had　all　their　grand　projects　of　victory　defeated　by　the　firmness　and　the
  capacity　of　the　Marechal　de　Choiseul；　retired　into　winter…quarters；　and
  we　prepared　to　do　the　same。　　The　month　of　October　was　almost　over　when
  Madame　de　Saint…Simon　lost　M。　Fremont；　father　of　the　Marechal　de　Lorges。
  She　had　happily　given　birth　to　a　daughter　on　the　8th　of　September。　　I　was
  desirous　accordingly　to　go　to　Paris；　and　having　obtained　permission　from
  the　Marechal　de　Choiseul；　who　had　treated　me　throughout　the　campaign　with
  much　politeness　and　attention；　I　set　out。　Upon　arriving　at　Paris　I　found
  the　Court　at　Fontainebleau。　　I　had　arrived　from　the　army　a　little　before
  the　rest；　and　did　not　wish　that　the　King　should　know　it　without　seeing
  me；　lest　he　might　think　I　had　returned　in　secret。　　I　hastened　at　once
  therefore　to　Fontainebleau；　where　the　King　received　me　with　his　usual
  goodness；…saying；　nevertheless；　that　I　had　returned　a　little　too　early；
  but　that　it　was　of　no　consequence。
  I　had　not　long　left　his　presence　when　I　learned　a　report　that　made　my
  face　burn　again。　　It　was　affirmed　that　when　the　King　remarked　upon　my
  arriving　a　little　early；　I　had　replied　that　I　preferred　arriving　at　once
  to　see　him；　as　my　sole　mistress；　than　to　remain　some　days　in　Paris；　as
  did　the　other　young　men　with　their　mistresses。　　I　went　at　once　to　the
  King；　who　had　a　numerous　company　around　him；　and　I　openly　denied　what　had
  been　reported；　offering　a　reward　for　the　discovery　of　the　knave　who　had
  thus　calumniated　me；　in　order　that　I　might　give　him　a　sound　thrashing。
  All　day　I　sought　to　discover　the　scoundrel。　　My　speech　to　the　King　and　my
  choler　were　the　topic　of　the　day；　and　I　was　blamed　for　having　spoken　so
  loudly　and　in　such　terms。　　But　of　two　evils　I　had　chosen　the　least；a
  reprimand　from　the　King；　or　a　few　days　in　the　Bastille；　and　I　had　avoided
  the　greatest；　which　was　to　allow　myself　to　be　believed　an　infamous
  libeller　of　our　young　men；　in　order　to　basely　and　miserably　curry　favour
  at　the　Court。　　The　course　I　took　succeeded。　　The　King　said　nothing　of　the
  matter；　and　I　went　upon　a　little　journey　I　wished　particularly　to　take；
  for　reasons　I　will　now　relate。
  I　had；　as　I　have　already　mentioned；　conceived　a　strong　attachment　and
  admiration　for　M。　de　La　Trappe。　　I　wished　to　secure　a　portrait　of　him；
  but　such　was　his　modesty　and　humility　that　I　feared　to　ask　him　to　allow
  himself　to　be　painted。　　I　went　therefore　to　Rigault；　then　the　first
  portrait…painter　in　Europe。　　In　consideration　of　a　sum　of　a　thousand
  crowns；　and　all　his　expenses　paid；　he　agreed　to　accompany　me　to　La
  Trappe；　and　to　make　a　portrait　of　him　from　memory。　　The　whole　affair　was
  to　be　kept　a　profound　secret；　and　only　one　copy　of　the　picture　was　to　be
  made；　and　that　for　the　artist　himself。
  My　plan　being　fully　arranged；　I　and　Rigault　set　out。　　As　soon　as　we
  arrived　at　our　journey's　end；　I　sought　M。　de　La　Trappe；　and　begged　to　be
  allowed　to　introduce　to　him　a　friend　of　mine；　an　officer；　who　much　wished
  to　see　him：　I　added；　that　my　friend　was　a　stammerer；　and　that　therefore
  he　would　be　importuned　merely　with　looks　and　not　words。　　M。　de　La　Trappe
  smiled　with　goodness；　thought　the　officer　curious　about　little；　and
  consented　to　see　him。　　The　interview　took　place。　　Rigault　excusing
  himself　on　the　ground　of　his　infirmity；　did　little　during　three…quarters
  of　an　hour　but　keep　his　eyes　upon　M。　de　La　Trappe；　and　at　the　end　went
  into　a　room　where　materials　were　already　provided　for　him；　and　covered
  his　canvas　with　the　images　and　the　ideas　he　had　filled　himself　with。
  On　the　morrow　the　same　thing　was　repeated；　although　M。　de　La　Trappe；
  thinking　that　a　man　whom　he　knew　not；　and　who　could　take　no　part　in
  conversation；　had　sufficiently　seen　him；　agreed　to　the　interview　only　out
  of　complaisance　to　me。　　Another　sitting　was　needed　in　order　to　finish　the
  work；　but　it　was　with　great　difficulty　M。　de　La　Trappe　could　be　persuaded
  to　consent　to　it。　　When　the　third　and　last　interview　was　at　an　end；　M。　de
  La　Trappe　testified　to　me　his　surprise　at　having　been　so　much　and　so　long
  looked　at　by　a　species　of　mute。　　I　made　the　best　excuses　I　could；　and
  hastened　to　turn　the　conversation。
  The　portrait　was　at　length　finished；　and　was　a　most　perfect　likeness　of
  my　venerable　friend。　　Rigault　admitted　to　me　that　he　had　worked　so　hard
  to　produce　it　from　memory；　that　for　several　months　afterwards　he　had　been
  unable　to　do　anything　to　his　other　portraits。　　Notwithstanding　the
  thousand　crowns　I　had　paid　him；　he　broke　the　engagement　he　had　made　by
  showing　the　portrait　before　giving　it　up　to　me。　　Then；　solicited　for
  copies；　he　made　several；　gaining　thereby；　according　to　his　own　admission；
  more　than　twenty…five　thousand　francs；　and　thus　gave　publicity　to　the
  affair。
  I　was　very　much　annoyed　at　this；　and　with　the　noise　it　made　in　the　world；
  and　I　wrote　to　M。　de　La　Trappe；　relating　the　deception　I　had　practised
  upon　him；　and　sued　for　pardon。　　He　was　pained　to　excess；　hurt；　and
  afflicted；　nevertheless　he　showed　no　anger。　　He　wrote　in　return　to　me；
  and　said；　I　was　not　ignorant　that　a　Roman　Emperor　had　said；　〃I　love
  treason　but　not　traitors；〃　but　that；　as　for　himself；　he　felt　on　the
  contrary　that　he　loved　the　traitor　but　could　only　hate　his　treason。
  I　made　presents　of　three　copies　of　the　picture　to　the　monastery　of　La
  Trappe。　　On　the　back　of　the　original　I　described　the　circumstance　under
  which　the　portrait　had　been　taken；　in　order　to　show　that　M。　de　La　Trappe
  had　not　consented　to　it；　and　I　pointed　out　that　for　some　years　he　had
  been　unable　to　use　his　right　hand；　to　acknowledge　thus　the　error　which
  had　been　made　in　representing　him　as　writing。
  The　King；　about　this　time；　set　on　foot　negotiations　for　peace　in　Holland；
  sending　there　two　plenipotentiaries；　Courtin　and　Harlay；　and
  acknowledging　one　of　his　agents；　Caillieres；　who　had　been　for　some　little
  time　secretly　in　that　country。
  The　year　finished　with　the　disgrace　of　Madame　de　Saint　Geran。　　She　was　on
  the　best　of　terms　with　the　Princesses；　and　as　much　a　lover　of　good　cheer
  as　Madame　de　Chartres　and　Madame　la　Duchesse。　　This　latter　had　in　the
  park　of　Versailles　a　little　house　that　she　called　the　〃Desert。〃　　There
  she　had　received　very　doubtful　company；　giving　such　gay　repasts　that　the
  King；　informed　of　her　doings；　was　angry；　and　forbade　her　to　continue
  these　parties　or　to　receive　certain　guests。　　Madame　de　Saint　Geran　was
  then　in　the　first　year　of　her　mourning；　so　that　the　King　did　not　think　it
  necessary　to　include　her　among　the　interdicted；　but　he　intimated　that　he
  did　not　approve　of　her。　　In　spite　of　this；　Madame　la　Duchesse　invited　her
  to　an　early　supper　at　the　Desert　a　short　time　after；　and　the　meal　was
  prolonged　so　far　into　the　night；　and　with　so　much　gaiety；　that　it　came　to
  the　ears　of　the　King。　　He　was　in　great　anger；　and　learning　that　Madame　de
  Saint　Geran　had　been　of　the　party；　sentenced　her　to　be　banished　twenty
  leagues　from　the　Court。　　Like　a　clever　woman；　she　retired　into　a　convent
  at　Rouen；　saying　that　as　she　had　been　unfortunate　enough　to　displease　the
  King；　a　convent　was　the　only　place　for　her；　and　this　was　much　approved。
  At　the　commencement　of　the　next　year　（1697）　the　eldest　son　of　the　Comte
  d'Auvergne　completed　his　dishonour　by　a　duel　he　fought　with　the　Chevalier
  de　Caylus；　on　account　of　a　tavern　broil；　and　a　dispute　about　some
  wenches。　　Caylus；　who　had　fought　well；　fled　from　the　kingdom；　the　other；
  who　had　used　his　sword　like　a　poltroon；　and　had　run　away　dismayed　into
  the　streets；　was　disinherited　by　his　father；　sent　out　of　the　country；　and
  returned　no　more。　　He　was　in　every　respect　a　wretch；　who；　on　account　of
  his　disgraceful　adventures；　was　forced　to　allow　himself　to　be
  disinherited　and　to　take　the　cross　of　Malta；　he　was　hanged　in　effigy　at
  the　Greve；　to　the　great　regret　of　his　family；　not　on　account　of　the
  sentence；　but　because；　in　spite　of　every　entreaty；　he　had　been　proceeded
  against　like　the　most　obscure　gentleman。　　The　exile　of　Caylus　afterwards
  made　his　fortune。
  We　had　another　instance；　about　this　time；　of　the　perfidy　of　Harlay。　　He
  had　been　entrusted　with　a　valuable　deposit　by　Ruvigny；　a　Huguenot
  officer；　who；　quitting　France；　had　entered　the　service　of　the　Prince　of
  Orange；　and　who　was；　with　the　exception　of　Marshal　Schomberg；　the　only
  Huguenot　to　whom　the　King　offered　the　permission　of　remaining　at　Court
  with　full　liberty　to　practise　his　religion　in　secret。　　This；　Ruvigny；
  like　Marshal　Schomberg；　refused。　　He　was；　nevertheless；　allowed　to　retain
  the　property　he　possessed　in　France；　but　after　his　death　his　son；　not
  showing　himself　at　all　grateful　for　this　favour；　the　King　at　last
  confiscated　the　property；　and　publicly　testified　his　anger。　　This　was　the
  moment　that　Harlay　seized　to　tell　the　King　of　the　deposit　he　had。　　As　a
  recompense　the　King　gave　it　to　him　as　confiscated；　and　this　hypocrite　of
  justice；　of　virtue；　of　disinterestedness；　and　of　rigorism　was　not　ashamed
  to　appropriate　it　to　himself；　and　to　close　his　ears　and　his　eyes　to　the
  noise　this　perfidy　excited。
  M。　de　Monaco；　who　had　obtained　for　himself　the　title　of　foreign　prince　by
  the　marriage　of　his　son　with　the　Duchesse　de　Valentinois；　daughter　of　M。
  le　Grand；　and　who　enjoyed；　as　it　were；　the