vainhadheemployedthetwofootmenfrombehindthecarriage
toexaminethedifferentavenuesbywhichhemighthaveretired。
Nothingcouldbeheardofhim，andIremained，morethanever，
convincedthattheentirefulfilmentoftheprophecywasathand，
andthatthefatalhourwouldshortlystrike，whichwouldwitness
myfallfromallmypompandgreatness。
Wecontinuedourroute
slowlyandsilently；themarechaleaccompaniedmetothedoorof
myapartment，whereIbadeheradieu，spiteofherwishtoremain
withme；butevenhersocietywasnowfatiguingtome，andI
longedtobealonewithmerelymyownfamily。
Mytwosisters-in-law，thewifeofcomted’Hargicourtandthat
ofmynephew，werespeedilyassembledtotalkoverwithmethe
eventsofthelasttwelvehours。
Ithrewmyselfuponmybedin
astateofmentalandbodilyfatigue，impossibletodescribe。
I
stroveinvaintocollectmyideas，andarmmyselfforwhatI
wellsawwasapproaching，andtheexactappearanceofthesingular
predicterofmydestinypreparedmefortherapidaccomplishing
ofallthathadbeenpromised。
LouisXV，duringthisfatalillness，wasplacedunderthecare
ofBordeuandLemonnier。
Noparticularlyalarmingsymptoms
appearedduringthatday，andweremainedinastateofsuspense
moredifficulttobearthaneventhemostdreadfulcertainty。
As
soonasthekingfelthimselfsufficientlyrecoveredfromthe
fatiguesofhisremovalherequestedtoseeme。
Afterbestowing
onmethemostgratifyingmarksofthesincerestattachment，
hesaid，
“Iamwellpunished，mydearcountess，formyinconstancytowards
you，butforgiveme。
Iprayandbelievethat，howevermyfancy
maywander，myheartisallyourown。“
“Isthatquitetrue？“
saidI，smiling。
“Haveyounotsome
reservations？
Doesnotanoblefemaleinthe
comeinforashareaswellasthebaronessdeNew——k？“
Thekingpressedmyhand，andreplied，
“Youmustnotbelieveallthoseidletales；Imetthebaroness
bychance，and，foratime，Ithoughtherpretty。
Asforthe
other，ifsherendersyouinanywayuneasy，letherbemarried
atonce，andsentwhereweneedneverseeheragain。“
’Thisis，indeed，thelanguageofsincerity，“criedI，andfrom
thismomentIshallhavethefullestconfidenceinyou。“
Theconversationwascarriedonforalongwhileinthisstrain。
Thephysicianshadmadesolightofthecomplaint，thattheking
believedhisillnesstobemerelyofatemporarynature，andhis
gaietyandgoodspiritsreturnedalmosttotheirnaturalheight。
HeinquiredaftermadamedeMirepoix，andwhethermysisters-
in-lawwereuneasyrespectinghisstateofhealth。
Youmay
imaginethatmyreplywaswordedwithallthecautionnecessary
tokeephiminprofoundignoranceastohisrealcondition。
When
IreturnedtomyapartmentIfoundBordeuthere，whoappeared
quiteatalosswhattosayrespectingtheking’smalady，the
symptomsstillremainedtoouncertaintowarrantanypersonin
callingitthesmall-pox。
“Andshoulditprovethathorriblecomplaint？“
inquiredI。
“Therewould，inthatcase，beconsiderabledanger，“replied
Bordeu，notwithoutextremeembarrassment……
“Perhapseventotheextinctionofallhope？“
askedI。
“Godalonecantell，“returnedBordeu。
“Iunderstand，“interruptedI，quickly，“and，spiteofthemystery
withwhichyouwouldfainconcealtheextentofhismajesty’s
danger，Iknow，andventuretoassert，thatyouconsiderhim
alreadyasdead。“
“Haveacare，madam，“exclaimedBordeu，“howyouadmitsuchan
idea，andstillmoreofproclaimingit。
Ipledgeyoumywordthat
Idonotconsiderthekingisindanger；Ihaveseenmanycures
equallyextraordinarywithhis。“
Ishookmyheadintokenofdisbelief。
IhadutteredwhatIfirmly
supposedthetruth，andthesightofmyevilgeniusintheperson
oftheprophetwhohadawaitedmyreturntoVersailles，turned
theencouragingwordsofBordeuintoacold，heavychill，which
strucktomyheart。
Bordeuquittedmetoresumehisattendance
upontheking。
Afterhimcametheducd’Aiguillon，whosefeatures
borethevisiblemarksofcareanddisquiet。
Hemetmewiththe
utmosttendernessandconcern，askedofmetheverysmallest
detailsofthedisastrouseventsofthemorning。
Iconcealed
nothingfromhim，andhelistenedtomyrecitalwiththemost
livelyinterest；andtheaccountoftheapparitionofthewonderful
beingwhoseemeddestinedtofollowmethroughoutmycareerwas
nottheleastinterestingpartofourconversation。
“Thereare，“saidtheduke，“manyveryextraordinarythingsin
thislife，reasonquestionsthem，philosophylaughsatthem，and
yetitisimpossibletodenythattherearevarioushiddencauses，
orsuddeninspirations，whichhavethegreatesteffectuponour
destiny。
Asaproof，Iwillrelatetoyouthefollowingcircumstance。
Youareaware，“continuedtheduke，“thatthecardinalde
Richelieu，theauthorofourgoodfortune，spiteofthesuperiority
ofhismind，believedinjudicialastrology。
Whenhisown
immediatelinebecameextinctbytheunexpecteddeathofhis
familyandrelatives，hewishedtoascertainwhatwouldbethe
fateofthosechildrenbelongingtohissister，whomhehad
adoptedasthesuccessorsofhisname，arms，andfortune。
The
planetswereconsulted，andtheanswerreceivedwas，thattwo
centuriesfromthedayonwhichProvidencehadsohighlyelevated
himself，thefamily，uponwhomrestedallhishopesofperpetuating
hisname，shouldfailentirelyinitsmaledescent。
Youseethat
theducdeFronsachasonlyonechild，aninfantnotmanydays
old。
Ialsohavebutone，andthesetwofeeblebranchesseem
butlittlecalculatedtofalsifytheprediction。
Judge，mydear
countess，howgreatmustbemypaternalanxiety！“
Thisrelationonthepartoftheducd’Aiguillonwasbutill
calculatedtorestoremydroopingspirits，andalthoughIhad
noreasonforconcludingthattheastrologerhadspoken
propheticallytothegrandcardinal，Iwasnotthelessinclined
tobelieve，withincreasedconfidence，thepredictionsuttered
respectingmyselfbymyinexplicablevisitorofthemorning。
My
everkindfriend，theduchessed’Aiguillon，wasnotlongereshe
toomadeherappearance，withtheview，andinthehopeof
consolingme。
Icouldnotresistherearnestendeavourstorouse
mefrommygrief，andagratefulsenseofhergoodnessobliged
metodeckmyfeatureswithatleastthesemblanceofcheerfulness。
Everyhourfreshaccountsoftheking’shealthwerebroughtme，
ofamostencouragingnature；bythesebulletinsonemightnaturally
supposehimrapidlyrecovering，andweallbegantosmileatour
follyinhavingbeensosoonalarmed；infact，myspiritsrosein
proportionasthoseaboutmeappearedfulloffreshconfidence，
andthemysteriousvisitofmyevilgeniusgraduallyfadedfrom
myrecollection。
Inthismannerthedaypassedaway。
Ivisitedthekingfrom
timetotime，andhe，althoughevidentlymuchoppressedand
indisposed，conversedwithmewithoutanypainfuleffort。
His
affectionformeseemedtogainfreshstrengthashisbodily
vigourdeclined，andtheferventattachmentheexpressedfor
me，atatimewhenselfmightreasonablyhavebeenexpectedto
holdpossessionofhismind，filledmewithregretatnotbeingable
morefullytoreturnsomuchtenderness。
IntheeveningI
wishedtobealone，themarechaledeMirepoixhadsenttorequest
aprivateinterview，andIawaitedherarrivalinmychamber，
whilstanimmenseconcourseofvisitorsfilledmysalons。
The
king’sdangerwasnotyetsufficientlydecidedforthecourtiers
toabandonme，andthechancescontinuedtoostronglyinmy
favourtowarrantanyoneoftheminwithdrawingfrommetheir
usualattentions。
ComteJean，however，presentedhimselfbefore
me，spiteoftheordersIhadgiventoexcludeeverypersonbut
themarechale。
“Mydearsister，“criedhe，asheentered，“Chamillyhasjusttold
methathehasreceivedtheroyalcommandtohaveJuliemarried
offwithoutdelay；nowthisisapieceofdelicacytowardsyourself
onthepartofthekingforwhichyouowehimmanythanks。
But
Ihaveanothercommunicationtomakeyou，ofalesspleasingnature。
TheunfortunategirlwhohasbeenleftatTrianon，hascalled
incessantlyforyouthewholeofthisday；sheassertsthatshe
hasmattersofimportancetocommunicatetoyou。“
WhateversurpriseIexperiencedatthisintelligence，itwas
impossibleitcouldbeotherwisethantrue，forwasitlikely
that，atatimelikethepresent，comteJeanwouldattemptto
imposesuchataleuponme。
“Whatwouldyouhavemedo？“
askedIofmybrother-in-law。
“Harkye，sister，“repliedhe，“wearebothofusinavery
criticalsituationjustnow，andshouldsparenoendeavourto
extricateourselvesfromit。
Verypossiblythisgirlmaybein
possessionoffactsmoreimportantthanyouatpresentconceive
possible；theearnestnesswithwhichsheperseveresinherdesire
ofseeingyou，andherrepeatedprayerstothosearoundherto
begyourattendance，provesthatitissomethingmorethanthe
merewhimofasickperson，andinyourplace，Ishouldnot
hesitatetocomplywithherwishes。“
“Andhowcouldwedoso？
“saidI。