I wrote him a very respectful letter, for I asked him for leave to go.
What do you think he did?
He sent me his great factotum Federshoff, who brought me back my toys; he wrote me a letter saying that he would rather have me to live with than Maupertuis.

What is quite certain is, that I would rather not live with either one or the other." Frederick was vexed with Voltaire; he nevertheless found it difficult to give up the dazzling charm of his conversation.

Voltaire was hurt and disquieted; he wanted to get away--the king, however, exercised a strong attraction over him.

But in spite of mutual coquetting, making up, and protesting, the hour of separation was at hand; the poet was under pressure from his friends in France; in Berlin he had never completely neglected Paris.

He had just published his _Siecle de Louis XIV.;_ he flattered himself with the hope that he might again appear at court, though the king had disposed of his place as historiographer in favor of Duclos.