ned with particular attention
the toilettes of their ladies and maids of honor; and they condescended
to forget they were queens in recollecting that they were women. In
other words, they pitilessly picked to pieces every person present who
wore a petticoat. The looks of both princesses simultaneously fell upon
La Valliere, who, as we have just said, was completely surrounded
at that moment. Madame knew not what pity was, and said to the
queen-mother, as she turned towards her, "If Fortune were just, she
would favor that poor La Valliere."

"That is not possible," said the queen-mother, smiling.

"Why not?"

"There are only two hundred tickets, so that it was not possible to
inscribe every one's name on the list."

"And hers is not there, then?"

"No!"

"What a pity! she might have won them, and then sold them."

"Sold them!" exclaimed the queen.

"Yes; it would have been a dowry for her, and she would not have been
obliged to marry without her _trousseau_, as will probably be the case."

"Really," answered the queen-mother, "poor little thing: has she no
dresses, then?"

And she pronounced these words like a woman who has never been able to
understand the inconveniences of a slenderly filled purse.

"Stay, look at her. Heaven forgive me, if she is not wearing the very
same petticoat this evening that she had on this morning during the
promenade, and which she managed to keep clean, thanks to the care the
king took of her, in sheltering her from the rain."

At the very moment Madame uttered these words the king entered the
room. The two queens would not perhaps have observed his arrival, so
completely were they occupied in their ill-natured remarks, had not
Madame noticed that, all at once, La Valliere, who was standing up
facing the gallery, exhibited certain signs of confusion, and then
said a few words to the courtiers who surrounded her, who immediately
dispersed. This movement induced Madame to look towards the door, and
at that moment, the captain of the guards announced the king. At this
moment La Valliere, who had hitherto kept her eyes fixed upon the
gallery, suddenly cast them down as the king entered. His majesty was
dressed magnificently and in the most perfect taste; he was conversing
with Monsieur and the Duc de Roquelaure, Monsieur on his right, and the
Duc de Roquelaure on his left. The king advanced, in the first place,
towards the queens, to whom he bowed with an air full of graceful
re