Sometime after my return to Mont-Louis, La Tour, the painter, came
to see me, and brought with him my portrait in crayons, which a few
years before he had exhibited at the saloon. He wished to give me this
portrait, which I did not choose to accept. But Madam d'Epinay, who
had given me hers, and would have had this, prevailed upon me to ask
him for it. He had taken some time to retouch the features. In the
interval happened my rupture with Madam d'Epinay; I returned her her
portrait; and giving her mine being no longer in question, I put it
into my chamber, in the castle. M. de Luxembourg saw it there, and
found it a good one; I offered it him, he accepted it, and I sent it
to the castle He and his lady comprehended I should be very. glad to
have theirs. They had them taken in miniature by a very skillful hand,
set in a box of rock crystal, mounted with gold, and in a very
handsome manner, with which I was delighted, made me a present of
both. Madam de Luxembourg would never consent that her portrait should
be on the upper part of the box. She had reproached me several times
with loving M. de Luxembourg better than I did her; I had not denied
it because it was true. By this manner of placing her portrait she
showed very politely, but very clearly, she had not forgotten the
preference.
Much about this time I was guilty of a folly which did not
contribute to preserve to me her good graces. Although I had no
knowledge of M. de Silhouette, and was not much disposed to like
him, I had a great opinion of his administration.
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