at a time. Thus, as the
political Pleiad of the day said, the _first king in the world_ was seen
descending from his horse _with an ardor beyond compare_, and on the
crown of his hat scrawling bombastic phrases, which M. de Saint-Aignan,
aide-de-camp in perpetuity, carried to La Valliere at the risk of
foundering his horses. During this time, deer and pheasants were left to
the free enjoyment of their nature, hunted so lazily that, it was said,
the art of venery ran great risk of degenerating at the court of France.
D'Artagnan then thought of the wishes of poor Raoul, of that desponding
letter destined for a woman who passed her life in hoping, and as
D'Artagnan loved to philosophize a little occasionally, he resolved
to profit by the absence of the king to have a minute's talk with
Mademoiselle de la Valliere. This was a very easy affair; while the king
was hunting, Louise was walking with some other ladies in one of
the galleries of the Palais Royal, exactly where the captain of the
musketeers had some guards to inspect. D'Artagnan did not doubt that,
if he could but open the conversation on Raoul, Louise might give him
grounds for writing a consolatory letter to the poor exile; and hope,
or at least consolation for Raoul, in the state of heart in which he had
left him, was the sun, was life to two men, who were very dear to our
captain. He directed his course, therefore, to the spot where he knew
he should find Mademoiselle de la Valliere. D'Artagnan found La Valliere
the center of the circle. In her apparent solitude, the king's favorite
received, like a queen, more, perhaps, than the queen, a homage of which
Madame had been so proud, when all the king's looks were directed to her
and commanded the looks of the courtiers. D'Artagnan, although no squire
of dames, received, nevertheless, civilities and attentions from the
ladies; he was polite, as a brave man always is, and his terrible
reputation had conciliated as much friendship among the men as
admiration among the women. On seeing him enter, therefore, they
immediately accosted him; and, as is not unfrequently the case with fair
ladies, opened the attack by questions. "Where _had_ he been? What _had_
become of him so long? Why had they not seen him as usual make his fine
horse curvet in such beautiful style, to the delight and astonishment of
the curious from the king's balcony?"

He replied that he had just come from the land of oranges. This set all
the ladies