Madame du Deffand tells the Duchess of Choiseul that though he speaks French extremely ill, everybody felt that he would be infinitely agreeable if he could more easily make himself understood.
He followed French well enough as a listener, and went every day to the courts to hear the barristers and watch the procedure.

Madame du Deffand showed him all possible attention, and her friends eagerly seconded her.

She invited him to supper parties, where he met the Count de Broglie, the agent of the king's secret diplomacy; Caraccioli, successor of nimble-witted Galiani, the secretary from Naples; and other notabilities of the high world.

He supped with the Duchess of Luxembourg, and heard a reading of La Harpe's _Barmecides_.
It was high treason in this circle to frequent the rival _salon_ of Mademoiselle Lespinasse, but either the law was relaxed in the case of foreigners, or else Burke kept his own counsel.

Here were for the moment the headquarters of the party of innovation, and here he saw some of the men who were busily forging the thunderbolts.