Part 47 (2/2)
You ood Henriette was greatly alar to bleedsoree But the events of the last few hours seemed indelibly fixed in my mind; and I heard, al the state of the king's health during the fatal night which had just passed One object alone engrossed irl stretched on her dying bed, whose ravings of despair and threatening words yet rung in my ears, and produced a fresh chill of horror, as with painful tenacity my mind dwelt upon them to the utter exclusion of every other consideration The unfortunate creature expired on the third day, a victiress of the most virulent species of sned than I had seen her For my own part, I freely pardoned her injustice towards ive the priest if he (as I have been told) excited her bitterness against ht have terhts been compelled to rouse the prospect beforewhen I returned to the chateau, and at nine I rose again without having obtained the least repose The king had inquired for uid frame, pale countenance and heavy eyes, all which he took as the consequences of reatly to affect hi considerably better This was far fro the nature of the malady to which his frame was about to become a prey The physicians had now pronounced with certainty on the subject, nor was it possible to make any mystery of it with me, who had seen Anne on her sick-bed
In comht to conceal it fro, and in this deception the physicians the a consultation took place; when called upon for their opinion, each of the the name of his majesty's disease under the appellation of a cutaneous eruption, chicken-pox, etc, etc, none daring to give it its true denomination Bordeu and Lemonnier pursued this cautious plan, but La Martiniere, who had first of all pronounced his decision on the subject, impatient of so much circuer repress his indignation
”How is this, gentlemen!” exclaimed he, ”is science at a standstill with you? Surely, you cannot be in any doubt on the subject of the king's illness His majesty has the serous, and I look upon him as a dead man”
”Monsieur de la Martiniere,” cried the duc de Duras, who, in quality of his office of first gentleman of the bed-chamber, was present at this conference, ”allowyourself very imprudently”
”Duc de Duras,” replied the abrupt La Martinier, ”, but to tell hientlemen present can deny the truth of what I have asserted; they are all of e to act with that candour which my sense of honour dictates”
The unbroken silence preserved by those who heard this address, clearly proved the truth of all La Martiniere advanced The duc de Duras was but too fully convinced of the justice of his opinion
”The king is then past all hope,” repeated he, ”and what remains to be done?”
”To watch over hiests,” was the brief reply of La Martiniere
The different physicians, when separately questioned, hesitated no longer to express their concurrence in the opinion that his majesty's case was entirely hopeless, unless, indeed, soht could not anticipate, should arise in his favour
This opinion changed the moral face of the chateau The duc de Duras, who had not previously suspected even the existence of danger, began to feel hoeighty a burthen reposed on his shoulders; he recommended to theout, at the saht arise, were any imprudent or sudden explanation of his real ust sufferer Unable to attend to everything himself, and not inclined to depend upon his son, whose natural propensity he was fully aware of, he recalled to his recollection that the comte de Muy, the sincere and attached friend of the dauphin, son to Louis XV, was then in Versailles He iht him out in the apartments he occupied in the chateau, and co the king's illness
The comte de Muy was one of those rare characters reserved by Providence for the happiness of a state, when kings are wise enough to ee, but dictated to the duke the precise line of conduct he himself would have pursued under si to be done,” said he, ”is to re is a Christian, and to conform in every respect to the customs of his predecessors You are aware, my lord duke, that directly any meht immediately to receive extreements, and apprize those whose duty it becomes to administer it”
”This is, indeed, an unpleasant commission,” replied the duke; ”to administer extreme unction to his majesty, is to announce to him cruelly and abruptly that his last hour has arrived, and to bid him prepare for death”
”The duty is nevertheless iht responsibility by neglecting it”
The consequence of this conversation was, that the duke sent off two couriers immediately, one to madame Louise, and the other to the archbishop of Paris He also apprized the ministers of the result of the consultation which had taken place, whilst the co the dauphin with the dangerous state of his grandfather This young prince, whose first impulses were always amiable, immediately burst into tears; the dauphiness endeavoured to console hihness appeared to show by her lofty and dignified bearing, her consciousness of the fresh importance she had necessarily acquired in the eyes of the nation Meanwhile, the dauphin hastened to the sick room of his beloved relative, anxious to bestow upon him the cares and attentions of a son; but in the anterooress was stopped by the duc de la Vrilliere, who informed him, that the interests of the throne would not per the contagious atmosphere of a room loaded with the veno and his country, not to risk such fearful chances The lords in attendance, who did not partake the herois prince, added their entreaties to those of le petit saint, and succeeded, at length, in prevailing upon hireat joy of Marie Antoinette, who could not endure the prospect of being separated from her husband at so important a juncture
No sooner had the princesses learned the danger of their august parent, than without an instant's hesitation they hurried to him I was in his chaentleness and affability When the king saw theht them thither at so unusual an hour
”We are come to see you, my dearest father,” replied mada as it is said to be, we could not rest without satisfying our anxious wish to kno you found yourself”
The other sisters expressed themselves in similar terms
”It is all very well,sirls, but I would rather you should keep away froood, and I pro any worse”
After a slight resistance the princesses feigned an obedience to his will; but, in reality, theychaht of their parent, where they ree of the patient Their heroic devotion was the admiration of all France and Europe