On the next day, Friday, the 3rd of January, I saw M. d’Orleans as he preceded the King to mass, and in my impatience I approached him, and speaking in a low tone, asked him if he had seen “that woman.”  I did not dare to mention names just then.  He replied “yes,” but in so lackadaisical a tone that I feared he had seen her to effect, and I asked him if he had spoken to her.  Upon receiving another “yes,” like the other, my emotion redoubled.  “But have you told her all?” I said.  “Yes,” he replied,” I have told her all.”—­” And are you content?” said I.”  Nobody could be more so,” he replied; “I was nearly an hour with her, she was very much surprised and ravished.”

I saw M. d’Orleans under better circumstances at another period of the day, and then I learnt from him that since meeting me he had spoken to the King also, and told him all.  “Ah, Monsieur,” cried I with transport, “how I love you!” and advancing warmly toward him, I added, “How glad I am to see you at last delivered; how did you bring this to pass?”—­ “I mistrusted myself so much,” replied he, “and was so violently agitated after speaking to Madame de Maintenon, that I feared to run the risk of pausing all the morning; so, immediately after mass I spoke to the King, and—­” here, overcome by his grief, his voice faltered, and he burst into sighs, into tears, and into sobs.  I retired into a corner.  A moment after Besons entered:  the spectacle and the profound silence astonished him.  He lowered his eyes, and advanced but little.  At last we gently approached each other.  I told him that M. d’Orleans had conquered himself, and had spoken to the King.  The Marechal was so bewildered with surprise and joy that he remained for some moments speechless and motionless:  then running towards M. d’Orleans, he thanked him, felicitated him, and wept for very joy.  M. d’Orleans was cruelly agitated, now maintaining a ferocious silence, and now bursting into a torrent of sighs, sobs, and tears.  He said at last that Madame de Maintenon had been extremely surprised with the resolution he had taken, and at the same time delighted.  She assured him that it would put him on better terms than ever with the King, and that Madame d’Argenton should be treated with every consideration.  I pressed M. d’Orleans to let us know how the King had received him.  He replied that the King had appeared very much surprised, but had spoken coldly.  I comforted him for this disappointment by assuring him that the King’s coldness arose only from his astonishment, and that in the end all would be well.

It would be impossible to describe the joy felt by Besons and myself at seeing our labours brought to this satisfactory point.  I knew I should make many enemies when the part I had taken in influencing M. d’Orleans to give up Madame d’Argenton came to be known, as it necessarily would; but I felt I had done rightly, and left the consequences to Providence.  Madame la Duchesse d’Orleans showed me the utmost