its woods and its
grounds. When I go back to my own country I will have much to say of
what I have seen in your beautiful land."

"You speak French, and yet you are not a Canadian."

"No, sire; I am from the English provinces."

The king looked with interest at the powerful figure, the bold features,
and the free bearing of the young foreigner, and his mind flashed back
to the dangers which the Comte de Frontenac had foretold from these same
colonies. If this were indeed a type of his race, they must in truth be
a people whom it would be better to have as friends than as enemies.
His mind, however, ran at present on other things than statecraft, and
he hastened to give De Catinat his orders for the night.

"You will ride into Paris on my service. Your friend can go with you.
Two are safer than one when they bear a message of state. I wish you,
however, to wait until nightfall before you start."

"Yes, sire."

"Let none know your errand, and see that none follow you. You know the
house of Archbishop Harlay, prelate of Paris?"

"Yes, sire."

"You will bid him drive out hither and be at the north-west side postern
by midnight. Let nothing hold him back. Storm or fine, he must he here
to-night. It is of the first importance."

"He shall have your order, sire."

"Very good. Adieu, captain. Adieu, monsieur. I trust that your stay
in France may be a pleasant one." He waved his hand, smiling with the
fascinating grace which had won so many hearts, and so dismissed the two
friends to their new mission.

CHAPTER XIV.

THE LAST CARD.

Madame de Montespan still kept to her rooms, uneasy in mind at the
king's disappearance, but unwilling to show her anxiety to the court by
appearing among them or by making any inquiry as to what had occurred.
While she thus remained in ignorance of the sudden and complete collapse
of her fortunes, she had one active and energetic agent who had lost no
incident of what had occurred, and who watched her interests with as
much zeal as if they were his own. And indeed they were his own; for
her brother, Monsieur de Vivonne, had gained everything for which he
yearned, money, lands, and preferment, through his sister's notoriety,
and he well knew that the fall of her fortunes must be very rapidly
followed by that of his own. By nature bold, unscrupulous, and
resourceful, he was not a man to lose the game without playing it out to
the very end with all the energy and c