rength
you have in loving fondly," he continued, "and I will bless Heaven for
having bestowed it on you."

La Valliere still remained silent, but raised her eyes, brimful of
affection, toward the king. Louis, as if overcome by this burning
glance, passed his hand across his forehead, and pressing the sides
of his horse with his knees, made him bound several paces forward. La
Valliere, leaning back in her carriage, with her eyes half closed, gazed
fixedly upon the king, whose plumes were floating in the air; she could
not but admire his graceful carriage, his delicate and nervous limbs
which pressed his horse's sides, and the regular outline of his
features, which his beautiful curling hair set off to great advantage,
revealing occasionally his small and well-formed ear. In fact the poor
girl was in love, and she reveled in her innocent affection. In a few
moments the king was again by her side.

"Do you not perceive," he said, "how terribly your silence affects me?
Oh! mademoiselle, how pitilessly inexorable you would become if you were
ever to resolve to break off all acquaintance with any one; and then,
too, I think you changeable; in fact--in fact, I dread this deep
affection which fills my whole being."

"Oh! sire, you are mistaken," said La Valliere; "if ever I love, it will
be for all my life."

"If you love, you say," exclaimed the king; "you do _not_ love now,
then?"

She hid her face in her hands.

"You see," said the king, "that I am right in accusing you; you must
admit you are changeable, capricious, a coquette, perhaps."

"Oh, no! sire, be perfectly satisfied as to that. No, I say again; no,
no!"

"Promise me, then, that to me you will always be the same."

"Oh! always, sire."

"That you will never show any of that severity which would break my
heart, none of that fickleness of manner which would be worse than death
to me."

"Oh! no, no."

"Very well, then! but listen. I like promises, I like to place under
the guarantee of an oath, under the protection of Heaven, in fact,
everything which interests my heart and my affections. Promise me, or
rather swear to me, that if in the life we are about to commence, a life
which will be full of sacrifice, mystery, anxiety, disappointment, and
misunderstanding; swear to me that if we should in any way deceive, or
misunderstand each other, or should judge each other unjustly, for that
indeed would be criminal in love such as ours; swear to me, Louise--