ndal, sire," replied I.

"An infamous epistle," added the chancellor, "which one of my friends
managed to abstract from the post-office, and forwarded to me: I brought
it to madame la comtesse, that she might admire the determined malice of
our enemies."

"You excite my curiosity," cried Louis XV. "Madame, have the kindness to
allow me to see this paper."

"Indeed, sire," exclaimed I, "I know not whether I ought to obey your
majesty, so entirely has the writer of the letter forgotten the respect
duc to your sacred person."

"Oh," said the king, "I do not fear that; I am but too well used to the
offence to feel astonishment at its occurrence."

I placed the paper in the hand of Louis XV, whose eye easily recognised
the handwriting of madame de Grammont. "Ah, ah!" cried he, "is it so?
let us see what this restless lady has to say of us all." I watched the
countenance of the king as he read, and saw the frown that covered it
grow darker and darker; nevertheless he continued to read on without
comment till he had reached the end; then sitting down and looking full
at the chancellor, he exclaimed,

"Well, M. de Maupeou, and what do you think of this business?"

"I am overwhelmed with consternation, sire," replied he, "when I think
that one of your majesty's ministers should be able to conspire thus
openly against you."

"Stay," cried Louis hastily, "that fact is by no means proved. The
duchesse de Grammont is a mad woman, who involves the safety of her
brother; if I only believed him capable of such treachery, he
should sleep this night in the Bastille, and to-morrow the necessary
proceedings should be commenced against him: as for his sister, I will
take care of her within four good walls, and avenge myself for her past
misconduct, by putting it out of her power to injure me further."

"Sire," said I, in my turn, "remember she is a woman; I beseech you to
pardon her, and let the weight of your just indignation fall upon her
brother."

"Chancellor," cried the king, "this business must not be lightly passed
over."

"Nor without due consideration," replied M. de Maupeou, "your majesty
may look upon this letter as the basis of a secret plot: as for the
duchess, I am of my cousin's opinion; despise her audacious attempts,
but spare not her brother; he alone is the guilty as well as dangerous
person."

The king made no answer, but rose, and crushing the letter in his hand,
threw it from him.

"Would," exclaimed