queen.

Anne of Austria, who, in consequence of the seizure of her letter,
expected reproaches, was much astonished the next day to see the king
make some attempts at reconciliation with her. Her first movement was
repellent. Her womanly pride and her queenly dignity had both been so
cruelly offended that she could not come round at the first advance;
but, overpersuaded by the advice of her women, she at last had the
appearance of beginning to forget. The king took advantage of this
favorable moment to tell her that her had the intention of shortly
giving a fete.

A fete was so rare a thing for poor Anne of Austria that at this
announcement, as the cardinal had predicted, the last trace of her
resentment disappeared, if not from her heart at least from her
countenance. She asked upon what day this fete would take place, but the
king replied that he must consult the cardinal upon that head.

Indeed, every day the king asked the cardinal when this fete should take
place; and every day the cardinal, under some pretext, deferred fixing
it. Ten days passed away thus.

On the eighth day after the scene we have described, the cardinal
received a letter with the London stamp which only contained these
lines: "I have them; but I am unable to leave London for want of money.
Send me five hundred pistoles, and four or five days after I have
received them I shall be in Paris."

On the same day the cardinal received this letter the king put his
customary question to him.

Richelieu counted on his fingers, and said to himself, "She will arrive,
she says, four or five days after having received the money. It will
require four or five days for the transmission of the money, four or
five days for her to return; that makes ten days. Now, allowing for
contrary winds, accidents, and a woman's weakness, there are twelve
days."

"Well, Monsieur Duke," said the king, "have you made your calculations?"

"Yes, sire. Today is the twentieth of September. The aldermen of the
city give a fete on the third of October. That will fall in wonderfully
well; you will not appear to have gone out of your way to please the
queen."

Then the cardinal added, "A PROPOS, sire, do not forget to tell her
Majesty the evening before the fete that you should like to see how her
diamond studs become her."

17 BONACIEUX AT HOME

It was the second time the cardinal had mentioned these diamond studs to
the king. Louis XIII was struck with this insis