them triumphantly.

The King was very fond of having little private correspondences, very
often unknown to Madame de Pompadour: she knew, however, of the existence
of some, for he passed part of his mornings in writing to his family, to
the King of Spain, to Cardinal Tencin, to the Abbe de Broglie, and also
to some obscure persons. "It is, doubtless, from such people as these,"
said she to me, one day, "that the King learns expressions which
perfectly surprise me. For instance, he said to me yesterday, when he
saw a man pass with an old coat on, 'il y a la un habit bien examine.' He
once said to me, when he meant to express that a thing was probable, 'il
y a gros'; I am told this is a saying of the common people, meaning, 'il
y a gros a parier'." I took the liberty to say, "But is it not more
likely from his young ladies at the Parc, that he learns these elegant
expressions? "She laughed, and said, "You are right; 'il y a gros'." The
King, however, used these expressions designedly, and with a laugh.

The King knew a great many anecdotes, and there were people enough who
furnished him with such as were likely to mortify the self-love of
others. One day, at Choisy, he went into a room where some people were
employed about embroidered furniture, to see how they were going on; and
looking out of the window, he saw at the end of a long avenue two men in
the Choisy uniform. "Who are those two noblemen?" said he. Madame de
Pompadour took up her glass, and said, "They are the Duc d'Aumont, and
------" "Ah!" said the King; "the Duc d'Aumont's grandfather would be
greatly astonished if he could see his grandson arm in arm with the
grandson of his valet de chambre, L------, in a dress which may be called
a patent of nobility!" He went on to tell Madame de Pompadour a long
history, to prove the truth of what he said. The King went out to
accompany her into the garden; and, soon after, Quesnay and M. de Marigny