One evening, towards midnight, a bat flew into the apartment where the Court was; the King immediately cried out, “Where is General Crillon?” (He had just left the room.) “He is the General to command against the bats.”  This set everybody calling out, “Ou etais tu, Crillon?” M. de Crillon soon after came in, and was told where the enemy was.  He immediately threw off his coat, drew his sword, and commenced an attack upon the bat, which flew into the closet where I was fast asleep.  I started out of sleep at the noise, and saw the King and all the company around me.  This furnished amusement for the rest of the evening.  M. de Crillon was a very excellent and agreeable man, but he had the fault of indulging in buffooneries of this kind, which, however, were the result of his natural gaiety, and not of any subserviency of character.  Such, however, was not the case with another exalted nobleman, a Knight of the Golden Fleece, whom Madame saw one day shaking hands with her valet de chambre.  As he was one of the vainest men at Court, Madame could not refrain from telling the circumstance to the King; and, as he had no employment at Court, the King scarcely ever after named him on the Supper List.

I had a cousin at Saint Cyr, who was married.  She was greatly distressed at having a relation waiting woman to Madame de Pompadour, and often treated me in the most mortifying manner.  Madame knew this from Colin, her steward, and spoke of it to the King.  “I am not surprised at it,” said he; “this is a specimen of the silly women of Saint Cyr.  Madame de Maintenon had excellent intentions, but she made a great mistake.  These girls are brought up in such a manner, that, unless they are all made ladies of the palace, they are unhappy and impertinent.”

Some time after, this relation of mine was at my house.  Colin, who knew her, though she did not know him, came in.  He said to me, “Do you know that the Prince de Chimay has made a violent attack upon the Chevalier d’Henin for being equerry to the Marquise.”  At these words, my cousin looked very much astonished, and said, “Was he not right?”—­“I don’t mean to enter into that question,” said Colin—­“but only to repeat his words, which were these:  ’If you were only a man of moderately good family and poor, I should not blame you, knowing, as I do, that there are hundreds such, who would quarrel for your place, as young ladies of family would, to be about your mistress.  But, recollect, that your relations are princes of the Empire, and that you bear their name.”—­“What, sir,” said my relation, “the Marquise’s equerry of a princely house?”—­“Of the house of Chimay,” said he; “they take the name of Alsace “—­witness the Cardinal of that name.  Colin went out delighted at what he had said.

“I cannot get over my surprise at what I have heard,” said my relation.  “It is, nevertheless, very true,” replied I; “you may see the Chevalier d’Henin (that is the family name of the Princes de Chimay), with the cloak of Madame upon his arm, and walking alongside her sedan-chair, in order that he may be ready, on her getting in, to cover her shoulders with her cloak, and then remain in the antechamber, if there is no other room, till her return.”