The comtesse de Bearn--The supper--Louis XV--Intrigues against
my presentation--M. de Roquelaure--The scalded foot--The comtesse
d'Aloigny--The duc d'Aiguillon and madame de Bearn--Anger of the king's
daughters--Madame Adélaïde and the comtesse du Barry--Dissatisfaction of
the king
M. Morand was again put in requisition, and went from me to ask madame
de Bearn to come and sup at my apartments. We were in committee--my
sisters-in-law, myself, and comte Jean. The comtesse made some
difficulties at first, under pretence that she was afraid to refuse me
a second time. Our messenger assured her by saying, that a supper would
not bind her to any thing, and that she should still be at liberty
to give any reply she pleased. Madame de Bearn allowed herself to be
persuaded, and sent me word that she would accept my invitation. She
would have reflected twice before she so far committed herself, had
she at all suspected the turn we meant to serve her. But I saw by the
wording of her note, that she still hoped that the king would be induced
to grant me the written promise which I asked for her.
She came. I received her with all possible courtesy, and yet not with
much heartiness. I could not help remembering the vexatious terms she
set upon her complaisance. However, the supper was gay enough, comte
Jean and my sisters-in-law, who knew very well how to dissemble, did
the honors in a most agreeable way. On leaving table we went into the
drawing-room, and then began to discuss the serious question which had
brought us together. At the first words which comte Jean uttered, madame
de Bearn, taking my hands with a respectful familiarity, said to me:--
"I hope, madame, that you will not have a bad opinion of me, if I put
such conditions to my desire of obliging you. The situation of my family
requires it, but it is only a trifle for the king to grant."
"Much more than you imagine, madame," I replied. "The king does not care
to involve himself in such engagements. He does not like, moreover, that
his sacred word should be doubted."
"Ah?" replied the cunning creature, "heaven forbid that I should not
blindly trust to the king's word, but his memory may fail, or he, like
other men, may forget."
"Madame," replied comte Jean, with the utmost gravity, "madame is a
lady as full of prudence as of kindness, but yet a little too exacting.
Madame wishes to have a promise signed for herself and son: that is too
much. Why does she not content herself in dividing the difficulty, by
satisfying herself with a verbal promise for what concerns herself, and
with a written engagement for what relates to her son?"
"_Mon Dieu, monsieur_," replied the countess, "I am anxious to arrange
all to our mutual satisfaction. But his majesty would not surely refuse
the entreaties of madame for what I ask."
"I will speak to him of it the first time I see him."
"Oh, you are a charming woman. You will obtain all from the king, and
make a sure friend--"
"Whose friendship is very difficult to acquire," said I, interrupting
her.
The countess would have replied to this, when my first
_valet-de-chambre_, opening the two folding-doors of the room, announced
the king.
At this unexpected name my guest trembled, and in spite of the thick
rouge which covered her cheeks, I perceived she turned pale. She then
saw the scene we had prepared for her: she wished herself a hundred
leagues off: but she could do nothing, but remain where she was. I took
her by the hand, all trembling as she was, and presented her to the
king, saying,
"Sire, I now do for this lady, in my own drawing-room, what she will
have the kindness to do for me at the state-chamber."
"Ah," replied the king, "is it madame de Bearn that you present to me? I
am indeed delighted. Her husband was one of my faithful servants: I was
much pleased with her son when he was one of pages, and I perceive that
she herself is desirous of testifying to me her attachment to my person.
I thank you, madame; you cannot confer a greater favor on me, and I
shall embrace every opportunity of proving to you how much satisfaction
your conduct affords me."
Each word that the king uttered went to the heart of the countess.
However, making a virtue of necessity, she replied, that she was proud
and happy at what the king had said to her, and that it would be her
constant aim to please his majesty, flattering herself that the king
would remember the services of the Bearn family, and would think of her
in the dispensation of his bounties.
"You may rely on it, madame," replied Louis XV, "especially if the
comtesse du Barry applies to me in your behalf."
Then, turning towards me, "When, then, is this redoubtable presentation
to take place?"
"On the day, sire, when your majesty shall think proper," I replied.
"Well! I will send the duc de Richelieu to you, who will arrange the
whole."
This settled, the subject was turned, but madame de Bearn lost her
tongue entirely. In spite of all her endeavors, her forehead became
contracted every moment, and I am sure she went away vexed and
disappointed.
The following morning, the comte Jean and my sister-in-law went to her
house. They testified their regret for what had occurred the previous
evening; they assured her that we would not take any advantage of the
conditionless engagement which she had made to present me, and that
altho' it was impossible to ask the required guarantees from the king,
still we should most undeviatingly adhere to the clauses of the treaty:
they added, that they came to enquire when she should choose to receive
the hundred thousand livres. The countess replied, that in spite of
the real disadvantage which she must henceforward labor under in this
affair, she felt great friendship for me, and would not refuse to oblige
me, and she flattered herself that I would espouse her cause with the
king. The comte Jean assured her of this, and settled with her the
period of the payment of the hundred thousand livres, which were to be
paid at sight on her drawing on M. de la Borde, the court-banker.
Thus then my presentation was an assured matter: nothing now could
prevent it, at least I fancied so to myself. I reckoned without my host;
I did not know yet all the malice of a courtier lady or gentleman. As it
was, however, M. de Choiseul and his vile sister had gained over one of
my servants, for they knew all that had passed. They soon learned that
madame de Bearn had come to supper with me, and that after supper a
visit of the king's had decided this lady on my presentation: this they
determined to prevent.
For this end, they despatched as ambassador the chevalier de Coigny to
the house of madame de Bearn. He, following the instruction, sought by
turns to seduce and intimidate the countess, but all went for nothing.
Madame de Bearn told the chevalier de Coigny, that she had been with me
to ask my influence with the chancellor. The chevalier left her without
being able to obtain any other information.
This bad success did not dishearten the Choiseuls. They sent this
time to madame de Bearn, M. de Roquelaure, bishop of Senlis, and grand
almoner to the king. This prelate was much liked at court, and in
high favor with mesdames (the king's daughters). We were good friends
together at last, but in this particular he was very near doing me great
wrong. M. de Roquelaure having called on madame de Bearn, told her that
he well knew the nature of her communications with me.
"Do not flatter yourself," said he, "that you will obtain thro' the
influence of the comtesse du Barry, all that has been promised you. You
will have opposed to you the most powerful adversaries and most august
personages. It cannot be concealed from you, that mesdames contemplate
the presentation of this creature with the utmost displeasure. They will
not fail to obtain great influence over the future dauphin, and will do
you mischief with him; so that, whether in the actual state of things,
or in that which the age and health of the king must lead us to
anticipate, you will be in a most unfortunate situation at court."
The old bishop, with his mischievous frankness, catechised madame de
Bearn so closely, that at length she replied, that so much respect and
deference did she entertain towards the princesses, that she would not
present me until they should accord their permission for me to appear.
M. de Roquelaure took this reply to the Choiseuls. Madame de Grammont,
enchanted, thinking the point already gained, sent madame de Bearn an
invitation to supper the next day, but this was not the countess's game.
She was compelled to decide promptly, and she thought to preserve a
strict neutrality until fresh orders should issue. What do you suppose
she did? She wrote to us, madame de Grammont and myself, that she had
scalded her foot, and that it was impossible for her to go from home.
On receiving her note I believed myself betrayed, forsaken. Comte Jean
and I suspected that this was a feint, and went with all speed to call
on the comtesse de Bearn. She received us with her usual courtesy,
complained that we had arrived at the very moment of the dressing of her
wound, and told us she would defer it; but I would not agree to this.
My brother-in-law went into another room, and madame de Bearn began to
unswathe her foot in my presence with the utmost caution and tenderness.
I awaited the evidence of her falsehood, when, to my astonishment, I
saw a horrible burn! I did not for a moment doubt, what was afterwards
confirmed, namely, that madame de Bearn had actually perpetrated this,
and maimed herself with her own free will. I mentally cursed her Roman
courage, and would have sent my heroic godmother to the devil with all
my heart.
Thus then was my presentation stopped by the foot of madame de Bearn.
This mischance did not dampen the zeal of my friends. On the one hand,
comte Jean, after having stirred heaven and earth, met with the comtesse
d'Aloigny. She consented to become my godmother immediately after her
own presentation, for eighty thousand livres and the expenses of the
ceremony. But mesdames received her so unsatisfactorily, that my
own feelings told me, I ought not to be presented at court under her
auspices.
We thanked the comtesse d'Aloigny therefore, and sent her, as a
remuneration, twenty thousand livres from the king.
Whilst comte Jean failed on one side, the duc d'Aiguillon succeeded on
another. He was someway related to madame de Bearn. He went to visit
her, and made her understand that, as the Choiseuls neither gave nor
promised her anything, she would be wrong in declaring for them: that,
on the other hand, if she declared for me, I could procure for her
the favor of the king. Madame de Bearn yielded to his persuasions, and
charged the duc d'Aiguillon to say to me, and even herself wrote, that
she put herself entirely into my hands; and that, as soon as she was
well, I might rely on her. What, I believe, finally decided this lady
was, the fear that if she did not comply with what I required, I should
content myself with the comtesse d'Aloigny.
Now assured of my introductress, I only directed my attention to the
final obstacle of my presentation; I mean the displeasure of mesdames.
I do not speak of madame Louise, of whom I can only write in terms of
commendation; but I had opposed to me mesdames Victoire and Sophie, and
especially madame Adélaïde, who, as the eldest, gave them their plan
of conduct. This latter, who had given too much cause to be spoken of
herself to have any right to talk of others, never ceased haranguing
about the scandal of my life; and I had recently, unknown to myself,
fallen into complete disgrace with her. This is the case.
The apartment from which I had dislodged M. de Noailles had been
requested of the king by madame Adélaïde. Ignorant of this I had
installed myself there. I soon learned that I had offended the princess,
and instantly hastened to offer her the apartments she wished to have.
She came into them; but as it was necessary for me to be accommodated
somewhere, the king gave me the former apartments of his daughter. This
was what madame Adélaïde called an act of tyranny; she made the château
echo with her complaints: she said I had driven her out, that I wished
to separate her from her sisters; that I should wean her father's
affection entirely from her. Such injustice distressed me excessively.
I sent to request the king to come to me; and when he entered I threw
myself at his feet, entreating him to appease his daughter on any terms,
and to let me go away, since I brought such trouble into his family.
The king, irritated at madame Adélaïde 's conduct, went to her, and told
her, in a private interview, that he would make certain matters public
if she did not hold her tongue; and she, alarmed, ceased her clamor, or
rather, contented herself in complaining in a lower key.