I gave him what I had, and placed in his hands diamonds to the
value of 30,000 francs. He was very anxious to obtain all my
jewels, under pretence of conveying them safely out of the kingdom,
but this I was too wise to agree to; he would have staked them at t
he first gaming-table he met with. We separated without much
emotion on either side. He next took leave of Chon and his
daughter-in-law. the former wept bitterly, for she was a most
excellent and amiable girl--but the latter, who knew but too much
of the villainy of her father-in-law, could scarcely repress
her joy at his departure. Comte Jean perceived it; and, according
to his brutal custom, indulged in a coarse jest at her expense;
for one of his maxims was to hold all women in sovereign contempt
but such as could be useful to him. For my own part, his absence
gave me something like pleasure; his presence was wearisome to me;
it was like the dregs of the cup which had intoxicated my senses.
During the day several false reports arrived of the death of the
king; but at length, about half past four o'clock in the afternoon,
I received the following letter:--
"MADAM,-You have lost your best friend and I an
excellent master: at three clock this day his majesty
breathed his last. I can scarcely describe to you
the horrors of his death-bed. The princesses
Adelaide and Sophie braved the frightful contagion
to the last and never quitted him till the last
spark had flown.
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