Another adventure, which succeeded this, threw some light upon the state of affairs.  Going to Versailles, one day, La Vauguyon met a groom of the Prince de Conde leading a saddled horse, he stopped the man, descended from his coach, asked whom the horse belonged to, said that the Prince would not object to his riding it, and leaping upon the animal’s back, galloped off.  The groom, all amazed, followed him.  La Vauguyon rode on until he reached the Bastille, descended there, gave a gratuity to the man, and dismissed him:  he then went straight to the governor of the prison, said he had had the misfortune to displease the King, and begged to be confined there.  The governor, having no orders to do so, refused; and sent off an express for instructions how to act.  In reply he was told not to receive La Vauguyon, whom at last, after great difficulty, he prevailed upon to go away.  This occurrence made great noise.  Yet even afterwards the King continued to receive La Vauguyon at the Court, and to affect to treat him well, although everybody else avoided him and was afraid of him.  His poor wife became so affected by these public derangements, that she retired from Paris, and shortly afterwards died.  This completed her husband’s madness; he survived her only a month, dying by his own hand, as I have mentioned.  During the last two years of his life he carried pistols in his carriage, and frequently pointed them at his coachman and postilion.  It is certain that without the assistance of M. de Beauvais he would often have been brought to the last extremities.  Beauvais frequently spoke of him to the King; and it is inconceivable that having raised this man to such a point; and having always shown him particular kindness, his Majesty should perseveringly have left him to die of hunger and become mad from misery.

The year finished without any remarkable occurrence.

My mother; who had been much disquieted for me during the campaign, desired strongly that I should not make another without being married.  Although very young, I had no repugnance to marry, but wished to do so according to my own inclinations.  With a large establishment I felt very lonely in a country where credit and consideration do more than all the rest.  Without uncle, aunt, cousins-German, or near relatives, I found myself, I say, extremely solitary.

Among my best friends, as he had been the friend of my father; was the Duc de Beauvilliers.  He had always shown me much affection, and I felt a great desire to unite myself to his family:  My mother approved of my inclination, and gave me an exact account of my estates and possessions.  I carried it to Versailles, and sought a private interview with M. de Beauvilliers.  At eight o’clock the same evening he received me alone in the cabinet of Madame de Beauvilliers.  After making my compliments to him, I told him my wish, showed him the state of my affairs, and said that all I demanded of him was one of his daughters in marriage, and that whatever contract he thought fit to draw up would be signed by my mother and myself without examination.