A day or two after I learnt from a friend of Madame de Parabere, then the reigning Sultana, but not a faithful one, that M. le Duc d’Orleans had been with her the previous night, and had spoken to her in praise of me, saying he would not go to the ceremony, and that he was very grateful to me for having dissuaded him from going.  La Parabere praised me, admitted I was right, but her conclusion was that he would go.

M. le Duc d’Orleans, surprised, said to her she was then mad.

“Be it so,” replied she, “but you will go.”

“But I tell you I will not go,” he rejoined.

“Yes, yes, I tell you,” said she; “you will go.”

“But,” replied he, “this is admirable.  You say M. de Saint-Simon is quite right, why then should I go?”

“Because I wish it,” said she.

“Very good,” replied he, “and why do you wish I should go—­what madness is this?”

“I wish it because—­,” said she.

“Oh, because,” replied he, “that’s no reason; say why you wish it.”

(After some dispute) “You obstinately desire then to know?  Are you not aware that the Abbe Dubois and I quarreled four days ago, and that we have not yet made it up.  He mixes in everything.  He will know that you have been with me to-night.  If to-morrow you do not go to his consecration, he will not fail to believe it is I who have hindered you; nothing will take this idea out of his head; he will never pardon me; he will undermine in a hundred ways my credit with you, and finish by embroiling us.  But I don’t wish such a thing to happen, and for that reason you must go to his consecration, although M. de Saint-Simon is right.”

Thereupon ensued a feeble debate, then resolution and promise to go, which was very faithfully kept.

As for me I could only deplore the feebleness of the Regent, to whom I never afterwards spoke of this consecration, or he to me; but he was very much ashamed of himself, and much embarrassed with me afterwards.  I do not know whether he carried his weakness so far as to tell Dubois what I had said to hinder him from going to the ceremony or whether the Abbe was told by La Parabere, who thought thus to take credit to herself for having changed the determination of M. le Duc d’Orleans, and to show her credit over him.  But Dubois was perfectly informed of it, and never pardoned me.

The Val de Grace was chosen for the consecration as being a royal monastery, the most magnificent of Paris, and the most singular church.  It was superbly decorated; all France was invited, and nobody dared to stop away or to be out of sight during the whole ceremony.