private. I, accordingly, retired. The Count looked full of important
business. I heard their conversation, as there was only the door between
us.

"A circumstance has taken place," said he, "which I think it my duty to
communicate to the King; but I would not do so without first informing
you of it, since it concerns one of your friends for whom I have the
utmost regard and respect. The Abbe de Bernis had a mind to shoot, this
morning, and went, with two or three of his people, armed with guns, into
the little park, where the Dauphin would not venture to shoot without
asking the King's permission. The guards, surprised at hearing the
report of guns, ran to the spot, and were greatly astonished at the sight
of M. de Bernis. They very respectfully asked to see his permission,
when they found, to their astonishment, that he had none. They begged of
him to desist, telling him that, if they did their duty, they should
arrest him; but they must, at all events, instantly acquaint me with the
circumstance, as Ranger of the Park of Versailles. They added, that the
King must have heard the firing, and that they begged of him to retire.
The Abbe apologized, on the score of ignorance, and assured them that he
had my permission. 'The Comte de Noailles,' said they, 'could only grant
permission to shoot in the more remote parts, and in the great park.'"
The Count made a great merit of his eagerness to give the earliest
information to Madame. She told him to leave the task of communicating
it to the King to her, and begged of him to say nothing about the matter.
M. de Marigny, who did not like the Abbe, came to see me in the evening;
and I affected to know nothing of the story, and to hear it for the first
time from him. "He must have been out of his senses," said he, "to shoot
under the King's windows,"--and enlarged much on the airs he gave
himself. Madame de Pompadour gave this affair the best colouring she
could the King was, nevertheless, greatly disgusted at it, and twenty