and silks dawned on him through the windows.

The king rose from his lair among the fern, the Admiral stood forward,
all heads were bared, and from the coach-door alighted the young Queen;
no longer pale, subdued, and indifferent, but with a face shining with
girlish delight, as she held out her hand to the Admiral. 'Ah! This is
well, this is beautiful,' she exclaimed; 'it is like our happy chases
in the Tyrol. Ah, Sire!' to the King, 'how I thank you for letting me be
with you.'

After her Majesty descended her gentleman-usher. Then came the
lady-in-waiting, Madame de Sauve, the wife of the state secretary in
attendance on Charles, and a triumphant, coquettish beauty, than a fat,
good-humoured Austrian dame, always called Madame la Comtesse, because
her German name was unpronounceable, and without whom the Queen never
stirred, and lastly a little figure, rounded yet slight, slender yet
soft and plump, with a kitten-like alertness and grace of motion, as
she sprang out, collected the Queen's properties of fan, kerchief,
pouncet-box, mantle, &c., and disappeared in to the chateau, without
Berenger's being sure of anything but that her little black hat had a
rose-coloured feather in it.

The Queen was led to a chair placed under one of the largest trees, and
there Charles presented to her such of his gentlemen as she was not yet
acquainted with, the Baron de Ribaumont among the rest.

'I have heard of M. de Ribaumont,' she said, in a tone that made
the colour mantle in his fair cheek; and with a sign of her hand she
detained him at her side till the King had strolled away with Madame la
Sauve, and no one remained near but her German countess. Then changing
her tone to one of confidence, which the high-bred homeliness of her
Austrian manner rendered inexpressibly engaging, she said, 'I must
apologize, Monsieur, for the giddiness of my sister-in-law, which I fear
caused you some embarrassment.'

'Ah, Madame,' said Berenger, kneeling on one knee as she addressed him,
and his heart bounding with wild, undefined hope, 'I cannot be grateful
enough. It was that which led to my being undeceived.'

'It was true, then, that you were mistaken?' said the Queen.

'Treacherously deceived, Madame, by those whose interest it is to keep
us apart,' said Berenger, colouring with indignation; 'they imposed
my other cousin on me as my wife, and caused her to think me cruelly
neglectful.'

'I know,' said the Queen. 'Yet Mdlle. de Rib