Whilst I spoke, the Cardinal pricked up his ears, turned his eyes upon me, sucked in all my words, and changed colour like a man who hears his doom pronounced.  My opinion relieved him as much as the rage with which he was filled permitted.  M. le Duc d’Orleans approved what I had just said, and the Cardinal, casting a glance upon me as of thanks, said he was the master, and must choose, but that he must choose at once, because things could not remain as they were.  Finally, it was agreed that the rest of the day (it was now about twelve) and the following morning should be given to reflection upon the matter, and that the next day, at three o’clock in the afternoon, I should meet M. le Duc d’Orleans.

The next day accordingly I went to M. le Prince, whom I found with the Cardinal Dubois.  M. le Duc entered a moment after, quite full of the adventure.  Cardinal Dubois did not fail, though, to give him an abridged recital of it, loaded with comments and reflections.  He was more his own master than on the preceding day, having had time to recover himself, we cherishing hopes that the Marechal would be sent to the right about.  It was here that I heard of the brag of the Marechal de Villeroy concerning the struggle he had had with Dubois, and of the challenges and insults he had uttered with a confidence which rendered his arrest more and more necessary.

After we had chatted awhile, standing, Dubois went away.  M. le Duc d’Orleans sat down at his bureau, and M. le Duc and I sat in front of him.  There we deliberated upon what ought to be done.  After a few words of explanation from the Regent, he called upon me to give my opinion.  I did so as briefly as possible, repeating what I had said on the previous day.  M. le Duc d’Orleans, during my short speech, was very attentive, but with the countenance of a man much embarrassed.

As soon as I had finished, he asked M. le Duc what he thought.  M. le Duc said his opinion was mine, and that if the Marechal de Villeroy remained in his office there was nothing for it but to put the key outside the door; that was his expression.  He reproduced some of the principal reasons I had alleged, supported them, and concluded by saying there was not a moment to lose.  M. le Duc d’Orleans summed up a part of what had been said, and agreed that the Marechal de Villeroy must be got rid of.  M. le Duc again remarked that it must be done at once.  Then we set about thinking how we could do it.

M. le Duc d’Orleans asked me my advice thereon.  I said there were two things to discuss, the pretext and the execution.  That a pretext was necessary, such as would convince the impartial, and be unopposed even by the friends of the Marechal de Villeroy; that above all things we had to take care to give no one ground for believing that the disgrace of Villeroy was the fruit of the insults he had heaped upon Cardinal Dubois; that outrageous as those insults might be,