The aides, surprised as anyone that the pair had managed to keep going for so long, over-running their allotted time by 45 minutes, emphasised that the joy was in both the quality and the quantity.

Even as M Chirac’s motorcade swept away from the American ambassador’s residence, US officials were compiling entries for this morning’s court and social pages. Dead: all bad feelings over Iraq and any suggestion that the French are cheese-eating surrender monkeys. Reborn: the Franco-American good relationship.

“It was one of their best meetings and best extended discussions ever, in fact,” a senior US official said.

The evening had got off to a rickety start when Mr Bush appeared to invent a new way of snubbing M Chirac. The US President was graciousness itself when the French President arrived at the American ambassador’s residence, Mr Bush’s home for his three nights here. “I’ve really been looking forward to this moment,” said Mr Bush, implausibly given that he is known to find M Chirac pompous and arrogant.

It may be that what Mr Bush was really looking forward to was the lobster risotto with truffle sauce and filet of beef that was to be followed by chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream on which the pair dined.

So if the entente between the two Iraq war foes was now so cordiale, asked a reporter, was Mr Bush ready to invite M Chirac to his Texas ranch? “I’m looking for a good cowboy,” replied Mr Bush. It was hardly enigmatic. But officials emerged from the dinner delighted.

One US official said: “I would use the words ‘productive’, ‘warm’, ‘friendly’.”

US officials said that they still hoped that M Chirac would visit Mr Bush this year.

And would he score an invite to the ranch in Crawford that has so far been the exclusive prize of real presidential buddies such as Tony Blair? “Venue not decided,” said the official, giving M Chirac hope that a course of lassooing classes may yet be the clincher.

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