udoir putting the last touches to her toilet when
her page announced to her that the king was waiting in her _salon_.
Madame de Montespan could hardly believe in such good fortune. She had
racked her brain all morning as to how she should win her way to him,
and here he was waiting for her. With a last glance at the mirror, she
hastened to meet him.

He was standing with his back turned, looking up at one of Snyders's
paintings, when she entered; but as she closed the door, he turned and
took two steps towards her. She had run forward with a pretty little
cry of joy, her white arms outstretched, and love shining on her face;
but he put out his hand, gently and yet with decision, with a gesture
which checked her approach. Her hands dropped to her side, her lip
trembled, and she stood looking at him with her grief and her fears all
speaking loudly from her eyes. There was a look upon his features which
she had never seen before, and already something was whispering at the
back of her soul that to-day at least his spirit was stronger than her
own.

"You are angry with me again," she cried.

He had come with every intention of beginning the interview by telling
her bluntly of his marriage; but now, as he looked upon her beauty and
her love, he felt that it would have been less brutal to strike her down
at his feet. Let some one else tell her, then. She would know soon
enough. Besides, there would be less chance then of a scene, which was
a thing abhorrent to his soul. His task was, in any case, quite
difficult enough. All this ran swiftly through his mind, and she as
swiftly read it off in the brown eyes which gazed at her.

"You have something you came to say, and now you have not the heart to
say it. God bless the kindly heart which checks the cruel tongue."

"No, no, madame," said Louis; "I would not be cruel. I cannot forget
that my life has been brightened and my court made brilliant during all
these years by your wit and your beauty. But times change, madame, and
I owe a duty to the world which overrides my own personal inclinations.
For every reason I think that it is best that we should arrange in the
way which we discussed the other day, and that you should withdraw
yourself from the court."

"Withdraw, sire! For how long?"

"It must be a permanent withdrawal, madame."

She stood with clenched hands and a pale face staring at him.

"I need not say that I shall make your retirement a happy one