speak to me.

"The Queen?" I said, doubtfully, foreseeing trouble.

"She is waiting at the gate of the farther court," he answered
politely, his keen black eyes reverting, with eager curiosity, to the
door by which the King had disappeared.

I could not refuse, and went to her. "The King has returned early, M.
le Duc?" she said.

"Yes, madame," I answered. "He had a fancy to discuss affairs to-day,
and we lost the hounds."

"Together?"

"I had the honour, Madame."

"You do not seem to have agreed very well?" she said, smiling.

"Madame," I answered bluntly, "his Majesty has no more faithful
servant; but we do not always agree."

She raised her hand, and, with a slight gesture, bade her ladies stand
back, while her face lost its expression of good-temper, and grew sharp
and dark. "Was it about the Conde?" she said, in a low, grating
voice. "No, madame," I answered; "it was about certain provisions.
The King's ear had been grossly abused, and his Majesty led to
believe--"

"Faugh!" she cried, with a wave of contempt, "that is an old story! I
am sick of it. Is she still at Brussels?"

"Still, madame."

"Then see that she stops there!" her Majesty retorted, with a meaning
look.

And with that she dismissed me, and went into the chateau. I proposed
to rejoin the King; but, to my chagrin, I found, when I reached the
closet, that he had already sent for Varennes, and was shut up with
him. I went back to my rooms therefore, and, after changing my hunting
suit and transacting some necessary business, sat down to dinner with
Nicholas, the King's secretary, a man fond of the table, whom I often
entertained. He kept me in talk until the afternoon was well advanced,
and we were still at table when Maignan appeared and told me that the
King had sent for me.

"I will go," I said, rising.

"He is with the Queen, your Excellency," he continued.

This somewhat surprised me, but I thought no evil; and, finding one of
the Queen's Italian pages at the door waiting to conduct me, I followed
him across the court that lay between my lodgings and her apartments.
Two or three of the King's gentlemen were in the anteroom when I
arrived, and Varennes, who was standing by one of the fire-places
toying with a hound, made me a face of dismay; he could not speak,
owing to the company.

Still this, in a degree, prepared me for the scene in the chamber,
where I found the Queen storming up and down the room, while t