re you not Madame's confidant?"

"A greater reason for being of service to you; if I were not to know
what is going on in that direction I should not be of any service
at all, and consequently you would not obtain any advantage from my
acquaintance. Friendships live and thrive upon a system of reciprocal
benefits."

"The result is, then, that you will remain at the same time Madame's
friend also?"

"Evidently. Do you complain of that?"

"I hardly know," sighed La Valliere, thoughtfully, for this cynical
frankness appeared to her an offense both to the woman and the friend.

"All well and good, then," said Montalais, "for if you did, you would be
very foolish."

"You wish to serve me, then?"

"Devotedly--if you will serve me in return."

"One would almost say that you do not know my heart," said La Valliere,
looking at Montalais with her eyes wide open.

"Why, the fact is, that since we have belonged to the court, my dear
Louise, we are very much changed."

"In what way?"

"It is very simple. Were you the second queen of France yonder, at
Blois?"

La Valliere hung down her head, and began to weep. Montalais looked
at her in an indefinable manner, and murmured "Poor girl!" and then,
adding, "Poor king!" she kissed Louise on the forehead, and returned to
her apartment, where Malicorne was waiting for her.

Chapter XXXVI. The Portrait.

In that malady which is termed love the paroxysms succeed each other
at intervals, ever accelerating from the moment the disease declares
itself. By and by, the paroxysms are less frequent, in proportion as
the cure approaches. This being laid down as a general axiom, and as the
leading article of a particular chapter, we will now proceed with
our recital. The next day, the day fixed by the king for the first
conversation in Saint-Aignan's room, La Valliere, on opening one of
the folds of the screen, found upon the floor a letter in the king's
handwriting. The letter had been passed, through a slit in the floor,
from the lower apartment to her own. No indiscreet hand or curious gaze
could have brought or did bring this single paper. This, too, was one of
Malicorne's ideas. Having seen how very serviceable Saint-Aignan would
become to the king on account of his apartment, he did not wish that the
courtier should become still more indispensable as a messenger, and so
he had, on his own private account, reserved this last post for himself.
La Valliere most eagerly read th