amongst the
most bitter of the malcontents; but no sooner were they banished from
court than M. de la Vauguyon forgot every thing, and hastened to me with
every mark of the warmest friendship.

"Ah!" exclaimed he, "I have much to scold you for, but I will forgive
you all your past misdeeds, if you will perform your promise to me."

"My dear father," cried I (for I used jestingly to style him so, in the
same manner as I designated the bishop of Orleans _gros pere_), "are
you, indeed displeased with me? That is very naughty: for you know I
love you with all my heart."

"If it be true that you entertain any regard for me, why have you
evinced so little towards me? Am I not of the right materials for making
ministers? Why, then, have you never procured my appointment to any of
the vacant situations?"

"Stay, stay, my dear father," cried I, "how you run on! To hear you
talk, any person would suppose that places and appointments rained down
upon me, and that I had only to say to you, my dear duke, choose which
you please; then, indeed, you might complain with justice; but you know
very well, that all these delightful things are in the hands of the
king, who alone has a right to bestow them as he judges best, whilst I
am wholly powerless in the business."

"Say, rather," replied the duke, quickly, "that you find it suits your
present purpose to put on this want of power. We all know, that your
veto is absolute with his majesty, and it requires nothing more to
obtain whatsoever you desire."

The duc de la Vauguyon was powerful, and represented the whole of a
party--that of the religionists, which was still further supported by
the _princesses_; but for this very reason the triumvirate, consisting
of messieurs d' Aiguillon, de Maupeou, and the abbe Terre, would not
have accepted his services at any price.

The good duke returned several times to the charge; sometimes
endeavouring to move me by gentle intreaties and, at others, holding
out threats and menaces; good and bad words flowed from his lips like
a mixture of honey and gall, but when he found that both were equally
thrown away upon me, he retired offended; and by the expression of his
rage and disappointment, succeeded in incensing both the dauphin and
dauphiness against me. May heaven preserve you, my friend, from the
anger of a bigot!

I think I have detained you long enough with the relation of the
intrigues by which I was surrounded upon the dismissal of the