Sosaying，thekingbadeusafriendlyfarewell，andretired
withtheducsdeDurasanddeNoailles。
Weremainedafterhis
majesty，andretiringintothegreatsaloon，threwourselves
withoutanyceremonyuponthedifferentcouchesandottomans。
“Formyownpart，“saidtheprincedeSoubise，“Ishallnotthink
ofseparatingfromsoagreeableapartytilldaylightwarns
mehence。“
“Thefirstbeamsofmornwillsoonshinethroughthesewindows，“
repliedM。d’Aiguillon。
“WecanalreadyperceivethebrightestraysofAurorareflected
inthesparklingeyesaroundus，“exclaimedM。deCosse。
“Atrucewithyourgallantry，gentlemen，“repliedmadamede
Mirepoix，“atmyageIcanonlybelievemyselfcapableofreflecting
thelastraysofthesettingsun。“
“Hush！“
interruptedmadamedeForcalquier，“youforgetweare
atVersailles，whereageisneverthoughtof，butwhere，likeour
gracioussovereign，allareyoung。“
“Come，ladies，“saidmadamedeFlaracourt，“letusretire；Ifor
one，pleadguiltyofbeinginneedofrepose。“
“No，no！“
repliedtheducdeRichelieu，“letusemploythe
remaininghoursinpleasingandsocialconverse，“andwitha
tremulousvoicehebeganthatcharmingtrioin“SelinaandAzor，“
“。“
Wejoinedchoruswithhim，andthe
echoesofthepalaceofLouisXVresoundedwiththemirthful
strain。
Thisburstofnoisymirthdidnotlastlong，andwe
relapsedintoincreasedtaciturnity，spiteofourendeavoursto
keepupageneralconversation。
Wewereallfatigued，though
nonebutmadamedeFlaracourtwouldconfessthefact。
Tired
naturecalledloudlyforrepose，andwewereeachcompelledto
seekitinthedifferentapartmentsassignedus。
Theducd’Aiguillon
alonewascompelled，bythedutiesofhisoffice，toreturn
toVersailles。
UponenteringmychamberIfoundmybrother-in-lawthere，in
themostviolentfitofillhumour，thatthekingwhowasinfact
ignorantofhisbeingatTrianonhadnotinvitedhimtosupper。
AsIhavebeforetoldyou，comteJeanwasnofavouritewithhis
majesty，andasIhaddisplayednowishforhiscompany，Louis
XVhadgladlyprofitedbymyindifferencetoomithimuponthe
presentoccasion。
Iendeavouredtojustifytheking，without
succeeding，however，inappeasingcomteJean，whoveryunceremoniously
consignedusalltothecareandcompanyofacertainold
gentleman，whoseterritoryissupposedtoliebeneath“the
roundglobewhichweinhabit。“
“Ihavetothankyou，“repliedI，“foraveryflatteringmodeof
saying’goodnight。’“
“Perhaps，“answeredcomteJeanroughly，“youwouldprefer——“
“Nothingfromyourlipsifyouplease，mypolitebrother，“cried
I，interruptinghim，“nothingyouwillsayinyourpresenthumour
canbeatalltomytaste。“
Choninterferedbetweenus，andeffectedareconciliation，which
Iwasthemorewillingtolistento，thatImightenjoythatsleep
mywearyeye-lidscravedfor。
Scarcelywasmyheadonmypillow，
thanIfellintoaprofoundsleep:couldIbuthaveanticipated
towhatIshouldawake！
Itwaseleveno’clockonthefollowing
morningwhenanimmensenoiseofsomepersonenteringmychamber，
arousedmefromthesweetslumbersIwasstillburiedin。
Vexed
atthedisturbance，Iinquired，inapeevishtone，“Whoisthere？“
“TisI，mysister，“repliedChon，“M。deChamillyishere，
anxioustospeakwithyouuponamatterofgreatimportance。“
Chamilly，whowasclosebehindmademoiselleduBarry，begged
tobeadmitted。
“Whatisthematter，Chamilly？
“criedI，“andwhatdoyouwant？
IsmademoiselleJulietosetoffintothecountryimmediately？“
“Alas！
madam，“repliedChamilly，“hismajestyisextremelyill。“
Thesewordscompletelyrousedme，andraisingmyselfonmyarm，
Ieagerlyrepeated，“Ill！
ofwhatdoeshecomplain？“
“Ofgeneralanduniversalpainandsuffering，“repliedChamilly。
“Andthefemalewhowasherelastnight，howisshe？“
“Nearlyasbad，madam；shearosethismorningcomplainingof
illnessandlanguor，whichincreasedsorapidly，thatshewas
compelledtobecarriedtooneofthenearestbeds，whereshe
nowis。“
Allthistormentedmetothegreatestdegree，andIdismissed
Chamillyforthepurposeofrising，althoughIhadnodistinct
ideaofwhatitwouldbemostdesirabletosayordo。
My
sister-in-law，withmoreself-possession，suggestedthepropriety
ofsummoningBordeu，myphysician；aproposalwhichIatonce
concurredin，moreespeciallywhensheinformedme，thatLa
Martinierewasalreadysentfor，andhourlyexpected。
“1trust，“saidI，“thatBouvartknowsnothingofthis，forI
neitherapproveofhimasamanoradoctor。“
Thefactwas，Ishouldhavetrembledformyownpower，hadboth
BouvartandLaMartinieregotthekingintotheirhands。
WithLa
MartiniereIknewverywellIwasnofavourite；yetitwasimpossible
topreventhisattendance；thekingwouldneverhavefancieda
prescriptioninwhichhedidnotconcur。
MeanwhileIproceededwithmytoiletteasrapidlyaspossible，
thatImight，byvisitingtheking，satisfymyselfofthenatureof
hismalady。
EreIhadfinisheddressing，mybrother-in-law，
whohadlikewisebeenarousedbythementionofhismajesty’s
illness，enteredmychamberwithagloomylook；healreadysaw
thegreatnessofthedangerwhichthreatenedus，hehadentirely
forgottenourquarreloftheprecedingevening，buthistemper
wasbynomeansimprovedbythepresentstateofthings。
We
hadnoneedofexplainingourselvesbywords，andhecontinued
walkingupanddowntheroomwith，hisarmsfoldedandhiseyes
fixedonthefloor，tillwewerejoinedbythe
marechalede
MirepoixandthecomtessedeForcalquier。
MadamedeFlaracourt
hadtakenherdepartureatanearlyhour，eitherignorantof
whathadoccurredorwiththeintentionofbeingpreparedfor
whatevermighthappen。
Asyet，itwasbutlittleinthepowerofanypersontopredict
thecomingblow。
“Thekingisill，“saideachofusaswemet。
“Thekingisill，“wasthemorningsalutationoftheducsde
Richelieu，deNoailles，deDuras，anddeCosse。
Theprincede
SoubisehadfollowedtheexampleofmadamedeFlaracourt，and
hadquittedTrianon；itseemedasthoughthehourfordefection
werealreadyarrived。
Asummonsnowarrivedfromhismajesty
whowishedtoseeme。
Ilostnotamomentinrepairingtohis
apartment，whereIfoundhiminbed，apparentlyinmuchpainand
uneasiness。
Hereceivedmetenderly，tookmyhandsinhis，and
kissedthem；thenexclaimed，
“IfeelmoreindisposedthanIcandescribe，aweightseems
pressingonmychest，anduniversallanguorappearstochainmy
facultiesbothofbodyandmind。
Ishouldliketosee
LaMartiniere。“
“AndwouldyounotlikewisewishtohavetheadviceofBordeu？“
“’Yes，“saidhe，“letbothcome，theyarebothclevermen，and
Ihavefullconfidenceintheirskill。
Butdoyouimaginethat
mypresentillnesswillbeofaseriousnature？“
“Bynomeans，sire，“returnedI，“merelytemporary，Itrust
andbelieve。“
“PerhapsItookmorewinethanagreedwithmelastevening；but
whereisthemarechale？“
“InmychamberwithmadamedeForcalquier。“
“AndtheprincedeSoubise？“
“Hehastakenflight，“repliedI，laughing。
“Isupposeso，“returnedLouisXV，“hecouldnotbearalong
absencefromParis；companyhemusthave。“
“Inthatrespectheresemblesyou，sire，foryougenerallyconsider
companyasanecessarygood。“
Hesmiled，andthenclosinghiseyesremainedforsomeminutes
silentandmotionless，afterawhilehesaid，
“Myheadisveryheavy，sofarewell，mysweetfriend，Iwill
endeavourtogetsomesleep。“
“Sleep，sire！“
saidI，“andmayitproveashealthfuland
refreshingasIprayitmay。“
Sosaying，Iglidedoutoftheroomandreturnedtomyfriends，
IfoundmadamedeMirepoixandtheducdeCossewaitingforme
intheanteroom。
“Howistheking？“
inquiredtheybothinabreath。
“BetterthanIexpected，“Ireplied，“butheisdesirous
ofsleeping。“
“Somuchtheworse，“observedtheducdeCosse；“Ishouldhave
thoughtbetterofhiscasehadhebeenmorewakeful。“
“Areyouawareofthemostimperativestepforyoutotake？“
inquiredthemarechaledeMirepoix。
“No，“saidI，“whatisit？“
“TokeephismajestyatTrianon，“repliedshe；“itwillbefar
betterforyouthatthepresentillnessshouldtakeitscourse
atTrianonratherthanatVersailles。“
“Isecondthatadvice，“criedtheducdeRichelieu，whojust
thenenteredtheroom；“yes，yes，asmadamedeMirepoixwisely
observes，thisistheplaceforthekingtobeillin。“
“But，“exclaimedI，“mustwenotbeguidedbythe
physicians’advice？“
“DoyoumakesureofBordeu，“saidtheduke，“andIwillspeak
toLaMartiniere。“
M。deCossetookmeaside，andassuredmethatImightrelyupon
himinlifeordeath。