"How I congratulate you," said he, "upon the good fortune which
has extricated you from this affair. Do you know that a reconciliation
with the duc de Choiseul would have involved your inevitable
disgrace? What evil genius counselled you to act in such a manner?"

"I fancied I was doing right," said I, "in thus proving to the
king that I was not an unreasonable woman."

"The Choiseuls," replied he, "would have entangled you in their
nets, and, separated from your real friends, would have made you
the innocent author of your own destruction. Tell the king just
so much, that the duc de Choiseul has been to see you, that you
conversed together some time, and that he has offended you more
than ever."

"I promise you, my kind friend," said I, "to follow your advice."

When I next saw the king, I apprized him of the visit.

"That does not astonish me," said Louis XV, "the duke is anxious
to be on friendly terms with you."

"He has then taken a very contrary road to arrive at my friendship,"
said I; "if he really desires that we should be on good terms, he
must conduct himself very differently"; and there the conversation
ended. But several days afterwards, having sent away my d'hotel>, with whom I had reason to be dissatisfied, and the
king appearing surprised at seeing a fresh countenance amongst
my household, I said to him, "Sir, I have got rid of Choiseul,