‘... You have the King’s authority to agree to every reasonable guarantee upon which M. D’Eon may insist, for the regular payment of his pension of 12,000 livres, on the understanding, however, that he will not claim an annuity to that amount when out of France; the capital to be devoted to the realisation of this sum is not at my disposition, and I shall experience much difficulty in obtaining it; but it is easy enough to convert the pension into a life-annuity, of which the title-deed would be given up. The liquidation of debts will be a difficult matter, M. D’Eon’s claims in this respect being very great, and he must reduce them considerably to enable us to come to terms. As you are not to allow it to appear that you are sent to him on a mission, you will enjoy the advantage of his having to wait upon you, and you will thus be in a position to dictate terms. M. D’Eon is of a violent disposition, but I believe him to be an honest fellow, and I will do him the justice to say that I am quite persuaded he is incapable of treachery. It is impossible for M. D’Eon to take leave of the King of England; the disclosure of his sex renders such a thing impracticable; it would be casting ridicule upon the two Courts ... a certificate will be granted, provided he remains satisfied with the praise that his zeal, intelligence, and loyalty have merited; but we cannot compliment him on his moderation and submission, and in no case must there be any allusion to his disputes with M. de Guerchy. You are an enlightened man, and I have no misgivings that you will make a good bargain with D’Eon, if such a thing is to be done at all. If you fail, then we must take it for granted that we cannot expect to meet with success, and make up our minds for the worst. Our first feelings will be disagreeable, but the consequences will be terrible to D’Eon. It is very humiliating to an exile to turn traitor. He becomes an object of contempt.’[291] [Sidenote: STILL APPRECIATED.] Even though the Count de Vergennes was thus engaged in determining the final disposal of D’Eon, such was the opinion continued to be entertained of his devotion to his country, of his abilities and usefulness, that we see him recommended by that minister to the new French ambassador in London, as being a _man_ fully competent to obtain information of which they stood in need, and this at a time that France was still guided by a feeling of hostility towards the rebels against British authority in America. _The Count de Vergennes to the Count de Guines._ ‘Versailles, June 23, 1775.