ipments of a Court
Lady,"--her "PRINCIPLES," though the key is turned upon them, not unlike
jumping out of window, one would say! "She had a crow to pluck" [MAILLE A
PARTIR, "clasp to open," which is better] with Voltaire on this point:
but she is sovereign, and he is slave. I am very sorry at their going,
though I was worn out with doing her multifarious errands all the time
she was here.

"WEDNESDAY, 30th. M. le President [Henault] has been asked hither; and
he is to bring you, my Queen! Tried all I could to hinder; but they
would not be put off. If your health and disposition do suit, it will
be charming. In any case, I have got you a good apartment: it is the one
that Madame du Chatelet had seized upon, after an exact review of all
the Mansion. There will be a little less furniture than she had put in
it; Madame had pillaged all her previous apartments to equip this one.
We found about seven tables in it, for one item: she needs them of all
sizes; immense, to spread out her papers upon; solid, to support her
NECESSAIRE; slighter, for her nicknacks (POMPONS), for her jewels. And
this fine arrangement did not save her from an accident like that of
Philip II., when, after spending all the night in writing, he got his
despatches drowned by the oversetting of an ink-bottle. The Lady did not
pretend to imitate the moderation of that Prince; at any rate, he was
only writing on affairs of state; and the thing they blotted, on this
occasion, was Algebra, much more difficult to clean up again.

"This subject ought to be exhausted: one word more, and then it does
end. The day after their departure, I receive a Letter of four pages,
and a Note enclosed, which announces dreadful burly-burly: M. de
Voltaire has mislaid his Farce, forgotten to get back the parts, and
lost his Prologue: I am to find all that again [excessively tremulous
about his Manuscripts, M. de Voltaire; of such value are they, of such
danger to him; there is LA PUCELLE, for example,--enough to hang a man,
were it surreptitiously launched forth in print!]--I am to send him the
Prologue instantly, not by post, because they would copy it; to keep the
parts for fear of the same accident, and to lock up the Piece 'under
a hundred keys.' I should have thought one padlock sufficient for this
treasure! I have duly executed his orders." [--Madame de Graffigny
(Paris, 1820), pp. 283-291.]

And herewith EXPLICIT DE STAAL. Scene closes: EXEUNT OMNES; are off
to Paris o