“HowgreatlyamIobligedtoyouforyourpromptsuccour，“said
she，withouteveninquiringaftermyhealthorthatoftheking。
“Doyouknow，Iwasbutjustintime；tenminuteslater，andI
shouldhavebeenrefusedpaymentforyourcheque。
M。deLaborde，
whowassodevotedlyyourfriendonlyyesterday，countedoutto
metheglitteringcoinIwassoanxioustoobtain。
Heeven
accompaniedmetomycarriage，whenbehold，justatthemoment，
when，withhishatinhishand，hewasmostgallantlybowing，and
wishingmeapleasantjourney，acourierarrivedfromVersailles
bringinghimthenewsoftheking’sillness。
Helookedso
overwhelmedwithconsternationandalarm，thatIcouldnotprevent
myselffromburstingintoaheartyfitoflaughter，norhasmy
gaietyforsakenmeuptothepresentmoment。“
“Youareveryfortunate，“saidI，“tobeenabledthustopreserve
yourgoodspirits。“
“Mydearcreature，Iwouldfaincheattimeofsomeofhisclaims
uponme。
ButnowIthinkofit，whatisthemattersinceIwas
here？
Isthekingworse，andwhatisthisIhearwhisperedabroad
ofthesmall-pox？“
“Alas，madam，“answeredI，muchhurtattheinsensibilityshe
displayed，“werunbuttoogreatdangeroflosingourfriendand
benefactorforever。“
“Dearme，howveryshocking！
Butwhathashesettledonyou？
Whathaveyouaskedhimfor？“
“Nothing！“
repliedI，coolly。
“Nothing！
veryadmirable，indeed；but，mygoodsoul，thesefine
sentimentssometimesleavepeopletoeatthebreadofcharity。
So，then，youhavenotfollowedmyadvice。
Oncemore，Irepeat，
losenotthepresentopportunity，and，inyourplace，Iwouldset
aboutsecuringmyowninterestwithoutoneinstant’sdelay。“
“ThatIcouldnotdo，madam，“saidI；“itiswhollyforeignto
mynaturetotakeadvantageoftheweaknessofadyingman。“
“Dyingman！“
repeatedthemarechaleincredulously，“come，come，
heisnotdeadyet；andwhilstthereislifethereishope；andI
supposeyouhavecarriedyourideasofdisinterestednesssofar
astoomitmentioningyourfriends，likewise。
Youwillnever
haveanyworldlysense，Ibelieve。
Mydearsoul，“saidshe，
stoopingdownandwhisperinginmyear，“youaresurroundedbya
setofselfishwretches，whocarenothingforyouunlessyoucanf
forwardtheirinterests。“
“Iseeit，Iknowit，“exclaimedIimpatiently；“butthoughI
begmybread，Iwillnotimportunetheking。“
“Asyouplease，“criedmadamedeMirepoix，“praydonotletme
disturbyourintentions。
Sillywomanthatyouare，leaveothers
toactthesublimeandgrand，yourpartshouldbethatofa
reasonablecreature。
Lookatmyself，supposeIhadnotseized
theballatthebound。“
“YouwerebornatVersailles，“answeredI，smilinginspite
ofmyself。
“True，andIconfessthatwithmethegreatestofallsenseis
commonsense，whichproducesthatinstinctivefeelingof
self-preservationimplantedeveninanimals。
Butistheking
indeedsoveryill？“
“Heis，indeed，dangerouslyill。“
“Iamverysorry，“answeredshe，“hismajestyandmyselfwere
sucholdfriendsandcompanions；butthingswillnowbevery
different，andweshallsoonseethecourtfilledwithnewfaces，
whilstyouandI，mypoorcountess，mayhideourdiminished
heads。
Asetofhungrywretcheswilldriveusawayfromthe
princelybanquetatwhichwehavesolongregaled，andscarcely
willtheireagernessleaveusafewscatteredcrumbs——howdreadful！
Yes，Irepeatthatformanyreasons，weshallhavejustcausefor
regrettingthelateking。“
“Theking！“
exclaimedI。
“Hismajestyisnotyetdead，
madamelamarechale。“
“Iknowthat，buthewilldie；andbyspeakingoftheeventas
ifithadalreadytakenplace，weprepareourmindstomeetthe
blowwithgreaterresignationwhenitdoesfall。
Iammuch
concerned，Icanassureyou；butletusquitthecloseconfined
airofthiscorridor，andgowherewemaybreatheapureratmosphere。“
Shetookmebythearmwithagreaterfamiliaritythanshehad
everbeforeassumed，andledthewaytomychamber，whereI
foundtheducdelaVrilliereawaitingme，torequestIwould
returntotheking，whohadaskedformemorethanonce。
This
consummatehypocriteseizedthepresentopportunityofrenewing
hisassurancesofanunalterableattachmenttome，vowingan
eternalfriendship。
Iwasweakenoughtobelievehim，andwhen
Igavehimmyhandintokenofreconciliation，Iespiedthemarechale
standingbehindhim，makingsignalstometodistrusthisprofessions。
Iknownotthereasonofthisconductonthepartoftheducdel
aVrilliere，butIcanonlysupposeitoriginatedinhisconsidering
thekinginlessdangerthanhewassaidtobe；however，Isuffered
himtoleadmetothechamberoftheinvalid。
WhenLouisXV
sawmereturn，heinquiredwhyIhadquittedhim？
Ireplied，
becauseIwasfearfulofwearyinghim；uponwhichheassured
me，thatheonlyfelteasyandcomfortablesolongasIwaswithhim。
“But，perhaps，thereissomecontagioninmypresentcomplaint？“
exclaimedhe，asthoughlabouringundersomepainfulidea。
“Certainlynot，“repliedI；“itisbutatemporaryeruptionof
theskin，whichwill，nodoubt，carryoffthefeveryouhave
sufferedwith。“
“Ifeareditwasofamoredangerousnature，“answeredtheking。
“Youtormentyourselfneedlessly，sire，“saidI；“whyshould
youthuscreatephantomsforyourownannoyanceandalarm？
Tranquillizeyourself，andleavethetaskofcuringyoutous。“
Ieasilypenetratedtherealimportofhiswords；heevidently
suspectedthetruth，andwasfilledwiththemostcrueldread
ofhavinghissuspicionsconfirmed。
Duringthewholeofthis
dayhecontinuedinthesamestateofuncertainty；thestrictest
watchwassetaroundhimthatnoimprudentconfessionshould
revealtohimtherealnatureofhissituation。
Icontinued
sittingbesidehiminastateofgreatconstraint，fromthe
knowledgeofmybeingcloselyobservedbytheprincesses，of
whosevicinitywedurstnotinformhim，inthefearofexciting
hisfearsstillmore。
Thecourier，whohadbeendespatchedtomadameLouise，returned，
bringingaletterfromthatprincesstohersisters，undercoverto
madameAdelaide，inwhichsheimploredofthemnottosufferany
considerationtopreventtheirimmediatelyacquaintingtheirfather
withthedangerousconditionhewasin。
Theduty，sheadded，was
imperative，andthegreatestcalamitythatcouldbefallthem，would
betoseethisdearlylovedparentexpireinastateofsinful
indifferenceastohisspiritualwelfare。
Theaugustrecluse，detachedfromallsublunaryconsiderations，
sawnothingbuttheglorioushereafter，whereshewouldfain
joincompanywithallherbelovedfriendsandconnexionsof
thisworld。
ThearchbishopofParis，M。deBeaumont，aprelatehighlyesteemed
forhismanyexcellentprivatequalities，butwhohadfrequently
embarrassedthekingbyhispertinacity，didnotforgethimon
thisoccasion；fornosoonerdidtheaccountofhismajesty’s
illnessreachhim，than，althoughsufferingwithamostpainful
complaint，hehastenedtoVersailles，wherehispresenceembarrassed
everyone，particularlythegrandalmoner，who，abettercourtier
thanpriest，wasexcessivelycarefulnevertogiveoffencetoany
person，eventhoughtheking’ssalvationdependeduponit；he，
therefore，kepthisapartment，givingitoutthathewas
indisposed，andeventooktohisbed，thebettertoavoidany
disagreeableorinconvenientrequest。
Thesightofthearchbishop
ofPariswasfarfrombeingagreeabletohim。
Thisprelatewent
firstinsearchoftheprincesseswhowerenottobeseenon
accountoftheirbeingwiththeirfather。
Amessagewasdespatched
tothem，andmesdamesAdelaideandSophie，afterhavingalong
conferencewithhim，byhisadvice，summonedthebishopsof
Meaux，Goss，anddeSenlis，andheldaspeciesofcouncil，in
whichitwasunanimouslyagreedthatnothingoughttoprevent
theirenteringuponanexplanationwiththeking，andoffering
himspiritualsuccour。
Whowastoundertakethedelicatecommission，becamethenext
pointtoconsider。
M。deRoquelairedeclined，notwishing，ashe
said，toinfringeupontherightsofthegrandalmoner，whowas
nowatVersailles。
M。delaRocheAymonwasthereforesentfor，
requestinghisimmediateattendance。
Neverdidinvitationarrive
more，ormorecruellydisturbanymanoeuvring
soul。
However，torefusewasimpossible，andthecardinalarrived，
execratingthezealofhisreverendbrotherofParis；who，after
havingexplainedthestateofaffairstohim，informedhimthat
hewassentforthepurposeofdischarginghisofficebypreparing
thekingforconfession。
Thegrandalmonerreplied，thatthesacreddutybynomeans
belongedtohim；thathisplaceatcourtwasofaverydifferent
nature，andhadnothingatalltodowithdirectingtheking’s
conscience。
Hismajesty，hesaid，hadaconfessor，whoought
tobesentfor，andtheverysightofhimintheroyalchamber
wouldbesufficienttoapprizetheillustriousinvalidofthe
motiveswhichbroughthimthither。
Inaword，thegrandalmoner
gotridoftheaffair，bysaying，“that，asitwasoneoftheutmost
importance，itwouldbenecessarytoconferwithhisroyal
highness，thedauphin，respectingit。“