I soon discovered that
he passed from the patronage of Lebel to that of Chamilly, and I
was not slow in conjecturing that he joined to his avocations of
censor and gazetteer that of purveyor to his majesty's
.
Spite of my indefatigable endeavors to render Louis XV happy and
satisfied with the pleasures of his own home, he would take
occasional wandering fits, and go upon the ramble, sometimes in
pursuit of a high-born dame, at others eager to obtain a poor and
simple ; and so long that the object of his fancy were
but new to him, it mattered little what were her claims to youth,
beauty, or rank in life. The marechale de Mirepoix frequently
said to me, "Do you know, my dear creature, that your royal
admirer is but a very fickle swain, who is playing the gay gallant
when he ought to be quietly seated at his own fireside. Have a
care, he is growing old, and his intellect becomes more feeble
each day; and what he would never have granted some few years
back, may be easily wrung from him now. Chamilly aspires at
governing his master, and Marin seconds him in his project."
At length, roused to a sense of impending evil, by the constant
reminding of the marechale, I summoned Marin to my presence.
"Now, sir," said I, as he approached, "I would have you to know
that I am apprised of all your tricks: you and your friend Chamilly
are engaged in a very clever scheme to improve your own fortunes
at the expense of the king your master.
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