rbed in his
own reflections, began to muse over his secret attachment. Everything
seemed to combine--not alone the little teasing attentions of the queen,
but also the queen-mother's interruptions--to make the king's position
almost insupportable; for he knew not how to control the restless
longings of his heart. At first, he complained of the heat--a complaint
merely preliminary to others, but with sufficient tact to prevent
Maria Theresa guessing his real object. Understanding the king's remark
literally, she began to fan him with her ostrich plumes. But the heat
passed away, and the king then complained of cramps and stiffness in his
legs, and as the carriages at that moment stopped to change horses, the
queen said:--"Shall I get out with you? I too feel tired of sitting. We
can walk on a little distance; the carriage will overtake us, and we can
resume our places presently."

The king frowned; it is a hard trial a jealous woman makes her husband
submit to whose fidelity she suspects, when, although herself a prey
to jealousy, she watches herself so narrowly that she avoids giving any
pretext for an angry feeling. The king, therefore, in the present case,
could not refuse; he accepted the offer, alighted from the carriage,
gave his arm to the queen, and walked up and down with her while the
horses were being changed. As he walked along, he cast an envious glance
upon the courtiers, who were fortunate enough to be on horseback. The
queen soon found out that the promenade she had suggested afforded
the king as little pleasure as he had experienced from driving. She
accordingly expressed a wish to return to her carriage, and the king
conducted her to the door, but did not get in with her. He stepped back
a few paces, and looked along the file of carriages for the purpose of
recognizing the one in which he took so strong an interest. At the door
of the sixth carriage he saw La Valliere's fair countenance. As the
king thus stood motionless, wrapt in thought, without perceiving that
everything was ready, and that he alone was causing the delay, he heard
a voice close beside him, addressing him in the most respectful manner.
It was M. Malicorne, in a complete costume of an equerry, holding over
his left arm the bridles of a couple of horses.

"Your majesty asked for a horse, I believe," he said.

"A horse? Have you one of my horses here?" inquired the king, trying
to remember the person who addressed him, and whose face w