escaped his lips, which, echoed back by walls so unused to similar
violence, struck Lebel with terror. That faithful ally placed his
hand over his mouth, imploring of him to recollect himself, and
the place he was in. As for me, dreading some foolish burst of
his impetuosity, I tried some of my sweetest smiles, and inviting
him to sit beside me, related to him and Lebel those particulars
which my pen refuses to retrace. Amongst other things, I told
them I had said to the king, that I had perfectly known who he
was all the preceding evening when supping with him, and that he
had the simplicity to say, "he was surprised I had not appeared
more embarrassed in his presence."

Our conversation terminated, I wished to return to Paris, and I
was, without further hindrance, allowed to depart. Scarcely had
I arrived there an hour, than I received from his majesty a
magnificent diamond agraffe, worth at least 60,000 francs, and
bank notes to the amount of 200,000 livres.

Comte Jean and myself were well nigh stupefied with astonishment
at the sight of such treasures; to us, who had never in our lives
possessed such sums, they appeared inexhaustible. My brother-in-law
divided them into two equal portions, one of which he put into
his pocket, and the other into my . With this arrangement
I did not interfere; nothing seemed to me more simple than that he
should satisfy his need out of my superfluity. I bestowed two
thousand crowns upon Henriette, and expended in the course of
the day at least a quarter of my riches in trifles, as unnecessary
as useless; and all this without once remembering that as I owed
my present abundance to a momentary inclination on the part of
the king, so the turn of an hour, or a fresh fancy on the part of