At this time, too, when all his follies appear to have been blotted out from the memory of his contemporaries by the celebrity he had attained, d’Eon thought of his relatives who were then in a poor plight. His brother-in-law was penniless, having contracted numerous debts at Tonnerre; and d’Eon, who was obliged to devote several payments of his pension to meeting them, solicited for O’Gorman first an inspectorship of post-houses, then a consulate in America. He took particular interest in his eldest nephew, and intended adopting him; meanwhile he allowed him to bear the name of d’Eon. On leaving the Military College the Chevalier O’Gorman d’Eon, on the advice of his uncle, volunteered for the American War. D’Eon gave him 700 livres for his equipment, and, his services being accepted by the Comte de la Bretonnière, he embarked on board the _Ceres_. “M. de Treville promised to do all he could to contribute to the promotion of the young officer”; and M. d’Estaing “took as much interest in him as in the modern Joan of Arc,” whose “loyal knight” the intrepid sailor would have desired to be. No sooner had the young man arrived in America than he gave proofs of his bravery, and Count Macnamara hastened to let the Chevalière know how happy he was “to have such a comrade with him.” The future seemed to smile on this young officer whom his chief treated so familiarly, and d’Eon, who had afforded him an opening, followed him, in imagination, into those distant countries which he longed to visit himself. The heroine of Tonnerre, shut up in her humble abode, saw in her nephew the realisation of her hopes. She paid but little heed apparently to the storm that was brewing in France, and was so soon to burst out. She entertained a regular correspondence with the generals and admirals who were fighting in the Colonies; and they felt flattered when she congratulated them upon their victories. Every letter that you are kind enough to send to me, Mademoiselle, fills me with new joy (writes the Marquis de Bouillé). I take the keenest possible interest in your relations and protégés, who, as such, could not have better claims on my notice. M. Rougeot is at present in command of the artillery in the regiment of Martinique; it was not possible to find a better post for him. Young O’Gorman has been very ill; I have obtained a reward for him, which is all I can do for the present. Later on perhaps some favourable opportunity may offer. I have been very successful hitherto; Fortune has treated me with special favour; but if you were not the Chevalière d’Eon I would say that Fortune is a woman and consequently addicted to caprice. Poor Grasse has had a terrible proof of this; he is old, it is true, and I am still young, and she loves youth; I will therefore continue to court her, and should she prove obdurate I must use violence. You see I think like an old soldier.