ikewise from M. d'Aiguillon,
that the king had recently given orders that the three uncles and two
brothers of Julie should be raised by rapid promotion to the highest
military rank; at the same time the grand almoner informed me he had
received his majesty's express command to appoint a cousin of the young
lady to the first vacant bishopric.

These various reports threw me into a train of painful and uneasy
reflections. Louis XV. had never before bestowed such marks of favour
upon any _eleve_ of the _Parc-aux-Cerfs_, and the intrigue had attained
this height with the most inconceivable rapidity. Chamilly interrupted
my meditations, by presenting himself with an account of his having been
commissioned by his majesty to cause a most splendid suit of diamonds to
be prepared for mademoiselle Julie, the king not considering any jewels
of Paris worthy her acceptance. By way of a finish to all this, I
learned that two ladies, one of whom was a duchess, had openly boasted
at Versailles of their relationship to Julie. This was a more decided
corroborative than all the rest. Courtiers of either sex are skilful
judges of the shiftings of the wind of court favour, and I deemed it
high time to summon my brother-in-law to my assistance, as well as to
urge him to exert his utmost energies to support my tottering power.

My communication tormented comte Jean as much as it did me; he proposed
several means of combating this rising inclination on the part of Louis
XV. I assented to whatever he suggested, and we set to work with an
eagerness, increased on my part by a species of gloomy presentiment,
which subsequent events but too fatally confirmed. The marechale de
Mirepoix, who, from being on good terms with every person, was sure to
be aware of all that was going on, spoke to me also of this rival who
was springing up in obscurity and retirement; and it was from the same
source I learned what I have told you of the two ladies of the court.
She advised me not to abandon myself to a blind confidence, and this
opinion was strengthened when I related all I had gathered upon the
subject.

"You may justly apprehend," said she, "that Julie will instil some of
her bold and fearless nature into the king, and should she presume to
put herself in competition with you, victory would in all probability
incline to the side of the last comer"; and I felt but too truly that
the marechale spoke with truth.

A few days after this, the king being al