It was decided, that if, at the election of the new Pope, Alberoni were not admitted to take part in the proceedings, he always might protest against them, and declare them irregular.  Therefore he was, as I have said, admitted to the conclave.  He arrived in Rome, without display, in his own coach, and was received in the conclave with the same honours as all the other cardinals, and performed all the duties of his position.

A few days after the election, he absented himself from Rome, as though to see whether proceedings would be continued against him.  But they fell of themselves.  The new Pope had no interest in them.  The cardinals wished only for silence.  Spain felt at last the inutility of her cries.  Dubois was in favour of throwing a veil over his former crimes, so that, after a short absence, Alberoni hired in Rome a magnificent palace, and returned there for good, with the attendance, expense, and display his Spanish spoils supplied.  He found himself face to face with the Cardinal Giudice, and with Madame des Ursins.  The three formed a rare triangle, which caused many a singular scene in home.  After seeing them both die, Alberoni became legate at Ferrara, continued there a long time, little esteemed at Rome, where he is now living, sound in mind and body, and eighty-six years of age.

CHAPTER CIV

The King attended the Royal Council for the first time on Sunday, the 18th of February, 1720.  He said nothing while there, or on going away, excepting that when M. le Duc d’Orleans, who feared he might grow weary of the proceedings, proposed to him to leave, he said he would stop to the end.  After this he did not come always, but often, invariably remaining to the last, without moving or speaking.  His presence changed nothing in the order of our arrangements, because his armchair was always there, alone, at the end of the table, and M. le Duc d’Orleans, whether his Majesty came or not, had but a “stool” similar to those we all sat upon.  Step by step this council had been so much increased, that now, by the entry of the Duc de Berwick, it numbered sixteen members!  To say truth, we were far too many, and we had several among us who would have been much better away.  I had tried, but in vain, to make the Regent see this.  He did see at last, but it was too late; and meanwhile we were, as I have stated, sixteen in the council.  I remember that one day, when the King came, a kitten followed him, and some time after jumped upon him, and thence upon the table, where it began to walk; the Duc de Noailles immediately crying out, because he did not like cats.  M. le Duc d’Orleans wished to drive the animal away.  I smiled, and said, “Oh, leave the kitten alone, it will make the seventeenth.”

M. le Duc d’Orleans burst out laughing at this, and looked at the company, who laughed also, the King as well.  His Majesty briefly spoke of it to me on the morrow, as though appreciating the joke, which, by the way, immediately ran over all Paris.