“To-night，“returnedhe，“whenallyourguestshaveretired，and
Versaillesisinamannerdeserted，Iwillfetchyou；wehavekeys
whichopenthevariousgatesinthepark，andwalkingthrough
which，andthegardens，wecanreachTrianonunobserved。
No
personwillbeawareofourexcursion，andweshallreturnwith
thesamecautionwithwhichwewent。
Wewill，afterourvisit，
causeourclothestobeburnt，takeabath，anduseeverypossible
precautiontopurifyourselvesfromallchanceofinfection。
When
thatisdoneyoumayventureintotheapartmentofhismajesty，
evenifthatmaladywhichatpresenthangsoverhimshouldturn
outtobethesmall-pox。“
Ithoughtbutlittleoftheconsequencesofourscheme，orofthe
personaldangerIincurred，andIpromisedmybrother-in-law
thatIwouldholdmyselfinreadinesstoaccompanyhim。
Wethen
conversedtogetheruponthestateoftheking，and，whatyouwill
havesomedifficultyincrediting，notonewordescapedeitherof
usrelativetoourfutureplansorprospects；stillitwasthe
pointtowhichthethoughtsofcomteJeanmustnaturally
haveturned。
Wewereinterruptedinourbythearrivalofthe
marechale，whoseexactitudeIcouldnotbutadmire。
ComteJean，
havinghastilypaidhiscompliments，leftustogether。
“Well，mydearcountess，“saidshe，takingmyhandwithafriendly
pressure，“andhowgoesonthedearinvalid？“
“Better，Ihope，“repliedI，“andindeed，thisillness，atfirst
soalarmingtome，seemsrathercalculatedtoallaymyformer
fearsandanxietiesbyaffordingthekingcalmandimpartial
reflection；theresultofitisthatmydreadedrivalofthe
isdismissed。“
“Iamdelightedtohearthis，“repliedmadamedeMirepoix，“but，
mydearsoul，letmecautionyouagainsttooimplicitlytrusting
thesedeceitfulappearances，to-morrowmaydestroytheseflattering
hopes，andthenextday——“
“Indeed！“
criedI，interruptingher，“thephysiciansanswer
forhisrecovery。“
“Andsupposetheyshouldchancetobemistaken，“returnedmy
cautiousfriend，“whatthen？
But，mydearcountess，myregard
oryoucompelsmetospeakout，andtowarnyouofreposingin
tranquillitywhenyououghttobeacting。
Donotdeceiveyourself，
leavenothingtochance；andifyouhaveanyfavourtoaskof
theking，losenotimeinsodoingwhileyetyouhavetheopportunity。“
“Andwhatfavourwouldyouadvisemetoask？“
saidI
“Youdonotunderstandme，then？“
exclaimedthe
marechale，“I
saythatitisimperativelynecessaryforyoutoacceptwhatever
thekingmayfeeldisposedtoofferyouasafutureprovision，
andasaffordingyouthemeansofpassingtheremainderofyour
daysineaseandtranquillity。
Whatwouldbecomeofyouincase
oftheworst？
Yournumerouscreditorswouldbesiegeyouwitha
rapacity，stillfurtherexcitedbythesupporttheywouldreceive
fromcourt。
YoulookatmewithsurprisebecauseIspeakthe
languageoftruth；beareasonablecreatureIimploreofyou
onceinyourlife，anddonotthussacrificetheinterestsof
yourlifetoaromanticdisregardofself。“
Icouldnotfeeloffendedwiththemarechaleforaddressingme
thus，butIcouldnothelpfancyingthemomentwasillchosen，
andunabletoframeananswertomymind，Iremainedsilent。
Mistakenastothecauseofmytaciturnity，shecontinued，
“Come，Iamwellpleasedtoseeyouthusreflectinguponwhat
Ihavesaid；butlosenotime，striketheironwhileitishot。
DoasIhaverecommendedeitherto-nightorearlyto-morrow；
possibly，afterthattimeitmaybetoolate。
MayIventurealso
toremindyouofyourfriends，mydearcountess。
Iamingreat
troublejustnow，andItrustyouwillnotrefusetoobtainfor
me，fromhismajesty，afavourofwhichIstandintheutmost
need——50，000francswouldcomeveryseasonably；Ihavelostthat
sumatcards，andmustpayit，buthowIknownot。“
“Letnotthatdistressyou，“saidI，“forIcanrelieveyouof
thatdifficultyuntiltheking’sconvalescenceenableshimto
undertakethepleasingofficeofassistingyourwishes。
M。de
Labordehasorderstohonourallmydraftsuponhim，Iwill
thereforedrawforthesumyourequire。“
Sosaying，Ihastily
scrawleduponalittletumbledpieceofpaperthosemagicwords，
whichhadpowertounlockthestrongcoffersofacourtbanker。
The
marechaleembracedmeseveraltimeswiththeutmostvivacity。
“Youaremyguardianangel，“criedshe，“yousavemefromdespair。
But，tellme，mygenerousfriend，doyouthinkM。deLabordewill
makeanydifficulty？“
“Why，“saidI，“shouldyousupposeitpossiblehewilldoso？“
“Oh，merelyonaccountofpresentcircumstances。“
“Whatcircumstances？“
“Theillness——no，Imeantheindispositionofhismajesty。“
“Heisanexcellentman，“saidI，“andIdoubtnotbuthewill
actnoblyandhonourably。“
“Ifwecouldbutprocurehismajesty’ssignature——“
“Butthatisquiteimpossibleto-night。“
“Iknowitis，and，therefore，IwilltellyouwhatIthinkof
doing。
Perhaps，ifIweretosetoutforParisimmediately，I
mightbeabletopresentthischequebeforeLabordeisacquainted
withourmisfortune。
Itisnotlate，sofarewell，mydearest
countess。
Ishallreturnto-morrowbeforeyouareup，butdo
notforgetwhatIhavesaidtoyou；andremember，thatunder
anycircumstances，thekingshouldsecureyouasafeandample
independence。
Ifhisdeathfindsyouwellprovidedfor，youwill
stillhaveacourt，friends，relatives，partisans，inaword，the
meansofgratifyingeveryinclination。
Beguidedbyme，and
followmyadvice。“
Andafterthislessonofpracticalmorality，themarechalequitted
metohurrytoParis；andI，weariedandheartsick，flewtomy
crowdedsalonsasaremedyagainstthegloomyideasher
conversationhadgivenriseto。
Onthiseveningmyguestsweremorenumerousandbrilliantthan
usual，fornopersonentertainingtheleastsuspicionoftheking’s
danger，allviedwitheachotherinevincing，bytheirpresence，
thedesiretheyfeltofexpressingtheirregardforme。
My
friends，acquaintances，peoplewhomIscarcelyknewatall，were
collectedtogetherinmydrawing-rooms；thislargeassemblageof
joyousandcheerfulfaces，droveawayforamomentallthegloom
whichhadbungoverme。
Ievenforgotthemorning’svisitor，and
ifthehealthofthekingwereatallalludedto，itwasonly
。
Itseemedagenerallyunderstoodthingnotto
believehimseriouslyill；infact，todenyallpossibilityof
suchathingbeingthecase。
Thusallwentonasusual，scandal，
slander，epigrams，，allthelivelynonsense
usuallycirculateduponsuchoccasions，wentround，andwere
laughedatandadmiredaccordingtothetastesofthosetowhom
theywereaddressed。
Couldastrangerhaveseenus，socareless，thoughtless，andgay，
hewouldhavebeenfarfromsuspectingthatwewereupontheeve
ofacatastrophewhichmustchangethewholefaceofaffairsin
France。
Formyownpart，myspiritsrosetoaheightwiththe
giddycrowdaroundme，andinlevityandfolly，Ireallybelieve
Iexceededthem。
Atalatehourmyroomswereatlengthforsaken，andIretired
tomychamberwhere，havingdismissedmyotherattendants，I
remainedaloneaswasfrequentlymycustomwithmyfaithful
Henriette，whomIcausedtoexchangemyeveningdressforadark
robe，whichIcoveredwithalargeSpanishmantleIhadnever
beforeworn，andthusequipped，Iwaitedthearrivalofcomte
Jean。
Henriette，surprisedatthesepreparations，pressedme
withsomanyquestions，thatatlastIexplainedmywholepurpose
toher。
Theattachedcreatureexertedallhereloquencetopoint
outthedangersoftheenterprise，whichsheimploredofmeto
abandon，butIrefusedtolistentoherremonstrances，andshe
ceasedurgingmefurther，onlyprotestingsheshouldawaitmy
returnwiththemostlivelyimpatience。
Atlength，comteJeanappeared，armedwithasmallsword-stick
andpistolsinhispocket，witheveryotherprecautionnecessary
forundertakingsoperilousanadventure。
Wedescendedinto
thegardenwithmanysmilesatthesingularfigureswemade，but
nosoonerwereweintheopenair，thanthesightoftheclear
heavenssparklingwithstars，thecoolstillnight，thevastwalks
linedwithstatues，whichresembledatroopofwhitephantoms，
thegentlewavingofthebranches，astheeveningbreezestirred
theirleaves，withthatfeelingofaweandsolemnitygenerally
attendantuponthemidnighthour，awokeinourmindsideasmore
suitabletooursituation。
Weceasedspeakingandwalkedslowly
downthewalkpastthebasinofthedragon，inorder，bycrossing
thepark，toreachthechateaudeTrianon。
Fortunefavouredus，forwemetonlyoneguardinthepark，this
manhavingrecognisedusaswedrewnear，salutedus，andwas
abouttoretire，whenmybrother-in-lawcalledhimbackandesired
himtotakeourkey，andopenwithitthenearestgatestothe
placewhichwewishedtogoto。
Healsocommandedhimtoawait
ourreturn。
Thesoldierwasaccustomedtothesenocturnal
excursionsevenonthepartofthemostscrupulousandcorrect
gentlemenandladiesofthecourt。
He，therefore，assuredusof
hispunctuality，andopenedforusagreatirongate，whichit
wouldhavecostmybrother-in-lawmuchtroubletohaveturned
uponitshinges。