the greatest attentions?” “I do not know,” said I.  “Why,” said he, “it is M. de Monmartel, who comes four or five times a year.”  “Why does he enjoy so much consideration?” “Because his coffers are full of the powder of prelinpinpin.  Everything in existence,” said he, taking a handful of louis from his pocket, “is contained in these little pieces of metal, which will convey you commodiously from one end of the world to the other.  All men obey those who possess this powder, and eagerly tender them their services.  To despise money, is to despise happiness, liberty, in short, enjoyments of every kind.”  A cordon bleu passed under the window.  “That nobleman,” said I, “is much more delighted with his cordon bleu than he would be with ten thousand of your pieces of metal.”  “When I ask the King for a pension,” replied Quesnay, “I say to him, ’Give me the means of having a better dinner, a warmer coat, a carriage to shelter me from the weather, and to transport me from place to place without fatigue.’  But the man who asks him for that fine blue ribbon would say, if he had the courage and the honesty to speak as he feels, ’I am vain, and it will give me great satisfaction to see people look at me, as I pass, with an eye of stupid admiration, and make way for me; I wish, when I enter a room, to produce an effect, and to excite the attention of those who may, perhaps, laugh at me when I am gone; I wish to be called Monseigneur by the multitude.’  Is not all this mere empty air?  In scarcely any country will this ribbon be of the slightest use to him; it will give him no power.  My pieces of metal will give me the power of assisting the unfortunate everywhere.  Long live the omnipotent powder of prelinpinpin!” At these last words, we heard a burst of laughter from the adjoining room, which was only separated by a door from the one we were in.  The door opened, and in came the King, Madame de Pompadour, and M. de Gontaut.  “Long live the powder of prelinpinpin!” said the King.  “Doctor, can you get me any of it?” It happened that, when the King returned from his walk, he was struck with a fancy to listen to our conversation.  Madame de Pompadour was extremely kind to the Doctor, and the King went out laughing, and talking with great admiration of the powder.  I went away, and so did the Doctor.  I immediately sat down to commit this conversation to writing.  I was afterwards told that M. Quesnay was very learned in certain matters relating to finance, and that he was a great economiste.  But I do not know very well what that means.  What I do know for certain is, that he was very clever, very gay and witty, and a very able physician.

[Illustration:  Madame de Pompadour learns of the likelihood of her success in meeting her admirer, the King. From the painting by Casanova y Estorach.]