re!" and the tears gushed from her eyes.

The coachman stopped his team; the women rose in confusion from the back
of the carriage, and the second lady made a slight curtsey, terminated
by the most ironical smile that jealousy ever imparted to the lips of
woman.

"Marie? dear Marie?" cried the king, taking the hand of the black-eyed
lady in both his. And opening the heavy door himself, he drew her out
of the carriage with so much ardor, that she was in his arms before
she touched the ground. The lieutenant, posted on the other side of the
carriage, saw and heard all without being observed.

The king offered his arm to Mademoiselle de Mancini, and made a sign to
the coachman and lackeys to proceed. It was nearly six o'clock; the road
was fresh and pleasant; tall trees with their foliage still inclosed in
the golden down of their buds let the dew of morning filter from their
trembling branches like liquid diamonds; the grass was bursting at the
foot of the hedges; the swallows, having returned since only a few days,
described their graceful curves between the heavens and the water; a
breeze, laden with the perfumes of the blossoming woods, sighed along
the road, and wrinkled the surface of the waters of the river; all
these beauties of the day, all these perfumes of the plants, all these
aspirations of the earth towards heaven, intoxicated the two lovers,
walking side by side, leaning upon each other, eyes fixed upon eyes,
hand clasping hand, and who, lingering as by a common desire, did not
dare to speak they had so much to say.

The officer saw that the king's horse, in wandering this way and that,
annoyed Mademoiselle de Mancini. He took advantage of the pretext of
securing the horse to draw near them, and dismounting, walked between
the two horses he led; he did not lose a single word or gesture of the
lovers. It was Mademoiselle de Mancini who at length began.

"Ah, my dear sire!" said she, "you do not abandon me, then?"

"No, Marie," replied the king; "you see I do not."

"I had so often been told, though, that as soon as we should be
separated you would no longer think of me."

"Dear Marie, is it then to-day only that you have discovered we are
surrounded by people interested in deceiving us?"

"But, then, sire, this journey, this alliance with Spain? They are going
to marry you off!"

Louis hung his head. At the same time the officer could see the eyes
of Marie de Mancini shine in the sun with the brill