"
"You excite my curiosity," cried Louis XV. "Madame, have the
kindness to allow me to see this paper."
"Indeed, sire," exclaimed I, "I know not whether I ought to obey
your majesty, so entirely has the writer of the letter forgotten
the respect duc to your sacred person."
"Oh," said the king, "I do not fear that; I am but too well used
to the offence to feel astonishment at its occurrence."
I placed the paper in the hand of Louis XV, whose eye easily
recognised the handwriting of madame de Grammont. "Ah, ah!"
cried he, "is it so? let us see what this restless lady has to
say of us all." I watched the countenance of the king as he read,
and saw the frown that covered it grow darker and darker;
nevertheless he continued to read on without comment till he
had reached the end; then sitting down and looking full at the
chancellor, he exclaimed,
"Well, M. de Maupeou, and what do you think of this business?"
"I am overwhelmed with consternation, sire," replied he, "when I
think that one of your majesty's ministers should be able to
conspire thus openly against you."
"Stay," cried Louis hastily, "that fact is by no means proved.
The duchesse de Grammont is a mad woman, who involves the safety
of her brother; if I only believed him capable of such treachery,
he should sleep this night in the Bastille, and to-morrow the
necessary proceedings should be commenced against him: as for his
sister, I will take care of her within four good walls, and avenge
myself for her past misconduct, by putting it out of her power to
injure me further.
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