desired to be; persuaded that nothing degrades
us but our own actions. This first
proof convinced me that we yield to temptation
less in consequence of the force of
necessity, than by our own weakness."

She was received temporarily in a convent
at Paris, where a sister—who is only casually
named, no account of her having been given
before—came to see her. This sister was an
attendant on the Duchesse de la Forté, and
obtained for her the means of support:—"My
sister told me that she had mentioned to her
mistress, as they were in her carriage going
to Versailles, that I had been singularly well
educated in a convent in the country, and
had recounted to her all my extraordinary
knowledge and acquirements. There was
no science which she did not assert that
I was acquainted with; and, being herself
entirely ignorant, the terms she gave to those
sciences and accomplishments were somewhat
original, and would have startled a
lady more instructed than the Duchess:
who, not knowing a bit better than my
sister, took all for granted, and jumped at
once to the conclusion that I must be a
prodigy. On arriving at Versailles the
Duchess made me the subject of her conversation
with the ladies of the Court, glad, probably,
of a new object. My sister sent for
me, representing that it had become my duty
to thank the Duchess for all the fine things
she had said of me. I had no dress in which
to present myself before so great a lady; but
was able to borrow one of a boarder in the
convent, who consented to lend it me for a
couple of hours; and, after it had been properly
adjusted by my sister, I set off with
her on my expedition. We arrived in time
for the hour when the Duchess rose in the
morning. She was delighted to see me, and
declared I was charming; for she was prepared
beforehand to think me so. After
having asked me a few common-place
questions— to which I gave as common-place
replies— she exclaimed, 'Really and truly, she
speaks admirably! How fortunate! She is
come just in time to write a letter for me to
M. Desmarest, which he must get immediately.
Sit down, child,' she continued.
' You shall have some pens and paper. All
you have to do is to write.'

"'But on what subject?' I asked, quite
confused.

'"Oh,' she replied, 'you can turn the
phrases as you like; I want him to grant me
a favour, so be sure it is well expressed.'

"'But I must first know what favour it is
that you desire to ask of M. Desmarest,' I
ventured to remark.

"'Nonsense,' she said, 'you will soon understand.
I am going to tell you.'

"I understood nothing; but, finding I must
make an effort, I sat down and, from the disjointed
words and interrupted remarks the
Duchess made while she went on with her
toilet, I contrived to make out pretty well
what she wished to ask for. But, as I had
not the least idea how to address persons of
consequence, and saw plainly that she would
confound a fault of ignorance with one of
stupidity, I was, in fact, in the utmost perplexity.
I went on at hazard, and at last
gave her my composition, trembling for its
success.

"'Well, to be sure!' cried she , 'how
strange that you should have so exactly
caught my ideas; it is perfectly admirable,
and I could not have expressed it better.
Henrietta, your sister is amazing! Now,
since she does it so well, she must write me
another letter for my man of business while I
finish dressing.'

"There was no occasion to ask her the
subject this time; for she poured forth such a
torrent of words that I found it impossible to
follow her, and was even more embarrassed
than on my first trial. She named her
steward and her two lawyers frequently; but
as both these gentlemen were equally unknown
to me, I mistook their respective
names. When the Duchess read the letter
she expressed herself perfectly satisfied with
my manner of explaining the business: 'But,'
she exclaimed, 'I am amazed how a person
so clever as you are should make such a
jumble as you have made of these two
names.'

"She had evidently discovered the extent of
my capacity; but, nevertheless, she did not
withdraw her countenance from me. She
was going to Versailles; I followed her to
her carriage, and she had already got in as
well as my sister who accompanied her, the
door was about to be shut and I began to
breathe, when, all of a sudden, she exclaimed
to my sister: 'After all, I am thinking that
I had better take her with me. Come in,
come in, child,' she continued. 'I shall show
you to Madame de Ventadour.'

"I was petrified at this proposal; and
above all, my heart sunk within me when
I recollected the dress I had on; borrowed
for a couple of hours; but in which I
seemed destined to make the tour of the
globe.

"There was nothing now left for me but to
obey, and I had not then begun to oppose
my will to that of others. With spirits
oppressed, and a beating heart, I took my
seat in the carriage, and we drove off. On
the road she asked me numerous questions,
without waiting for replies, and at last she
said: 'No doubt, since you know so many
things you know how to draw horoscopes;
there is nothing in the world I like so much!'

"I was obliged to confess that I was entirely
ignorant of that science. She appeared
astonished.

"'What was the use,' she remarked, 'of
learning so much that is useless, and how
you to neglect this?' She then fell
into a rapid eulogy of the sciences of astrology,
chiromancy, and geomancy; told me all the