Certainly, had I only listened to the
inspiration of my heart, I should have sent back the money
without touching it, and the epistle without reading it; but my
heroism did not suit comte Jean, who chanced to be present. 'Take
it, take it," cried he; "the only way of punishing such a
miscreant, is to break his purse-strings. He would, indeed, have
the laugh on his side were your fit of anger to change into a fit
of generosity; besides, this may be the last we shall ever see."
My brother-in-law and the comptroller-general were an excellent
pair. I treated the latter with silent contempt, not even replying
to his letter; this was, however, my first and only stroke of
vengeance, the disastrous events which followed did not permit
me to pursue my plans for revenging this treacherous and
contemptible conduct.
This quarrel, and the defection of the
abbe, had the
effect of rendering me much indisposed. My illness was attributed
to an excess of sorrow for the dangerous condition of his majesty,
nor did I contradict the report; for, in truth, I did most
sincerely lament the malady with which the king was suffering,
and my regrets arose far more from a feeling of gratitude and
esteem, than any self-interested calculations. It was, therefore,
in no very excellent humour that I saw the prince de Soubise
enter my apartment.
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