her heart.
But you know that De Bragelonne belongs to that proud race who play the
part of Roman heroes."

The king smiled feebly; he knew how true the illustration was, for Athos
had just left him.

"As for Mademoiselle de la Valliere," Saint-Aignan continued, "she was
brought up under the care of the Dowager Madame, that is to say, in
the greatest austerity and formality. This young engaged couple coldly
exchanged their little vows in the prim presence of the moon and stars;
and now, when they find they have to break those vows asunder, it plays
the very deuce with them."

Saint-Aignan thought to have made the king laugh; but on the contrary,
from a mere smile Louis passed to the greatest seriousness of manner.
He already began to experience that remorse which the comte had promised
D'Artagnan he would inflict upon him. He reflected that, in fact, these
young persons had loved and sworn fidelity to each other; that one of
the two had kept his word, and that the other was too conscientious
not to feel her perjury most bitterly. And his remorse was not
unaccompanied; for bitter pangs of jealousy began to beset the king's
heart. He did not say another word, and instead of going to pay a visit
to his mother, or the queen, or Madame, in order to amuse himself a
little, and make the ladies laugh, as he himself used to say, he threw
himself into the huge armchair in which his august father Louis XIII.
had passed so many weary days and years in company with Barradat and
Cinq-Mars. Saint-Aignan perceived the king was not to be amused at that
moment; he tried a last resource, and pronounced Louise's name, which
made the king look up immediately. "What does your majesty intend to
do this evening--shall Mademoiselle de la Valliere be informed of your
intention to see her?"

"It seems she is already aware of that," replied the king. "No, no,
Saint-Aignan," he continued, after a moment's pause, "we will both of us
pass our time in thinking, and musing, and dreaming; when Mademoiselle
de la Valliere shall have sufficiently regretted what she now regrets,
she will deign, perhaps, to give us some news of herself."

"Ah! sire, is it possible you can so misunderstand her heart, which is
so full of devotion?"

The king rose, flushed from vexation and annoyance; he was a prey to
jealousy as well as to remorse. Saint-Aignan was just beginning to feel
that his position was becoming awkward, when the curtain before the door
was rais