第39章

"But, madame, the king has nothing to do with this. I wish to be presented; will you be my introductress?""Madame, the first wish of my heart is to be agreeable to you; Ionly desire that the king indicate in some way, no matter how trifling, his will on this point.""Well, then," I exclaimed, with impatience, "I see you will not give me a direct reply. Why should you wish the king to interfere in what does not concern him? Is it your intention to oblige me;yes or no?"

"Yes, madame, certainly; but you must be aware of the tremendous cabal which is raised against you. Can I contend against it alone, and who will sustain me thro' it?""I will to the full extent of my power as long as I am here, and the king will always do so. I can assure you, that he will be grateful for your exertions in my behalf.""I should like to have half a line from his majesty as a protection and assurance.""And that you will not get. The king's signature must not be compromised in this affair, and I do not think I ought to ask for it; let us therefore, madame, cease this discourse, since you ask such terms for your complaisance."The comtesse de Bearn rose; I did the same; and we parted mutually dissatisfied with each other.

My friends, my brother-in-law, and his sisters, impatiently awaited the result of my conversation with madame de Bearn. Itold them all that had passed; giving my opinion of this lady as I thought her--a malicious provoking creature.

"How soon you torment yourself," said the chancellor to me. "Do you not see that this woman wants a price to be bidden for her?

She is yours, body and soul, but first of all she must be paid.""Let that be no obstacle," said comte Jean, "we will give her money, but present us she must."On this it was decided, that, on the following morning, my brother-in-law should go to Paris to find M. Morand, and get him to undertake the arrangement.

The next day my brother-in-law went to M. Morand's, and when hehad disclosed his message concerning the comtesse, the good Morand began to laugh. He told the count, that the previous evening this lady had sent for him; and, on going to her house, madame de Bearn, as a set-off against the inconveniences which might result to her from being the instrument of my presentation, had stipulated for certain compensations; such, for instance, as a sum of two hundred thousand livres, a written promise of a regiment for her son, and for herself an appointment in the establishment of the future . This was the point aimed at by all the ambitious courtiers. Comte Jean thought these conditions preposterous. He had a from me, and desired M. Morand to offer the lady one hundred thousand livres, and to add an assurance that the king should be importuned to place young Bearn advantageously, and to station the mother to her wishes; and thereupon my brother-in-law returned to Versailles.

The comte Jean had scarcely returned an hour, when we received a letter from M. Morand, stating, that he had gone, in consequence of the instructions of comte Jean, to the comtesse de Bearn; that he had found the lady pliant enough on the first point, and disposed to content herself with the half of the sum originally demanded;that on point the second, I mean the appointments of herself and son, she would come to no compromise, and stuck hard and fast to the written promise of the king; that he, Morand, thought this an obstacle not to be overcome unless we subscribed to her wishes.