madeithisbusinessthefollowingdaytocallupontheprincesses，
towhomherelatedtheconversationhehadheldwithdoctorSulton
theprecedingevening。
Intheireagernesstoavailthemselvesofeverychanceforpromoting
therecoveryoftheirbelovedparent，theprincessesblamedthe
dukeforhavingbestowedsolittleattentionupontheEnglishman，
andconjuredhimtoreturntoParis，seeSulton，andbringhimto
Versaillesonthefollowingday。
Theducd’Orleansactedinstrict
conformitywiththeirwishes；andalthoughbutlittlesatisfied
withtherepliesmadebySultontomanyofhisquestionsrelative
tothemeasuresheshouldpursueinhistreatmentoftheking，he
causedhimtoaccompanyhimtoVersailles，inorderthatthe
princessesmightjudgeforthemselves。
Thetaskofreceiving
himwasundertakenbymadameAdelaide。
Sultonunderwenta
rigorousexamination，andwasofferedanimmensesumforthe
discoveryofhissecret，providedhewouldallowhisremedyto
besubjectedtothescrutinyofsomeofthemostcelebrated
chemistsofthetime。
Sultondeclaredthatthethingwas
impossible；inthefirstplace，itwastoolate，thediseasewas
toofaradvancedfortheapplicationoftheremedytopossess
thatpositivesuccessitwouldhaveobtainedintheearlierstage
ofthemalady；inthenextplace，hecouldnotofhimselfdispose
ofasecretwhichwasthejointpropertyofseveralmembersof
hisfamily。
Prayers，promises，entreatieswerealikeuselesslyemployedto
changetheresolutionofSulton；thefactwasevidentlythis，he
knewhimselftobeamerepretendertohisart，forhadhebeen
certainofwhatheadvanced，hadheevenconceivedthemost
slenderhopesofsavingthelifeoftheking，hewouldnothave
hesitatedforasingleinstanttohavedoneallthatwasasked。
Thischanceofsafetywas，therefore，atanend，andspiteof
theopinionIentertainedofSulton，Icouldnotbutfeelsorry
Bordeuhadnotgivenhimabetterreceptionwhenhefirstmade
knownhisprofessedabilitytosurmountthisfataldisorder。
However，Iwascarefulnottoexpressmydissatisfaction，forit
wasbuttooimportantformetoavoidanydisputeatatimewhen
thesupportofmyfriendshadbecomesoessentiallynecessarytome。
Inproportionasthekingbecameworse，mycreditalsodeclined。
Twoorders，addressedtothecomptroller-generalandM。dela
Borde，formoney，metwithnoattention。
Thelatterreplied，with
extremepoliteness，thatthe100，000francsreceivedbycomte
Jeanafewdaysbeforethekingwastakenill，andthe50，000
paidtomadamedeMirepoixrecently，mustbeaconvincingproof，
inmyeyes，ofhisfriendlyintentionstowardsme，butthathehad
nomoneyatpresentinhispossession，thefirsthereceivedshould
beatmydisposal。
TheabbeTerrayactedwithlessceremony，forhecamehimselfto
say，that，solongasthekingremainedill，hewouldpaynomoney
withouthismajesty’ssignature，forwhichmybrother-in-lawmight
eitheraskorwaittilltherenolongerexistedanyoccasionfor
suchaprecaution；andthat，forhisownpart，hecouldnot
conceivehowhecouldhaveconsumedtheenormoussumshehad
alreadydrawnfromthetreasury。
Thismannerofspeakingstungmetothequick。
“Ifindyou，“saidItohim，“preciselythemean，contemptible
wretchyouweredescribedtome；butyouarepremature。
Iam
notyetanexilefromcourt，andyetyouseemalreadytohave
forgottenallyouowetome。“
“Ihaveaverygoodmemory，madam，“repliedhe，“andifyouwish
it，Icancountuponmyfingersthemoneyyouandyourfamilyhave
receivedofme。
Youwillsee——“
“WhatshallIsee？“
interruptedI，“unless，indeed，itbean
amountofyourregretsthatsuchasumwasnotleftinyour
handstobepillagedbyyourmistressesandtheirspurious
offspring。
Really，tohearyoutalk，anyonewouldsupposeyou
aSullyforintegrity，andaColbertinfinancialtalent。“
Thisvigorousreplystaggeredtheselfishandcoarse-mindedabbe，
whoeasilyperceivedthathehadcarriedmatterstoofar，andhad
reckonederroneouslyuponthefeeblenessandtimidityofmy
naturaldisposition；heattemptedtopacifyme，buthiscowardly
insolencehadexasperatedmetoohighlytoadmitofanyapology
orpeace-making。
“Haveacarewhatyoudo，“saidI，“orratheremployyourselfin
packingupwhatevermaybelongtoyou，foryoushallquityour
postwhatevermaybefall。
Intheeventoftheking’sdeathyou
willcertainlybeturnedoutbyhissuccessor，andifheregain
hishealth，hemustthenchoosebetweenyouandme，therecan
benomedium。
Henceforward，youmayconsidermeonlyinthe
lightofyourmortalenemy。“
Hewishedtoinsistuponmyhearinghim，butIexclaimed，“Quit
theroom，Iwishneithertoseenorhearmoreofyou。“
Theabbesawthatitwasnecessarytoobey，hethereforebowed
andretired。
TwohoursafterwardshesentmethesumwhichI
hadaskedofhimformybrother-in-law，accompaniedbyamost
humbleandcontriteletter。
Certainly，hadIonlylistenedtothe
inspirationofmyheart，Ishouldhavesentbackthemoney
withouttouchingit，andtheepistlewithoutreadingit；butmy
heroismdidnotsuitcomteJean，whochancedtobepresent。
’Take
it，takeit，“criedhe；“theonlywayofpunishingsucha
miscreant，istobreakhispurse-strings。
Hewould，indeed，have
thelaughonhissidewereyourfitofangertochangeintoafit
ofgenerosity；besides，thismaybethelastweshalleversee。“
Mybrother-in-lawandthecomptroller-generalwereanexcellent
pair。
Itreatedthelatterwithsilentcontempt，notevenreplying
tohisletter；thiswas，however，myfirstandonlystrokeof
vengeance，thedisastrouseventswhichfolloweddidnotpermit
metopursuemyplansforrevengingthistreacherousand
contemptibleconduct。
Thisquarrel，andthedefectionoftheabbe，hadthe
effectofrenderingmemuchindisposed。
Myillnesswasattributed
toanexcessofsorrowforthedangerousconditionofhismajesty，
nordidIcontradictthereport；for，intruth，Ididmost
sincerelylamentthemaladywithwhichthekingwassuffering，
andmyregretsarosefarmorefromafeelingofgratitudeand
esteem，thananyself-interestedcalculations。
Itwas，therefore，
innoveryexcellenthumourthatIsawtheprincedeSoubise
entermyapartment。
Youmayrememberthatthisnoblemanhad
quittedTrianonwithoutsayingonewordtome，andsincethat
periodIhadneverseenhim，althoughhehadpunctuallymadehis
inquiriesaftertheking。
WhenIperceivedhim，Icouldnothelp
inquiring，withsomethingofasarcasticexpression，whetherhis
majestyhadbeenpronouncedconvalescent？
Theprince
comprehendedthebitternessofthequestion。
“Youaresevere，madam，“repliedhe，“yetIcansolemnlyaffirm
thatcircumstances，andnotinclination，havekeptmefromyour
presenceuntilnow。“
“MayIbelieveyou？“
saidI。
“Areyouquitesureyouhavenot
beenimitatingthepolicyoftheabbeTerray？“
UponwhichI
relatedthebehaviourofthecomptroller-general。
“Priest-like，“answeredtheprince。
“Andisitnot-likealso？“
inquiredI。
“Perhapsitmay，“rejoinedM。deSoubise；“forthetwospecies
ofpriestandcourtiersonearlyresembleeachotherinmany
particulars，astohavebecomewellnighamalgamatedintoone；
butIclaimyourindulgencetomakemeanexceptiontothegeneral
rule，andtoclassmeasasoldierandamanofhonour；besides
which，youaretoolovelyevertobeforgotten，andyourpast
goodnesstomewillensureyoumyservicesletwhatmayoccur。“
“Well，then，“saidI，extendingmyhand，“asarewardforyour
candour，whichIreceiveasgenuine，Iwillrequestyour
forgivenessforanyannoyanceImayhavecausedyouonyour
family’saccount，Ioughtnevertohaveresentedanythingthey
havedone。
Mypresenceherecouldnotfailofbeinghighly
disagreeabletothem；however，theywillsoonberelievedfrom
thatsourceofuneasiness，mystaydrawsrapidlytoaclose。“
TheprincedeSoubise，withareadygraceandobligingmanner，
forwhichIshalleverrememberhimwithagratefulrecollection，
endeavouredtodispelmyapprehensionsastothestateofthe
king；butwhilstIacknowledgedthekindnessofhisintention，
myheartrefusedallcomfortinacase，whichItoowellknew
wasutterlyhopeless。
Thestateofaffairswasnowsomanifest，thatalreadyanobsequious
crowdbeseigedthedoorsofthedauphin，anxioustobefirstinthe
demonstrationoftheiradorationoftherisingsun；buttheyoung
prince，aidedbytheclear-mindedadviceofhisaugustspouse，
refused，withadmirableprudence，toreceivesuchpremature
homage；andsincehewasinterdictedbythephysiciansfrom
visitingtheroyalinvalid，heconfinedhimselfwithinhis
apartments，admittingnopersonbutaselectfewwhopossessed
hisconfidence。
Thedisappointedsatellites，frustratedintheirendeavourstoin
gratiatethemselveswiththedauphin，turnedtheirthoughts
towardsthecomtedeProvence，imaginingthatthisprince，spite
ofhisextremeyouth，mighthaveconsiderableinfluenceover
themindofhisbrother，thedauphin。
Butthisidea，however
plausible，wasbynomeanscorrect；itwastoomuchtheinterest
ofambitiousandmercenarymentocreateawantofharmony
betweentheroyalpair，anduptothemomentinwhichIamwriting，
noattemptshavebeenmadetoproduceakinderandmorefraternal
feelingbetweentwosuchnearrelatives。
Iquittedthekingaslittleaspossible，watchingwithdeep
concerntheprogressofamalady，thenatureofwhichwasasecret
tohimselfalone；for，inthedreadofincurringmydispleasure，
nopersonhadventuredtoacquainthimwiththeawfulfact。
By