night?"

"Nothing that I can repeat," answered Louis XV, glancing around with a
mournful look.

A dead silence followed, which lasted several minutes; and this
evening, which was to usher my day of triumph, passed away in the most
inconceivable dullness. What most contributed to render me uneasy was
the reflection, that, at the very moment when we had freed ourselves of
our enemies, we were ignorant who would fill their vacant places.
This was an error, and a great one. My friends would not listen to the
nomination of the Comte de Broglie, the Comte de Maillebois, the duc de
la Vauguyon, any more than either M. de Soubise or M. de Castries.
The abbe Terray, having upon one occasion proposed the marechal duc
de Richelieu, he very narrowly escaped having his face scratched by
M. d'Aiguillon, who cared very little for his dear uncle; but I have
unintentionally wandered from the thread of my narrative; I will
therefore resume it at once.

I had hoped that the king would this night have retired to his own
apartment, and that I should have been enabled to hold a secret council
with M. de Maupeou, and the ducs de la Vrilliere and d'Aiguillon; but no
such thing. Imagining, no doubt, that I should be kept awake by my
fear of ghosts, his majesty insisted upon remaining with me, and I
was compelled to acquiesce. He passed a very agitated night, much more
occupied with the des Choiseuls than me; he could think of nothing,
speak of nothing, but the sensation which their disgrace would produce;
he seemed to dread his family, the nobility, the nation, Europe, and the
whole world. I strove to re-assure him, and to inspire him with fresh
courage; and, when he quitted me in the morning, I felt convinced that
he would not again alter his determination.

As soon as Louis XV had left me, Comte Jean entered. Although concealed
behind the curtain, and apparently not on the best terms with me,
my brother-in-law nevertheless directed my actions, and gave me most
excellent advice. It was not long ere the duc d'Aiguillon arrived; he
had seen M. de Maupeou during the night, and learned from him the exile
of the late minister, but beyond that fact he knew nothing. He inquired
of me, with much uneasiness, whether anything had been decided in his
behalf. I replied, that the king was as yet undecided in his choice of
ministers, but that, if the duc d'Aiguillon came into office, he would,
in all probability, be nominated to the administration of fo