With a view to divert her father from the gloom which all at
once came over his features, the princess Adelaide informed him
that she had a letter addressed to him by her sister, madame Louise.
"Let me hear it," cried the king; "it is, no doubt, some heavenly
mission with which she is charged. But who knows?" He stopped,
but it was easy to perceive that to the fear of death was added a
dread of his well-being in another world. Madame Adelaide then
read the letter with a low voice, while the attendants retired
to a respectful distance. All eyes were directed to the
countenance of the king, in order to read there the nature of its
contents; but already had the ravages of his fatal disease robbed
his features of every expression, save that of pain and suffering.
The princesses now took their stations beside their parent, and
established themselves as nurses, an office which, I can with
truth affirm, they continued to fill unto the last with all the
devotion of the purest filial piety.
On this same day Louis XV caused me to be sent for. I ran to
his bedside trembling with alarm. The various persons engaged in
his apartment retired when they saw me, and we were left alone.
"My beloved friend," said the king, 'I have the small-pox; I am
still very ill."
"Nay, sire," interrupted I, "you must not fancy things worse than
they are; you will do well, depend upon it, and we shall yet pass
many happy days together.
Pages:
561
562
563
564
565
566
567
568
569
570
571
572
573
574
575
576
577
578
579
580
581
582
583
584
585