第87章

vainhadheemployedthetwofootmenfrombehindthecarriage

toexaminethedifferentavenuesbywhichhemighthaveretired。

Nothingcouldbeheardofhim，andIremained，morethanever，

convincedthattheentirefulfilmentoftheprophecywasathand，

andthatthefatalhourwouldshortlystrike，whichwouldwitness

myfallfromallmypompandgreatness。

Wecontinuedourroute

slowlyandsilently；themarechaleaccompaniedmetothedoorof

myapartment，whereIbadeheradieu，spiteofherwishtoremain

withme；butevenhersocietywasnowfatiguingtome，andI

longedtobealonewithmerelymyownfamily。

Mytwosisters-in-law，thewifeofcomted’Hargicourtandthat

ofmynephew，werespeedilyassembledtotalkoverwithmethe

eventsofthelasttwelvehours。

Ithrewmyselfuponmybedin

astateofmentalandbodilyfatigue，impossibletodescribe。

I

stroveinvaintocollectmyideas，andarmmyselfforwhatI

wellsawwasapproaching，andtheexactappearanceofthesingular

predicterofmydestinypreparedmefortherapidaccomplishing

ofallthathadbeenpromised。

LouisXV，duringthisfatalillness，wasplacedunderthecare

ofBordeuandLemonnier。

Noparticularlyalarmingsymptoms

appearedduringthatday，andweremainedinastateofsuspense

moredifficulttobearthaneventhemostdreadfulcertainty。

As

soonasthekingfelthimselfsufficientlyrecoveredfromthe

fatiguesofhisremovalherequestedtoseeme。

Afterbestowing

onmethemostgratifyingmarksofthesincerestattachment，

hesaid，

“Iamwellpunished，mydearcountess，formyinconstancytowards

you，butforgiveme。

Iprayandbelievethat，howevermyfancy

maywander，myheartisallyourown。“

“Isthatquitetrue？“

saidI，smiling。

“Haveyounotsome

reservations？

Doesnotanoblefemaleinthe

comeinforashareaswellasthebaronessdeNew——k？“

Thekingpressedmyhand，andreplied，

“Youmustnotbelieveallthoseidletales；Imetthebaroness

bychance，and，foratime，Ithoughtherpretty。

Asforthe

other，ifsherendersyouinanywayuneasy，letherbemarried

atonce，andsentwhereweneedneverseeheragain。“

’Thisis，indeed，thelanguageofsincerity，“criedI，andfrom

thismomentIshallhavethefullestconfidenceinyou。“

Theconversationwascarriedonforalongwhileinthisstrain。

Thephysicianshadmadesolightofthecomplaint，thattheking

believedhisillnesstobemerelyofatemporarynature，andhis

gaietyandgoodspiritsreturnedalmosttotheirnaturalheight。

HeinquiredaftermadamedeMirepoix，andwhethermysisters-

in-lawwereuneasyrespectinghisstateofhealth。

Youmay

imaginethatmyreplywaswordedwithallthecautionnecessary

tokeephiminprofoundignoranceastohisrealcondition。

When

IreturnedtomyapartmentIfoundBordeuthere，whoappeared

quiteatalosswhattosayrespectingtheking’smalady，the

symptomsstillremainedtoouncertaintowarrantanypersonin

callingitthesmall-pox。

“Andshoulditprovethathorriblecomplaint？“

inquiredI。

“Therewould，inthatcase