I protest to you that I find all these plots
and counterplots very amusing; and can only say, that
my daughters, who are completely duped by those
practising them, must be more completely deceived
than I had imagined possible. Nor can I quite deny
that I feel a half mischievous delight in reducing to
despair,
"'<-------ce peuple de rivales
Qui toutes, disputant, d'un si grand interet,
Des yeux d'Assuerus attendent leur arret.>'
"
(which, of course, means me) keeps one
perpetual reply to all their high-sounding praises and
eulogiums of such or such a lady. 'She is well enough,
certainly; but the comtesse du Barry excels her a
hundredfold': then follow such shrugs, such contortions
of countenance, and such vain efforts to repress the
rage of disappointed vanity and ambition, that I am
nearly ready to die with laughter.
"Apropos of dying; I inquired the number of deaths
which took place at Chantilly last week; only four,
they say! Now I think that number quite sufficient
for the size of the place. I walked as far as the
village cemetery, which is large and judiciously
placed. I must tell you, that one of my footmen has
gone to that last journey from which none return:
he was a tall, presuming sort of fellow, remarkable
for nothing but his impertinence, and the continual
scrapes he was forever getting into amongst the
soubrettes.
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