madeithisbusinessthefollowingdaytocallupontheprincesses，
　　towhomherelatedtheconversationhehadheldwithdoctorSulton
　　theprecedingevening。
　　Intheireagernesstoavailthemselvesofeverychanceforpromoting
　　therecoveryoftheirbelovedparent，theprincessesblamedthe
　　dukeforhavingbestowedsolittleattentionupontheEnglishman，
　　andconjuredhimtoreturntoParis，seeSulton，andbringhimto
　　Versaillesonthefollowingday。
　　Theducd’Orleansactedinstrict
　　conformitywiththeirwishes；andalthoughbutlittlesatisfied
　　withtherepliesmadebySultontomanyofhisquestionsrelative
　　tothemeasuresheshouldpursueinhistreatmentoftheking，he
　　causedhimtoaccompanyhimtoVersailles，inorderthatthe
　　princessesmightjudgeforthemselves。
　　Thetaskofreceiving
　　himwasundertakenbymadameAdelaide。
　　Sultonunderwenta
　　rigorousexamination，andwasofferedanimmensesumforthe
　　discoveryofhissecret，providedhewouldallowhisremedyto
　　besubjectedtothescrutinyofsomeofthemostcelebrated
　　chemistsofthetime。
　　Sultondeclaredthatthethingwas
　　impossible；inthefirstplace，itwastoolate，thediseasewas
　　toofaradvancedfortheapplicationoftheremedytopossess
　　thatpositivesuccessitwouldhaveobtainedintheearlierstage
　　ofthemalady；inthenextplace，hecouldnotofhimselfdispose
　　ofasecretwhichwasthejointpropertyofseveralmembersof
　　hisfamily。
　　Prayers，promises，entreatieswerealikeuselesslyemployedto
　　changetheresolutionofSulton；thefactwasevidentlythis，he
　　knewhimselftobeamerepretendertohisart，forhadhebeen
　　certainofwhatheadvanced，hadheevenconceivedthemost
　　slenderhopesofsavingthelifeoftheking，hewouldnothave
　　hesitatedforasingleinstanttohavedoneallthatwasasked。
　　Thischanceofsafetywas，therefore，atanend，andspiteof
　　theopinionIentertainedofSulton，Icouldnotbutfeelsorry
　　Bordeuhadnotgivenhimabetterreceptionwhenhefirstmade
　　knownhisprofessedabilitytosurmountthisfataldisorder。
　　However，Iwascarefulnottoexpressmydissatisfaction，forit
　　wasbuttooimportantformetoavoidanydisputeatatimewhen
　　thesupportofmyfriendshadbecomesoessentiallynecessarytome。
　　Inproportionasthekingbecameworse，mycreditalsodeclined。
　　Twoorders，addressedtothecomptroller-generalandM。dela
　　Borde，formoney，metwithnoattention。
　　Thelatterreplied，with
　　extremepoliteness，thatthe100，000francsreceivedbycomte
　　Jeanafewdaysbeforethekingwastakenill，andthe50，000
　　paidtomadamedeMirepoixrecently，mustbeaconvincingproof，
　　inmyeyes，ofhisfriendlyintentionstowardsme，butthathehad
　　nomoneyatpresentinhispossession，thefirsthereceivedshould
　　beatmydisposal。
　　TheabbeTerrayactedwithlessceremony，forhecamehimselfto
　　say，that，solongasthekingremainedill，hewouldpaynomoney
　　withouthismajesty’ssignature，forwhichmybrother-in-lawmight
　　eitheraskorwaittilltherenolongerexistedanyoccasionfor
　　suchaprecaution；andthat，forhisownpart，hecouldnot
　　conceivehowhecouldhaveconsumedtheenormoussumshehad
　　alreadydrawnfromthetreasury。
　　Thismannerofspeakingstungmetothequick。
　　“Ifindyou，“saidItohim，“preciselythemean，contemptible
　　wretchyouweredescribedtome；butyouarepremature。
　　Iam
　　notyetanexilefromcourt，andyetyouseemalreadytohave
　　forgottenallyouowetome。“
　　“Ihaveaverygoodmemory，madam，“repliedhe，“andifyouwish
　　it，Icancountuponmyfingersthemoneyyouandyourfamilyhave
　　receivedofme。
　　Youwillsee——“
　　“WhatshallIsee？“
　　interruptedI，“unless，indeed，itbean
　　amountofyourregretsthatsuchasumwasnotleftinyour
　　handstobepillagedbyyourmistressesandtheirspurious
　　offspring。
　　Really，tohearyoutalk，anyonewouldsupposeyou
　　aSullyforintegrity，andaColbertinfinancialtalent。“
　　Thisvigorousreplystaggeredtheselfishandcoarse-mindedabbe，
　　whoeasilyperceivedthathehadcarriedmatterstoofar，andhad
　　reckonederroneouslyuponthefeeblenessandtimidityofmy
　　naturaldisposition；heattemptedtopacifyme，buthiscowardly
　　insolencehadexasperatedmetoohighlytoadmitofanyapology
　　orpeace-making。
　　“Haveacarewhatyoudo，“saidI，“orratheremployyourselfin
　　packingupwhatevermaybelongtoyou，foryoushallquityour
　　postwhatevermaybefall。
　　Intheeventoftheking’sdeathyou
　　willcertainlybeturnedoutbyhissuccessor，andifheregain
　　hishealth，hemustthenchoosebetweenyouandme，therecan
　　benomedium。
　　Henceforward，youmayconsidermeonlyinthe
　　lightofyourmortalenemy。“
　　Hewishedtoinsistuponmyhearinghim，butIexclaimed，“Quit
　　theroom，Iwishneithertoseenorhearmoreofyou。“
　　Theabbesawthatitwasnecessarytoobey，hethereforebowed
　　andretired。
　　TwohoursafterwardshesentmethesumwhichI
　　hadaskedofhimformybrother-in-law，accompaniedbyamost
　　humbleandcontriteletter。
　　Certainly，hadIonlylistenedtothe
　　inspirationofmyheart，Ishouldhavesentbackthemoney
　　withouttouchingit，andtheepistlewithoutreadingit；butmy
　　heroismdidnotsuitcomteJean，whochancedtobepresent。
　　’Take
　　it，takeit，“criedhe；“theonlywayofpunishingsucha
　　miscreant，istobreakhispurse-strings。
　　Hewould，indeed，have
　　thelaughonhissidewereyourfitofangertochangeintoafit
　　ofgenerosity；besides，thismaybethelastweshalleversee。“
　　Mybrother-in-lawandthecomptroller-generalwereanexcellent
　　pair。
　　Itreatedthelatterwithsilentcontempt，notevenreplying
　　tohisletter；thiswas，however，myfirstandonlystrokeof
　　vengeance，thedisastrouseventswhichfolloweddidnotpermit
　　metopursuemyplansforrevengingthistreacherousand
　　contemptibleconduct。
　　Thisquarrel，andthedefectionoftheabbe，hadthe
　　effectofrenderingmemuchindisposed。
　　Myillnesswasattributed
　　toanexcessofsorrowforthedangerousconditionofhismajesty，
　　nordidIcontradictthereport；for，intruth，Ididmost
　　sincerelylamentthemaladywithwhichthekingwassuffering，
　　andmyregretsarosefarmorefromafeelingofgratitudeand
　　esteem，thananyself-interestedcalculations。
　　Itwas，therefore，
　　innoveryexcellenthumourthatIsawtheprincedeSoubise
　　entermyapartment。
　　Youmayrememberthatthisnoblemanhad
　　quittedTrianonwithoutsayingonewordtome，andsincethat
　　periodIhadneverseenhim，althoughhehadpunctuallymadehis
　　inquiriesaftertheking。
　　WhenIperceivedhim，Icouldnothelp
　　inquiring，withsomethingofasarcasticexpression，whetherhis
　　majestyhadbeenpronouncedconvalescent？
　　Theprince
　　comprehendedthebitternessofthequestion。
　　“Youaresevere，madam，“repliedhe，“yetIcansolemnlyaffirm
　　thatcircumstances，andnotinclination，havekeptmefromyour
　　presenceuntilnow。“
　　“MayIbelieveyou？“
　　saidI。
　　“Areyouquitesureyouhavenot
　　beenimitatingthepolicyoftheabbeTerray？“
　　UponwhichI
　　relatedthebehaviourofthecomptroller-general。
　　“Priest-like，“answeredtheprince。
　　“Andisitnot-likealso？“
　　inquiredI。
　　“Perhapsitmay，“rejoinedM。deSoubise；“forthetwospecies
　　ofpriestandcourtiersonearlyresembleeachotherinmany
　　particulars，astohavebecomewellnighamalgamatedintoone；
　　butIclaimyourindulgencetomakemeanexceptiontothegeneral
　　rule，andtoclassmeasasoldierandamanofhonour；besides
　　which，youaretoolovelyevertobeforgotten，andyourpast
　　goodnesstomewillensureyoumyservicesletwhatmayoccur。“
　　“Well，then，“saidI，extendingmyhand，“asarewardforyour
　　candour，whichIreceiveasgenuine，Iwillrequestyour
　　forgivenessforanyannoyanceImayhavecausedyouonyour
　　family’saccount，Ioughtnevertohaveresentedanythingthey
　　havedone。
　　Mypresenceherecouldnotfailofbeinghighly
　　disagreeabletothem；however，theywillsoonberelievedfrom
　　thatsourceofuneasiness，mystaydrawsrapidlytoaclose。“
　　TheprincedeSoubise，withareadygraceandobligingmanner，
　　forwhichIshalleverrememberhimwithagratefulrecollection，
　　endeavouredtodispelmyapprehensionsastothestateofthe
　　king；butwhilstIacknowledgedthekindnessofhisintention，
　　myheartrefusedallcomfortinacase，whichItoowellknew
　　wasutterlyhopeless。
　　Thestateofaffairswasnowsomanifest，thatalreadyanobsequious
　　crowdbeseigedthedoorsofthedauphin，anxioustobefirstinthe
　　demonstrationoftheiradorationoftherisingsun；buttheyoung
　　prince，aidedbytheclear-mindedadviceofhisaugustspouse，
　　refused，withadmirableprudence，toreceivesuchpremature
　　homage；andsincehewasinterdictedbythephysiciansfrom
　　visitingtheroyalinvalid，heconfinedhimselfwithinhis
　　apartments，admittingnopersonbutaselectfewwhopossessed
　　hisconfidence。
　　Thedisappointedsatellites，frustratedintheirendeavourstoin
　　gratiatethemselveswiththedauphin，turnedtheirthoughts
　　towardsthecomtedeProvence，imaginingthatthisprince，spite
　　ofhisextremeyouth，mighthaveconsiderableinfluenceover
　　themindofhisbrother，thedauphin。
　　Butthisidea，however
　　plausible，wasbynomeanscorrect；itwastoomuchtheinterest
　　ofambitiousandmercenarymentocreateawantofharmony
　　betweentheroyalpair，anduptothemomentinwhichIamwriting，
　　noattemptshavebeenmadetoproduceakinderandmorefraternal
　　feelingbetweentwosuchnearrelatives。
　　Iquittedthekingaslittleaspossible，watchingwithdeep
　　concerntheprogressofamalady，thenatureofwhichwasasecret
　　tohimselfalone；for，inthedreadofincurringmydispleasure，
　　nopersonhadventuredtoacquainthimwiththeawfulfact。
　　By