The duchesse de Grammont is a mad woman, who involves the safety of her brother; if I only believed him capable of such treachery, he should sleep this night in the Bastille, and to-morrow the necessary proceedings should be commenced against him: as for his sister, I will take care of her within four good walls, and avenge myself for her past misconduct, by putting it out of her power to injure me further.""Sire," said I, in my turn, "remember she is a woman; I beseech you to pardon her, and let the weight of your just indignation fall upon her brother.""Chancellor," cried the king, "this business must not be lightly passed over.""Nor without due consideration," replied M. de Maupeou, "your majesty may look upon this letter as the basis of a secret plot:
as for the duchess, I am of my cousin's opinion; despise her audacious attempts, but spare not her brother; he alone is the guilty as well as dangerous person."The king made no answer, but rose, and crushing the letter in his hand, threw it from him.
"Would," exclaimed he at last, "that the fiends had those who take such delight in disgusting me with my very existence. Heavens!
how justly may I say I despise all men; nor have I a much better opinion of your sex, madame la comtesse, I must warn you.""Much obliged, sire," cried I; " really I was not prepared for such gallantry. It is rather hard that you should quarrel with me because this disagreeable duchess behaves ill! Upon my word it is very unpleasant!""Come, come," said Louis XV, kissing my cheek, "don't you be a naughty child; if I had not you, where should I turn for consolation amidst the torments by which I am surrounded? Shall I tell you?
In the midst of all these perplexing affairs, there are moments in which I fear I may not be promoting the happiness of my people.""Your majesty is greatly mistaken," replied the chancellor; "the nation in general must esteem themselves most happy under your reign; but it will always happen that ill-disposed persons seek to pervert the public opinion, and to lead men's minds astray. The duchess, when travelling, was the faithful and active agent of her brother. The duke, to secure his stay in the ministry, will eagerly avail himself of every adventitious aid; within your kingdom he seeks the support of the parliaments and philosophers;without, he claims the succour of Germany and Spain. Your majesty is certainly master of your own will, and it would ill become me to point out the path you should tread; but my duty compels me to say, that the duc de Choiseul is the greatest enemy of the royal house: of this he gave me a convincing proof in the case of your august son; and now, if he fancied he should find it more advantageous to have the dauphin for his master--""Chancellor of France," cried Louis, much agitated, "do you know what you are asserting?""The truth, sire," I exclaimed. "The public voice accuses the duc de Choiseul of the death of your son; they declare--""How! you, too, madam!" exclaimed the king looking at me fixedly.
"And why not, sire? I am merely repeating what is in every one's mouth.""I have heard this horrible charge before," added the king; "the Jesuits informed me of it, but I could not give credit to such a monstrosity.""So much the worse," replied I; "in the world in which we live we should always be on our guard.""Sire," added the chancellor, with the most diabolical address, "Iam persuaded that M. de Choiseul is the most honourable man in the world, and that he would shudder at the bare idea of any attempt upon the life of your majesty; but his relations, friends, and creatures believe, that, supported by the dauphiness, he would continue in office under your successor. Who can answer for their honour? Who can assure you, that some one among them may not do that for the duke which he would never venture to attempt himself?
"This is the personal danger your majesty runs so long as M. de Choiseul continues in office; were he dismissed, the world would soon abandon the disgraced minister, and the dauphiness be amongst the first to forget him."The king was pale with agitation, and for some minutes continued traversing the apartment with hasty strides; then he suddenly stopped.
"You are then convinced, M. de Maupeou," cried he, "that the duke is leagued with the parliaments to weaken my authority?""There are palpable proofs to that effect," replied the chancellor;"your majesty may recollect the skilful manner in which, on the 3d of last September, he avoided attending you to parliament;most assuredly, had he not been the friend of rebels, he would not have shrunk from evincing by his presence how fully he shared your just indignation.""That is but too true," cried Louis XV; "and I felt much annoyed at the time, that he preferred going to amuse himself at the house of M. de Laborde, when his duty summoned him to my side.""Your majesty cannot fail to perceive how everything condemns him; his personal conduct, equally with that of his sister, proves how little he regards his royal master's interest; and should your clemency resolve upon sparing him now, you may find your mercy produce fatal effects to yourself.""His dismissal," resumed the king, "would disorganize all my political measures. Who could I put in his place? I know no one capable of filling it.""Your majesty's wisdom must decide the point," replied the chancellor. "My duty is to lay before you the true state of things; this I have done, and I know myself well enough not to intrude my counsel further. Nevertheless, I cannot help remarking, that in your majesty's court there are many as capable as M. de Choiseul of directing affairs--M. d'Aiguillon, for example.""Ah!" answered Louis XV; "this is not the moment, when M.