a handkerchief steeped in
her tears, while the ecclesiastic read prayers to them from a book which
he held. A nurse, whom we had not before perceived, answered the call of
the Swiss, and inquired of him what he wanted.

"I want nothing, myself," answered he, "but here is comte Jean du
Barry with a lady from Versailles; they say they come at the request of
mademoiselle Anne."

We were now on the threshold of the door, and the nurse, crossing
the chamber, spoke to the mother, who hastily rose, while the priest
discontinued his prayers. The mother looked at us, then whispered some
words to her daughter. The patient stirred in her bed, and the nurse
returning to us, said to comte Jean that he might approach the bed of
the invalid.

He advanced and I followed him, although the noisome effluvia with which
the air was loaded produced a sickness I scarcely could surmount. The
gloom of the place was still further increased by the dim light of two
wax candles placed in a nook of the room.

The priest, having recognised my brother-in-law, and suspecting
doubtless who I was, was preparing to withdraw, but the sick girl made
signs for him to remain. He obeyed, but removing to a distance, he took
his place beside the young man, who, understanding only that strangers
had arrived, rose from his seat and displayed his tall gigantic height
to the fullest advantage.

CHAPTER XLI

Interview with the joiner's daughter--Consultation of the
physicians respecting the king--The small-pox declares
itself--the comte de Muy--The princesses--Extreme
sensibility of madame de Mirepoix--The king is kept in
ignorance of his real condition--The archbishop of Paris
visits Versailles

The gloomy and mysterious air scattered over the group which presented
itself to our eyes filled us with desponding thoughts. There appeared
throughout the party a kind of concentrated grief and silent despair
which struck us with terror. We remained motionless in the same spot
without any persons quitting their f ixed attitude to offer us a seat.
After some minutes of a deep silence, which I durst not interrupt any
more than comte Jean, whose accustomed hardihood seemed effectually
checked, the suffering girl raised herself in her bed, and in a hollow
voice exclaimed,

"Comtesse du Barry, what brings you here?"

The sound of her hoarse and grating voice made me start, spite of
myself.

"My poor child," answered I, tenderly