She had such as affection for the King that she used to watch his eyes to do whatever might be agreeable to him; if he only looked at her kindly she was in good spirits for the rest of the day. She was very glad when the King quitted his mistresses for her, and displayed so much satisfaction that it was commonly remarked. She had no objection to being joked upon this subject, and upon such occasions used to laugh and wink and rub her little hands.
One day the Queen, after having conversed for half-an-hour with the
Prince Egon de Furstemberg,—[Cardinal Furstemberg, Bishop of
Strasbourg.]—took me aside and said to me, "Did you know what M. de
Strasbourg has been saying? I have not understood him at all."
A few minutes afterwards the Bishop said to me, "Did your Royal Highness hear what the Queen said to me? I have not comprehended a single word."
"Then," said I, "why did you answer her."
"I thought," he replied, "that it would have been indecorous to have appeared not to understand Her Majesty."
This made me laugh so much that I was obliged precipitately to quit the
Chamber.
The Queen died of an abscess under her arm. Instead of making it burst, Fagon, who was unfortunately then her physician, had her blooded; this drove in the abscess, the disorder attacked her internally, and an emetic, which was administered after her bleeding, had the effect of killing the Queen.
The surgeon who blooded her said, "Have you considered this well, Sir?
It will be the death of my Mistress!"
Fagon replied, "Do as I bid you."
Gervais, the surgeon, wept, and said to Fagon, "You have resolved, then, that my Mistress shall die by my hand!"