The Duc de Gontaut was the brother-in-law and friend of M. de Choiseul, and was assiduous in his attendance on Madame de Pompadour.  The sister of M. de Choiseul, Madame de Grammont, and his wife were equally constant in their attentions.  This will sufficiently account for the ascendency of M. de Choiseul, whom nobody would have ventured to attack.  Chance, however, discovered to me a secret correspondence of the King, with a man in a very obscure station.  This man, who had a place in the Farmers General, of from two to three hundred a year, was related to one of the young ladies of the Parc-aux-cerfs, by whom he was recommended to the King.  He was also connected in some way with M. de Broglie, in whom the King placed great confidence.  Wearied with finding that this correspondence procured him no advancement, he took the resolution of writing to me, and requesting an interview, which I granted, after acquainting Madame de Pompadour with the circumstance.  After a great deal of preamble and of flattery, he said to me, “Can you give me your word of honour, and that of Madame de Pompadour, that no mention whatever of what I am going to tell you will be made to the King?”—­“I think I can assure you that, if you require such a promise from Madame de Pompadour, and if it can produce no ill consequence to the King’s service, she will give it you.”  He gave me his word that what he requested would have no bad effect; upon which I listened to what he had to say.  He shewed me several memorials, containing accusations of M. de Choiseul, and revealed some curious circumstances relative to the secret functions of the Comte de Broglie.  These, however, led rather to conjectures than to certainty, as to the nature of the services he rendered to the King.  Lastly, he shewed me several letters in the King’s handwriting.  “I request,” said he, “that the Marquise de Pompadour will procure for me the place of Receiver-General of Finances; I will give her information of whatever I send the King; I will write according to her instructions, and I will send her his answers.”  As I did not choose to take liberties with the King’s papers, I only undertook to deliver the memorials.  Madame de Pompadour having given me her word according to the conditions on which I had received the communication, I revealed to her everything I had heard.  She sent the memorials to M. de Choiseul, who thought them very maliciously and very cleverly written.  Madame de Pompadour and he had a long conference as to the reply that was to be given to the person by whom those disclosures were made.  What I was commissioned to say was this:  that the place of Receiver-General was at present too important, and would occasion too much surprise and speculation; that it would not do to go beyond a place worth fifteen thousand to twenty thousand francs a year; that they had no desire to pry into the King’s secrets; and that his correspondence ought not to be communicated to any one; that this did not apply to papers like