instant.  A bad headache or want of sleep caused them often to be asked to stay away, or, if they entered, to leave directly afterwards.  They did not press their presence upon the sick woman, knowing only too well the nature of her malady; but contented themselves by asking after her through Madame de Mouchy, who opened the door to reply to them, keeping it scarcely ajar:  This ridiculous proceeding passed before the crowd of the Luxembourg, of the Palais Royal, and of many other people who, for form’s sake or for curiosity, came to inquire the news, and became common town-talk.

The danger increasing, Languet, a celebrated cure of Saint-Sulpice, who had always rendered himself assiduous, spoke of the sacraments to M. le Duc d’Orleans.  The difficulty was how to enter and propose them to Madame la Duchesse de Berry.  But another and greater difficulty soon appeared.  It was this:  the cure, like a man knowing his duty, refused to administer the sacrament, or to suffer it to be administered, while Rion or Madame de Mouchy remained in the chamber, or even in the Luxembourg!  He declared this aloud before everybody, expressly in presence of M. le Duc d’Orleans, who was less shocked than embarrassed.  He took the cure aside, and for a long time tried to make him give way.  Seeing him inflexible, he proposed reference to the Cardinal de Noailles.  The cure immediately agreed, and promised to defer to his orders, Noailles being his bishop, provided he was allowed to explain his reasons.  The affair passed, and Madame la Duchesse de Berry made confession to a Cordelier, her confessor.  M. le Duc d’Orleans flattered himself, no doubt, he would find the diocesan more flexible than the cure.  If he hoped so he deceived himself.

The Cardinal de Noailles arrived; M. le Duc d’Orleans took him aside with the cure, and their conversation lasted more than half an hour.  As the declaration of the cure had been public, the Cardinal Archbishop of Paris judged it fitting that his should be so also.  As all three approached the door of the chamber, filled with company, the Cardinal de Noailles said aloud to the cure, that he had very worthily done his duty, that he expected nothing less from such a good, experienced, and enlightened man as he was; that he praised him for what he had demanded before administering the sacrament to Madame la Duchesse de Berry; that he exhorted him not to give in, or to suffer himself to be deceived upon so important a thing; and that if he wanted further authorisation he, as his bishop, diocesan, and superior, prohibited him from administering the sacraments, or allowing them to be administered, to Madame la Duchesse de Berry while Rion and Madame de Mouchy were in the chamber, or even in the Luxembourg.

It may be imagined what a stir such inevitable scandal as this made in a room so full of company; what embarrassment it caused M. le Duc d’Orleans, and what a noise it immediately made everywhere.  Nobody, even the chiefs of the constitution, the mass without, enemies of the Cardinal de Noailles, the most fashionable bishops, the most distinguished women, the libertines even—­not one blamed the cure or his archbishop:  some because they knew the rules of the Church, and did not dare to impugn them; others, the majority, from horror of the conduct of Madame la Duchesse de Berry, and hatred drawn upon her by her pride.