Some time after, this relation of mine was at my house.  Colin, who knew her, though she did not know him, came in.  He said to me, “Do you know that the Prince de Chimay has made a violent attack upon the Chevalier d’Henin for being equerry to the Marquise.”  At these words, my cousin looked very much astonished, and said, “Was he not right?” “I don’t mean to enter into that question,” said Colin—­“but only to repeat his words, which were these:  ’If you were only a man of moderately good family and poor, I should not blame you, knowing, as I do, that there are hundreds such, who would quarrel for your place, as young ladies of family would, to be about your mistress.  But, recollect, that your relations are princes of the Empire, and that you bear their name.’” “What, sir,” said my relation, “the Marquise’s equerry of a princely house?” “Of the house of Chimay,” said he; “they take the name of Alsace”—­witness the Cardinal of that name.  Colin went out delighted at what he had said.

“I cannot get over my surprise at what I have heard,” said my relation.  “It is, nevertheless, very true,” replied I; “you may see the Chevalier d’Henin (that is the family name of the Princes de Chimay), with the cloak of Madame upon his arm, and walking alongside her sedan-chair, in order that he may be ready, on her getting in, to cover her shoulders with her cloak, and then remain in the antechamber, if there is no other room, till her return.”

From that time, my cousin let me alone; nay, she even applied to me to get a company of horse for her husband, who was very loath to come and thank me.  His wife wished him to thank Madame de Pompadour; but the fear he had lest she should tell him, that it was in consideration of his relationship to her waiting-woman that he commanded fifty horse, prevented him.  It was, however, a most surprising thing that a man belonging to the house of Chimay should be in the service of any lady whatever; and the commander of Alsace returned from Malta on purpose to get him out of Madame de Pompadour’s household.  He got him a pension of a hundred louis from his family, and the Marquise gave him a company of horse.  The Chevalier d’Henin had been page to the Marechal de Luxembourg, and one can hardly imagine how he could have put his relation in such a situation; for, generally speaking, all great houses keep up the consequence of their members.  M. de Machault, the Keeper of the Seals, had, at the same time, as equerry, a Knight of St. Louis, and a man of family—­the Chevalier de Peribuse—­who carried his portfolio, and walked by the side of the chair.