no intercourse with her; for the rest, nobody seemed to perceive she had disappeared.  She was, nevertheless, so extraordinary a person, during all the course of her long life, everywhere, and had so grandly figured, although in various ways; had such rare intellect, courage, industry, and resources; reigned so publicly and so absolutely in Spain; and had a character so sustained and so unique, that her life deserves to be written, and would take a place among the most curious fragments of the history of the times in which she lived.

CHAPTER LVI

But I must return somewhat now, in order to make way for a crowd of events which have been pressing forward all this time, but which I have passed by, in going straightforward at once to the end of Madame des Ursins’ history.

On Monday, the 30th April, 1714., the King took medicine, and worked after dinner with Pontchartrain.  This was at Marly.  About six o’clock, he went to M. le Duc de Berry, who had had fever all night.  M. le Duc de Berry had risen without saying anything, had been with the King at the medicine-hour, and intended to go stag-hunting; but on leaving the King’s chamber shivering seized him, and forced him to go back again.  He was bled while the King was in his chamber, and the blood was found very bad; when the King went to bed the doctors told him the illness was of a nature to make them hope that it might be a case of contagion.  M. le Duc de Berry had vomited a good deal—­a black vomit.  Fagon said, confidently, that it was from the blood; the other doctors fastened upon some chocolate he had taken on the Sunday.  From this day forward I knew what was the matter.  Boulduc, apothecary of the King, and extremely attached to Madame de Saint-Simon and to me, whispered in my ear that M. le Duc de Berry would not recover, and that, with some little difference, his malady was the same as that of which the Dauphin and Dauphine died.  He repeated this the next day, and never once varied afterwards; saying to me on the third day, that none of the doctors who attended the Prince were of a different opinion, or hid from him what they thought.

On Tuesday, the 1st of May, the Prince was bled in the foot at seven o’clock in the morning, after a very bad night; took emetics twice, which had a good effect; then some manna; but still there were two accesses.  The King went to the sick-room afterwards, held a finance council, would not go shooting, as he had arranged, but walked in his gardens.  The doctors, contrary to their custom, never reassured him.  The night was cruel.  On Wednesday; the 2nd of May, the King went, after mass, to M. le Duc de Berry, who had been again bled in the foot.  The King held the Council of State, as usual, dined in Madame de Maintenon’s rooms, and afterwards reviewed his Guards.  Coettenfao, chevalier d’honneur of Madame la Duchesse de Berry, came during the morning