ear more of you."

The abbe saw that it was necessary to obey, he therefore bowed and
retired. Two hours afterwards he sent me the sum which I had asked of
him for my brother-in-law, accompanied by a most humble and contrite
letter. Certainly, had I only listened to the inspiration of my heart,
I should have sent back the money without touching it, and the epistle
without reading it; but my heroism did not suit comte Jean, who chanced
to be present. "Take it, take it," cried he; "the only way of punishing
a miscreant, is to break his purse-strings. He would, indeed, have
the laugh on his side were your fit of anger to change into a fit of
generosity; besides, this may be the last we shall ever see."

My brother-in-law and the comptroller-general were an excellent pair.
I treated the latter with silent contempt, not even replying to his
letter; this was, however, my first and only stroke of vengeance, the
disastrous events which followed did not permit me to pursue my plans
for revenging this treacherous and contemptible conduct.

This quarrel, and the defection of the _worthy_ abbe, had the effect of
rendering me much indisposed. My illness was attributed to an excess of
sorrow for the dangerous condition of his majesty, nor did I contradict
the report; for, in truth, I did most sincerely lament the malady with
which the king was suffering, and my regrets arose far more from a
feeling of gratitude and esteem, than any self-interested calculations.
It was, therefore, in no very excellent humour that I saw the prince
de Soubise enter my apartment. You may remember that this nobleman had
quitted Trianon without saying one word to me, and since that period I
had never seen him, although he had punctually made his inquiries
after the king. When I perceived him, I could not help inquiring,
with something of a sarcastic expression, whether his majesty had been
pronounced convalescent? The prince comprehended the bitterness of the
question.

"You are severe, madam," replied he, "yet I can solemnly affirm that
circumstances, and not inclination, have kept me from your presence
until now."

"May I believe you?" said I. "Are you quite sure you have not been
imitating the policy of the abbe Terray?" Upon which I related the
behaviour of the comptroller-general.

"Priest-like," answered the prince.

"And is it not _courtier_-like also?" inquired I.

"Perhaps it may," rejoined M. de Soubise; "for the two species of priest