Intrigues--Lebel--Arrival of the du Barry family--The comte
d'Hargicourt--The demoiselles du Barry--Marriage of the comtesse--
The marquis de Bonrepos--Correspondences--The broken glass

The prince de Soubise was not the only person who wished to act
in the capacity of mentor to me. M. the duc de la Vauguyon
attempted also to be the guide of my youth. This nobleman was
too much of a Jesuit not to have a nose of prodigiously fine scent.
He perceived that the wind was in my favor, and approached me in
consequence. I have mentioned to you his first visit, and he made
me a second a few days afterwards. He appeared very affable,
very conciliating, and insisted particularly several times, and
that without any apparent motive, that the king, not being now
engaged in the ties of wedlock, he should choose some agreeable
companion, and assuredly could not do better than select me. The
day after this visit, early in the morning, the duke sent me a
splendid bouquet, a homage which he afterwards repeated, and
then called on me a third time.

During this visit after a conversation on the embarrassments of an
introduction at Versailles, he proposed that I should avoid them.

"You cannot conceal from yourself," he said, "how powerful will
be the cabal against you; and, without including the Choiseuls,
you will have especially to fear the pious party, who will only
see in your intimacy with the king, allow me to say, a crying
scandal, and one not profitable for religion."

"If the pious party unite with those who are not so to destroy
me," I rejoined, laughing, "I shall have all France against me."