des Deux Ponts--A fourth letter from the duc
d'Aiguillon--Comte Jean bids me farewell--M. d'Aiguillon's
fifth letter, containing an account of the death of Louis
XV--The duc de la Vrilliere--The _lettre de cachet_--Letter
to the queen--Departure for the abbey of _Pont aux Dames_

The account received in the evening from the duc d'Aiguillon I shall
not transcribe, as it was merely a repetition of the good tidings of
the morning. The day following still brought a continuation of favorable
accounts, but the next letter was in these words:--

"MADAM, AND MOST HONORED FRIEND,--Arm yourself with courage; the king
is extremely ill, and I ought not to conceal from you that serious
apprehensions are entertained for his life; he has passed a wretched
night, His daughters, who never quitted his bedside, whispered to him
that the archbishop of Paris and his grand almoner were in the anteroom
if he desired to see them. The king did not seem to hear their words,
but about three o'clock in the morning he called the duc de Duras, whom
he bade inquire whether M. Mandoux were in the chateau; and, if so, to
apprize him he wished to speak with him.

"At these words the princesses and all who heard them burst into a fit
of weeping, which was only interrupted by the arrival of the confessor,
who, approaching the bedside of the penitent, held a conference with him
of nearly a quarter of an hour: this being concluded, the king, in a
low and firm voice, inquired for his almoner. The latter soon presented
himself, anxious to discharge the duties of his sacred office. His
majesty kept continually repeating to his afflicted children, 'My
daughters, why should what I am now about to do agitate or alarm you?
You are well aware, that having the small-pox, the etiquette established
in my family compels me to receive the last solemn rites of the church,
and I but acquit myself of an obligation in submitting to it.'

"The tone in which the king spoke convinced his attendants that he
rather strove to re-assure himself than his children, by the persuasion
that the receiving extreme unction was not so much the consequence of
his own dangerous state as a mere act of obedience to an established
custom. It was then decided that the sacred ceremony should take place
at seven o'clock in the morning; and here arose some little
embarrassment; the ecclesiastics insisting upon the necessity of the
king's making some striking and open atonemen