of her debts.  She gave him the seals, and he retained the first place in her regard till the attempt to assassinate the King.  Many people said that his conduct on that occasion was not attributable to bad intentions; that he thought it his duty to obey the King without making himself in any way a party to the affair, and that his cold manners gave him the appearance of an indifference which he did not feel.  Madame de Pompadour regarded him in the light of a faithless friend; and, perhaps, there was some justice on both sides.  But for the Abbe de Bernis, M. de Machault might, probably, have retained his place.

The second Minister, whom Madame de Pompadour liked, was the Abbe de Bernis.  She was soon disgusted with him when she saw the absurdity of his conduct.  He gave a singular specimen of this on the very day of his dismissal.  He had invited a great many people of distinction to a splendid entertainment, which was to have taken place on the very day when he received his order of banishment, and had written in the notes of invitation—­M.  Le Comte de Lusace will be there.  This Count was the brother of the Dauphine, and this mention of him was deservedly thought impertinent.  The King said, wittily enough, “Lambert and Moliere will be there.”  She scarcely ever spoke of the Cardinal de Bernis after his dismissal from the Court.

He was extremely ridiculous, but he was a good sort of man.  Madame, the Infanta, died a little time before, and, by the way, of such a complication of putrid and malignant diseases, that the Capuchins who bore the body, and the men who committed it to the grave, were overcome by the effluvia.  Her papers appeared no less impure in the eyes of the King.  He discovered that the Abbe de Bernis had been intriguing with her, and that they had deceived him, and had obtained the Cardinal’s hat by making use of his name.  The King was so indignant that he was very near refusing him the barrette.  He did grant it—­but just as he would have thrown a bone to a dog.  The Abbe had always the air of a protege when he was in the company of Madame de Pompadour.  She had known him in positive distress.  The Duc de Choiseul was very differently situated; his birth, his air, his manners, gave him claims to consideration, and he far exceeded every other man in the art of ingratiating himself with Madame de Pompadour.  She looked upon him as one of the most illustrious nobles of the Court, as the most able Minister, and the most agreeable man.  M. de Choiseul had a sister and a wife, whom he had introduced to her, and who sedulously cultivated her favourable sentiments towards him.  From the time he was Minister, she saw only with his eyes; he had the talent of amusing her, and his manners to women, generally, were extremely agreeable.