true that he soon after discovered how ridiculous she was.  All these circumstances combined were, surely, sufficient to deter Madame from engaging in a love affair with the Duke; but his talents and agreeable qualities captivated her.  He was not handsome, but he had manners peculiar to himself, an agreeable vivacity, a delightful gaiety; this was the general opinion of his character.  He was much attached to Madame, and though this might, at first, be inspired by a consciousness of the importance of her friendship to his interest, yet, after he had acquired sufficient political strength to stand alone, he was not the less devoted to her, nor less assiduous in his attentions.  He knew her friendship for me, and he one day said to me, with great feeling, “I am afraid, my dear Madame du Hausset, that she will sink into a state of complete dejection, and die of melancholy.  Try to divert her.”  What a fate for the favourite of the greatest monarch in existence! thought I.

One day, Madame de Pompadour had retired to her closet with M. Berryer.  Madame d’Amblimont stayed with Madame de Gontaut, who called me to talk about my son.  A moment after, M. de Gontaut came in and said, “D’Amblimont, who shall have the Swiss guards?” “Stop a moment,” said she; “let me call my council——­, M. de Choiseul.”  “That is not so very bad a thought,” said M. de Gontaut, “but I assure you, you are the first person who has suggested it.”  He immediately left us, and Madame d’Amblimont said, “I’ll lay a wager he is going to communicate my idea to M. de Choiseul.”  He returned very shortly, and, M. Berryer having left the room, he said to Madame de Pompadour, “A singular thought has entered d’Amblimont’s head.”  “What absurdity now?” said Madame.  “Not so great an absurdity neither,” said he.  “She says the Swiss guards ought to be given to M. de Choiseul, and, really, if the King has not positively promised M. de Soubise, I don’t see what he can do better.”  “The King has promised nothing,” said Madame, “and the hopes I gave him were of the vaguest kind.  I only told him it was possible.  But though I have a great regard for M. de Soubise, I do not think his merits comparable to those of M. de Choiseul.”  When the King came in, Madame, doubtless, told him of this suggestion.  A quarter of an hour afterwards, I went into the room to speak to her, and I heard the King say, “You will see that, because the Duc du Maine, and his children, had that place, he will think he ought to have it, on account of his rank as Prince (Soubise); but the Marechal de Bassompierre was not a Prince; and, by the bye, the Duc de Choiseul is for him to be.  Her name was Romans.  She was Majesty is better acquainted with the history of France than anybody,” replied Madame.  Two days after this, Madame de ——­ said to me, “I have two great delights; M. de Soubise will not have the Swiss guards, and Madame de Marsan will be ready to burst with rage at it; this is the first:  and M. de Choiseul will have them; this is the greatest.”