e where he stood, to La Valliere, "You are mistaken,
mademoiselle," he said, "you are a woman, and every woman has a right to
wear jewels, which are a woman's appurtenance."

"Oh, sire!" said La Valliere, "your majesty will not absolutely believe
in my modesty?"

"I believe you possess every virtue, mademoiselle; frankness as well as
every other; I entreat you, therefore, to say frankly what you think of
these bracelets?"

"That they are beautiful, sire, and cannot be offered to any other than
a queen."

"I am delighted that such is your opinion, mademoiselle; the bracelets
are yours, and the king begs your acceptance of them."

And as, with a movement almost resembling terror, La Valliere eagerly
held out the casket to the king, the king gently pushed back her
trembling hand.

A silence of astonishment, more profound than that of death, reigned in
the assembly.

And yet, from the side where the queens were, no one had heard what he
had said, nor understood what he had done. A charitable friend, however,
took upon herself to spread the news; it was Tonnay-Charente, to whom
Madame had made a sign to approach.

"Good heavens!" explained Tonnay-Charente, "how happy that La Valliere
is! the king has just given her the bracelets."

Madame bit her lips to such a degree that the blood appeared upon the
surface of the skin. The young queen looked first at La Valliere and
then at Madame, and began to laugh. Anne of Austria rested her chin upon
her beautiful white hand, and remained for a long time absorbed by a
presentiment that disturbed her mind, and by a terrible pang which stung
her heart. De Guiche, observing Madame turn pale, and guessing the cause
of her change of color, abruptly quitted the assembly and disappeared.
Malicorne was then able to approach Montalais very quietly, and under
cover of the general din of conversation, said to her:

"Aure, your fortune and our future are standing at your elbow."

"Yes," was her reply, as she tenderly embraced La Valliere, whom,
inwardly, she was tempted to strangle.

End of Ten Years Later. The next text in the series is Louise de la
Valliere.

Footnotes:

[Footnote 1: In the three-volume edition, Volume 1, entitled The Vicomte de
Bragelonne, ends here.]

[Footnote 2: In most other editions, the previous chapter and the next are
usually combined into one chapter, entitled "D'Artagnan calls
De Wardes to account."]

[Footnote 3: Dumas is mistaken. Th