t any visit you
might have honoured me with."

"Ah, madam! why have I not known this sooner? Some evil planet ruled my
thoughts when it occurred to me that I might not be so happy as to meet
with a favourable reception."

"There, my lord, you were indeed in error; for though I might not feel
a very tender friendship towards you whilst supposing I had many causes
for complaint, I could not refuse you those marks of respect your rank
and station entitle you to receive."

"Then, madam, I may flatter myself that I should have been kindly
received?"

"Yes, sir, you would ever have been welcome, but not those belonging to
you, for I will be perfectly candid; always excepting the duchesse de
Choiseul, for whom I entertain the greatest veneration and respect."

"She is indeed well worthy the exalted opinion you express of her; and
had I followed her advice, I should not have been found amongst the
ranks of your enemies."

"You confess the fact then, monsieur le duc?" said I.

"I trust, madam, you will not take advantage of an inadvertent
expression to turn it against myself. What I fear is, that without ever
having been your enemy, I may have passed for such in your estimation;
and such indeed is the cruel position in which I am placed."

"Stay, my lord duke," cried I; "be candid, and acknowledge that you are
my enemy as you have ever been; and that it is only because there
has been war between us that you are now come to conclude a treaty of
peace--"

"Peace or war, madam," replied he, "as you please to will it; all I will
admit is, that things have turned out most unfavourably for my wishes.
Your arrival at Versailles, your grace, beauty, and wit, excited
universal jealousy; and, amidst the general panic caused by your
all-excelling merit, was it not necessary I too should keep myself on my
guard? For the first time in my life a beautiful woman became an object
of alarm to me; you may further believe me, when I protest that, at
the outset, I warmly defended you; but how could I wage war against so
many--how oppose the general torrent? It bore me down."

"And you fear lest it should carry you beyond your depth, and would fain
return to _terra firma_; is it not so, my lord duke?"

At this ironical speech an expression of heavy displeasure rose to the
countenance of M. de Choiseul, and he remained for several minutes like
a man who fears to trust himself to reply. Then he added,

"Madam, when I solicited the favou