remainedwiththeking，engagedtowritemeatrueaccountof
allthattranspiredduringmyabsence，andIshallveryshortly
presentyouwithaspecimenofthefidelitywithwhichhe
performedhispromise。
TheduchessdidthehonoursofRuel。
“Here，“saidshe，“thegreatcardinalRichelieulovedtorepose
himselffromthebustleandturmoilofacourt。“
“Ithink，“answeredI，“itwouldhavebeenlessafavouritewith
hiseminencehaditbeenselectedforhisabodeontheeveof
hisdisgrace。“
ImmediatelyuponmyarrivalIretiredtobed，forfatiguehadso
completelyoverpoweredmethatIfellintoaheavyslumber，from
whichIdidnotawaketillthefollowingday；whenIfoundthe
duchessed’Aiguillon，mysister-in-law，GenevieveMathon，and
Henriette，seatedbymybed:thesightofthemwascheeringand
gratifyingproofofmynotbeingasyetabandonedbyalltheworld。
Iarose，andwewerejustabouttotakeourplacesattable，when
madamedeForcalquierarrived。
Imustconfessthatherpresence
wasanagreeablesurprisetome；Iwasfarfromreckoningonher
constancyinfriendship，andherpresentconductprovedherworthy
ofherexcellentfriend，madameBoncault，whosesteadyattachment
Ihadsofrequentlyheardextolled。
Thesightofherimparted
freshcouragetome，andIevenresumedmyusualhighspirits，and
inthesuddenturnmyideashadtaken，waschildishenoughto
expressmyregretsforthelossofmydownyandluxuriousbedat
Versailles，complainingofthewofuldifferencebetweenitand
theoneIhadsleptonatRuel。
Theduchessed’Aiguillon，whomusthavepitiedthepuerilityof
sucharemark，gentlyendeavouredtoreconcilemetoitbyreminding
methatboththemarquisedePompadourandthecardinalde
Richelieuhadreposeduponthatverycouch。
Iendeavouredtoreturnsomesportivereply，butmythoughtshad
flownbacktoVersailles，andmymomentaryexhilarationwasat
anend。
Tearsrosetomyeyesandchokedmyattemptsatconversation；
Ithereforebeggedtheduchesswouldexcuseme，andretiredtomy
apartmentuntilIcould
composemyself；butthekindandattentive
friendtowhosehospitalityIwasthenconfidedneedednofurther
mentionofmyhardcouch，butcausedthebestbedRuelcontained
tobepreparedformebythetimeIagainpressedmypillow。
ThissameeveningbroughtM。deCosse，whocouldnolongerrepress
hisimpatiencetoassuremeofhisentiredevotion。
Heappeared
onthisoccasion，ifpossible，moretenderandmorerespectful
inhismannerofevincingitthanever。
Wesuppedtogetherwithoutformorceremony，thepartyconsisting
ofmesdamesd’Aiguillon，deForcalquier，andmyself，mademoiselle
duBarry，andthevicomtesseAdolphe，theprincedeSoubiseand
theducdeCosse。
Butthemealpassedoffinsorrowfulsilence；
eachofusseemedtoabstainfromconversationasthoughthe
slightestremarkmightcomefraughtwithsomepainfulallusion。
OnthefollowingdayIreceivedtheletterfromtheducd’Aiguillon
whichyouwillfindinthefollowingchapter。
Theducd’Aiguillon’sfirstletter——ThemarechaledeMirepoix——
Asecondletterfromtheducd’Aiguillon——Numerousvisitors
“Mymuchesteemedfriend，——Ipromisedyouupon
yourdeparturetoinformyouofallthat
transpired，
andalthoughthetaskisamournfulone，Iwilldo
mybesttoacquitmyselfwithzealandsincerity，
andeacheveningIwillwriteyouanexactdetail
ofallthathasoccurredduringtheday。
Theking
remainsmuchasyoulefthim，andyoumustknow
thatalreadyhismedicalattendantsdifferintheir
opinionrespectinghim——Lemonnierutterly
despairingofhisrecovery，whileBordeuismost
sanguinethatheshallbeenabledtorestorehim
tohealth。
LaMartinierepersistsinhisassertion
thattheattentionofthekingshouldbe
immediatelydirectedtohisspiritualconcerns。
ThearchbishopofParisremainsuntilcalledfor
intheante-chamber，andtheprincessesnever
leavethebedsideoftheiraugustparent。
“Thekingspokewithmeconcerningyouforsome
timethismorning，andIcanassureyou，youare
thefirstobjectinhisthoughts；hehasbeggedof
menevertoforsakeyou，andhasdeignedtorepose
inmetheenviablepostofyourfutureprotector。
’Ibequeathmybelovedfriendtoyourfidelity，’
addedthesufferingprince。
Itookadvantageof
thisopportunitytoremarkthatIlookeduponyour
quittingVersaillesastooprecipitateandpremature
astep。
’No，no，’repliedtheking，“Ihaveacted
forthebest；Ihaveoncebeendeceivedastomy
condition，andIwouldwillinglypreventbeing
againtakenbysurprise。
Tellmybelovedand
excellentcountesshowtrulyIloveher’；and
hearingtheprincedeSoubisementionhisdesign
ofsuppingatRuel，hechargedhimtoembrace
youforhim。
“Thedauphinstillremainssecludedinhisapartment，
butIknowthathekeepsuparegularcorrespondence
withmadameVictoire，whoseletters，afterbeing
immersedinvinegar，arecarriedtothecomtede
Muy，whofumigatesthempreviouslytoallowing
themtoreachthehandsofthedauphin。
“Iam，etc。，etc。
“VERSAILLES，May5，1774，nineo’clock，evening。“
UponawakingthefollowingmorningIagainreceivednewsofthe
king，whowasstatedtohavepassedagoodnight，andevenLa
Martiniereseemedinclinedtohope。
Asyet，then，therewereno
safegroundsforabandoningme，andabouttwoo’clockinthe
afternoonIwasfavouredwithavisitfrommadamedeMirepoix，
who，runninguptome，exclaimedwithherusualvivacity，
“Oh，mydearcreature，howIlongedtoseeyou！“
andthen
leadingmeintoanotherchamber，sheadded，
“DoyouknowIquitemissedyou？
AsIwroteyou，mytimehung
heavilyonmyhands。
WhatintheworldwillbecomeofmeifIam
compelledtoresignthedelightfulhoursgrantedtotheenviedfew
whoarepermittedthetothe？
Foryousee，mydear，thedauphinesswillbefarfrombestowing
thathonouruponme。
Iamtoooldtoformoneofhercoterie，
andIshallbelaidasideliketherestoftheantiquitiesofthe
chateau。
Bytheway，“continuedthevolublemarechale，“there
isalreadyagreatcabalinthe
chateaurespectingtheformation
ofanewministry，inwhich，besidesdesiringlucrativepostsfor
themselves，allareanxioustointroducetheirprivatefriends；
inthemidstofsomanyabsorbinginterestsyouappeartobe
alreadyforgotten，which，bytheway，isnobadthingforyou。
Yourbestplanistoremainperfectlytranquil。“
Thenrapidly
passingtohermostprevailingidea，thisexcellentfriendproceeded
toinquirewhatthekinghadbestowedonmeasapartingpresent，
“for，“saidshe，“hewouldnotcertainlypermityoutoleave
Versaillesempty-handed。“
“Itisapoint，“repliedI，“thatneitherhismajestynormyself
oncethoughtof。“
“Thensuchanomissionproveshimavileegotist，andyoua
prodigioussimpleton，“answeredshe；“andwereIinyourplace，
Iwouldcommissiontheducd’Aiguillontomakeadirectdemand
ofafutureprovisionforyou；youreallyshouldseeaboutthis，
andsecuretoyourselfanobleestablishmentforyourselfand
yourfriends，whooughtnottosufferforyouroverstrained
delicacy。
LookattheducdeChoiseul，whohaskeptaregular
courtatChanteloup，andneverwantedforatrainofcourtiers
atit。“
Afterthislessonofworldlywisdom，theexcellentmarechalegave
meafriendlykiss，returnedtohercarriage，andIsawherno
moreduringmystayatRuel。
Theeveningbroughtwithitasecondletterfromtheduc
d’Aiguillon，itwasasfollows:——
“MADAM，——Ihastentoacquaintyouwiththe
pleasinginformationofhismajestybeingconsiderably
better；hisstrengthappearstohavereturned，
andhehimself，intheconsciousnessofimproving
health，expressedaloudhisregretforhavingbeen
sohastyinadvisingyourremovalfromhim。
Hehas
continuallyrepeated，’Howweakandselfishofme
thustoafflictmydearestcountess！
wouldyou
notadviseme，myfriend，torequestherimmediate
return？’
Ofcourse，myreplywasintheaffirmative。
Hismajestythenputthesamequestiontotheduc
deRichelieu，whoanswered，thatinhisopinionit
wasthebestplanhecoulddecideupon。
Thebulletin
signedbythedifferentphysiciansaccompaniesthis:
itleavesmenothingtoaddbuttorecommendyour
bearingwithpatiencethistemporaryabsencefrom
court，towhichyouwillerelongreturn，more
idolized，moresoughtafter，thanever。
Theduc
delaVrilliereandtheabbeTerraypresentthe
assuranceoftheirunboundedrespectanddevotion，
etc。，etc。“
Theduchess，mysister-in-law，andniecesharedinjoyatsuch
gratifyingintelligence，andtheensuingdaybroughtaconcourse
ofvisitorstoRuel；indeed，anyonemighthavesupposedthat
freshswarmsofflatterersandcourtiershadbeencreatedonly
toswellmynumbersofhumbleandobsequiousadorers。
Ibestowed