received some jewels, and four thousand louis. The Parc-aux-cerfs was
sometimes vacant for five or six months. I was surprised, some time
after, at seeing the Duchesse de Luynes, Lady of Honour to the Queen,
come privately to see Madame de Pompadour. She afterwards came openly.
One evening, after Madame was in bed, she called me, and said, "My dear,
you will be delighted; the Queen has given me the place of Lady of the
Palace; tomorrow I am to be presented to her: you must make me look
well." I knew that the King was not so well pleased at this as she was;
he was afraid that it would give rise to scandal, and that it might be
thought he had forced this nomination upon the Queen. He had, however,
done no such thing. It had been represented to the Queen that it was an
act of heroism on her part to forget the past; that all scandal would be
obliterated when Madame de Pompadour was seen to belong to the Court in
an honourable manner; and that it would be the best proof that nothing
more than friendship now subsisted between the King and the favourite.
The Queen received her very graciously. The devotees flattered
themselves they should be protected by Madame, and, for some time, were
full of her praises. Several of the Dauphin's friends came in private to
see her, and some obtained promotion. The Chevalier du Muy, however,
refused to come. The King had the greatest possible contempt for them,
and granted them nothing with a good grace. He, one day, said of a man
of great family, who wished to be made Captain of the Guards, "He is a
double spy, who wants to be paid on both sides." This was the moment at
which Madame de Pompadour seemed to me to enjoy the most complete
satisfaction. The devotees came to visit her without scruple, and did
not forget to make use of every opportunity of serving themselves. Madame
de Lu----- had set them the example. The Doctor laughed at this change
in affairs, and was very merry at the expense of the saints. "You must
allow, however, that they are consistent," said I, "and may be sincere."
"Yes," said he; "but then they should not ask for anything."