“Sir:  I did not receive your letter of the 17th of December until yesterday.  It was sent me in a box filled with different things, and which has been all this time upon the road.  I shall answer only the postscript.  You may recollect, sir, that we agreed the wages of the gardener of the Hermitage should pass through your hands, the better to make him feel that he depended upon you, and to avoid the ridiculous and indecent scenes which happened in the time of his predecessor.  As a proof of this, the first quarter of his wages were given to you, and a few days before my departure we agreed I should reimburse you what you had advanced.  I know that of this you, at first, made some difficulty; but I had desired you to make these advances; it was natural I should acquit myself towards you, and this we concluded upon.  Cahouet informs me that you refused to receive the money.  There is certainly some mistake in the matter.  I have given orders that it may again be offered to you, and I see no reason for your wishing to pay my gardener, notwithstanding our conventions, and beyond the term even of your inhabiting the Hermitage.  I therefore expect, sir, that recollecting everything I have the honor to state, you will not refuse to be reimbursed for the sums you have been pleased to advance for me.”

After what had passed, not having the least confidence in Madam d’ Epinay, I was unwilling to renew my connection with her; I returned no answer to this letter, and there our correspondence ended.  Perceiving I had taken my resolution, she took hers; and, entering into all the views of Grimm and the Coterie Holbachique, she united her efforts with theirs to accomplish my destruction.  Whilst they manoevured at Paris, she did the same at Geneva.  Grimm, who afterwards went to her there, completed what she had begun.  Tronchin, whom they had no difficulty in gaining over, seconded them powerfully, and became the most violent of my persecutors, without having against me, any more than Grimm had, the least subject of complaint.  They all three spread in silence that of which the effects were seen there four years afterwards.

They had more trouble at Paris, where I was better known to the citizens, whose hearts, less disposed to hatred, less easily received its impressions.  The better to direct their blow, they began by giving out that it was I who had left them.  Thence, still feigning to be my friends, they dexterously spread their malignant accusations by complaining of the injustice of their friend.  Their auditors, thus thrown off their guard, listened more attentively to what was said of me, and were inclined to blame my conduct.  The secret accusations of perfidy and ingratitude were made with greater precaution, and by that means with greater effect.  I knew they imputed to me the most atrocious crimes without being able to learn in what these consisted.  All I could infer from public rumor was that this was founded upon the four following capital offences:  my retiring to the country; my passion for Madam d’Houdetot; my refusing to accompany Madam d’Epinay to Geneva, and my leaving the Hermitage.  If to these they added other griefs, they took their measures so well that it has hitherto been impossible for me to learn the subject of them.