I, one day, found Quesnay in great distress.  “Mirabeau,” said he, “is sent to Vincennes, for his work on taxation.  The Farmers General have denounced him, and procured his arrest; his wife is going to throw herself at the feet of Madame de Pompadour to-day.”  A few minutes afterwards, I went into Madame’s apartment, to assist at her toilet, and the Doctor came in.  Madame said to him, “You must be much concerned at the disgrace of your friend Mirabeau.  I am sorry for it too, for I like his brother.”  Quesnay replied, “I am very far from believing him to be actuated by bad intentions, Madame; he loves the King and the people.”  “Yes,” said she; “his ‘Ami des Hommes’ did him great honour.”  At this moment the Lieutenant of Police entered, and Madame said to him, “Have you seen M. de Mirabeau’s book?”—­“Yes, Madame; but it was not I who denounced it?”—­“What do you think of it?”—­“I think he might have said almost all it contains with impunity, if he had been more circumspect as to the manner; there is, among other objectionable passages, this, which occurs at the beginning:  Your Majesty has about twenty millions of subjects; it is only by means of money that you can obtain their services, and there is no money.”—­“What, is there really that, Doctor?” said Madame.  “It is true, they are the first lines in the book, and I confess that they are imprudent; but, in reading the work, it is clear that he laments that patriotism is extinct in the hearts of his fellow-citizens, and that he desires to rekindle it.”  The King entered:  we went out, and I wrote down on Quesnay’s table what I had just heard.  I them returned to finish dressing Madame de Pompadour:  she said to me, “The King is extremely angry with Mirabeau; but I tried to soften him, and so did the Lieutenant of Police.  This will increase Quesnay’s fears.  Do you know what he said to me to-day?  The King had been talking to him in my room, and the Doctor appeared timid and agitated.  After the King was gone, I said to him, ’You always seem so embarrassed in the King’s presence, and yet he is so good-natured.’—­’I Madame,’ said he, ’I left my native village at the age of forty, and I have very little experience of the world, nor can I accustom myself to its usages without great difficulty.  When I am in a room with the King, I say to myself, This is a man who can order my head to be cut off; and that idea embarrasses me.’—­’But do not the King’s justice and kindness set you at ease?’—­’That is very true in reasoning,’ said he; ’but the sentiment is more prompt, and inspires me with fear before I have time to say to myself all that is calculated to allay it.’”

I got her to repeat this conversation, and wrote it down immediately, that I might not forget it.

An anonymous letter was addressed to the King and Madame de Pompadour; and, as the author was very anxious that it should not miscarry, he sent copies to the Lieutenant of Police, sealed and directed to the King, to Madame de Pompadour, and to M. de Marigny.  This letter produced a strong impression on Madame, and on the King, and still more, I believe, on the Duc de Choiseul, who had received a similar one.  I went on my knees to M. de Marigny, to prevail on him to allow me to copy it, that I might show it to the Doctor.  It is as follows: