farewell, my friend, we shall meet no more' Thunderstruck at these words, I suffered the lady to depart without attempting to combat her opinion. This morning I received intelligence from her son that the prophecy had been fulfilled--she was no more."When the marechal had finished, I exclaimed,"You have told us a sad dismal tale; I really fear I shall not be able to close my eyes at all to-night for thinking of it.""We must think of some means of keeping up your spirits," answered Louis XV. " As for your story, marechal, it does not surprise me;things equally inexplicable are continually taking place. I read in a letter addressed by Philip V, of Spain, to Louis XIV, "that the spirit of Philip II, founder of the Escurial, wanders at certain intervals around that building. Philip V affirms that he himself witnessed the apparition of the spectre of the king."At this moment supper was announced. "Come, gentlemen," said I, "let us seek to banish these gloomy ideas around our festive board." Upon which the king conducted me to the supper-room, the rest of the company following us. Spite of all my efforts to be gay, and induce others to be so likewise, the conversation still lingered upon this dismal subject.
"Heaven grant," exclaimed the chancellor, "that I may not soon have to dread a visit from the ghost of the deceased parliament;however, if such were the case, it would not prevent my sleeping.""Oh!" cried the king, "these long-robed gentlemen have often more effectually robbed me of sleep than all the spectres in the world could do; yet one night--""Well, sire," said I, seeing that Louis was silent, "and what happened to you that night?""Nothing that I can repeat," answered Louis XV, glancing around with a mournful look.
A dead silence followed, which lasted several minutes; and thisevening, which was to usher my day of triumph, passed away in the most inconceivable dullness. What most contributed to render me uneasy was the reflection, that, at the very moment when we had freed ourselves of our enemies, we were ignorant who would fill their vacant places. This was an error, and a great one. My friends would not listen to the nomination of the Comte de Broglie, the Comte de Maillebois, the duc de la Vauguyon, any more than either M. de Soubise or M. de Castries. The abbe Terray, having upon one occasion proposed the marechal duc de Richelieu, he very narrowly escaped having his face scratched by M. d'Aiguillon, who cared very little for his dear uncle; but I have unintentionally wandered from the thread of my narrative; I will therefore resume it at once.
I had hoped that the king would this night have retired to his own apartment, and that I should have been enabled to hold a secret council with M. de Maupeou, and the ducs de la Vrilliere and d'Aiguillon; but no such thing. Imagining, no doubt, that Ishould be kept awake by my fear of ghosts, his majesty insisted upon remaining with me, and I was compelled to acquiesce. He passed a very agitated night, much more occupied with the des Choiseuls than me; he could think of nothing, speak of nothing, but the sensation which their disgrace would produce; he seemed to dread his family, the nobility, the nation, Europe, and the whole world. I strove to re-assure him, and to inspire him with fresh courage; and, when he quitted me in the morning, I felt convinced that he would not again alter his determination.
As soon as Louis XV had left me, Comte Jean entered. Although concealed behind the curtain, and apparently not on the best terms with me, my brother-in-law nevertheless directed my actions, and gave me most excellent advice. It was not long ere the duc d'Aiguillon arrived; he had seen M. de Maupeou during the night, and learned from him the exile of the late minister, but beyond that fact he knew nothing. He inquired of me, with much uneasiness, whether anything had been decided in his behalf. I replied, that the king was as yet undecided in his choice of ministers, but that, if the duc d'Aiguillon came into office, he would, in all probability, be nominated to the administration of foreign affairs:
the direction of the war-office had been my noble friend's ardent desire.