memoirs of the comtesse du barry-第98节

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ace　I　would　request　passports　from　the　duc　d'Aiguillon　and　travel　into　England。〃

〃Oh；　speak　not　of　such　a　thing；　I　conjure　you；〃　interrupted　I；　〃I　have　a　horror　of　such　journeys；　and　would　much　rather　trust　to　the　generosity　of　the　dauphiness。　　She　is　about　to　become　a　great　queen；　while　I　shall　be　a　creature　so　humiliated　and　abased；　that　the　very　difference　between　our　situations　will　be　a　sufficient　vengeance　in　her　eyes。〃

We　returned　to　the　house；　and　had　scarcely　entered；　when　M。　de　Palchelbel；　plenipotentiary　to　the　prince　des　Deux　Ponts；　was　announced。

〃M。　de　Palchelbel；〃　cried　I；　extending　my　hand；　〃what　good　wind　brings　you　here？〃

〃I　have　been　honoured　by　the　commands　of　the　prince；　my　master；　madam；〃　replied　he；　〃to　bring　you　the　assurances　of　his　unalterable　friendship；　and　to　say　further；　that　whenever　you　feel　dissatisfied　with　your　residence　in　France；　you　will　find　at　Deux　Ponts　an　asylum；　which　the　most　earnest　endeavors　of　the　prince；　my　gracious　patron；　will　strive　to　render　agreeable　to　you。〃

I　was　much　affected　by　this　mark　of　generous　regard　on　the　part　of　prince　Charles　Auguste；　and；　turning　quickly　towards　the　duke；　I　exclaimed；

〃What　think　you　of　all　this？　　Will　you　henceforward　believe　those　self…dubbed　philosophers；　who　assert　that　friendship　is　unknown　to　royalty？　　You　have　here　a　proof　of　the　contrary。　　For　my　own　part；　M。　de　Palchelbel；〃　continued　I；　turning　towards　the　minister；　〃I　am　much　gratified　by　your　message；　and　entreat　of　you　to　thank　his　royal　highness　most　sincerely　for　me。　　I　will　write　to　him　myself　on　the　subject；　but　beg　of　you　to　repeat　that；　kind　as　are　his　offers；　I　cannot　accept　of　them；　but　shall　certainly　remain　in　France　until　the　new　sovereign　commands　or　permits　me　to　quit　it。〃

I　afterwards　repeated　to　the　minister　of　Deux　Ponts　what　I　had　previously　stated　in　the　garden　to　M。　de　　Cosse；　and　had　the　satisfaction　of　hearing　madam　d'Aiguillon　approve　of　my　sentiments。

When　I　retired　to　my　apartment　I　was　followed　by　my　niece。

〃How　happy　are　you；　dear　aunt；〃　said　she；　'to　preserve　such　friends　in　your　present　troubles。〃

〃I　owe　them；〃　replied　I；　〃to　my　simplicity　and　candor。〃

〃Will　you　not　retire　to　Germany？〃

〃Certainly　not；〃　answered　I。

〃Yet　it　would　be　better　to　allow　the　first　burst　of　displeasure　on　the　part　of　the　dauphiness　to　pass　over。〃

〃Who　gave　you　this　counsel；　my　dear　niece？　　I　am　quite　sure　it　does　not　originate　in　yourself。〃

〃I　had　promised　not　to　tell；〃　answered　she；　〃but　if　you　insist　upon　it；　I　must　confess；　that　I　was　persuaded　by　the　prince　de　Conde　and　M。　de　Soubise　to　urge　you　to　follow　it。〃

〃Do　they　then　wish　for　my　absence？〃　　inquired　I；　angrily。

〃Only　for　your　own　sake；　dearest　aunt。〃

〃I　thank　them；　but　my　resolution　is　formed　to　commit　myself　entirely　to　Providence　in　this　melancholy　affair。〃

The　day　passed　on；　and　with　feverish　impatience　I　waited　the　arrival　of　the　next　courier：　he　came；　at　length；　and　confirmed　my　worst　fears；　the　king　was　entirely　given　over　by　his　physicians；　and　his　dissolution　was　hourly　expected。　　The　letter　containing　this　mournful　tidings　concluded　thus：

〃I　have　just　seen　comte　Jean；　he　is　here　incognito。　We　had　entirely　forgotten　that　passports　would　be　necessary；　however；　I　have　now　furnished　him　with　four　for　England；　Germany；　Italy；　and　Switzerland。　The　count　is　far　from　partaking　of　your　sense　of　security；　and　is　wisely　anxious　（as　I　think）　of　shielding　himself　from　the　first　burst　of　royal　vengeance。　　The　duchess　has　informed　me　of　your　refusal　of　an　asylum　at　Deux　Ponts；　and；　while　I　admire　your　courage；　permit　me　to　add；　that　you　should　rather　have　listened　to　the　dictates　of　prudence　than　magnanimity　under　present　circumstances。〃

The　following　morning；　at　an　early　hour；　comte　Jean　entered　my　chamber；　saying；

〃I　understand　the　king　is　dead；　have　you　heard　anything　of　it？〃

〃Were　the　report　correct；〃　answered　I；　〃I　should　have　known　it　ere　the　intelligence　reached　Paris。〃

〃Well；　living　or　dead；　I　am　advised　to　keep　out　of　the　way；　and　this　night　will　see　me　on　my　journey　from　Paris。　　Will　you　accompany　me？〃

〃No；　I　replied　I；　〃I　have　refused　travelling　with　a　much　more　creditable　companion　than　yourself。〃

〃There　you　are　wrong　then；　for；　depend　upon　it；　a　cloister　will　be　your　fate；　at　any　rate　my　business　here　is　at　an　end。　　The　new　monarch　is　young；　and　attached　to　his　wife；　and　my　daughter…in…law　is　too　great　a　simpleton　to　be　turned　to　any　account　at　court。〃

My　brother…in…law　then　requested　I　would　furnish　him　with　money。　I　gave　him　what　I　had；　and　placed　in　his　hands　diamonds　to　the　value　of　30；000　francs。　　He　was　very　anxious　to　obtain　all　my　jewels；　under　pretence　of　conveying　them　safely　out　of　the　kingdom；　but　this　I　was　too　wise　to　agree　to；　he　would　have　staked　them　at　t　he　first　gaming…table　he　met　with。　　We　separated　without　much　emotion　on　either　side。　　He　next　took　leave　of　Chon　and　his　daughter…in…law。　　the　former　wept　bitterly；　for　she　was　a　most　excellent　and　amiable　girlbut　the　latter；　who　knew　but　too　much　of　the　villainy　of　her　father…in…law；　could　scarcely　repress　her　joy　at　his　departure。　　Comte　Jean　perceived　it；　and；　according　to　his　brutal　custom；　indulged　in　a　coarse　jest　at　her　expense；　for　one　of　his　maxims　was　to　hold　all　women　in　sovereign　contempt　but　such　as　could　be　useful　to　him。　　For　my　own　part；　his　absence　gave　me　something　like　pleasure；　his　presence　was　wearisome　to　me；　it　was　like　the　dregs　of　the　cup　which　had　intoxicated　my　senses。

During　the　day　several　false　reports　arrived　of　the　death　of　the　king；　but　at　length；　about　half　past　four　o'clock　in　the　afternoon；　I　received　the　following　letter：

〃MADAM；…You　have　lost　your　best　friend　and　I　an　excellent　master：　at　three　clock　this　day　his　majesty　breathed　his　last。　　I　can　scarcely　describe　to　you　the　horrors　of　his　death…bed。　　The　princesses　Adelaide　and　Sophie　braved　the　frightful　contagion　to　the　last　and　never　quitted　him　till　the　last　spark　had　flown。　　Alas！　　with　the　exception　of　themselves；　every　attendant　openly　expressed　their　weariness　and　disgust。

〃For　several　days　the　physicians　have　forbidden　the　windows　to　be　opened；　and　those　condemned　to　inhale　the　pestilential　vapor　of　the　room　vainly　sought　to　counteract　them　by　every　powerful　fumigation。　　Alas；　madam；　what　is　a　king　when　he　can　no　longer　grasp　the　sceptre？　　How　great　a　leveller　is　death！　　The　prelates　abandoned　the　sick　chamber；　and　left　a　simple　cure　of　the　chapel　to　take　their　place；　　the　lords　in　waiting　and　other　officers　shrunk　from　the　duties　of　their　office；　and　with　their　eyes　fixed　on　a　time…piece　eagerly　awaited　the　hour　which　should　free　them　from　it。　　The　princesses；　who　perceived　this　impatience；　durst　make　no　complaint；　while　the　king；　occasionally　recovering　his　senses；　uttered　broken　sentences；　expressive　of　the　religious　terror　which　had　seized　his　mind。　　At　length；　at　a　few　minutes　past　three　o'clock；　Lemonnier；　in　his　capacity　of　first　physician；　said；　after　laying　his　hand　upon　the　heart　of　the　patient；　and　placing　a　glass　before　his　lips；　'The　king　is　dead。'　At　these　words　all　present　strove　with　indecent　haste　to　quit　the　chamber；　not　a　single　sigh；　not　one　regret　was　heard。　　The　princesses　were　carried　insensible　to　their　apartments。

〃The　extinction　of　a　　which　had　been　placed　in　a　certain　window；　announced　the　accession　of　the　dauphin　ere　the　duc　d'Aumont　had　informed　him　of　the　decease　of　his　august　grandsire。〃

This　letter　wrung　from　me　some　bitter　tears；　as　well　for　the　king；　who　had　so　lavishly　bestowed　his　affections　upon　me；　as　for　myself。　　What　would　now　be　my　fate？　　Alas！　　I　knew　not；　all　my　brilliant　prospects　were　buried　in　the　coffin　of　my　late　protector。

The　duc　d'Aiguillon　arrived　at　Ruel　about　midnight；　he；　as　well　as　the　other　ministers　who　had　been　about　the　late　monarch　during　his　last　illness；　being　prohibited　by　etiquette　from　following　the　present　monarch　to　Choisy；　whither　the　whole　of　the　royal　family　had　retired　for　a　few　days。　　He　told　us　that　the　duc　d'Aumont；　having　commanded　La　Martiniere　to　proceed　with　the　embalming　of　the　royal　corpse；　that　physician　replied；　〃Certainly；　my　lord；　it　shall　be　done　if　you　command　it；　but；　in　that　case；　the　duties　of　your　office　compel　you　to　receive　his　majesty's　bowels　in　a　golden　dish；　and　I　protest；　that　such　is　the　state　of　the　body；　that　of　all　who　may　assist　at　the　operation；　not　one　will　survive　eight　days。　　It　is　for　your　grace　to　determine　what　shall　be　done。〃

M。　d'Aumont　thought　no　more　of　embalming　his　late　master；　but　gave　orders　for　the　body　being　immediately　placed　in　a　leaden　coffin；　from　which　here　still　issued　frightful　effluvia。

Up　to　the　moment　of　my　quitting　Ruel　madame　de　Mirepoix　gave　me　no　token　of　recollection：　I　heard　that　herself　and　the　prince　de　Beauvau　were　reconciled；　and　for　her　sake　I　rejoiced　at　it。　　No　person　came　near　us　the　whole　of　the　day　with　the　exception　of　M。　de　Cosse；　and　I　sat　in　hourly　expectation　of　some　order　from　court。　　At　length　we　descried　a　travelling　carriage　with　six　horses；　proceeding　at　a　rapid　pace　up　the　avenue。　　〃I　know　that　livery；〃　exclaimed　I；　〃　'tis　that　of　my　humble　adorer；　my　obsequious　slave；　my　friend　at　court；　the　d