sleeps under that cross with his father."

A groan resounded--they saw a woman fall fainting to the ground.
Mademoiselle de la Valliere had seen all, heard all.

"Poor woman!" muttered D'Artagnan, as he helped the attendants to carry
back to her carriage the lonely lady whose lot henceforth in life was
suffering.

That evening D'Artagnan was seated at the king's table, near M. Colbert
and M. le Duc d'Almeda. The king was very gay. He paid a thousand little
attentions to the queen, a thousand kindnesses to Madame, seated at his
left hand, and very sad. It might have been supposed that time of calm
when the king was wont to watch his mother's eyes for the approval or
disapproval of what he had just done.

Of mistresses there was no question at this dinner. The king addressed
Aramis two or three times, calling him M. l'ambassadeur, which increased
the surprise already felt by D'Artagnan at seeing his friend the rebel
so marvelously well received at court.

The king, on rising from table, gave his hand to the queen, and made
a sign to Colbert, whose eye was on his master's face. Colbert took
D'Artagnan and Aramis on one side. The king began to chat with his
sister, whilst Monsieur, very uneasy, entertained the queen with a
preoccupied air, without ceasing to watch his wife and brother from
the corner of his eye. The conversation between Aramis, D'Artagnan,
and Colbert turned upon indifferent subjects. They spoke of preceding
ministers; Colbert related the successful tricks of Mazarin, and desired
those of Richelieu to be related to him. D'Artagnan could not overcome
his surprise at finding this man, with his heavy eyebrows and low
forehead, display so much sound knowledge and cheerful spirits. Aramis
was astonished at that lightness of character which permitted this
serious man to retard with advantage the moment for more important
conversation, to which nobody made any allusion, although all
three interlocutors felt its imminence. It was very plain, from the
embarrassed appearance of Monsieur, how much the conversation of the
king and Madame annoyed him. Madame's eyes were almost red: was she
going to complain? Was she going to expose a little scandal in open
court? The king took her on one side, and in a tone so tender that
it must have reminded the princess of the time when she was loved for
herself:

"Sister," said he, "why do I see tears in those lovely eyes?"

"Why--sire--" said she.

"Monsieur is jealous,