Her Letter is addressed "TO MADAME DU DEFFAND, at Paris;" most free-flowing female Letter; of many pages, runs on, day after day, for a fortnight or so;--only Excerpts of it introducible here:-- "SCEAUX, TUESDAY, 15th AUGUST, 1747....

Madame du Chatelet and Voltaire, who had announced themselves as for to-day, and whom nobody had heard of otherwise, made their appearance yesternight, near midnight; like two Spectres, with an odor of embalmment about them, as if just out of their tombs.

We were rising from table; the Spectres, however, were hungry ones: they needed supper; and what is more, beds, which were not ready.
The Housekeeper (CONCIERGE), who had gone to bed, rose in great haste.
Gaya [amiable gentleman, conceivable, not known], who had offered his apartment for pressing cases, was obliged to yield it in this emergency: he flitted with as much precipitation and displeasure as an army surprised in its camp; leaving a part of his baggage in the enemy's hands.

Voltaire thought the lodging excellent, but that did not at all console Gaya.
"As to the Lady, her bed turns out not to have been well made; they have had to put her in a new place to-day.

Observe, she made that bed herself, no servants being up, and had found a blemish or DEFAUT of"-- word wanting: who knows what?
--"in the mattresses; which I believe hurt her exact mind, more than her not very delicate body.