orbore 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. As there was nothing offensive in the style of the letter I
showed it to the king; when he came to the part where madame de Bearn
recommended herself to his kind recollection, and expressed her desire
to be permitted to throw herself once more at his feet, "Heaven preserve
me," cried he, "from receiving this mark of the lady's respect. No, no,
she is bad enough at a distance; I should be bored to death were she so
near to me as she prays for. Thank God we have got rid of her, and now
trust to your own guidance; try the powers of your own wings to bear you
in safety, I feel persuaded you will never be at a loss."

About this time the prince de Soubise, anxious to evince that he no
longer retained any feelings of coolness towards me, requested his
mistress, madame de l'Hopital, to call upon me. This lady, without being
a regular beauty, was yet very attractive. She was past the meridian of
her charms, but what she wanted in youth she amply compensated for by
the vivacity and brilliancy of her conversation, as well as the freedom
of her ideas, which made her the idol of all the old libertines of the
court. The prince de Soubise was greatly attached to her, and preferred
her in reality, to mademoiselle Guimard, whom he only retained for
form's sake, and because he thought it suitable to his dignity to have
an opera dancer in his pay; this nobleman (as you will find) had rather
singular ideas of the duties attached to his station.

Madame de l'Hopital had had a vast number of gallant adventures, which
she was very fond of relating. I shall mention two of the most amusing,
which will serve to convey an idea of the skilfulness and ready wit with
which she extricated herself from the most embarrassing circumstances.

A young man, whose love she permitted, whose name was the chevalier
de Cressy, was obliged, in order to visit her, to scale a terrace upon
which a window opened, which conducted to the sleeping-room of his
mistress. He was generally accompanied by his valet, a good-looking
youth, who, disliking a state of idleness, had contrived to insinuate
himself into the good graces of the lady's maid. The valet, during
his master's stay with madame, had likew