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to receive a great many bores at the Hôtel de Gesvres, where his niece acted as hostess. Amusing people like the Abbé de Bernis and the Duc de Nivernais, whom she often met, and would have liked to entertain, would not fit in at all with Tournehem’s financial friends.
    The first of these obstacles was soon removed in a very sad way; Madame Poisson was laid low with a cancer. She was forced to give up society and prepare to face an agonizing and lingering death. Madame d’Etioles, on her own, was a highly desirable guest, with her looks and elegance, and possessing as she did that intense love of life, and interest in human beings, which is perhaps the base of what we variously call charm, sex appeal or fascination. She was not only clever and amusing, but modern in her outlook, quite prepared to ‘think philosophically’ and never likely to be shocked even by the most outrageous sallies of the
philosophes
.
    She was soon asked everywhere; her name began to be known at Versailles, where the love of gossip extended to tales about people who would never be seen at Court. Curiously enough it seems to have been the Widow Mailly who first spoke of her there, having met her at a party, and been so carried away by her singing, and playing of the clavichord, that she gave her an enthusiastic hug. The King soon knew her by name; he also knew her by sight; she was a country neighbour. His favourite hunt was in the forest of Sénart where he had a hunting lodge called Choisy, his own little house, altered for him by Gabriel, and which he loved more than any of his palaces, some said more than any of his mistresses. He came here for privacy, bringing with him six women and various men friends, but no spoil-sport husbands; life was so free and easy that the women were allowed to float about without panniers, an unheard-of licence in a gentleman’s house. A mechanical table came up from the kitchen with the food already on it so that there need be no servants in the dining-room; after dinner the King made the coffee himself. Let nobody think, however, that orgies took place; they were not at all to the taste of Louis XV.
    Although the bourgeoisie was never allowed to ride with the King’s hunt, only families noble since 1400 having that privilege, the rule was relaxed in favour of near neighbours, who had permission to follow it in carriages. Madame d’Etioles took full advantage of this opportunity. She drove her own phaeton, knew the forest like the palm of her hand, and was always popping up in the path of the King. Dressed in pink, driving a blue phaeton, or in blue driving a pink one, a vision of prettiness, a skilful, dashing driver, she could hardly have failed to attract his attention. He was too shy to speak to a stranger, but he did sometimes send a present of game to her house. Meanwhile somebody else had noticed her, and with no friendly eye. The Duchesse de Chevreuse, who had known Madame d’Etioles from a child, happened to mention her name in front of the King, whereupon Madame de Châteauroux stepped so hard on her foot that she nearly fainted from the pain. Next day Madame de Châteauroux called on her to apologize, saying: ‘You know they talk of giving that little d’Etioles to the King.’ After this, Madame d’Etioles was warned to keep away from the hunt, and had no choice but to do so; it would have been madness to provoke the enmity of Madame de Châteauroux.
    * * *
    Fate now took a curious turn. Madame de Châteauroux died; the second of the Mailly sisters to be removed from the King by death. As in the case of Madame de Vintimille, he was heartbroken if not inconsolable; this time, however, he did not return to Madame de Mailly. Naturally there was now but one topic of conversation in society, both at Versailles and in Paris; who would be the next mistress? At first it was taken more or less for granted that it would be the fourth Mailly sister, Madame de Lauraguais. The King, sad and out of spirits,