Donatien-Alphonse-François, marquis de SADE. L.A.S., [Paris] November 14, 1791, to his lawyer Gaspard Gaufridy; 4pages in-4 filled with small, tight handwriting. Long letter about his business affairs. He thanks for a consignment of money, and insists on payment of the 3330 livres for the January quarter: "vous savés combien les retards me derangent"; the sale of a house in Arles must be pressed, despite the resignation of M. Lions (his regissuer): "peste comme il s'enflamme ce monsieur, c'est un jacobin sans doute? We have some here who catch fire like that, and who amuse me greatly"... Then he talks about the death of his cousin, Mme de Raousset, and worries about his aunt Mme de Villeneuve (whom he hopes to inherit): "that she is doing well is all I ask of her, I am very attached to her, and you know enough about my disinterest to be quite sure that her succession would not cause me to suffer her loss. Nevertheless, I must keep an eye on everything that comes up [......] the best way to take advantage of Md de Raousset's estate, which passed to Md de Villeneuve, estimated by Ripert at one hundred thousand francs, according to what he has just told me, is to borrow a lot of money from him, invest it properly, pay him the interest with the sale of the money, and at his death, funds and interest all go to me, I know of no better and surer way than that to get it all". We could borrow 24,000 livres from her (to buy a house in Paris) instead of selling the house in Arles: "this procedure would be delightful, tell her that if I die before her, I will leave her the house, for my children, to enjoy only after her, that will perhaps decide her". He has only one cousin left, Julie de Villeneuve (a nun): "I know Julie very well and have always loved her with all my heart; tell her a thousand and one things for me"... Then he makes recommendations for the shipment of various items (jams, cooked wine, etc.) and a cassette, which Sade had packed himself: "there is great appearance that the demoiselle Rousset, aided by the pious advice of the dame de Sade, has fiddled with all this"... He takes exception to Mme de Raousset's "chevalier", "a certain Rivette de Bonnieux [...] the character could well have done without eating my cousin's money, sleeping yes, but cheating no". He is told that it would not be very political to send his son the Chevalier to Carpentras; it would be better for him to go himself, in May; but he worries about his house in Paris: "He has no news of his sons; the eldest is in Germany.... "the King has just vetoed the decree against the emigrants; this action on his part has opened the eyes of all Paris, for here he is now, a very resolute acceptor of the Constitution; if he refuses one decree, he accepts all the others, that's clear, and many people are surprised, especially those who were trying to make him look like a prisoner"... He goes on to talk about the silver from Abbé de Sade's estate, which should be his, and about La Coste's linen, much of which has disappeared, as well as the Persian curtains... "You said you had witnesses with you when you went to the chateau, I must confess I am extremely scandalized, and that you took this precaution and told me so. I ask you with the utmost urgency that such a thing never happen again, otherwise you will force me to forbid your witnesses from accompanying you. [...] I'm not saying that it was you who let into the castle all those whom I suspect of having stolen many of my belongings; I simply said, and still say, that's what it is, to have let them in. You can neither blame me, nor prevent me from having the most extreme regret about this. [...] Of course I knew that Rousset was at the chateau, but I never believed her to be despot, I always believed her to be under your orders, and always believed her to be honest, I am very surprised that she was not. Another thing that makes me very angry is (unless it's for your own convenience) that you go to sleep elsewhere than at the chateau when you go to La Coste, which, if you don't mind my saying so, is very ridiculous"... Etc. Finally, he announces: "I hope in my first letter to inform you of the end of my affairs with Md de Sade; remember that I only say I hope"... Correspondence (Lély), CCIX.