So far
all went off well, but the poor abbe, to close the affair, wrote a
letter to the king. The letter was carried in great pomp to his
majesty. It contained two verses of Racine, which had some
double allusion to the experiment. This, you may be sure, was
interpreted in the worst manner. The duc d'Ayen gave the finishing
stroke to the whole, on his opinion being asked by the king.
"Sire," said he, "such men ought to be thrown into the water; but
all we can wish for them is, that they should remain there."
The abbe was not more fortunate in the evening. He presented
himself at supper, but the king did not address a word to him, and
he was compelled to bear the malicious jokes of the courtiers. But
let us leave Choisy and the experimentalist, and return to Versailles
and myself.
My friends were excessively desirous for my presentation, which
would decide my position at the chateau. As yet I only had an
equivocal existence, having rank neither at play, theatre, or public
festival; so that if the king should be capricious I could be
dismissed as one of the demoiselles of the
. The
duc d'Aiguillon, whose attachment to me increased, calculated
accurately all the advantages of this presentation. It would place
me on the same footing with madame de Pompadour, and compel
the ministers to come and work with me.
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