ignificant shrug of the shoulders, at which La
Valliere could not help blushing. "Very good!" thought Saint-Aignan to
himself; "M. Malicorne will be delighted this evening;" as he, in fact,
was, when it was reported to him.

"It is very evident," he remarked to the comte, "that Mademoiselle de la
Valliere hoped that you would be at least ten minutes later."

"And the king that I should be half an hour later, dear Monsieur
Malicorne."

"You would show but very indifferent devotion to the king," replied
the latter, "if you were to refuse his majesty that half-hour's
satisfaction."

"But the painter," objected Saint-Aignan.

"_I_ will take care of him," said Malicorne, "only I must study faces
and circumstances a little better before I act; those are my magical
inventions and contrivances; and while sorcerers are enabled by means of
their astrolabe to take the altitude of the sun, moon, and stars, I
am satisfied merely by looking into people's faces, in order to see if
their eyes are encircled with dark lines, and if the mouth describes a
convex or concave arc."

And the cunning Malicorne had every opportunity of watching narrowly
and closely, for the very same evening the king accompanied the queen
to Madame's apartments, and made himself so remarked by his serious face
and his deep sigh, and looked at La Valliere with such a languishing
expression, that Malicorne said to Montalais during the evening:
"To-morrow." And he went off to the painter's house in the street of
the Jardins Saint-Paul to request him to postpone the next sitting for
a couple of days. Saint-Aignan was not within, when La Valliere, who
was now quite familiar with the lower story, lifted up the trap-door and
descended. The king, as usual was waiting for her on the staircase,
and held a bouquet in his hand; as soon as he saw her, he clasped her
tenderly in his arms. La Valliere, much moved at the action, looked
around the room, but as she saw the king was alone, she did not complain
of it. They sat down, the king reclining near the cushions on which
Louise was seated, with his head supported by her knees, placed there as
in an asylum whence no one could banish him; he gazed ardently upon her,
and as if the moment had arrived when nothing could interpose between
their two hearts; she, too, gazed with similar passion upon him, and
from her eyes, so softly pure, emanated a flame, whose rays first
kindled and then inflamed the heart of the king, who,