You, no doubt, remember equally well
as myself the long file of carriages that for two days blocked up
the road to Chanteloup. In vain did Louis XV express his dissatisfaction;
his court flocked in crowds to visit M. de Choiseul.
On the other hand, the castle was not in a more tranquil state.
At the news of the dismissal and banishment of M. de Choiseul, a
general hue and cry was raised against me and my friends: one
might have supposed, by the clamours it occasioned, that the
ex-minister had been the atlas of the monarchy; and that, deprived
of his succour, the state must fall into ruins. The princesses
were loud in their anger, and accused me publicly of having
conspired against virtue itself! The virtue of such a sister and
brother! I ask you, my friend, is not the idea truly ludicrous?
The dauphiness bewailed his fall with many tears; at least, so I
was informed by a lady of her suite, madame de Campan. This
lady was a most loquacious person; she frequently visited my
sister-in-law; and, thanks to her love of talking, we were always
well-informed of all that was passing in the household of Marie
Antoinette. However, the dauphin was far from sharing the grief
Of his illustrious spouse. When informed of the dismissal of the
duke, he cried out, "Well, madame du Barry has saved me an infinity
of trouble--that of getting rid of so dangerous a man, in the event
of my ever ascending the throne.
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