ppy to have her liberty for a
whole evening and night too, that I did not feel courageous enough to
ask her to take my place."

"What, is she so delighted as that?" inquired madame, struck by these
words.

"She is wild with delight; she, who is always so melancholy, was singing
like a bird. Besides, you highness knows how much she detests going out,
and also that her character has a spice of wildness in it."

"So!" thought Madame, "this extreme delight hardly seems natural to me."

"She has already made all her preparations for dining in her own room
_tete-a-tete_ with one of her favorite books. And then, as your highness
has six other young ladies who would be delighted to accompany you, I
did not make my proposal to La Valliere." Madame did not say a word in
reply.

"Have I acted properly?" continued Montalais, with a slight fluttering
of the heart, seeing the little success that seemed to attend the _ruse
de guerre_ which she had relied upon with so much confidence that she
had not thought it even necessary to try and find another. "Does Madame
approve of what I have done?" she continued.

Madame was reflecting that the king could very easily leave
Saint-Germain during the night, and that, as it was only four leagues
and a half from Paris to Saint-Germain, he might readily be in Paris
in an hour's time. "Tell me," she said, "whether La Valliere, when she
heard of your accident, offered at least to bear you company?"

"Oh! she does not yet know of my accident; but even did she know of it,
I most certainly should not ask her to do anything that might interfere
with her own plans. I think she wishes this evening to realize quietly
by herself that amusement of the late king, when he said to M. de
Cinq-Mars, 'Let us amuse ourselves by doing nothing, and making
ourselves miserable.'"

Madame felt convinced that some mysterious love adventure lurked behind
this strong desire for solitude. The secret _might_ be Louis's return
during the night; it could not be doubted any longer La Valliere had
been informed of his intended return, and that was the reason for her
delight at having to remain behind at the Palais Royal. It was a plan
settled and arranged beforehand.

"I will not be their dupe though," said Madame, and she took a decisive
step. "Mademoiselle de Montalais," she said, "will you have the
goodness to inform your friend, Mademoiselle de la Valliere, that I
am exceedingly sorry to disarrange her projects of