M. d’Orleans for some little time had continually represented to me, how desirous one of his acquaintances was to secure my friendship.  This acquaintance was Maisons, president in the parliament, grandson of that superintendent of the finances who built the superb chateau of Maisons, and son of the man who had presided so unworthily at the judgment of our trial with M. de Luxembourg, which I have related in its place.  Maisons was a person of much ambition, exceedingly anxious to make a name, gracious and flattering in manners to gain his ends, and amazingly fond of grand society.

The position of Maisons, where he lived, close to Marly, afforded him many opportunities of drawing there the principal people of the Court.  It became quite the fashion to go from Marly to his chateau.  The King grew accustomed to hear the place spoken of, and was in no way displeased.  Maisons had managed to become very intimate with M. le Duc and M. le Prince de Conti.  These two princes being dead, he turned his thoughts towards M, d’Orleans.  He addressed himself to Canillac, who had always been an intimate friend of M. d’Orleans, and by him soon gained the intimacy of that prince.  But he was not yet satisfied.  He wished to circumvent M. d’Orleans more completely than he could by means of Canillac.  He cast his eye, therefore, upon me.  I think he was afraid of me on account of what I have related concerning his father.  He had an only son about the same age as my children.  For a long time he had made all kinds of advances, and visited them often.  The son’s intimacy did not, however, assist the father; so that at last Maisons made M. le Duc d’Orleans speak to me himself.

I was cold; tried to get out of the matter with compliments and excuses.  M. d’Orleans, who believed he had found a treasure in his new acquaintance, returned to the charge; but I was not more docile.  A few days after, I was surprised by an attack of the same kind from M. de Beauvilliers.  How or when he had formed an intimacy with Maisons, I have never been able to unravel; but formed it, he had; and he importuned me so much, nay exerted his authority over me, that at last I found I must give way.  Not to offend M. d’Orleans by yielding to another after having refused to yield to him, I waited until he should again speak to me on the subject, so that he might give himself the credit of vanquishing me.  I did not wait long.  The Prince attacked me anew, maintained that nothing would be more useful to him than an intimacy between myself and Maisons, who scarcely dared to see him, except in secret, and with whom he had not the same leisure or liberty for discussing many things that might present themselves.  I had replied to all this before; but as I had resolved to surrender to the Prince (after the authority of the Duc de Beauvilliers had vanquished me), I complied with his wish.