Page:Letters of Mlle. de Lespinasse.djvu/43

28 which. I must explain myself to you. The slightest artifice, even the most trifling little art, in your conduct would be intolerable to me."

That art, that artifice. Mile, de Lespinasse was guilty of in the eyes of her protectress — let us use the true word, mis- tress — on the day when she received in her own little room, privately and, as it were, secretly, the most illustrious friends of the marquise, Turgot, Marmontel, d'Alembert, — d'Alem- bert of all others ! the favourite of Mme. du Deffand ! When the latter, who slept till evening wearied with her late hours, discovered this fact her anger broke forth into violent re- proaches. " It was nothing less to her mind," says Marmon- tel, " than treachery ; she uttered loud outcries, accusing the poor girl of stealing her friends, and declaring she would no longer warm that serpent in her bosom."

This abrupt separation left Mile, de Lespinasse without resources, reduced to the paltry income of a hundred crowns which her mother had left her in her will. But she had friends, and they did not fail her. Not only did d'Alembert (whom Mme. du Deffand compelled to choose between her- self and Mile, de Lespinasse) not hesitate to boldly take the part of the latter, not only did all those who might be called her intimates — Turgot, Chastellux, Marmontel, the Comte d'Anldzy, the Duchesse de Chatillon — stand by her, without at the same time breaking wholly with her rival, but the special friends of Mme. du Deffand, those who remained with her to the last, did not refrain from giving to Mile, de Lespinasse the most touching and practical marks of inter- est. It was felt, moreover, that she was already a power, and society desired not to quarrel with a rising sovereign.

" All the friends of Mme. du Deffand," says Marmontel, " became hers. It was easy to convince them that the anger of the former was unjust. President H^nault himself de-