chbishop has
arrived, sire."

"Very well, Bontems. Ask madame to be so good as to step this way.
And order the witnesses to assemble in the ante-room."

As the valet hastened away, Louis turned to his minister: "I wish you to
be one of the witnesses, Louvois."

"To what, sire?"

"To my marriage."

The minister started. "What, sire! Already?"

"Now, Louvois; within five minutes."

"Very good, sire." The unhappy courtier strove hard to assume a more
festive manner; but the night had been full of vexation to him, and to
be condemned to assist in making this woman the king's wife was the most
bitter drop of all.

"Put these letters away, Louvois. The last one has made up for all the
rest. But these rascals shall smart for it, all the same. By-the-way,
there is that young nephew to whom madame wrote. Gerard d'Aubigny is
his name, is it not?"

"Yes, sire."

"Make him out a colonel's commission, and give him the next vacancy,
Louvois."

"A colonel, sire! Why, he is not yet twenty."

"Ay, Louvois. Pray, am I the chief of the army, or are you? Take care,
Louvois! I have warned you once before. I tell you, man, that if I
choose to promote one of my jack-boots to be the head of a brigade, you
shall not hesitate to make out the papers. Now go into the ante-room,
and wait with the other witnesses until you are wanted."

There had meanwhile been busy goings-on in the small room where the red
lamp burned in front of the Virgin. Francoise de Maintenon stood in the
centre, a little flush of excitement on her cheeks, and an unwonted
light in her placid gray eyes. She was clad in a dress of shining white
brocade, trimmed and slashed with silver serge, and fringed at the
throat and arms with costly point lace. Three women, grouped around
her, rose and stooped and swayed, putting a touch here and a touch
there, gathering in, looping up, and altering until all was to their
taste.

"There!" said the head dressmaker, giving a final pat to a rosette of
gray silk; "I think that will do, your Majes--that is to say, madame."

The lady smiled at the adroit slip of the courtier dressmaker.

"My tastes lean little towards dress," said she, "yet I would fain look
as he would wish me to look."

"Ah, it is easy to dress madame. Madame has a figure. Madame has a
carriage. What costume would not look well with such a neck and waist
and arm to set it off? But, ah, madame, what are we to do when we have
to make t