princessrepliedintheaffirmative，adding:
“’ThearchbishopofPariswasheretwiceduringyesterdayto
inquireafteryou。’
“’YetIbelongmoreproperlytothedioceseofChartres，’returned
theking，’andsurelyM。deFleurywouldnotinteresthimselfless
aboutmethanM。deBeaumont。’
“’Theyarebothtrulyanxiousaboutyou，mydearestfather，and
ifyouwouldonlyseethem——’
“’No，no，’answeredLouisXV；’theymustnotbetakenfromthe
dutiesoftheirrespectivedioceses；besides，incaseofneed，I
havemygrandalmoner。’
“MadameAdelaidedidnotventuretourgethematterfurtherjust
then，and，afterashortintervalofsilence，amessagewas
broughtfromyou，inquiringwhetheryoucouldseetheking，to
whichhehimselfreplied，thathefeltinclinedtosleep，and
wouldrathernotseeanypersonthatnight。
Iwasinthechamber，
andheveryshortlycalledmetohim，andsaid:
“’Ducd’Aiguillon，Ihavethesmall-pox；andyouareawarethat
thereisasortofetiquetteinmyfamilywhichenjoinsmy
immediatelydischargingmydutiesasaChristian。’
“’Yes，sire，ifthemaladyworeaseriousaspect；butinyourcase——’
“’MayGodgrant，’repliedhe，’thatmydisorderbenotdangerous；
however，itmaybecomeso，ifitisasyetharmless，andIwould
faindieasabelieverratherthananinfidel。
Ihavebeenagreat
sinner，doubtless；butIhaveeverobservedLentwithamost
scrupulousexactitude。
Ihavecausedmorethanahundredthousand
massestobesaidforthereposeofunhappysouls；Ihave
respectedtheclergy，andpunishedtheauthorsofallimpious
works，sothatIflattermyselfIhavenotbeenaverybadChristian。’
“Ilistenedtohisdiscoursewithaheavyheart，yetIstill
strovetoreassurethekingrespectinghishealth，ofwhich，I
assuredhim，therewasnottheslightestdoubt。
“’Thereisonesacrifice，’saidtheking，inalowandhurried
tone，’thatmydaughterLouise，hersisters，andtheclergy，will
notbelonginexactingfrommeinthenameofetiquette。
I
recollectthesceneofMetz，anditwouldbehighlydisagreeable
tometohaveitrepeatedatVersailles；letus，therefore，take
ourprecautionsintimetopreventit。
Telltheduchesse
d’Aiguillonthatshewillobligemebytakingthecomtessedu
BarrytopasstwoorthreedayswithheratRuel。’
“’How，sire！’exclaimedI，’sendyourdearestfriendfromyouat
atimewhenyoumostrequirehercares？’
“’Idonotsendheraway，’answeredtheking，withmournful
tenderness，’Ibutyieldtopresentnecessity；lethersubmitas
shevaluesmyhappiness，andsaytoher，thatIhopeandbelieve
herabsencewillbeveryshort。’“
Thedukehereceasedhisrecital，whichfullyconfirmedallmy
previousanticipations。
Myfemalerelativessobbedaloud，while
comteJean，compressinghislips，endeavouredtoassumethat
firmnesshedidnotreallypossess。
ByaviolenteffortIforced
myselftoassumeasortofresignation。
“AmIrequiredtodepartimmediately？“
inquiredI。
“No，“saidtheduke；“toleavethechateauinthemiddleofthe
nightwouldbetoassumetheairofaflight，wehadbetter
awaitthecomingday；itwill，besides，affordtimetoapprize
theduchess。
“
Whiletheducd’Aiguillonwasthusgonetoarrangeformydeparture，
Irequestedtobeleftalone。
Myheartwasoppressed，andIfelt
theneedofventingmygriefuponsomefriendlybosom。
Aftera
fewmoments，spentincollectingmythoughts，Iaddressedtwo
letters，onetothe
marechaledeMirepoix，andtheothertothe
ducdeCosse；totheformerIwroteonaccountofmyretirement
toRuel，bewailedthesadturnmyprospectshadassumed，expressed
mydeepconcernforthesevereillnessofmyexcellentfriendand
benefactor，beggingofhertodefendmycharacterfromallunjust
attacks，andtoallowmetobeblamedfornofaultsbutsuchas
Ihadreallybeenguiltyof。
Iconcludedwiththesewords，“I
setoutatseveno’clockto-morrowmorning；theduchesse
d’AiguillonwillconductmetoRuel，whereIshallremainuntil
Iamorderedelsewhere。“
TothedukeImerelysentashortaccountofmypresentprospects，
hourofdeparture，etc。
And，myfeelingssomewhatrelievedbythe
penningoftheseepistles，Ithrewmyselfuponacouchtoawait
themorning。
Uponawaking，Ireceivedthefollowingnotefrom
theduchessed’Aiguillon:——
“MADAMELACOMTESSE，——Iowehismajestymany
thanksforthepleasing，yetmournful，taskhehas
allottedme。
Yourkindnesstomyfamily，
independentlyofmyprivateregardforyou，gives
youthesurestclaimofmybestservicesduring
thisafflictingperiod。
Letmebeseechofyounot
todespair，butcheerfullyanticipatebrighterdays。
“Iwillcallforyouatseveno’clock，andifyou
approveofit，wewillusemycarriage。
Ruelis
entirelyatyourdisposalandthatofyourfamily。“
Thisnotewastrulycharacteristicofitsamiablewriter，whoat
courtpassedforacold-hearted，frigidbeing，whilst，inreality，
thewarmfeelingsofherexcellentheartwerereservedforher
chosenfriends。
Ihaveneveradmiredthosegeneralloverswhoprofesstolove
everyone，nordoIfeelquitesureitisaverystrong
recommendationtosayapersonisbelovedbyallwhoknowher。
Read，now，astrikingcontrasttotheshortbutsympathizing
billetofmadamed’Aiguillon，inthefollowingheartlessletterf
fromthemarechaledeMirepoix，whichwasputintomyhandsasI
wasascendingthecarriage。
“MYLOVELYCOUNTESS，——Iamallastonishment！
Can
itbepossiblethatyouaretoquitVersailles？
Youarerightinsayingyouhavebeenthefriend
ofeveryone，andthosewhocouldspeakillofyou
aretobepitiedfornothavinghadbetter
opportunitiesofunderstandingyourrealcharacter。
Butfearnot，thedauphinessisvirtuepersonified，
andthedauphinequallyperfect。
Everything
promisesapeacefulandindulgentreign，should
wehavethemisfortunetolosehispresentmajesty。
Stilltherewillalwaysbeagreatvoidleftat
Versailles；asfarasIamconcerned，Ihavepassed
somuchofmytimewithyou，thatIcannotimagine
whatIshalldowithmyevenings；itwillcostme
muchofmyagetoalterhabitsandcustomsnowso
longfixedandsettled，butsuchislife；nothing
certain，nothingstable。
Weshouldimitatecats
inourattachments，andratheridentifyourselves
withthehousethanthepossessorofit。
Itrust
youhavesecuredanampleprovisionforthefuture；
neglectnotthepresent，to-morrowmaycomein
vainforyou。
“Besureyouletmeknowthespottowhichyou
permanentlyretire，andIwillendeavourtoseeyou
asfrequentlyasmyengagementswilladmitof。
Adieu，。“
Spiteofthebitternessofmyfeelings，thisletterdrewasmile
tomylips；theallusiontocatswhichhadescapedthemarechale
exactlyappliedtoherowncharacter，ofwhichIhadbeenwarned
beforeIbecameacquaintedwithher；butherprotestationsof
warmandunutterableattachmenthadgainedmyconfidence，andI
allowedmyselftobeguidedimplicitlybyher。
Theduchessed’AiguillonwaswaitingformewhileIperusedthe
aboveletter；atlength，withasigh，Ipreparedtoquitthat
palaceofdelightswhereIhadreignedabsolutemistress。
Icast
amournfullookaroundme，onthosesplendidwalks，fountains
andstatues，worthythegardensofArmida，butwheretherereigned，
atthisearlyhour，asortofgloomysilence；whilst，inthat
chamberwherelovehadwellnighdeifiedmeandrecognisedmeas
queenofFrance，layextendedthemonarchsolatelymyprotector
andfriend。
ItwastheWednesdayofthefifthofMaythatItookmyseatin
thecarriageoftheduchessed’Aiguillonaccompaniedbymy
sister-in-lawandthevicomtesseAdolphe，whowouldnotforsake
me。
Bischiremainedwithmadamed’Hargicourt，whoseduties
detainedherwiththecomtessed’Artois。
Herhusbandalso
remainedatVersailles，whilecomteJeanandhissonproceeded
toParis。
Iwillnotattempttodescribetheemotionswithwhich
Iquittedmymagnificentsuiteofapartments，andtraversedthe
hallsandstaircasesalreadycrowdedbypersonsanxiouslyawaiting
thefirstintimationoftheking’sdecease。
Iwaswrappedinmy
pelisse，andeffectuallyeludedobservation。
Ithasbeensaidthat
IleftVersaillesatfouro’clockinthemorning，butthatwasa
mereinventiononthepartofmyservantstobafflethecuriosity
ofthosewhomighthaveannoyedmebytheirpresence。
Wepursuedourwayinmournfulreflection，whilstmadamed’Aiguillon，
withherwontedgoodness，soughtbyeverymeanstodistractme
fromthedejectioninwhichIwasburied。
Herhusband，who