第89章

Thenearerweapproachedtheendofourjourney，themorefully

didourmindsbecomeimpressedwithnewandpainfuldisquietudes。

Atlength，wereachedtheplaceofourdestination。

Mybrother-in-lawdesiredhemightbeannouncedbutsaidnothing

ofwhoIwas。

Wewereexpected，foraSwissbelongingtothe

palaceconductedustoachamberatoneendofthechateau，

where，stretchedonabedofloathsomedisease，wasthecreature

who，butafewhoursbefore，hadbeendeemedworthytheembraces

ofapowerfulmonarch。

Besideherwereanelderlyfemale，her

mother，andanagedpriest，whohadbeenlikewisesummonedbythe

unfortunategirl，andherbrother，ayoungmanofabouttwenty-four

yearsofage，withaneyeoffire，andaframeofHerculeanpower。

Hewassittingwithhisbackturnedtowardsthedoor；themother，

halfrecliningonthebed，heldinherhandahandkerchiefsteeped

inhertears，whiletheecclesiasticreadprayerstothemfroma

bookwhichheheld。

Anurse，whomwehadnotbeforeperceived，

answeredthecalloftheSwiss，andinquiredofhimwhathewanted。

“Iwantnothing，myself，“answeredhe，“buthereiscomteJean

duBarrywithaladyfromVersailles；theysaytheycomeatthe

requestofmademoiselleAnne。“

Wewerenowonthethresholdofthedoor，andthenurse，crossing

thechamber，spoketothemother，whohastilyrose，whilethe

priestdiscontinuedhisprayers。

Themotherlookedatus，then

whisperedsomewordstoherdaughter。

Thepatientstirredinher

bed，andthenursereturningtous，saidtocomteJeanthathe

mightapproachthebedoftheinvalid。

HeadvancedandIfollowedhim，althoughthenoisomeeffluvia

withwhichtheairwasloadedproducedasicknessIscarcelycould

surmount。

Thegloomoftheplacewasstillfurtherincreasedby

thedimlightoftwowaxcandlesplacedinanookoftheroom。

Thepriest，havingrecognisedmybrother-in-law，andsuspecting

doubtlesswhoIwas，waspreparingtowithdraw，butthesickgirl

madesignsforhimtoremain。

Heobeyed，butremovingtoa

distance，hetookhisplacebesidetheyoungman，who，understanding

onlythatstrangershadarrived，rosefromhisseatanddisplayed

histallgiganticheighttothefullestadvantage。

CHAPTERXLI

Interviewwiththejoiner’sdaughter——Consultationofthephysicians

respectingtheking——Thesmall-poxdeclaresitself——thecomtede

Muy——Theprincesses——ExtremesensibilityofmadamedeMirepoix——The

kingiskeptinignoranceofhisrealcondition——Thearchbishopof

ParisvisitsVersailles

Thegloomyandmysteriousairscatteredoverthegroupwhich

presenteditselftooureyesfilleduswithdespondingthoughts。

Thereappearedthroughoutthepartyakindofconcentratedgrief

andsilentdespairwhichstruckuswithterror。

Weremained

motionlessinthesamespotwithoutanypersonsquittingtheir

fixedattitudetoofferusaseat。

Aftersomeminutesofadeep

silence，whichIdurstnotinterruptanymorethancomteJean，

whoseaccustomedhardihoodseemedeffectuallychecked