"
The fact was, I should have trembled for my own power, had both
Bouvart and La Martiniere got the king into their hands. With La
Martiniere I knew very well I was no favourite; yet it was impossible
to prevent his attendance; the king would never have fancied a
prescription in which he did not concur.
Meanwhile I proceeded with my toilette as rapidly as possible,
that I might, by visiting the king, satisfy myself of the nature of
his malady. Ere I had finished dressing, my brother-in-law,
who had likewise been aroused by the mention of his majesty's
illness, entered my chamber with a gloomy look; he already saw
the greatness of the danger which threatened us, he had entirely
forgotten our quarrel of the preceding evening, but his temper
was by no means improved by the present state of things. We
had no need of explaining ourselves by words, and he continued
walking up and down the room with, his arms folded and his eyes
fixed on the floor, till we were joined by the marechale de
Mirepoix and the comtesse de Forcalquier. Madame de Flaracourt
had taken her departure at an early hour, either ignorant of
what had occurred or with the intention of being prepared for
whatever might happen.
As yet, it was but little in the power of any person to predict
the coming blow. "The king is ill," said each of us as we met.
"The king is ill," was the morning salutation of the ducs de
Richelieu, de Noailles, de Duras, and de Cosse.
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