present leave Coindet and Madam de Verdelin, and return to them at a
proper time.

Sometime after my return to Mont Louis, La Tour, the painter, came to see
me, and brought with him my portrait in crayons, which a few years before
he had exhibited at the salon. He wished to give me this portrait, which
I did not choose to accept. But Madam d'Epinay, who had given me hers,
and would have had this, prevailed upon me to ask him for it. He had
taken some time to retouch the features. In the interval happened my
rupture with Madam d'Epinay; I returned her her portrait; and giving her
mine being no longer in question, I put it into my chamber, in the
castle. M. de Luxembourg saw it there, and found it a good one; I
offered it him, he accepted it, and I sent it to the castle. He and his
lady comprehended I should be very glad to have theirs. They had them
taken in miniature by a very skilful hand, set in a box of rock crystal,
mounted with gold, and in a very handsome manner, with which I was
delighted, made me a present of both. Madam de Luxenbourg would never
consent that her portrait should be on the upper part of the box. She
had reproached me several times with loving M. de Luxembourg better than
I did her; I had not denied it because it was true. By this manner of
placing her portrait she showed very politely, but very clearly, she had
not forgotten the preference.

Much about this time I was guilty of a folly which did not contribute to
preserve me to her good graces. Although I had no knowledge of M. de
Silhoutte, and was not much disposed to like him, I had a great opinion
of his administration. When he began to let his hand fall rather heavily
upon financiers, I perceived he did not begin his operation in a
favorable moment, but he had my warmest wishes for his success; and as
soon as I heard he was displaced I wrote to him, in my intrepid, heedless