The most powerful man at Court because the greatest favourite was Ivan Schouvaloff. He was fond of everything that was French, understood their language, followed all their fashions, and was known to have always wished that a French ambassador might arrive at St. Petersburg. Small causes produce great effects, and the reconciliation proceeding between Russia and France was partly owing to the caprice of that young man.[18] [Sidenote: RETURN TO VERSAILLES.] Bestoujeff, foreseeing the more probable course of events, seized the opportunity for turning his coat, and assuring the grand-duchess of his devotion to her person and to her views, and for expressing to the grand-duke, her husband, his own desire for the maintenance of good relations with Prussia. English, French, Austrian, and even Prussian gold was being freely scattered at St. Petersburg,[19] but in the end D’Eon, Schouvaloff, and Woronzoff obtained every advantage over the grand-ducal party. Consenting to receive a French representative at her Court, Elizabeth wrote privately to Louis XV. to that effect, the letter being carried to its destination by D’Eon, in his volume ‘Esprit des Lois,’ after Douglas’ return from Versailles. We cannot undertake to fix the date of D’Eon’s departure from St. Petersburg nearer than that a letter of June 12, 1756, from Sir Hanbury Williams to the Earl of Holdernesse, announces ‘a creature of the Vice-Chancellor is soon to set out from hence to Paris to negotiate this affair.’ In parting with D’Eon, the Empress invited him to enter her service, promising honourable and lucrative employment; but D’Eon was too deeply attached to his own country to entertain such a proposal; and resisting the offer, said that the renewal of friendly relations between the two countries, the advantages of which he had already pointed out, would afford him the opportunity for serving the interests of Russia without neglecting those of the Court of France; a reply which served to increase the esteem already entertained for him by Elizabeth. CHAPTER II. Sir Hanbury Williams and Count Woronzoff—The Empress Elizabeth’s message to France—Chevalier Douglas, French Chargé d’Affaires in Russia with D’Eon as secretary—Commencement of the Seven Years’ War—Count Apraxin’s defection—D’Eon leaves for Versailles—Trait of character—Reception by Louis XV. and ministers—Proceeds to Russia—The will of Peter the Great—Count Bestoujeff’s opinion of D’Eon—Prince Poniatovsky and his diamond—D’Eon as a fencer—Bestoujeff’s arrest—D’Eon again invited to take service in Russia.