" He said I was right, made his arrangements in consequence,
and shook off all restraint, so that I saw no more of him except in
company with our common friends.
Our chief rendezvous, before he was connected with Madam d'Epinay as
he afterwards became, was at the house of Baron d'Holbach. This said
baron was the son of a man who had raised himself from obscurity.
His fortune was considerable, and he used it nobly, receiving at his
house men of letters and merit: and, by the knowledge he himself had
acquired, was very worthy of holding a place amongst them. Having been
long attached to Diderot, he endeavored to become acquainted with me
by his means, even before my name was known to the world. A natural
repugnancy prevented me a long time from answering his advances. One
day, when he asked me the reason of my unwillingness, I told him he
was too rich. He was, however, resolved to carry his point, and at
length succeeded. My greatest misfortune proceeded from my being
unable to resist the force of marked attention. I have ever had reason
to repent of having yielded to it.
Another acquaintance which, as soon as I had any pretensions to
it, was converted into friendship, was that of M. Duclos. I had
several years before seen him, for the first time, at the Chevrette,
at the house of Madam d'Epinay, with whom he was upon very good terms.
On that day we only dined together, and he returned to town in the
afternoon. But we had a conversation of a few moments after dinner.
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