My dearest mother! the very first line of your letter revived my spirits. The interpretation of my dream is delightful, but the very thoughts of the black dog freezes the blood in my veins; yet a dream is but a dream, but then they come to pass,--“My power is but in its infancy!” Oh! that is too flattering! If that is the case, I will yet be revenged of all my enemies. As to the people, a little money will make friends of them at any time, and money shall not be spared when I have an object in view. Baron S----ts will not do; he is still alive, and at present on a tour in Lapland. I wish they could change him into a rein deer; but we must think of somebody else. What do you think of Count L----d; his family is ancient; he is old and vain of his amours. Secrecy is all; if I am able to retain ----, I will laugh at every thing. I affect a total indifference to politics, but they little know that it engrosses all my attention. O heavens! what a figure I shall cut when I return! How my dress will be imitated, and all my airs and motions sought after and copied! Vestris gives me some lessons. I neglect nothing that may render me charming in the eyes of ----; that is my grand object. O dear mother, let me know every thing that you hear! do not spare money; there is nothing can be done without. Lu----ini, I am afraid, is gaining ground every day in a certain ----; I dread the very name of an Italian. I tell you a Frenchman or Italian has more art in his little finger than fifty Germans put together. My very looks are watched in this place, but I think I can cheat them even in that. When they talk of politics, I pretend that I know nothing of the matter; yet it is the most difficult thing in the world to deceive a Frenchman or a French woman. The Marquis de la F----e is a stupid fellow; I do not know how the deuce he has acquired so much popularity. Mirabeau is an artful man; I must be civil to him, as he is writing something, and, perhaps, may say something bitter. Indeed, every one is afraid of him; I tremble at the sight of him. I am afraid he knows the cursed secret of the mill; the only thing, however, in my favor, is, that no one believes what he writes or says, because it is known that he will do any thing to gratify his malignity, or to put money in his pocket, as he is poor. I detest him, and I am afraid he reads it in my eyes. Burn all the papers in the little black box; we do not know what may happen; let us put as little in the power of fortune as possible. I cannot tell you the half of what I want to say. You see the troubles of my mind. O dear ambition! what do we suffer on your account! My hand can’t hold the pen. Send me good news, for if my health should fail, my charms will fail along with it, and then what will become of your dear daughter. * * * * *