so munificent a present I
set about the duties of the toilette with a zeal and desire of pleasing
which the importance of the occasion well excused. I will spare you the
description of my dress; were I writing to a woman I would go into all
these details; but as I know they would not be to your taste, I will
pass all these uninteresting particulars over in silence, and proceed to
more important matter.

Paris and Versailles were filled with various reports. Thro'out the
city, within, without the castle, all manner of questions were asked, as
tho' the monarchy itself was in danger. Couriers were dispatched every
instant with fresh tidings of the great event which was going on.
A stranger who had observed the general agitation would easily have
remarked the contrast between the rage and consternation of my enemies
and the joy of my partizans, who crowded in numbers to the different
avenues of the palace, in order to feast their eyes upon the pageantry
of my triumphal visit to court.

Nothing could surpass the impatience with which I was expected; hundreds
were counting the minutes, whilst I, under the care of my hairdresser
and robemaker, was insensible to the rapid flight of time, which had
already carried us beyond the hour appointed for my appeara