Part 47 (1/2)
Fortune favoured us, for we nised us as we drew near, saluted us, and was about to retire, when my brother-in-law called him back an desired hiates to the place which ished to go to He also commanded him to await our return The soldier was accustomed to these nocturnal excursions even on the part of the entlemen and ladies of the court He, therefore, assured us of his punctuality, and opened for us a great iron gate, which it would have cost es
The nearer we approached the end of our journey, the more fully did our minds becoth, we reached the place of our destination
My brother-in-law desired heof who I was We were expected, for a Swiss belonging to the palace conducted us to a chamber at one end of the chateau, where, stretched on a bed of loathsome disease, was the creature who, but a few hours before, had been deemed worthy the embraces of a powerful monarch Beside her were an elderly feed priest, who had been likewise su e, with an eye of fire, and a fra with his back turned towards the door; theon the bed, held in her hand a handkerchief steeped in her tears, while the ecclesiastic read prayers to them from a book which he held A nurse, e had not before perceived, answered the call of the Swiss, and inquired of hi, myself,” answered he, ”but here is comte Jean du Barry with a lady from Versailles; they say they come at the request of mademoiselle Anne”
We were now on the threshold of the door, and the nurse, crossing the chamber, spoke to the mother, who hastily rose, while the priest discontinued his prayers The hter The patient stirred in her bed, and the nurse returning to us, said to coht approach the bed of the invalid
He advanced and I followed hih the noisome effluvia hich the air was loaded produced a sickness I scarcely could surlooht of tax candles placed in a nook of the rooniseddoubtless who I as preparing to withdraw, but the sick girlto a distance, he took his place beside the young ers had arrived, rose froht to the fullest advantage
CHAPTER XLI
Intervieith the joiner's daughter-Consultation of the physicians respecting the king-The small-pox declares itself-the comte de Muy-The princesses-Extrenorance of his real condition-The archbishop of Paris visits Versailles
The glooroup which presented itself to our eyes filled us with desponding thoughts There appeared throughout the party a kind of concentrated grief and silent despair which struck us with terror We remainedtheir f ixed attitude to offer us a seat After some minutes of a deep silence, which I durst not interrupt any more than comte Jean, whose accustoirl raised herself in her bed, and in a hollow voice exclais you here?”
The sound of her hoarse and grating voice made me start, spite of myself
”My poor child,” answered I, tenderly, ”I come to see you at your request”
”Yes, yes,” replied she, bursting into a frightful fit of laughter, ”I wished to see you to thank you for my dishonour, and for the perdition into which you have involvedher, ”is this what you promised me?”
”And what did I promise to God when I vowed to hold myself chaste and spotless? Perjured wretch that I aold; wheedled by the deceitful flattery of that man who stands before uilt and shaeance of heaven has overtaken e was the result of a previously studied lesson I know not, but it was ill-calculated to raisespirits
”My child,mother, ”fear not, God is merciful and will accept your sincere abhorrence of your fault I have this day offered in your name a fine wax taper to your patroness, St Anne, ill, no doubt, intercede for you”
”No, no!” replied the unhappy girl, ”there is no longer any hope for me; and the torments I now suffer are but the preludes to those which I aular scene alitation I seized the ar fron and vehemently exclaimed,
”Stay, comtesse du Barry; I have not yet finished with you, I have not yet announced the full revenge I shall take for your share in my present hopeless condition; your infamous exaltation draws to a close, the sa overned; but your reign is at an end He will soon quit his earthly crown, and my hand strikes the blohich sends hi a victirave triuhty rival, for I shall die the last possessor of the king's affections Heavens! what agonies are these?” cried she; then, after a short silence, she continued, extending to usting malady, ”yes, you have been my destruction; your accursed exaes of infaht you here I owe all , more beautiful, more beloved than you; I am hurried to an untimely end God of heaven! die I did I say die? I cannot, will not-Mother, save your child!-Brother, helpchild!” cried the despairingbitterly
”My dearest sister Anne, what can I do for you?” inquired the young man, whose stern features were hter,” interrupted the priest, ”God is good; he can and will forgive you if you heartily turn to him, with a sincere desire to atone for your fault”
All this took place in less time than it has taken in the recital My brother-in-law seemed completely deprived of his usual self-possession by this burst of frightful raving; his feet appeared rooted to the floor of the chaed from white to red, and a cold perspiration covered his brows For my own part, I was moved beyond description; but my faculties seeue cleaved to my mouth
The delirium of poor Anne continued for soesticulation, half-uttered expressions, and, occasionally, loud and veheth, quite exhausted with her violence, which required all the efforts of her brother to subdue by positive force, she sunk into a state of insensibility The priest, on his knees, i and all his subjects Had any person conceived the design of working on my fears so far as to induce me to abandon a life at court, they could not have succeededtoideas enabled me to bear up under all I saw and heard, my senses must have forsaken me; under common circumstances, the aspect of the brother alone would have terrified ly; and even now, I cannot recollect without a shudder, the looks of dark and sinisterhe alternately directed at me and at coe of the unhappy girl arrived The warerness of manner hich he addressed ht have proved to all around that I was not the hateful creature I had been described This well-timed interruption restoredthe well-meant attentions of my medical friend, I exclaimed, ”Do not heed me, I conjure you, I airl whose dangererous state requires all your care”
My brother-in-law, recovering hi effort, profited by the present opportunity to remove me into another apartment, the pure air of which contributed to coollimbs refused to supportrestoratives ere I was sufficiently recovered to quit the fatal spot At Trianon, as well as at Versailles, I was considered absolute mistress; those of the royal household, ere aware ofat the former, earnestly solicitednight, but to this arrangement the comte and myself were equally opposed A sedan chair was therefore procured, in which I was rapidly transported back to Versailles