She found the pains of labour come upon her about daybreak, whilst she was in bed in the chamber where the maids of honour slept.  She sent for my physician, and begged him to go and acquaint the King my husband that she was taken ill.  We slept in separate beds in the same chamber, and had done so for some time.

The physician delivered the message as he was directed, which greatly embarrassed my husband.  What to do he did not know.  On the one hand, he was fearful of a discovery; on the other, he foresaw that, without proper assistance, there was danger of losing one he so much loved.  In this dilemma, he resolved to apply to me, confess all, and implore my aid and advice, well knowing that, notwithstanding what had passed, I should be ready to do him a pleasure.  Having come to this resolution, he withdrew my curtains, and spoke to me thus:  “My dear, I have concealed a matter from you which I now confess.  I beg you to forgive me, and to think no more about what I have said to you on the subject.  Will you oblige me so far as to rise and go to Fosseuse, who is taken very ill?  I am well assured that, in her present situation, you will forget everything and resent nothing.  You know how dearly I love her, and I hope you will comply with my request.”  I answered that I had too great a respect for him to be offended at anything he should do, and that I would go to her immediately, and do as much for her as if she were a child of my own.  I advised him, in the meantime, to go out and hunt, by which means he would draw away all his people, and prevent tattling.

I removed Fosseuse, with all convenient haste, from the chamber in which the maids of honours were, to one in a more retired part of the palace, got a physician and some women about her, and saw that she wanted for nothing that was proper in her situation.  It pleased God that she should bring forth a daughter, since dead.  As soon as she was delivered I ordered her to be taken back to the chamber from which she had been brought.  Notwithstanding these precautions, it was not possible to prevent the story from circulating through the palace.  When the King my husband returned from hunting he paid her a visit, according to custom.  She begged that I might come and see her, as was usual with me when anyone of my maids of honour was taken ill.  By this means she expected to put a stop to stories to her prejudice.  The King my husband came from her into my bedchamber, and found me in bed, as I was fatigued and required rest, after having been called up so early.  He begged me to get up and pay her a visit.  I told him I went according to his desire before, when she stood in need of assistance, but now she wanted no help; that to visit her at this time would be only exposing her more, and cause myself to be pointed at by all the world.  He seemed to be greatly displeased at what I said, which vexed me the more as I thought I did not deserve such treatment after what I had done at his request in the morning; she likewise contributed all in her power to aggravate matters betwixt him and me.