"I cannot; she has offended me."

"But for my sake."

"Sire, it is for your sake I would do anything in the world, except
that."

"You will drive me to despair--you compel me to turn to the last
resource of weak people, and seek counsel of my angry and wrathful
disposition."

"I advise you to be reasonable."

"Reasonable!--I can be so no longer."

"Nay, sire! I pray you--"

"For pity's sake, Henrietta; it is the first time I entreated any one,
and I have no hope in any one but in you."

"Oh, sire! you are weeping."

"From rage, from humiliation. That I, the king, should have been obliged
to descend to entreaty. I shall hate this moment during my whole life.
You have made me suffer in one moment more distress and more degradation
than I could have anticipated in the greatest extremity in life." And
the king rose and gave free vent to his tears, which, in fact, were
tears of anger and shame.

Madame was not touched exactly--for the best women, when their pride is
hurt, are without pity; but she was afraid that the tears the king was
shedding might possibly carry away every soft and tender feeling in his
heart.

"Give what commands you please, sire," she said; "and since you prefer
my humiliation to your own--although mine is public and yours has been
witnessed but by myself alone--speak, I will obey your majesty."

"No, no, Henrietta!" exclaimed Louis, transported with gratitude, "you
will have yielded to a brother's wishes."

"I no longer have any brother, since I obey."

"All that I have would be too little in return."

"How passionately you love, sire, when you do love!"

Louis did not answer. He had seized upon Madame's hand and covered it
with kisses. "And so you will receive this poor girl back again, and
will forgive her; you will find how gentle and pure-hearted she is."

"I will maintain her in my household."

"No, you will give her your friendship, my sister."

"I never liked her."

"Well, for my sake, you will treat her kindly, will you not, Henrietta?"

"I will treat her as your--_mistress_."

The king rose suddenly to his feet. By this word, which had so
infelicitously escaped her, Madame had destroyed the whole merit of her
sacrifice. The king felt freed from all obligations. Exasperated beyond
measure, and bitterly offended, he replied:

"I thank you, Madame; I shall never forget the service you have rendered
me." And, saluting her with an affectation of ceremony, he took h