e top
of it for you."

Malicorne bowed.

"All I have to do now," said Saint-Aignan, "is to move as soon as
possible."

"I do not think the king will object to it. Ask his permission,
however."

"I will go and see him this very moment."

"And I will run and get the carpenter I was speaking of."

"When will he be here?"

"This very evening."

"Do not forget your precautions."

"He shall be brought with his eyes bandaged."

"And I will send you one of my carriages."

"Without arms."

"And one of my servants without livery. But stay, what will La Valliere
say if she sees what is going on?"

"Oh! I can assure you she will be very much interested in the operation,
and I am equally sure that if the king has not courage enough to ascend
to her room, she will have sufficient curiosity to come down to him."

"We will live in hope," said Saint-Aignan; "and now I am off to his
majesty. At what time will the carpenter be here?"

"At eight o'clock."

"How long do you suppose he will take to make this opening?"

"About a couple of hours; only afterwards he must have sufficient time
to construct what may be called the hyphen between the two rooms. One
night and a portion of the following day will do; we must not reckon
upon less than two days, including putting up the staircase."

"Two days, that is a very long time."

"Nay; when one undertakes to open up communications with paradise
itself, we must at least take care that the approaches are respectable."

"Quite right; so farewell for a short time, dear M. Malicorne. I shall
begin to remove the day after to-morrow, in the evening."

Chapter XXXIV. The Promenade by Torchlight.

Saint-Aignan, delighted with what he had just heard, and rejoiced at
what the future foreshadowed for him, bent his steps towards De Guiche's
two rooms. He who, a quarter of an hour previously, would hardly
yield up his own rooms for a million francs, was now ready to expend
a million, if it were necessary, upon the acquisition of the two happy
rooms he coveted so eagerly. But he did not meet with so many obstacles.
M. de Guiche did not yet know where he was to lodge, and, besides,
was still too far ill to trouble himself about his lodgings; and so
Saint-Aignan obtained De Guiche's two rooms without difficulty. As for
M. Dangeau, he was so immeasurably delighted, that he did not even give
himself the trouble to think whether Saint-Aignan had any particular
reason for removing. W