innocent of everything your majesty supposes. Oh, madame! you are
a witness of my despair. I love, I respect your majesty so much."

"It would be far better not to respect me at all," said the queen, with
a chilling irony of manner. "It would be far better if you were not
innocent. Do you presume to suppose that I should be satisfied simply to
leave you unpunished if you had committed the fault?"

"Oh, madame! you are killing me."

"No acting, if you please, or I will precipitate the _denouement_ of
this _play_; leave the room; return to your own apartment, and I trust
my lesson may be of service to you."

"Madame!" said La Valliere to the Duchess d'Orleans, whose hands she
seized in her own, "do you, who are so good, intercede for me?"

"I!" replied the latter, with an insulting joy, "I--good!--Ah,
mademoiselle, you think nothing of the kind;" and with a rude, hasty
gesture she repulsed the young girl's grasp.

La Valliere, instead of giving way, as from her extreme pallor and her
tears the two princesses possibly expected, suddenly resumed her calm
and dignified air; she bowed profoundly, and left the room.

"Well!" said Anne of Austria to Madame, "do you think she will begin
again?"

"I always suspect those gentle, patient characters," replied Madame.
"Nothing is more full of courage than a patient heart, nothing more
self-reliant than a gentle spirit."

"I feel I may almost venture to assure you she will think twice before
she looks at the god Mars again."

"So long as she does not obtain the protection of his buckler I do not
care," retorted Madame.

A proud, defiant look of the queen-mother was the reply to this
objection, which was by no means deficient in finesse; and both of them,
almost sure of their victory, went to look for Maria Theresa, who had
been waiting for them with impatience.

It was about half-past six in the evening, and the king had just
partaken of refreshment. He lost no time; but the repast finished, and
business matters settled, he took Saint-Aignan by the arm, and desired
him to lead the way to La Valliere's apartments. The courtier uttered an
exclamation.

"Well, what is that for? It is a habit you will have to adopt, and in
order to adopt a habit, one must make a beginning."

"Oh, sire!" said Saint-Aignan, "it is hardly possible: for every one can
be seen entering or leaving those apartments. If, however, some pretext
or other were made use of--if your majesty, for instan