mething　piquante　about　you　。　。　。　　You　have　two　things　which　do　not　often　go　together：　you　are　sweet　and　strong；　your　gaiety　adorns　you　and　relaxes　your　nerves；　which　are　too　tense　。　。　。　　You　are　extremely　refined；　you　have　divined　the　world。〃
  The　age　of　portraits　was　not　quite　passed；　and　the　privilege　of　seeing　one's　self　in　the　eyes　of　one's　friends　was　still　accorded；　a　fact　to　which　we　owe　many　striking　if　sometimes　rather　highly　colored　pictures。　　A　few　words　from　d'Alembert　are　of　twofold　interest。　　He　writes　some　years　later：
  〃The　regard　one　has　for　you　does　not　depend　alone　upon　your　external　charms；　it　depends；　above　all；　upon　your　intellect　and　your　character。　　That　which　distinguishes　you　in　society　is　the　art　of　saying　to　every　one　the　fitting　word　and　that　art　is　very　simple　with　you；　it　consists　in　never　speaking　of　yourself　to　others；　and　much　of　themselves。　　It　is　an　infallible　means　of　pleasing；　thus　you　please　every　one；　though　it　happens　that　all　the　world　pleases　you；　you　know　even　how　to　avoid　repelling　those　who　are　least　agreeable。〃
  This　epitome　of　the　art　of　pleasing　may　be　commended　for　its　wisdom；　aside　from　the　very　delightful　picture　it　gives　of　an　amiable　and　attractive　woman。　　Again　he　writes：
  〃The　excellence　of　your　tone　would　not　be　a　distinction　for　one　reared　in　a　court；　and　speaking　only　the　language　she　has　learned。　　In　you　it　is　a　merit　very　real　and　very　rare。　　You　have　brought　it　from　the　seclusion　of　a　province；　where　you　met　no　one　who　could　teach　you。　　You　were；　in　this　regard；　as　perfect　the　day　after　your　arrival　at　Paris　as　you　are　today。　　You　found　yourself；　from　the　first；　as　free；　as　little　out　of　place　in　the　most　brilliant　and　most　critical　society　as　if　you　had　passed　your　life　there；　you　have　felt　its　usages　before　knowing　them；　which　implies　a　justness　and　fineness　of　tact　very　unusual；　an　exquisite　knowledge　of　les　convenances。〃
  It　was　her　innate　tact　and　social　instinct；　combined　with　rare　gifts　of　intellect　and　great　conversational　charm；　that　gave　this　woman　without　name；　beauty；　or　fortune　so　exceptional　a　position；　and　her　salon　so　distinguished　a　place　among　the　brilliant　centers　of　Paris。　　As　she　was　not　rich　and　could　not　give　costly　dinners；　she　saw　her　friends　daily　from　five　to　nine；　in　the　interval　between　other　engagements。　　This　society　was　her　chief　interest；　and　she　rarely　went　out。　　〃If　she　made　an　exception　to　this　rule；　all　Paris　was　apprised　of　it　in　advance；〃　says　Grimm。　　The　most　illustrious　men　of　the　State；　the　Church；　the　Court；　and　the　Army；　as　well　as　celebrated　foreigners　and　men　of　letters；　were　sure　to　be　found　there。　　〃Nowhere　was　conversation　more　lively；　more　brilliant；　or　better　regulated；〃　writes　Marmontel。　。　。　　〃It　was　not　with　fashionable　nonsense　and　vanity　that　every　day　during　four　hours；　without　languor　or　pause；　she　knew　how　to　make　herself　interesting　to　a　circle　of　sensible　people。〃　　Caraccioli　went　from　her　salon　one　evening　to　sup　with　Mme。　du　Deffand。　　〃He　was　intoxicated　with　all　the　fine　works　he　had　heard　read　there；〃　writes　the　latter。　　〃There　was　a　eulogy　of　one　named　Fontaine　by　M。　de　Condorcet。　　There　were　translations　of　Theocritus；　tales；　fables　by　I　know　not　whom。　　And　then　some　eulogies　of　Helvetius；　an　extreme　admiration　of　the　esprit　and　the　talents　of　the　age；　in　fine；　enough　to　make　one　stop　the　ears。　　All　these　judgments　false　and　in　the　worst　taste。〃　　A　hint　of　the　rivalry　between　the　former　friends　is　given　in　a　letter　from　Horace　Walpole。　　〃There　is　at　Paris；〃　he　writes；　〃a　Mlle。　de　Lespinasse；　a　pretended　bel　esprit；　who　was　formerly　a　humble　companion　of　Mme。　du　Deffand；　and　betrayed　her　and　used　her　very　ill。　　I　beg　of　you　not　to　let　any　one　carry　you　thither。　　I　dwell　upon　this　because　she　has　some　enemies　so　spiteful　as　to　try　to　carry　off　all　the　English　to　Mlle。　de　Lespinasse。〃
  But　this　〃pretended　bel　esprit〃　had　socially　the　touch　of　genius。　　Her　ardent；　impulsive　nature　lent　to　her　conversation　a　rare　eloquence　that　inspired　her　listeners；　though　she　never　drifted　into　monologue；　and　understood　the　value　of　discreet　silence。　　〃She　rendered　the　marble　sensible；　and　made　matter　talk；〃　said　Guibert。　　Versatile　and　suggestive　herself；　she　knew　how　to　draw　out　the　best　thoughts　of　others。　　Her　swift　insight　caught　the　weak　points　of　her　friends；　and　her　gracious　adaptation　had　all　the　fascination　of　a　subtle　flattery。　　Sad　as　her　experience　had　been；　she　had　nevertheless　been　drawn　into　the　world　most　congenial　to　her　tastes。　　〃Ah；　how　I　dislike　not　to　love　that　which　is　excellent；〃　she　wrote　later。　　〃How　difficult　I　have　become！　　But　is　it　my　fault？　　Consider　the　education　I　have　received　with　Mme。　du　Deffand。　　President　Henault；　Abbe　Bon；　the　Archbishop　of　Toulouse；　the　Archbishop　of　Aix；　Turgot；　d'Alembert；　Abbe　de　Boismontthese　are　the　men　who　have　taught　me　to　speak；　to　think；　and　who　have　deigned　to　count　me　for　something。〃
  It　was　men　like　these　who　thronged　her　own　salon；　together　with　such　women　as　the　Duchesse　d'Anville；　friend　of　the　economists；　the　Duchesse　de　Chatillon　whom　she　loved　so　passionately；　and　others　well…known　in　the　world　of　fashion　and　letters。　　But　its　tone　was　more　philosophical　than　that　of　Mme。　du　Deffand。　　Though　far　from　democratic　by　taste　or　temperament；　she　was　so　from　conviction。　　The　griefs　and　humiliations　of　her　life　had　left　her　peculiarly　open　to　the　new　social　and　political　theories　which　were　agitating　France。　　She　liked　free　discussion；　and　her　own　large　intelligence；　added　to　her　talent　for　calling　out　and　giving　point　to　the　ideas　of　others；　went　far　towards　making　the　cosmopolitan　circle　over　which　she　presided　one　of　the　most　potent　forces　of　the　time。　　Her　influence　may　be　traced　in　the　work　of　the　encyclopedists；　in　which　she　was　associated；　and　which　she　did　more　than　any　other　woman　to　aid　and　encourage。　　As　a　power　in　the　making　of　reputations　and　in　the　election　of　members　to　the　Academy　she　shared　with　Mme。　Geoffrin　the　honor　of　being　a　legitimate　successor　of　Mme。　de　Lambert。　　Chastellux　owed　his　admission　largely　to　her；　and　on　her　deathbed　she　secured　that　of　La　Harpe。
  But　the　side　of　her　character　which　strikes　us　most　forcibly　at　this　distance　of　time　is　the　emotional。　　The　personal　charm　which　is　always　so　large　a　factor　in　social　success　is　of　too　subtle　a　quality　to　be　caught　in　words。　　The　most　vivid　portrait　leaves　a　divine　something　to　be　supplied　by　the　imagination；　and　the　fascination　of　eloquence　is　gone　with　the　flash　of　the　eye；　the　modulation　of　the　voice；　or　some　fleeting　grace　of　manner。　　But　passion　writes　itself　out　in　indelible　characters；　especially　when　it　is　a　rare　and　spontaneous　overflow　from　the　heart　of　a　man　or　woman　of　genius；　whose　emotions　readily　crystallize　into　form。
  Her　friendship　for　d'Alembert；　loyal　and　devoted　as　it　was；　seems　to　have　been　without　illusions。　　It　is　true　she　had　cast　aside　every　other　consideration　to　nurse　him　through　a　dangerous　illness；　and　as　soon　as　he　was　able　to　be　removed；　he　had　taken　an　apartment　in　the　house　where　she　lived；　which　he　retained　until　her　death。　　But　he　was　not　rich；　and　marriage　was　not　to　be　thought　of。　　On　this　point　we　have　his　own　testimony。　　〃The　one　to　whom　they　marry　me　in　the　gazettes　is　indeed　a　person　respectable　in　character；　and　fitted　by　the　sweetness　and　charm　of　her　society　to　render　a　husband　happy；〃　he　writes　to　Voltaire；　〃but　she　is　worthy　of　an　establishment　better　than　mine；　and　there　is　between　us　neither　marriage　nor　love；　but　mutual　esteem；　and　all　the　sweetness　of　friendship。　　I　live　actually　in　the　same　house　with　her；　where　there　are　besides　ten　other　tenants；　this　is　what　has　given　rise　to　the　rumor。〃　　His　devotion　through　so　many　years；　and　his　profound　grief　at　her　loss；　as　well　as　his　subsequent　words；　leave　some　doubt　as　to　the　tranquillity　of　his　heart；　but　the　sentiments　of　Mlle。　de　Lespinasse　seem　never　to　have　passed　the　calm　measure　of　an　exalted　and　sympathetic　friendship。　　It　was　remarked　that　he　lost　much　of　his　prestige；　and　that　his　society　which　had　been　so　brilliant；　became　infinitely　more　miscellaneous　and　infinitely　less　agreeable　after　the　death　of　the　friend　whose　tact　and　finesse　had　so　well　served　his　ambition。
  Not　long　after　leaving　Mme。　du　Deffand　she　met　the　Marquis　de　Mora；　a　son　of　the　Spanish　ambassador；　who　became　a　constant　habitue　of　her　salon。　　Of　distinguished　family　and　large　fortune；　brilliant；　courtly；　popular；　and　only　twenty…four；　he　captivated　at　once　the　fiery　heart　of　this　attractive　woman　of　thirty…five。　　It　seems　to　have　been　a　mutual　passion；　as　during　one　brief　absence　of　ten　days　he　wrote　her　twenty…two　letters。　　But　his　family　became　alarmed　and　made　his　delicate　health　a　pretext　for　recalling　him　to　Spain。　　Her　grief　at　the　separation　enlisted　the　sympathy　of　d'Alembert。　　At　her　request　he　procured　from　his　physician　a　statement　that　the　climate　of　Madrid　would　prove　fatal　to　M。　de　Mora；　whose　health　had　steadily　failed　since　his　return　home；　and　that　if　his　friends　wished　to　save　him　they　must　lose　no　time　in　sending　him　back　to　Paris。　　The　young　man　was　permitted　to　leave　at　once；　but　he　died　en　route　at　Bordeaux。
  In　the　meantime　Mlle。　de　Lespinasse；　sad　and　inconsolable；　h