Great had been the outcry in the palace against the duc de la Vauguyon and madame de Bearn, but how much louder did it become on the defection of the marquise de Mirepoix. The cabal was destroyed; for a woman of rank and birth like the marechale was to me a conquest of the utmost importance. The princesse de Guemenee and the duchesse de Grammont were wofully enraged.
This they manifested by satirical sneers, epigrams, and verses, which were put forth in abundance. All these inffictions disturbed her but little; the main point in her eyes was to possess the favor of the master; and she had it, for he felt that he was bound to her by her complaisance.
He was not long in giving her an unequivocal proof of his regard.
The duc de Duras asked her, in presence of the king and myself, why she did not wear her diamonds as usual.
"They are my representatives," was her reply.
"What do you mean by representatives?" said I.
"Why, my dear countess, they are with a Jew instead of my sign-manual. The rogue had no respect for the word of a relation of the Holy Virgin and the daughter of the Beauvau. I was in want of thirty thousand francs; and to procure it I have given up my ornaments, not wishing to send to the Jew the old plate of my family, altho' the hunks wanted it."We all laughed at her frankness, and the gaiety with which she gave this statement, but we went no further; to her great regret, no doubt, for I believe that the scene had been prepared between her and M. de Duras, either to let her profit in time of need, or else that she wished to pluck a feather from our wing. When Iwas alone with the king, he said,"The poor marechale pains me; I should like to oblige her and think I will give her five hundred louis.""What will such a petty sum avail her? You know what she wants;either send her the whole or none. A king should do nothing by halves."Louis XV answered me nothing; he only made a face, and began to walk up and down the room. "Ah," said I, "this excellent woman loves your majesty so much, that you ought to show your gratitude to her, were it only to recompense her for her intimacy with me.""Well, you shall carry her the sum yourself, which Lebel shall bring you from me. But thirty thousand francs, that makes a large pile of crown-pieces.""Then I must take it in gold."
"No, but in good notes. We must not, even by a look, intimate that she has <sold> her visits to us. There are such creatures in the world!"The next morning Lebel brought me a very handsome rose-colored portfolio, embroidered with silver and auburn hair: it contained the thirty thousand francs in notes. I hastened to the marechale.
We were then at Marly.
"What good wind blows you hither?" said madame de Mirepoix.
"A royal gallantry," I replied; "you appeared unhappy, and our excellent prince sends you the money necessary to redeem your jewels."The eyes of the lady became animated, and she embraced me heartily.
"It is to you that I owe this bounty of the king.""Yes, partly, to make the present entire; he would only have given you half the sum.""I recognize him well in that he does not like to empty his casket.
He would draw on the public treasury without hesitation for double the revenue of France, and would not make a division of a single crown of his own private <peculium>."I give this speech <verbatim>; and this was all the gratitude which madame de Mirepoix manifested towards Louis XV. I was pained at it, but made no remark. She took up the portfolio, examined it carefully, and, bursting into a fit of laughter, said, while she flung herself into an arm-chair,"Ah! ah! ah! this is an unexpected rencontre! Look at this portfolio, my dear friend: do you see the locks with which it is decorated? Well, they once adorned the head of madame de Pompadour. She herself used them to embroider this garland of silver thread; she gave it to the king on his birthday. Louis XVswore never to separate from it, and here it is in my hands."Then, opening the portfolio, and rummaging it over, she found in a secret pocket a paper, which she opened, saying, "I knew he had left it."It was a letter of madame de Pompadour, which I wished to have, and the marechale gave me it instantly; the notes remained with her. I copy the note, to give you an idea of the sensibility of the king.
"SIRE,--I am ill; dangerously so, perhaps. In the melancholy feeling which preys upon me, I have formed a desire to leave you a souvenir, which will always make me present to your memory.
I have embroidered this portfolio with my own hair; accept it;never part with it. Enclose in it your most important papers, and let its contents prove your estimation of it. Will you not accord my prayer? Sign it, I beseech you; it is the caprice, the wish of a dying woman."Beneath it was written,"This token of love shall never quit me. Louis."