iselle de Roquemaure shall accompany her brother, as the
king's guests. I would see this beautiful offshoot of so fair a woman
as her mother was," and, bending his head, he advanced toward the
door, followed by Malice. But as he was about to leave the room,
Louvois observed with great humility that "doubtless his Majesty had
omitted, forgotten in his royal recollections of other days, that the
letter to Monsieur St. Georges, the trustworthy officer who would
bring the word from the Bishop of Lodeve, and from the Marquise de
Roquemaure, was still unsigned."

[Footnote 4: "Le roi donner a manger a ses chiens toujours
soi-meme."--_La Fare, St. Simon, and others._]

"Ah! Monsieur St. Georges," exclaimed the king; and taking up the pen
he wrote his name at the bottom of the last sheet, leaving room only
for Louvois to undersign it. Then, with many bows from the minister
and amid the salutes of the two sentinels outside in the corridor, he
passed to Madame de Maintenon's rooms, accompanied by the little
spaniel.

Left alone by himself, Louvois worked at his papers for two hours
unceasingly, reading some that were already written, signing and
undersigning others--among the latter the one to the Lieutenant St.
Georges--and destroying some. Also, he directed much correspondence
with the marshals and generals commanding in various parts of
France--working at this with two secretaries whom he summoned. But at
last all his voluminous despatches were finished, closed up, and
directed to the different persons for whom they were intended, some to
go by the king's couriers and some by the royal post. And among all
the correspondence which went forth that night from the minister were
two letters, one of which was addressed to the officer commanding the
Regiment de Nivernois at Pontarlier, and containing those instructions
for St. Georges which bade him repair forthwith to Paris. The other
was directed to the Marquis de Roquemaure, at his manoir near Troyes,
and was as follows:

"He sets out for Paris the last day of the year or the first
of the new one. He may take his child with him. He is
ordered to rest at Phelypeaux's, at madame your mother's,
and at De Riverac's."

That was all, the letter containing neither date nor signature.

CHAPTER X.

MADAME LA MARQUISE.

"A manoir!" exclaimed St. Georges, as he halted his horse in front of
the place. "More like a fort! _Mon Dieu!_ Madame is well install