often went to Versailles; and from the accounts of her visits there,
when she returned, it was clear that she stood in high favor with
the queen. But now, unfortunately, the cardinal found himself in
precisely the opposite situation. He stood in extreme disfavor with
the queen. She never condescended to bestow a glance upon him, nor a
word. The cardinal was for a long time inconsolable on account of
this, and sought in vain to regain the favor of the queen. This he
intrusted with the deepest confidence to the Countess Lamotte-
Valois, and she, full of friendly zeal, had undertaken to speak to
the queen in his behalf. Some days later she told the cardinal that
she had fulfilled her promise; she had painted his sadness in such
moving words that the queen appeared to be very much affected, and
had told the countess that she would pardon all, if the cardinal
would send her in writing an apology for the mortifications which he
had inflicted upon herself and her mother Maria Theresa. The
cardinal, of course, joyfully consented to this. He sent to the
countess a document in which he humbly begged pardon for asking the
Empress Maria Theresa, years before, when Marie Antoinette was yet
Dauphiness of France, and he, the cardinal, was French ambassador in
Vienna, to chide her daughter on account of her light and haughty
behavior, and to charge herself with seeing it bettered. This was
the only offence against the queen of which he felt himself guilty,
and for this he humbly implored forgiveness. He had, at the same
time, begged the queen for an audience, that he might pay his
respects to her, and on bended knee ask her pardon. Some days after,
the Countess Lamotte-Valois had handed him a paper, written with the
queen's hand, as an answer to his letter.

The president here interrupted the cardinal: "Are you still in
possession of this document, your eminence?"