s of despair."

"Oh! sire, sire, leave me at least the protection of Heaven, I implore
you."

"No, no; Heaven itself shall not tear you from me."

"Save me, then," cried the poor girl, "from those determined and
pitiless enemies who are thirsting to annihilate my life and honor too.
If you have courage enough to love me, show at least that you have power
enough to defend me. But no; she whom you say you love, others insult
and mock, and drive shamelessly away." And the gentle-hearted girl,
forced, by her own bitter distress to accuse others, wrung her hands in
an uncontrollable agony of tears.

"You have been driven away!" exclaimed the king. "This is the second
time I have heard that said."

"I have been driven away with shame and ignominy, sire. You see, then,
that I have no other protector but Heaven, no consolation but prayer,
and this cloister is my only refuge."

"My palace, my whole court, shall be your park of peace. Oh! fear
nothing further now, Louise; those--be they men or women--who yesterday
drove you away, shall to-morrow tremble before you--to-morrow, do I say?
nay, this very day I have already shown my displeasure--have already
threatened. It is in my power, even now, to hurl the thunderbolt I have
hitherto withheld. Louise, Louise, you shall be bitterly revenged; tears
of blood shall repay you for the tears you have shed. Give me only the
names of your enemies."

"Never, never."

"How can I show any anger, then?"

"Sire, those upon whom your anger would be prepared to fall, would force
you to draw back your hand upraised to punish."

"Oh! you do not know me," cried the king, exasperated. "Rather than draw
back, I would sacrifice my kingdom, and would abjure my family. Yes,
I would strike until this arm had utterly destroyed all those who had
ventured to make themselves the enemies of the gentlest and best of
creatures." And, as he said these words, Louis struck his fist violently
against the oaken wainscoting with a force which alarmed La Valliere;
for his anger, owing to his unbounded power, had something imposing
and threatening in it, like the lightning, which may at any time prove
deadly. She, who thought that her own sufferings could not be surpassed,
was overwhelmed by a suffering which revealed itself by menace and by
violence.

"Sire," she said, "for the last time I implore you to leave me; already
do I feel strengthened by the calm seclusion of this asylum; and the
protection of